April 3, 2009: Bill Moyers (PBS) talks with William Black, author of The Best Way to Rob a Bank is to Own One, discuss the role of regulatory capture and fraud in the current economic crisis:
link to video
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Clarence Thomas Begins to Make Sense in His Old Age
April 13, 2009: (New York Times) Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas drops knowledge from behind a glowing hot-pink lectern:
“There are some cases that will drive you to your knees,” he added. “In those moments you ask for strength and wisdom to have the right answer and the courage to stand up for it. Beyond that, it would be illegitimate, I think, and a violation of my oath to incorporate my religious beliefs into the decision-making process.”
Bloggers Debate the Role of Religion in Post Modern America
Two bloggers from the New York Times (broadcast from their respective parent's basements) discuss the role of religion in maintaining social order/cohesion.
link to video
link to video
The Role of Religious Leaders in IDF Gaza Invasion
March 21, 2009: Ethan Bronner from the New York Times highlights the role of religion in the Gaza conflict, and also examines the clash between secular liberals and religious nationalists in Israel.
"A soldier, identified by the pseudonym Ram, is quoted as saying that in Gaza, “the rabbinate brought in a lot of booklets and articles and their message was very clear: We are the Jewish people, we came to this land by a miracle, God brought us back to this land and now we need to fight to expel the non-Jews who are interfering with our conquest of this holy land. This was the main message, and the whole sense many soldiers had in this operation was of a religious war.”
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
Stephen Colbert Discusses the Secular Stormtrooper's War on Easter
Stephen Colbert provides us all with a grave warning in this video montage.
Vermont Legislature Makes Same-Sex Marriage Legal
April 7, 2009: Vermont legislators overrode Governor Jim Douglas's veto of a bill allowing gay couples to marry.
"Still, opponents of gay marriage have argued that the success of the movement in New England is more political than populist, pointing out that for the most part, the courts rather than the voters have been the main actors. More than two dozen other states have banned gay marriage in recent years after residents of those states voted for restrictions. Several other states have same-sex marriage measures before their legislatures this year, including New York, New Jersey and Washington."
UN Representative and the Queen of Jordan Receive the North-South Award
March 17, 2009: The 2008 North-South Award was given to Rania Al-Abdullah, Queen of Jordan, and to President Jorge Sampaio, UN High Representative for the Alliance of Civilisations.
"The Prize is awarded by the Council of Europe each year to two people, one from the North and one from the South, in recognition of their deep commitment, outstanding achievements and the hope they have generated in the field of individual rights protection, the defence of pluralist democracy and North-South solidarity and partnership."
American Humanist Association Applauds the Lift of the Stem Cell Ban
March 9, 2009: President of the American Humanist Association hails President Obama's reversal of a federal funding ban on embryonic stem cell research:
"This is a victory for scientific integrity and rational public policy, two values threatened when government is unduly influenced by conservative religion," said AHA President David Niose. "When our laws are shaped by scriptural interpretations and religious opinions that have no basis in science or fact, we all suffer."
Citizens of Moldova Protest Communist Party Election Victory
April 7, 2009: Up to 10,000 people gathered in Chisinau, the Moldovan capital, to protest the election victory of the Communist party. Protesters have broken into parliamentary buildings and attacked presidential offices.
""We will have no future under the Communists because they just think of themselves." [protesting student]
Pakistan UNCHR Office-Head Returned by Kidnappers
April 6, 2009: John Solecki, head of the Pakistan UNCHR office, was released by kidnappers after two months in captivity.
"Solecki was abducted and veteran UNHCR driver Syed Hashim was killed on February 2 as they drove to the office in Quetta, the provincial capital of Balochistan. The abductors said they were from the previously unknown Baloch Liberation United Front."
General Assembly President Calls for a Re-Evaluation of Global Food Policies
April 7, 2009: The President of the General Assembly, Miguel D'Escoto, called for a new "politics of food."
“We need to have an approach to food production that is multi-functional, that has a concern for the poor and their right to food, a concern for the earth and its right to life, a concern for communities and their right to self-governance,” Miguel D’Escoto said, as he opened a dialogue on the topic taking place in New York."
SG Ban Ki-moon Memorializes Victims of Rwandan Genocide
April 7, 2009: Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon memorializes those murdered during the 1994 Rwandan Genocide. Today marks the one-year anniversary of the beginning of the mass killings.
