I’ve written a lot about the controversy in New Zealand involving whether the indigenous “way of knowing,” Mātauranga Māori (MM), is equivalent to modern science (often called “Western science”) and, as many maintain, should be taught alongside modern in science classes (see all my posts here). As I’ve noted, because MM does have elements of […]
A interview with a “heterodox” New Zealand scientist: “Why Mātauranga Māori Isn’t Science:”
A interview with a “heterodox” New Zealand scientist: “Why Mātauranga Māori Isn’t Science:”
02 Jul 2025 1 Comment
in economic history, economics of education, environmentalism, liberalism, Marxist economics, politics - New Zealand, Rawls and Nozick Tags: Age of Enlightenment, conjecture and refutation, cranks, philosophy of science, political correctness, regressive left
German Police Conduct Nationwide Crackdown on Citizens Accused of Online Speech Crimes
30 Jun 2025 1 Comment
in economics of crime, law and economics, politics Tags: free speech, Germany, political correctness, regressive left
This month, the German Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA) conducted a nationwide search for citizens accused of committing speech crimes. The annual crackdown is part of Germany’s robust censorship and speech criminalization policies. As European Union censors seek to expand the reach of laws like the Digital Services Act (DSA), all Americans need see the […]
German Police Conduct Nationwide Crackdown on Citizens Accused of Online Speech Crimes
In the Guardian, Sally Rooney defends violent extremist group
29 Jun 2025 1 Comment
in defence economics, law and economics, laws of war, liberalism, Marxist economics, war and peace Tags: Gaza Strip, Israel, media bias, Middle-East politics, regressive left, war against terror
Written by Georgia Leigha Gilholy Much about Sally Rooney is impressive. Her books have smashed literary records, and their adaptations have been streaming sensations. Her debut novel was published when she was just 26. She is one of the most translated contemporary authors, and her works are available in 46 languages. Hebrew, however, is no […]
In the Guardian, Sally Rooney defends violent extremist group
The Icarian Gene: The Rise and Fall of the Expert Class
27 Jun 2025 Leave a comment
in economics of education, liberalism, Marxist economics, politics - USA Tags: Age of Enlightenment, free speech, political correctness, regressive left
The warning was stark. At issue was a privileged class that has long dictated policy despite countervailing public opinion. At issue, the luminary warned, is nothing short of democracy itself. No, it was not the continued rallies of Sen. Bernie Sanders (I., VT) to “fight oligarchy.” It was Justice Clarence Thomas rallying his colleagues to […]
The Icarian Gene: The Rise and Fall of the Expert Class
An important article by Andrew Sullivan
27 Jun 2025 1 Comment
in discrimination, gender, health economics, liberalism, Marxist economics, politics - USA Tags: free speech, political correctness, regressive left, sex discrimination
Before I leave for the airport, I wanted to call people’s attention to this new, long op-ed piece by Andrew Sullivan in the NYT. Click to read, or find it archived for free here: Sullivan’s thesis is that extreme trans-activism has not only been inimical for society in several ways, but has also eroded respect […]
An important article by Andrew Sullivan
The Claude Rains School of Constitutional Law: Democrats Denounce Iranian Attack as Unconstitutional
23 Jun 2025 Leave a comment
in defence economics, politics - USA, war and peace Tags: constitutional law, Middle-East politics, regressive left, war against terror
Yesterday, I wrote a column in the Hill discussing how Trump is unlikely to go to Congress in launching an attack on Iran and how he has history on his side in acting unilaterally. The column noted that many Democratic politicians and pundits who were supportive of such unilateral actions by Democratic presidents such as […]
The Claude Rains School of Constitutional Law: Democrats Denounce Iranian Attack as Unconstitutional
The Supreme Court Delivers a Blow to Transgender Cases
21 Jun 2025 Leave a comment
in discrimination, economics of regulation, gender, health economics, law and economics, politics - USA, property rights Tags: political correctness, regressive left, sex discrimination
Yesterday, the Supreme Court issued its 6-3 ruling upholding a Tennessee ban on transgender medical treatments for adolescents. The ruling has major implications for pending transgender cases, particularly the concurrence of Justice Amy Coney Barrett rejecting the claim that transgender status qualifies as a group entitled to heightened scrutiny under the Constitution. One of those […]
