No Laughing Matter: John Cleese Declares “I’m Afraid They are Going to Have to Arrest Me.”

In the classic movie comedy, A Fish Called Wanda, John Cleese lamented, “do you have any idea what it’s like being English? Being so correct all the time, being so stifled by this dread of, of doing the wrong thing.” Now 86, Cleese has a more pressing concern about being English: whether his exercise of […]

No Laughing Matter: John Cleese Declares “I’m Afraid They are Going to Have to Arrest Me.”

Aussie Senator: US Social Media Reluctance to Censor Climate Skeptics – “This is the Problem”

Apparently free speech is OK, as long as the Australian Government thinks what you are saying is true.

Aussie Senator: US Social Media Reluctance to Censor Climate Skeptics – “This is the Problem”

PEN America gets captured: organization accepts Palestine as a member and rejects Israel; Jewish chief executive resigns after accusations of being a “Zionist” and not signing on to Israel’s “genocide”

Every day, it seems, another group gets ideologically captured, valorizing Palestine (or Hamas) and demonizing Israel.  This is dispiriting for Jews, but the latest such capture—of the free-expression literary group PEN America—is especially depressing. The decline of PEN American was first evidenced to me when, in 2015, it decided to give a “freedom of expression”…

PEN America gets captured: organization accepts Palestine as a member and rejects Israel; Jewish chief executive resigns after accusations of being a “Zionist” and not signing on to Israel’s “genocide”

Pinker and Tupy tout worldwide progress, espouse an objective morality

In this Free Press article, Steve Pinker and Marian Tupy (the latter identified as “the founder and editor of HumanProgress.org, a senior fellow at the Cato Institute, and co-author of Superabundance”) once again recount the undoubtable progress that humanity has made over the past six or seven centuries.  The progress described here will be familiar…

Pinker and Tupy tout worldwide progress, espouse an objective morality

In support of a pragmatic alliance

For centuries, atheists, Christians, and Jews have regarded one another as intellectual and cultural adversaries. Their disagreements are real and often profound. They disagree about the existence of God, the authority of scripture, the nature of morality, the meaning of history, and the destiny of humanity. These disputes have generated entire libraries of argument and […]

In support of a pragmatic alliance

The Adelaide Writers Festival

Juliet Moses writes at Quillette: The furore surrounding the storied Adelaide Writers Festival, the longest-running and largest literary festival in Australia and one that receives significant taxpayer funding, has made international headlines. Our drama ostensibly begins when the Festival’s board disinvites Dr Randa Abdel-Fattah, an Australian writer with Palestinian heritage.  Its climax sees a cultural…

The Adelaide Writers Festival

Maarten Boudry on the policing of academia

My friend Maarten Boudry, a Belgian philosopher, has been increasingly demonized for his heterodox views, especially on the Hamas/Israel war, since he is sympathetic to Israel (he isn’t Jewish). In the latest post on his Substack site, also published in condensed form in The Jewish Chronicle, Maarten recounts how there is a near-unanimity among European…

Maarten Boudry on the policing of academia

Sam Harris and John McWhorter: Is wokeness dead?

In this shortish (23-minute) video, Sam Harris and John McWhorter discuss whether wokeness is finally dead.  The short answer is “nope.”  It may have lain down, but it refuses to die. The YouTube notes (there’s a transcript you can see as well): Sam Harris speaks with John McWhorter about language, ideology, and moral certainty. They […]

Sam Harris and John McWhorter: Is wokeness dead?

Former Special Counsel Jack Smith Confirms his Utter Contempt for the First Amendment Before Congress

For years, some of us have argued that President Donald Trump’s January 6th speech was protected under the First Amendment…

Former Special Counsel Jack Smith Confirms his Utter Contempt for the First Amendment Before Congress

Quinn Que: To save liberalism, “progressives” must apologize and abandon their air of moral certainty

This longish diatribe against “progressives” (i.e., left-wing extremists who aren’t Communists) appeared in my weekly Substack recommendations. Intrigued by the title, I printed it out and read it (I can’t read on screens.) Que’s thesis is one you’ve often seen me advance: “progressives” have gone so far that they’ve alienated much of the Left, and…

Quinn Que: To save liberalism, “progressives” must apologize and abandon their air of moral certainty

Melanie Phillips explains, once again, why anti-Zionism is antisemitism

Reader Norman sent me the first video below saying, “in one of your posts the other day you gave a link to an article about how anti-Zionism = antisemitism.”  Yes, I’ve frequently said that and in fact did so in the last post. And I think the equation is clearly true. For those on the…

Melanie Phillips explains, once again, why anti-Zionism is antisemitism

The journal Science positively reviews a book criticizing gender surgery

Is it a sign of the times that this long book review, appearing in the “Science and Society” section of the prestigious journal Science, actually approves of a book questioning the ubiquity of gender surgeries?  I haven’t read the book, but you can be that Nature wouldn’t give a positive review such prominence. Here’s the…

The journal Science positively reviews a book criticizing gender surgery

Auckland Uni gets it right

The Auckland University Freedom of Expression Statement looks very good. It is clear with few weasel words. Key extracts: The University actively fosters and supports lawful and constructive debate by its staff and students on any topic, including with the participation of external speakers invited by a staff member, or a recognised student association or student…

Auckland Uni gets it right

A good critique

David Harvey has a good critique of the proposed social media ban for under 16s. I certainly support the intent that we should keep under 16s off social media. The linkage to poor mental health outcomes is incredibly powerful – especially for girls. Even those who support the idea of a ban concede that enforcing…

A good critique

BBC intifada portrayal conflicts with its own previous reporting

Late on December 17th the BBC News website published an uncredited report headlined “Two arrested after police say they will act against intifada chants”,… The post BBC intifada portrayal conflicts with its own previous reporting appeared first on CAMERA UK.

BBC intifada portrayal conflicts with its own previous reporting

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