OpinionJournal - Taste
See the link for an interesting short article on the two camps within evangelical Christianity on the issue of contraception. An extract:
Anti-contraception evangelicals assert that birth control inappropriately wrests control of the body from the body's creator. Interestingly, the opposite argument is being made by evangelicals in the sexual-abstinence movement, according to my study of church-based virginity-pledge programs. Such evangelicals adopt the feminist argument of "my body, my choice" to curb teenage sexual activity. They believe that our hypersexualized culture--including the condom-in-the-schools crowd--wrongly implies that there is no choice.
Both the anti-contraception and the abstinence movements offer rewards: great sex in marriage for abstinent teens and the blessing of children for anti-contraception couples. But what reward is there for the 40-year-old virgin or the infertile couple? The rhetoric of sacrifice, it seems, has lost its sizzle.
OK, interesting to me, maybe not to many of my readers.
Friday, August 18, 2006
Mark Steyn at his best
Mark Steyn: It's breeding obvious, mate | Opinion | The Australian
You've heard him on the topic generally before, but his lengthy review of the Western world and its woes is excellent reading.
Left leaning blogs love to make snide remarks about Steyn. What they don't seem to do is spend any time pointing out where he is wrong in his demographic disaster argument.
Steyn's conservative critique of the psychology of the West also seems spot on.
You've heard him on the topic generally before, but his lengthy review of the Western world and its woes is excellent reading.
Left leaning blogs love to make snide remarks about Steyn. What they don't seem to do is spend any time pointing out where he is wrong in his demographic disaster argument.
Steyn's conservative critique of the psychology of the West also seems spot on.
Thursday, August 17, 2006
Stupidest history idea (and we're off to see the Wizard)
PM leaving history students stranded in the past - Opinion - theage.com.au
Les Terry (apparently, the current "Chair of Australian studies at Tokyo University") writing in the Age this morning has the usual moan of academics about the Howard government trying to impose a conservative agenda on the teaching of history:
As with the referendum for the republic in 1999, the agenda has been firmly established to achieve the desired result of returning the nation to an imaginary glorious past, a time when facts and stories about great men ruled the land.... Taken together, these initiatives represent the Federal Government's intention to impose on the country an old-style nationalist program.... It seems that John Howard and some of his ministers are intent on translating their own personal values, rather than the broad policies on which they were elected, into policy prescriptions.
Blah, blah, blah, we've heard it all before. (And anyway, what did that last sentence even mean?)
But the stupidest suggestion was this:
The historians' manifesto from today's summit should resist making history compulsory, and instead demand that the Federal Government initiate projects of national significance, such as a national online database that contains model curriculums and teaching materials for teachers to draw on. Imagine being able to beam historical characters in their virtual form into the classroom and interview them about their lives and the times in which they lived? Who knows, it might be possible for students of the future to even download a virtual John Howard and ask him why he was so opposed to the new Australian republic in which they now proudly reside.
What?? Our Les might have been spending too much time in hi tech loving Japan. Unless he thinks that the future holographic John Howard will actually have the PM's mind uploaded into it, can you imagine a better method for disguising an interpretation of history as actual source material? Or does he propose the virtual PM only using the PM's words? If so, why not just watch the video of the real PM saying it?
Looking at dramatic historical stories may be a way of kicking off an interest in a period, and should always be accompanied by an analysis of any historical errors or inadequacies. That's about the natural limit of the use of dramatisations in teaching history.
But wait: here's an idea, if you want silly use of technology. When the Republican referendum was on, there was a lot of discussion of who would be "Head of State." My idea: it should be, literally, a giant holographic head, floating in the sky above Parliament House, something like the Wizard of Oz on a bigger scale. (See my profile drawing to get an idea of how it would look.) The facial features could one of those computer blends of photos, as submitted by any Australian citizens who wanted to literally be part of the Head of State.
How would the Head decide important matters? Well, let's face it, in the Australian system, the Governor General and/or Queen only make really important decisions maybe once or twice a century. I think a random number generator, or a Wise Governance algorithms programmed by Google would be all that is really needed. Otherwise, the Head of State could just float in the sky, looking wise and reassuring.
Les Terry (apparently, the current "Chair of Australian studies at Tokyo University") writing in the Age this morning has the usual moan of academics about the Howard government trying to impose a conservative agenda on the teaching of history:
As with the referendum for the republic in 1999, the agenda has been firmly established to achieve the desired result of returning the nation to an imaginary glorious past, a time when facts and stories about great men ruled the land.... Taken together, these initiatives represent the Federal Government's intention to impose on the country an old-style nationalist program.... It seems that John Howard and some of his ministers are intent on translating their own personal values, rather than the broad policies on which they were elected, into policy prescriptions.
