‘School is not a place for religion. It is a place where we are all French and we are all equal.’… Read the rest
All entries by this author
Burqa Ban in Belgium
Sep 7th, 2005 | Filed by Ophelia BensonOne woman resists law; her husband is suspect in Madrid bombing.… Read the rest
Eric Foner on Katrina as a New Selma
Sep 7th, 2005 | Filed by Ophelia BensonThe sight of the emaciated children of Lawrence strikers transformed public opinion.… Read the rest
Julian Baggini on Our Role as Cosmic Measurers
Sep 7th, 2005 | Filed by Ophelia BensonHumans have to do the job not because we’re so great but because there’s no one else.… Read the rest
Scott McLemee on Views on Katrina
Sep 7th, 2005 | Filed by Ophelia BensonBush doesn’t read, but there were pictures. Niall Ferguson has an odd take.… Read the rest
Return of Book Reviewing
Sep 7th, 2005 | Filed by Ophelia BensonScott McLemee notes that journalism has its own metaphysics.… Read the rest
Pray Harder
Sep 7th, 2005 | Filed by Ophelia BensonAllbaugh called FEMA an oversized entitlement program, urged reliance on ‘faith-based organizations.’… Read the rest
Barash on Lloyd on Female Orgasm
Sep 7th, 2005 | Filed by Ophelia BensonPlasticity is not evidence against selection.… Read the rest
Overenthusiasm for Drowning
Sep 7th, 2005 | Filed by Ophelia BensonConservatives want to cut government ‘down to the size where we can drown it in the bathtub.’… Read the rest
What a Treat for the Wretched of New Orleans
Sep 7th, 2005 | Filed by Ophelia BensonThey get to go to Houston! Barbara Bush is so pleased for them.… Read the rest
Stop, These People Have More Money Than You
Sep 7th, 2005 2:39 am | By Ophelia BensonEveryone’s already seen this, but I just wanted to keep it for the record. I saw it in several places, but this one is from the Guardian on September 3.
… Read the restAt one point Friday, the evacuation was interrupted briefly when school buses rolled up so some 700 guests and employees from the Hyatt Hotel could move to the head of the evacuation line – much to the amazement of those who had been crammed in the stinking Superdome since last Sunday. ‘How does this work? They (are) clean, they are dry, they get out ahead of us?’ exclaimed Howard Blue, 22, who tried to get in their line. The National Guard blocked him as other guardsmen helped the well-dressed guests
Up is not Down, Out is not In, Yes is not No
Sep 6th, 2005 7:49 pm | By Ophelia BensonAh – things become a little clearer. I became curious about a commenter who keeps conflating theism with theology, so I googled and found a blog, where conflation turns up again.
Early in the month, a friend called my attention to this Salon interview with philosopher of science Michael Ruse, talking about evolution-vs-creationism. Ruse is pointing out some of the argumentative excesses of science (for example, the rantings of Richard Dawkins, which I’ve blogged about before) and he’s trying to stake out space to allow someone to endorse both science and religious faith. I liked what he had to say. As I’ve seen argued elsewhere, atheism didn’t exist before the Enlightenment.
Just by the way, that’s not true. Consider … Read the rest
Cass Sunstein on William Rehnquist
Sep 6th, 2005 | Filed by Ophelia BensonHe limited judicial activism in one direction and expanded it in another.… Read the rest
Newsflash: There’s Poverty in America
Sep 6th, 2005 | Filed by Ophelia BensonOld news, but each generation of Americans discovers it anew.… Read the rest
Bush’s Islamic Republic
Sep 6th, 2005 | Filed by Ophelia BensonIrony that US will help establish Middle East’s second Shiite Islamic state.… Read the rest
John Gray Reviews Thomas Friedman
Sep 6th, 2005 | Filed by Ophelia BensonNeoliberals lack Marx’s insights into self-destructive qualities of capitalism. … Read the rest
Matthew Lockwood on Anti-developmentalism
Sep 6th, 2005 | Filed by Ophelia BensonArgues that African states actively discourage business, trade and innovation.… Read the rest
Revealed at Last
Sep 5th, 2005 10:46 pm | By Ophelia BensonSo the truth is out. The well-kept secret that there is a large and growing gap between rich and poor in the US has suddenly tumbled out of the bag and into the spotlight. Well whaddya know – you mean all those people working in Walmarts and motels and chicken-processing plants and McDonald’s aren’t earning enough to buy a big house in the suburbs and an SUV? Well I’ll be damned – I coulda sworn everybody who did an honest day’s work for an honest day’s pay in this country got to be a millionaire in a couple of years or so.
… Read the restAs President Bush scurries back to the Gulf Coast, it is clear that this is the greatest
Sharia Court Protest Spreads to Europe
Sep 5th, 2005 | Filed by Ophelia BensonProtests are planned September 8 in London, Paris, Amsterdam, Düsseldorf and Stockholm.… Read the rest