"The United Nations continues its vital work to avert future tragedies. We have intensified our focus on conflict prevention, and built up our mediation capacity. We are doing more to protect civilians caught in conflict. The International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda and other international courts are sending a strong signal that the world will not tolerate impunity for gross violations of international human rights and humanitarian law. My Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide monitors the world for signs of potential problems. And the “responsibility to protect” doctrine is bolstering UN prevention, protection, response and rebuilding mechanisms."
Monday, April 6, 2009
The Economist Takes a Stand Against Religious Defamation as Rights Violation
April 2nd, 2009: The Economist speaks out against the Human Rights Council decision to create a 'religious defamation' human rights violation:
"What exactly is it the drafters of the council resolution are trying to outlaw? To judge from what happens in the countries that lobbied for the vote—like Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Pakistan—they use the word “defamation” to mean something close to the crime of blasphemy, which is in turn defined as voicing dissent from the official reading of Islam."
New NATO Chief Addresses Muslim Concerns
April 6, 2009: The newly appointed chief of NATO, Anders Fogh Rasmussen, allayed concerns from the Muslim community regarding his position on religious defamation:
"I would never myself depict any religious figure, including the Prophet Muhammad, in a way that could hurt other people's feelings," he said during the Alliance of Civilisations forum, a conference sponsored by Turkey and Spain to promote understanding between the Muslim world and the west. "I was deeply distressed that the cartoons were seen by many Muslims as an attempt by Denmark to mark and insult or behave disrespectively towards Islam or the Prophet Muhammad. Nothing could be further from my mind," Rasmussen said.
Second Annual Alliance of Civilizations Begins Today in Istanbul
April 6, 2009: Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon discusses the importance of inter-faith cohesion in times of troubled economies.
"Underscoring the importance of the Alliance of Civilizations – launched by the UN in 2005 to help overcome prejudices between nations, cultures and religions – the Secretary-General stressed that it “stamps out sparks before they catch” and become fires. Mr. Ban said that this was critical, because “no amount of blue helmets, ceasefires or human rights monitors can bring lasting peace without a genuine spirit of cooperation among different communities, different faiths, [or] different groups.”"
Obama Discusses America's Relationship with Muslim World
April 6, 2009: Helene Cooper from the New York Times discusses President Obama's remarks regarding US Foreign Policy towards the Islamic world:
“America’s relationship with the Muslim world cannot and will not just be based on opposition to Al Qaeda,” he said. “We seek broad engagement based upon mutual interests and mutual respect.” He drew applause when he said, “The United States is not, and will never be, at war with Islam.”
Impact of Economic Downturn on Legal Profession
April 1, 2009: Adam Cohen from the New York Times writes an editorial arguing that investing in a legal career at this point in time might not be a great idea:
"The employment pains of the legal elite may not elicit a lot of sympathy in the broader context of the recession, but a lot of hard-working lawyers have been blindsided, including young associates who are suddenly finding themselves with six-figure student-loan debts and no source of income."
Sunday, April 5, 2009
Maryland Woman Seeks "Resurrection Clause" in Plea Agreement
March 31, 2009: Ashley Broughton from CNN.com tells a bizarre tale of 'faith-fueled' child abuse resulting in death:
"A Maryland woman involved with a group described as a religious cult pleaded guilty in the starvation death of her son, but insisted that the charges be dropped when he is resurrected. The condition was made a part of Ria Ramkissoon's plea agreement, officials said. She entered the plea Monday in Baltimore, Maryland, to a first-degree felony count of child abuse resulting in death, her attorney, Steven Silverman, said Tuesday. Ramkissoon, a member of a group called One Mind Ministries, believes Javon Thompson, her year-old son, will rise again, and as part of her plea agreement, authorities agreed to the clause."
link to article
Affiliation-Less Americans Doubled Since 1990
April 4, 2009: Jon Meacham from Newsweek laments the fading relevance of religion in American society:
"To the surprise of liberals who fear the advent of an evangelical theocracy and to the dismay of religious conservatives who long to see their faith more fully expressed in public life, Christians are now making up a declining percentage of the American population."
link to article
Saturday, April 4, 2009
Pres. Karzai to Review Afghanistan Law Infringing Women's Rights
April 4, 2009: Carlotta Gall from the New York Times reports that Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai plans to review recently enacted legislation intended to curb women's rights:
"A Shiite woman would be allowed to leave home only “for a legitimate purpose,” which the law does not define. The law also says, “Unless the wife is ill, the wife is bound to give a positive response to the sexual desires of her husband.” Critics have said that provision legalizes marital rape. The law also outlines rules on divorce, child custody and marriage, all in ways that discriminate against women, said Soraya Sobhrang, commissioner for women’s rights at the Afghan Independent Human Rights Commission."
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)