News

A collection of 649 posts

Church

Catholic Magazine Withdraws Endorsement for Kavanaugh

According to The Guardian: America Magazine, the only Catholic weekly magazine in North America, has withdrawn its previous endorsement of Kavanaugh. “While we previously endorsed the nomination of Judge Kavanaugh on the basis of his legal credentials and his reputation as a committed textualist, it is now clear that the

Brexit

Brexit, the Media and Democracy: My Debate

A few months back, I was involved in a one on one debate with David Warden of Dorset Humanists on the subject of "Dorset Humanists Debates - Brexit, the Media and the Future of Democracy". David Warden spoke first followed by myself, then some cross-examination and then some

BBC

Climate Change and the BBC

This is great. It's something I and many others have commented about - the idea of a false sense of fairness and equal airtime, even if the skeptical position is nonsense. The announcement today (or the leaked one) is really welcome and pretty robust. As The Guardian reports:

Church

The Pope in Ireland, Then and Now

The Pope is visiting Ireland and things couldn't look more different than they appear to be from photos, or at least from this meme: There is clearly a huge difference here and the photo locations may not have been fairly compared, I don't know. I can&

Crime & Punishment

Trump, Crime and Undocumented Immigrants

I'll just leave this here: Undocumented immigrants commit crimes at a considerably lower rate than the election campaign staff of Donald J. Trump. Of course, I haven't checked the actual stats on this, but the point is there, clear to see. However, as Jeremiah Traeger has

conservatism

How Fear Affects Politics

I have two videos to show you that should express the connection between physiology and political ideology: and the superb TED talk by David Pizzaro: Let me know what you think (I use the second video in my free will talk). Stay in touch! Like A Tippling Philosopher on Facebook:

Religion and Society

Religion and Atheism: My, How Russia Has Changed.

It's amazing to think how a state who formally supported atheism as a statutory worldview has now got into bed with the church. The Russian Orthodox Church is certainly pulling the strings in the ex-Soviet state. Now, a Russian woman is facing five years in jail, for posting

Brexit

The Ramifications of a Brexit No Deal

I think I've learnt more about Brexit from the single video then from any other! https://youtu.be/Sx4AF-3Rd44

Trump

The Depths of Tribalism

I was wondering what you might think of this picture:

Democratic Party

Trump: Mini-Mes and the Gender Gap

There are a couple of things that I want to mention today in the context of Donald Trump and the upcoming midterm elections. First of all, let's look at the fact that many Republican candidates are looking to copy everything about Donald Trump in their approach to campaigning.

Democratic Party

An Amazingly Detailed Political Map

Some of you may already have seen this interactive map. If not, check it out. The New York Times has done a sterling job. It is a great interactive tool to see how the voting panned out in the US election. What is most fascinating, and no real surprise other

Democratic Party

Why Trump's Support Maintains

Trump is doggedly holding onto the support he garnered to become President. With each moral and political transgression, his support either remains the same or even increases. One recent set of data from the Voter Study Group showed something surprising: more than 80% of Trump's votes came from

Brexit

The Scandal that Is Brexit

Call me a Remoaner all you like, but the current state of affairs concerning Brexit is absolutely scandalous. My UK readers will undoubtedly know most of this and so this is more for the benefit of my international readership. Yes, we hear it all the time: the public have spoken

News

Trump Protests: Goodonya UK!

Occasionally, I am proud to be British. These were the days. A really peaceful set of rallies with some delightfully understated signs. I am interested to know how the protests were reported by American media, so if anyone can enlighten me... And I do love a good placard.

fascism

Trump and Fascism

This was a recent piece by Fintan O'Toole in The Irish Times. I advise you read the whole piece here. After talking about the first step of rigging elections, as has been seen in the US and with Brexit to varying degrees, it goes on to say:   Fascism

Brexit

I Pity You, America.

Britain has its own problems, for sure. We are heading full speed into a national disaster in Brexit with the Foreign Secretary (Boris Johnson) as well as the Brexit Ministers David Davis and Steve Baker resigning today. Not only that, but the main funder of UKIP and the Leave campaign,

News

Scott Pruitt, EPA chief, Steps Down

Yes, some good news, though who will replace him? Scott Pruitt has been constantly embroiled in scandal after ethical scandal, and it is all finally too much. The man is an absolute disgrace. Anyone who defends him needs to look at each and every impropriety and defend each and every

Trump

How Do You Justify This Man, Trump?

I am amazed by the people who steadfastly defend Trump. The guy is the most unprofessional President who appears to be a few sandwiches short of a picnic, and who acts like a brat on the school playground. He is allowing the swamp to pull his strings - you know,

Trump

Space Force!

It's a waste of money, but it'll be cool! Yes, this is a comedy video, but the Daily Show has a history of going to Trump rallies and really getting to know the inner thoughts of those Trump supporters. Holy cow, you gotta watch the second

equality

New Zealand, Babies, PMs and Trailblazing

I am unashamedly a Kiwi-phile. I lived in New Zealand for a year after university, backpacking about, holidayed there as a child (when we lived in Hong Kong), have many good friends there, and one of my sisters lives there (married to a Commonwealth Gold Medalist, no less). I'

catholicism

Is America's Christian Right Breaking Up?

The Christian right in America has never before been under such a spotlight, primarily because it has been fascinating from a psychological and a political point of view to see how they have all been justifying (and sometimes not) the force that is Trump. Even here, at ATP, some religious

Epistemology

Trump: Ruining the Social Fabric, Identity Politics and a Cure Worse than the Disease

This is a good interview from Australian TV of Sam Harris, giving opinions on Trump, identity politics, Islam and free will. Well worth a listen. His incredulity about Trump's presidency and the impact on truth dissemination is on point. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kcx6WNWcnNw&feature=

Trump

Trump's Lies Are Now So Obvious

Does this video not reflect something deeper and more serious than whether or not he has opened a letter and seen it or not? https://www.facebook.com/Channel4News/videos/10155963382216939/?hc_ref=ARQ9HSQMLNFT_rZGu17vribnkYnCm0SfiIPS2u0fhay8D6eqBR0fn_NVX8YZhOe-z30

Politics

Fascinating Political Compass

This is worth a perusal, and comes from a post to Jordan Peterson's facebook page. What do you think? Stay in touch! Like A Tippling Philosopher on Facebook: A Tippling Philosopher

equality

Kaepernick's Protest

It's such an extraordinary thing, and the reaction is to force players to stand in a Hitlerian manner in order to overcome freedom of speech. Forget the Second Amendment, let's worry about the First. These memes and vids absolutely and truly nail it. https://www.facebook.