“There is hope for America. It lies in heaven, and we will find it on our knees.”… Read the rest
Welcome to our archive of news stories relevant to the project of fighting fashionable nonsense. The stories are drawn from the electronic pages of the world’s media. On this page, you’ll find links to those stories that have been featured on Butterflies and Wheels during the current year. At the bottom of the page, you’ll find links to separate archives of stories from previous years.
We’re always pleased to hear about news stories that you think should be featured on Butterflies and Wheels. Just send an email here, if you want to point one out to us.
A note about links
Inevitably links go out of date. We suggest, therefore, that you make hard-copies of the stories that particularly interest you.
Justice for Magdalenes welcomes UN report [pdf] 
Jun 8th, 2011 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Having suffered torture or ill-treatment, in which the state directly participated, the women have the ongoing right to an investigation and redress.… Read the rest
The horror of Ireland’s Magdalene laundries
Jun 8th, 2011 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Ireland locked up more of its citizens than anywhere else in the world – not in prisons, but in psychiatric hospitals, Magdalene laundries and industrial schools.… Read the rest
Pigliucci on William Lane Craig and logical fallacies
Jun 8th, 2011 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
There are situations where invoking the origin of an idea or belief is actually pertinent to the discussion, and does not constitute a fallacy at all.… Read the rest
James Croft on how not to end a conversation
Jun 8th, 2011 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Somebody wants to set up a new college? Bring out the bombs!… Read the rest
Nigel Warburton on how not to end a conversation
Jun 8th, 2011 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Ending a conversation with a smoke bomb is very different from spontaneous heckling or angry questioning: it is a form of pre-meditated censorship.… Read the rest
Rape victim jailed for adultery
Jun 7th, 2011 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Alicia Gali spent eight months in a Dubai prison after the alleged assault by three co-workers.… Read the rest
Murkan says: give Grayling’s new college a chance
Jun 7th, 2011 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
UK and US are full of people who fervently believe in the principle of universal education and just as fervently object to paying higher taxes or tuition fees.… Read the rest
Smoke bomb set off at Foyles by NCH protesters
Jun 7th, 2011 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Lots of shouting and heckling, then lots of red smoke; all very educational.… Read the rest
Ethiopia: girls fight child marriages
Jun 7th, 2011 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
“I wanted to get an education but my parents were determined to marry me off,” says Himanot Yehewala, who was married five years ago at the age of 13.… Read the rest
Dons defend plan for £18,000-a-year college
Jun 7th, 2011 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Leading academics have defended their plans to build a privately funded university to rival Oxford and Cambridge from accusations of elitism.… Read the rest
Academics launch £18,000 college in London
Jun 7th, 2011 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Receive heavy criticism in comments.… Read the rest
UN Committee Against Torture reports on Magdalenes
Jun 7th, 2011 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Says Irish govt should set up statutory investigation into allegations of torture and degrading treatment against women committed to Magdalene Laundries.… Read the rest
NY Times on Amina Araf’s abduction
Jun 7th, 2011 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
She has been openly critical of the Syrian government’s response to the protest movement.… Read the rest
“Gay Girl in Damascus” abducted
Jun 7th, 2011 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Relatives of Amina Abdallah, a Syrian-American blogger and activist, said she was bundled into a car by suspected security agents on Monday.… Read the rest
Justice for Saleem Shahzad? We’ve seen this before…
Jun 6th, 2011 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
The anger surrounding the abduction and murder of Saleem Shahzad is still raging.… Read the rest
Amir Mir asks: who killed Saleem Shahzad?
Jun 6th, 2011 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
He will not be the last journalist killed for uncovering the truth; there are many journalists in Pakistan who put truth ahead of so-called “national interest”.… Read the rest
Saleem Shahzad’s former employer retorts to ISI
Jun 6th, 2011 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Shahzad “confided to me and several others that he had received death threats from various officers of the ISI on at least three occasions in the past five years.”… Read the rest
“Multiculturalism” in Denmark
Jun 6th, 2011 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
If liberty and tolerance are to be core Danish values, then it is neither multi nor monoculturalism we should argue for.… Read the rest
Mick Hume gives the spiked view on Mladic
Jun 6th, 2011 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Why did Srebrenica happen? It’s fraffly complicated. These dreary human rights types get it all wrong.… Read the rest
