Archive for the 'Philosophy' Category

 

The Haltemprice and Howden by-election

Friday, July 11th, 2008

I think there are three points that come out of this.
Firstly, I will be interested to see how Mr Davis, now re-elected, keeps the issue in the public eye. I dislike single-issue elections as Mr Davis will represent his constituency on the whole range of public issues. Although David Davis (according to ConservativeHome) has said [...]

 

The Bodyline series and logical fallacy

Sunday, May 18th, 2008

In order to counter the remarkable batting of the Australian Don Bradman, the English Ashes team of 1932-3 decided to bowl directly at the batsman rather than trying to hit the stumps. Bowling ‘in the line of the body’ quickly became Bodyline. It was a effective tactic - England won four of the five games [...]

 

I’m a public intellectual - get me out of here!

Sunday, April 27th, 2008

Foreign Policy’s list of one hundred leading, public intellectuals is causing some controversy. We should be grateful that this list has been compiled and that the competition is being promoted by Foreign Policy rather than one of the TV networks. Graham Norton or - heaven forfend! - Jimmy Carr would have been Channel Four’s preferred [...]

 

Nadine Dorries on abortion

Wednesday, March 26th, 2008

Nadine Dorries has posted another attack on an MP who supports abortion encouraging people to vote solely on that issue; this time, it is Barbara Follett.
In order to receive funding they have to support Labour party values, and be pro-abortion
This means that any potential candidate of faith, ie, Jewish, Christian, Sikh, Muslim or Hindu would [...]

 

Edmund Burke on Nadine Dorries

Tuesday, March 25th, 2008

Nadine Dorries, the Conservative MP for Mid Beds and doyenne of the anti-abortion movement in Parliament, has been pressing for further restrictions on abortion for some time. I have no doubt that she sincerely holds those beliefs. However, it does seem that the strength with which she holds those beliefs is clouding her judgement. As [...]

 

Rosa Winkel

Wednesday, March 19th, 2008

The Rt Rev Joseph Devine, Bishop of Motherwell, has come out with some particularly putrid comments. According to The Scotsman (via New Humanist via Stroppy) and the BBC, the Bishop has said
“It is ever-present at the service each year for the Holocaust memorial, as if to create for themselves the image of a group of [...]

 

42 days

Sunday, March 16th, 2008

Through the good offices of Sunny Hundall of Liberal Conspiracy and Anthony Barnett of OurKingdom, an open letter in opposition to the 42 days proposal is on Comment is Free.
In 1961, John F. Kennedy addressed newspaper editors and publishers with these words:
We decided long ago that the dangers of excessive and unwarranted concealment of pertinent [...]

 

Immanuel Kant - wrong for America

Saturday, March 15th, 2008

‘Paid for by the committee to elect Friedrich Nietzche’.
I almost wish I could do an American accent… we could have a lot of fun with these.
xD.

 

The right answer, the wrong reason

Tuesday, March 11th, 2008

Raymond Horne (not, as the Daily Mirror insists on calling him, Raymond Thorne) is to be deported from Australia on his release from prison in a couple of weeks. Horne is a paedophile; I would venture that if he is still a ‘clear and present danger’, it might be best for him to remain in [...]

 

A civil service bloggers’ code

Tuesday, March 11th, 2008

The Official Secrets Act is not to protect secrets; it is to protect officials.
-Jobs for the Boys, Yes Minister.
Tom Watson has been musing about civil service bloggers following the Civil Serf incident. He has come up with some thoughts but, before I list them, it’s worth repeating that these are thoughts, not a statement of [...]