‘Reasonable limits on what can be said’ are precisely what decent people can’t agree on.
Category: Latest News
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Inevitably links go out of date.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.
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Garton Ash on the Tyranny of the Group Veto
If the intimidators succeed, the lesson is: shout loudly, threaten violence, and you will get your way.
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Future King Sneers at Rights
Why should mere subjects have rights? What rubbish.
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Iranian Fury at SWP Meeting
Claim that Iranian women had more rights after the revolution was too much for Iranians in the room.
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Panel Resists Textbook Changes
Committee sought to find middle ground in the contested space of ancient history and religion.
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Changes Reflect Compromise
‘Why should history be written to make us feel better?’ said student Simmy Makhijani.
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Manifesto
Hirsi Ali, Rushdie, Ibn Warraq, Manji, BHL, Namazie, Fourest, others sign manifesto against Islamism.
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Dennett and Swinburne Debate Religion
Quite funny in places.
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Stanley Fish Talks Nonsense
Disgusting nonsense at that.
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Replies to Stanley Fish
Two philosophers, others, take him to task.
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Leicester Secular Society Greets JSTO
Lots of battles that we thought were won decades ago may need to be re-fought, says Chris Williams.
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Subcommittee Rejects California Textbook Changes
Teacher Laju Shah is ‘appalled by the selective amnesia and fake history that is being advocated.’
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Irving Asks a Question
‘If there was an extermination programme to kill all the Jews, how come so many survived?’
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David Irving, Richard Evans on Today [audio]
Evans considers law banning Holocaust denial no longer really necessary.
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High Rate of Belief in ‘Paranormal’ in US
Especially haunted houses.
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The Enlightenment Tamed Christianity
In the institutions of liberal culture, religious statements are gaining the power of conformity.
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Shalom Lappin on the Ken Livingstone Affair
Part of a cynical campaign of divisive ethnic politics that he has been pursuing for electoral advantage.
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Meera Nanda on Counter-Enightenment in India
Modern science-educated Indians treat the teachings of gurus, yogis and swamis as vaguely ‘scientific.’
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Trevor Phillips on Free Speech and Sharia
‘We have one set of laws. If you want to have laws decided in another way, you have to live somewhere else.’
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Ian Buruma on Sexual Frustration and Violence
Sexual frustration and bitter misogyny may be factors in mass murder.