The Supreme Court Delivers a Blow to Transgender Cases
Bill Maher: The MUSKeteers (with Fetterman lagniappe)
16 Jun 2025 Leave a comment
in politics - USA, television, TV shows Tags: political correctness, regressive left
Here’s the comedy/news bit from yesterday’s “Real Time”: another New Rules bit called “The MUSKeteers,” so you know what the subject is. Maher takes up Musk’s suggestion that we create a new political party comprising the 80% of Americans “in the middle.” Maher admires Musk’s engineering ability, but not his ability to manage the government; […]
Bill Maher: The MUSKeteers (with Fetterman lagniappe)
BBC can’t verify a Hamas tunnel visited by international journalists
15 Jun 2025 1 Comment
in defence economics, International law, laws of war, war and peace Tags: Gaza Strip, Israel, media bias, Middle-East politics, regressive left, war against terror
Previously we discussed BBC coverage of the May 13th strikes adjacent to – rather than ‘on’ – the EU founded and Hamas ministry of health run European Hospital in Khan Younis, including two items produced by BBC Verify: BBC NEWS WEBSITE REPORTING ON STRIKES AROUND THE EUROPEAN HOSPITAL BBC VERIFY’S AGENDA-DRIVEN RETURN TO THE EUROPEAN […]
BBC can’t verify a Hamas tunnel visited by international journalists
Initial BBC News website coverage of events in Iran and Israel
15 Jun 2025 1 Comment
in defence economics, economics of media and culture, war and peace Tags: Atomic bomb, Iran, Israel, media bias, Middle-East politics, regressive left, war against terror
On the morning of June 13th the BBC News website’s ‘Middle East’ page had little to offer its visitors in the way of reporting on the strikes that Israel had carried out in Iran in the early hours of that day. Coverage on that page itself was limited to a live page: In the ‘updates’ […]
Initial BBC News website coverage of events in Iran and Israel
The Unprecedented Nature of Israel’s Strikes on Iran
13 Jun 2025 Leave a comment
in defence economics, International law, laws of war, war and peace Tags: Atomic bomb, Iran, Israel, Middle-East politics, regressive left, war against terror
BBC News prioritises ‘aid yacht’ propaganda over factual information
11 Jun 2025 1 Comment
in defence economics, International law, laws of war, war and peace Tags: Gaza Strip, Israel, Middle-East politics, regressive left, useful idiots, war against terror
Visitors to the BBC News website on the morning of June 9th found no fewer than three items relating to the topic of the UK flagged one-boat agitprop which had set off from Italy nine days earlier. Two reports appeared in the ‘updates’ section, both of which originally described the vessel using the word “aid”. […]
BBC News prioritises ‘aid yacht’ propaganda over factual information
BBC News framing of Israeli strikes on Hizballah assets in Beirut
11 Jun 2025 1 Comment
in defence economics, International law, laws of war, war and peace Tags: Israel, Lebanon, Middle-East politics, regressive left, useful idiots, war against terror
On the eve of the 2025 Pessach holiday a rocket was fired from the Gaza Strip, triggering alarms in towns in southern Israel. The following afternoon – the first day of that holiday – a missile was launched from Yemen, triggering sirens in central Israel and that was followed by another rocket attack from the […]
BBC News framing of Israeli strikes on Hizballah assets in Beirut
“This is a circus”: The unmitigated bullying from Piers Morgan
07 Jun 2025 1 Comment
in defence economics, laws of war, liberalism, war and peace Tags: free speech, Gaza Strip, Israel, Middle-East politics, regressive left, war against terror
Some time ago I was on the Piers Morgan “Uncensored” show for half an hour, talking about why biological sex is binary (see my post about this here). I now realize how fortunate I was, because I knew in advance that Morgan agreed with me and I didn’t face what Natasha Hausdorff faces below (and […]
“This is a circus”: The unmitigated bullying from Piers Morgan
British Blasphemy Prosecution: London Man Convicted After Burning Qur’an
05 Jun 2025 Leave a comment
in economics of crime, law and economics Tags: Blasphemy, British constitutional law, British politics, free speech, political correctness, regressive left
We recently discussed how the United Kingdom has continued its erosion of free speech by pushing an effective blasphemy law. Now, a London man has been convicted of a “religiously aggravated public order offence.” Hamit Coskun, 50, a Turkish-born Armenian-Kurdish atheist was arrested after burning a Qur’an.
British Blasphemy Prosecution: London Man Convicted After Burning Qur’an
Utopia, you are standing in it! 
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