‘Every day, more and more women are killed in Kurdistan while the authorities watch and do nothing.’… 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Inevitably links go out of date.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.
Man Stones 14-Year-Old Daughter to Death 
Feb 20th, 2008 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
A distraught woman, crying uncontrollably, told the authorities in Zahedan her daughter had been murdered.… Read the rest
Man Shoots His Sister to Death
Feb 20th, 2008 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Brother suspected her of ‘illicit relations’ so he killed her. Nice for her six children.… Read the rest
HRW on Egypt and Freedom of Religion
Feb 19th, 2008 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
An ID card stating no religion is not an option.… Read the rest
Susan Jacoby on Anti-intellectualism
Feb 19th, 2008 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
The problem is not ignorance but being pleased about it.… Read the rest
Vaccines and Autism: Myths and Misconceptions
Feb 19th, 2008 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
The anti-vaccination movement, based on bad science and fear-mongering, is more vocal and hostile. … Read the rest
Picture Life Without Vaccines
Feb 19th, 2008 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
‘No One Got Sick or Died from a Vaccine-Preventable Disease Today’ is not a very exciting story.… Read the rest
Nigel Warburton Interviews James Garvey
Feb 18th, 2008 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Climate change presents us with a host of moral problems. Getting those in plain sight is part of the point of the book.… Read the rest
The Internet Links Philosophy With its Roots
Feb 18th, 2008 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Mark O’Connell recommends philosophy blogs: Talking Philosophy, Virtual Philosopher, Stephen Law.… Read the rest
Carlin Romano on Socrates
Feb 18th, 2008 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Isocrates practiced the philosophical study of ethics without the dogmatism of Plato’s Socrates.… Read the rest
Jasvinder Sanghera on Forced Marriage
Feb 18th, 2008 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Some 300 girls aged 13-16 have disappeared off the school registers in Bedford alone. … Read the rest
Wikipedia Ordered to Remove Images of Prophet
Feb 18th, 2008 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
On two of the images, Muhammad’s face is veiled; on two others, his face is shown. A face, anyway.… Read the rest
Normblog on Tony Judt on ‘Too Much Holocaust’
Feb 18th, 2008 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Judt has all these difficulties by way of honouring Hannah Arendt. It is hard to imagine a more unworthy tribute to her.… Read the rest
Terry Glavin on ‘Freedom to Read Week’
Feb 17th, 2008 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
The Vancouver Public Library seems to have confused free speech with providing a platform.… Read the rest
The ‘Marketplace of Ideas’ is not Sufficient
Feb 17th, 2008 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
More from Terry Glavin on Greg Felton and free speech.… Read the rest
Terry Glavin Answers the Vancouver Librarian
Feb 17th, 2008 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Before Librarian’s letter, Felton’s invitation was more or less an honest mistake. Now it’s about ‘intellectual freedom.’… Read the rest
VPL Provides an Internal Memo
Feb 17th, 2008 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Memo makes it clear that the library cannot distinguish between freedom and active promotion.… Read the rest
The Archbishop’s Attack on Secularism
Feb 17th, 2008 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Sharia courts can be given full legal status only through the suspension of certain legal rights of a section of the population.… Read the rest
Ziauddin Sardar on the Archbishop and Sharia
Feb 16th, 2008 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
It is not just in the west that the sharia conjures up instant images of oppression and brutality.… Read the rest
