Isolation of ghettos where Muslim law and outlook prevails is seen as a cause of the unrest.… Read the rest
All entries by this author
The Assassin Failed to Silence Ayaan Hirsi Ali 
Nov 8th, 2005 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
She has forced the Dutch to confront questions about culture, tolerance and free speech.… Read the rest
Jonathan Freedland on Amos Oz
Nov 8th, 2005 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
‘For most journalists it’s Orwell, but for me it’s Oz.’… Read the rest
Fuss Over Sunday Shopping
Nov 8th, 2005 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
No, no, shop after work, or during lunch hour, or never.… Read the rest
Vatican Urges People to Have Many Children
Nov 8th, 2005 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Many, many, many children.… Read the rest
Three Muslims Killed in Hindu Attack on Village
Nov 8th, 2005 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Why? Rumours that cows had been slaughtered for the Islamic Eid-al-Fitr celebrations.… Read the rest
No Intifada, No Cause, Just Gang Stuff
Nov 8th, 2005 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Once two or three districts had their night on the news, every other quartier wanted to follow.… Read the rest
Turn Back the Tide
Nov 7th, 2005 6:43 pm | By Ophelia BensonJohn Judis says Alito may be not a ‘prudent conservative’ but a ‘determined reactionary.’
Samuel Alito’s position on abortion, evidenced in his dissent in Planned Parenthood v. Casey, may turn out to be an accurate barometer of his overall judicial philosophy. First, Alito’s dissent in the 1991 case may be indicative of his position on the larger question of women’s liberty and equality, and more broadly still, of how he views the changes the feminist movement made in our understanding of liberty. In this opinion and others, Alito appears, as Antonin Scalia and Clarence Thomas often do, to be standing athwart history, yelling stop.
And what is the chief thing people who seem to stand athwart history yelling stopstopstop … Read the rest
Things Fall Apart
Nov 7th, 2005 3:42 pm | By Ophelia BensonI’ve been meaning to say: sorry about the weekly update. I’ve been getting emails from readers who miss it, and who try to resubscribe only to get an error message. It’s broken. Sorry. I wish I could fix it – I would if I could – but I can’t. Sorry. It’s probably the hacker who broke it. I miss it too – apart from anything else, it sold a few copies of the Dictionary every time it went out, which meant that in five years or so there might be a tiny royalty. Thanks, hacker.
I think B&W is probably on its last legs. I don’t have the tech skills to fix things, so as more things break, they will … Read the rest
Alan Johnson Interviews Martin Shaw
Nov 7th, 2005 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
The reactionary left sees human rights and democratisation as expressions of imperialism.… Read the rest
Raj Persaud Accused of Plagiarism
Nov 7th, 2005 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Journal article on Milgram’s experiment echoes book by US scholar.… Read the rest
John Fowles 1926-2005
Nov 7th, 2005 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
The French Lieutenant’s Woman, The Magus, The Collector; three landmark novels.… Read the rest
Christian Identity Church Called ‘Hate Group’
Nov 7th, 2005 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Despite not calling non-whites ‘mud people.’… Read the rest
Can Evolutionary Psychology Inform Lit Crit?
Nov 7th, 2005 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Achilles was Alpha male, Emma Bovary lusted for alpha male. Now what?… Read the rest
Always Heed the Rhetoric
Nov 7th, 2005 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
‘Principled’; ‘tough and fair’ instead of ‘tough but fair’ – it all adds up.… Read the rest
John Judis on Reactionary Legal Philosophy
Nov 7th, 2005 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Alito doesn’t weigh women’s liberty and independence against other factors; he fails to acknowledge them. … Read the rest
‘Respect’ Apparently a Somewhat Incoherent Word
Nov 7th, 2005 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
You should respect yoof no elders no doctors no the poor no the rich no people with guns.… Read the rest
Mshari Al-Zaydi on Crisis in Saudi Education
Nov 6th, 2005 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Those who mention need to reform education are attacked and accused of being agents of West. … Read the rest
Nick Cohen on Plutocracy
Nov 6th, 2005 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
‘When such opulence surrounds you, you are in danger of finding it normal.’… Read the rest