Blah, blah, blah, we've heard it all before. (And anyway, what did that last sentence even mean?)
But the stupidest suggestion was this:
The historians' manifesto from today's summit should resist making history compulsory, and instead demand that the Federal Government initiate projects of national significance, such as a national online database that contains model curriculums and teaching materials for teachers to draw on. Imagine being able to beam historical characters in their virtual form into the classroom and interview them about their lives and the times in which they lived? Who knows, it might be possible for students of the future to even download a virtual John Howard and ask him why he was so opposed to the new Australian republic in which they now proudly reside.
What?? Our Les might have been spending too much time in hi tech loving Japan. Unless he thinks that the future holographic John Howard will actually have the PM's mind uploaded into it, can you imagine a better method for disguising an interpretation of history as actual source material? Or does he propose the virtual PM only using the PM's words? If so, why not just watch the video of the real PM saying it?
Looking at dramatic historical stories may be a way of kicking off an interest in a period, and should always be accompanied by an analysis of any historical errors or inadequacies. That's about the natural limit of the use of dramatisations in teaching history.
But wait: here's an idea, if you want silly use of technology. When the Republican referendum was on, there was a lot of discussion of who would be "Head of State." My idea: it should be, literally, a giant holographic head, floating in the sky above Parliament House, something like the Wizard of Oz on a bigger scale. (See my profile drawing to get an idea of how it would look.) The facial features could one of those computer blends of photos, as submitted by any Australian citizens who wanted to literally be part of the Head of State.
How would the Head decide important matters? Well, let's face it, in the Australian system, the Governor General and/or Queen only make really important decisions maybe once or twice a century. I think a random number generator, or a Wise Governance algorithms programmed by Google would be all that is really needed. Otherwise, the Head of State could just float in the sky, looking wise and reassuring.
Wednesday, August 16, 2006
Blogger confusion
That was confusing. My blogger account seemed to change to a beta version or something (without my asking) and it forgot my password. Requests for emails to make sure I was using correct password did not arrive either. Finally a way around this was found. Normal blogging may resume soon, I hope.
Monday, August 14, 2006
For future reference
Stephen Morris: It is Islamic fascism | Opinion | The Australian
Tim Blair has already recommended it, but this piece in the Australian was really good, and I mention it here so I can more easily find it myself in future.
By the way, I was reminded today (by Keith Suter on the radio) of one really important point against the involvement of the US military in action against Iran: with 100,000 or so troops still there for the foreseeable future, it would be extremely dangerous to attack Iran and risk a Shia uprising against the US military presence in Iraq. Given that the recent London arrests (and Israel not having the best result out its Hezbollah war) has given an increased sense of inevitability about a military confrontation of Iran, this is an important point to remember.
Tim Blair has already recommended it, but this piece in the Australian was really good, and I mention it here so I can more easily find it myself in future.
By the way, I was reminded today (by Keith Suter on the radio) of one really important point against the involvement of the US military in action against Iran: with 100,000 or so troops still there for the foreseeable future, it would be extremely dangerous to attack Iran and risk a Shia uprising against the US military presence in Iraq. Given that the recent London arrests (and Israel not having the best result out its Hezbollah war) has given an increased sense of inevitability about a military confrontation of Iran, this is an important point to remember.
Slow progress on the robot front
Stone: Japan's Love Affair with Androids - Newsweek Brad Stone - MSNBC.com
Who would have thought, say, 50 years ago, that making more life-like robots would be so difficult. (Well, let's assume the person in 1956 at least liked science or science fiction and thought about this from time to time.)
Who would have thought, say, 50 years ago, that making more life-like robots would be so difficult. (Well, let's assume the person in 1956 at least liked science or science fiction and thought about this from time to time.)
Young men don't read this
Libido lags for ladies in luck | Health | The Australian
From the above article:
THE female sex drive starts sputtering to a halt as soon as a woman has got her man, according to a new study.
Researchers have found that women's libido plummets so rapidly when they believe they are in a secure relationship that after just four years the proportion of 30-year-old women wanting regular sex falls below 50 percent.
There are few things that appear able to keep a woman sexually interested, the study found, but living apart for extended periods can help.
(But - surely living apart for extended periods must also run a much increased risk of infidelity, which tends not to help the sex life back at home.)
