He didn’t drown every single person in New Orleans, and he wiped out much of the sin there.… Read the rest
All entries by this author
Keystone Government
Sep 8th, 2005 2:15 am | By Ophelia BensonOh, dear. I haven’t been to Michael Bérubé’s place in awhile – not on purpose, just because I haven’t gotten around to it. He was off on a vacation for awhile, I think, and I got out of the habit. Anyway I’m reading it now, and I keep bursting into laughter, so I thought I might as well share one or two of the shots. To set the scene for you – they have to do with Katrina and ass-covering. A major rescue operation:
… Read the rest“Operation Cover Our Asses was carried out with a combination of precision, speed and boldness the American people did not expect,” Bush told a select group of Gannons standing on the flight deck. “We set
We Are All Equal
Sep 7th, 2005 11:10 pm | By Ophelia BensonThe hijab ban a year later.
Twelve months on, the row has subsided and the law is being hailed by the Government as a success that has stemmed the Islamic fundamentalist tide and brought calm to the nation’s lycées. Fathima, who is 16, agrees. “In the end I really don’t think it was a bad law at all. I wear my voile until I get to the school gates and then I take it off. School is not a place for religion. It is a place where we are all French and we are all equal. After lessons, I put the scarf back on again. There’s no difficulty.”
That’s good – that seems a hopeful sign. Except…one hopes that … Read the rest
Shakespeare in Kabul
Sep 7th, 2005 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Audiences enthusiastic, conservative press sees ‘imposition of western values.’… Read the rest
Hostility to French Hijab Ban Fades
Sep 7th, 2005 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
‘School is not a place for religion. It is a place where we are all French and we are all equal.’… Read the rest
Burqa Ban in Belgium
Sep 7th, 2005 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
One 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 Benson
The 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 Benson
Humans 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 Benson
Bush 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 Benson
Scott McLemee notes that journalism has its own metaphysics.… Read the rest
Pray Harder
Sep 7th, 2005 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Allbaugh 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 Benson
Plasticity is not evidence against selection.… Read the rest
Overenthusiasm for Drowning
Sep 7th, 2005 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Conservatives 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 Benson
They 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 Benson
He 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 Benson
Old news, but each generation of Americans discovers it anew.… Read the rest
Bush’s Islamic Republic
Sep 6th, 2005 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Irony that US will help establish Middle East’s second Shiite Islamic state.… Read the rest