All entries by this author

Democrats Let Themselves be Hustled *

Jul 13th, 2004 | Filed by

The herd of independent minds demands noisy religiosity from Kerry. Why?… Read the rest



At the MLA Convention *

Jul 13th, 2004 | Filed by

Essay way too long, padded, boring, but with some interesting bits.… Read the rest



Why Plagiarism Matters *

Jul 13th, 2004 | Filed by

For the same sort of reason evidence matters, logic matters, truth matters.… Read the rest



Occidentalism Reviewed *

Jul 12th, 2004 | Filed by

Rebellion against the West is a Western export.… Read the rest



A Quick Twirl

Jul 11th, 2004 11:40 pm | By

Another miscellany, because there is an ever-growing backlog of items I want to point out and perhaps say a few words about – and I only have six hands you know. Be reasonable. I’m going as fast as I can, here, but I can’t do everything. And besides I have this mosquito bite or spider bite or moth bite or whatever the hell kind of bite it is just right at the bend of my elbow, on top where it gets maximal chafing from my sweatshirt, and it itches, dammit! It’s been itching for days and days and days and days. Normally bites stop itching after a few days, am I right? But this one just keeps on going, like … Read the rest



Want the Feds Monitoring Universities? No? *

Jul 11th, 2004 | Filed by

Should ‘both sides’ of the Holocaust or slavery be taught?… Read the rest



Timothy Garton Ash on Prospect List of Intellectuals *

Jul 11th, 2004 | Filed by

‘Like most British intellectuals of his generation, Karl Popper was born in Vienna.’… Read the rest



National Endowment for the Arts Survey of Reading *

Jul 11th, 2004 | Filed by

Literary reading is in decline, and the rate of decline is increasing.… Read the rest



Nick Cohen on Blunkett’s Cunning Plan *

Jul 11th, 2004 | Filed by

‘a religion is a system of ideas like any other.’… Read the rest



Borrowing From Chomsky

Jul 10th, 2004 8:23 pm | By

There is a common element in the two examples of political rhetoric about religion we’ve been looking at recently – Steven Waldman’s last weekend and David Blunkett’s this past week. Both of them argue at least partly from perceived alienation or resentment or anger or grievance, or all those, of religious groups or ‘communities’. Alienation and resentment of religious believers at being ignored by secular Democrats or Democratic secularists, and alienation and grievance of Muslims at not being protected by the Race Relations Act, because it doesn’t cover religion. ‘While Jews and Sikhs are covered under the existing law, those of Islamic faith and Christians are not,’ as Blunkett put it on the ‘Today’ programme. One interesting thing about … Read the rest



With Respect, YH, You’ve Got it Wrong *

Jul 10th, 2004 | Filed by

Michael Baum tells Charles Windsor what’s wrong with anecdotal ‘evidence’.… Read the rest



See Gwyneth Paltrow’s Cupping Bruises! *

Jul 10th, 2004 | Filed by

Hey, it’s an ancient Chinese practice, so it must be healthy, right?… Read the rest



Washington Post on MMR and Wakefield *

Jul 10th, 2004 | Filed by

Media panics create a debate where there isn’t one. … Read the rest



A Cultural Change *

Jul 10th, 2004 | Filed by

Bush administration still packing science advisory panels with ideologues.… Read the rest



Some Arguments Against a Religious-Hatred Law *

Jul 10th, 2004 | Filed by

From Civitas, the Institute for the Study of Civil Society.… Read the rest



Swami Agnivesh Opposes Hindutva *

Jul 10th, 2004 | Filed by

‘If the BJP comes back, it will come back with a vengeance. I fear it will.’… Read the rest



How to End ‘Honour’ Killings *

Jul 10th, 2004 | Filed by

Create communities where people believe there is no honour in honour killing.… Read the rest



Doubts About Religious Hatred Law *

Jul 10th, 2004 | Filed by

‘…where people feel free to be able to express sensible views and have sensible arguments.’… Read the rest



Yusuf al-Qaradawi Will Not Face Charges *

Jul 10th, 2004 | Filed by

Insufficient evidence, cautious speech, interest in the truth.… Read the rest



Surprise! Americans Don’t Read Much *

Jul 9th, 2004 | Filed by

From On Native Grounds to Amusing Ourselves to Death.… Read the rest