Back to the story:
The findings for women contrast with those for men, whose sexual appetite hardly flagged at all up to 40 years after marriage.
"Male motivation remains constant regardless of the duration of the partnership." Dr Klusmann questioned more than 500 people about their sex lives in order to measure changes in their libido.
He found that within a year of a relationship starting, female libido moved into steep decline.
While 60 per cent of 30-year-old women reported wanting sex "often" at the start of a relationship, the figure fell to below 50per cent within four years and to about 20 per cent after 20 years.
From the above article:
THE female sex drive starts sputtering to a halt as soon as a woman has got her man, according to a new study.
Researchers have found that women's libido plummets so rapidly when they believe they are in a secure relationship that after just four years the proportion of 30-year-old women wanting regular sex falls below 50 percent.
There are few things that appear able to keep a woman sexually interested, the study found, but living apart for extended periods can help.
(But - surely living apart for extended periods must also run a much increased risk of infidelity, which tends not to help the sex life back at home.)
Back to the story:
The findings for women contrast with those for men, whose sexual appetite hardly flagged at all up to 40 years after marriage.
"Male motivation remains constant regardless of the duration of the partnership." Dr Klusmann questioned more than 500 people about their sex lives in order to measure changes in their libido.
He found that within a year of a relationship starting, female libido moved into steep decline.
While 60 per cent of 30-year-old women reported wanting sex "often" at the start of a relationship, the figure fell to below 50per cent within four years and to about 20 per cent after 20 years.
Today's fantasy article from The Age
Israel must forge new relationship with neighbours - Opinion - theage.com.au
Amin Saikal in the Age thinks that Israel will have to get used to not being able to win every war within six days now. (He doesn't mention that this is because the enemy this time is acting completely outside of the laws of war by taking shelter in civilian communities.)
Amin says this:
If Israel wants to have a peaceful, secure and normal life in the region, its leadership should seize on the UN resolution to engage in bridge building with its neighbours. As a central component of this it must address urgently the Palestinian problem on the basis of the internationally backed two-state solution.
While Egypt, Jordan and the Palestine Liberation Organisation have already made peace with and recognised Israel, the remaining Arab countries offered Israel full recognition in 2002 in return for such a development. A comprehensive peace would also delegitimise the causes on which such groups as Hezbollah and Hamas have drawn to justify their violent actions.
This is a bit rich, isn't it? The solution to the "Palestinian problem" according to Hamas, Hezbollah, Iran and Syria is to drive the Jews into the sea. How exactly does he propose that Israel "build bridges" with those entities that make it clear that they never intend recognizing Israel at all. (And whose populations are brain washed by government consent into believing that Jews are the source of all evil?)
The process by which Egypt and Jordan made their peace with Israel is surely completely different by the dynamic in the Middle East at the moment.
Amin Saikal in the Age thinks that Israel will have to get used to not being able to win every war within six days now. (He doesn't mention that this is because the enemy this time is acting completely outside of the laws of war by taking shelter in civilian communities.)
Amin says this:
If Israel wants to have a peaceful, secure and normal life in the region, its leadership should seize on the UN resolution to engage in bridge building with its neighbours. As a central component of this it must address urgently the Palestinian problem on the basis of the internationally backed two-state solution.
While Egypt, Jordan and the Palestine Liberation Organisation have already made peace with and recognised Israel, the remaining Arab countries offered Israel full recognition in 2002 in return for such a development. A comprehensive peace would also delegitimise the causes on which such groups as Hezbollah and Hamas have drawn to justify their violent actions.
This is a bit rich, isn't it? The solution to the "Palestinian problem" according to Hamas, Hezbollah, Iran and Syria is to drive the Jews into the sea. How exactly does he propose that Israel "build bridges" with those entities that make it clear that they never intend recognizing Israel at all. (And whose populations are brain washed by government consent into believing that Jews are the source of all evil?)
The process by which Egypt and Jordan made their peace with Israel is surely completely different by the dynamic in the Middle East at the moment.
All a worry
Ideals become casualties of war - Paul Sheehan - Opinion - smh.com.au
Paul Sheehan definitely stirs the pot today about Muslim immigration, especially in Sydney.
For a Brisbane person, who only reads about the rape trials and the Cronulla riots in Sydney, it is hard to know what to make of this. I guess whenever any migrant group starts to settle mainly in one suburb or area, the old time residents resent it and can feel uncomfortable. However, Sheehan paints a picture of aggressive action by the new Muslim residents to scare out the old timers (or the permissive young).
It must be a difficult to report on, as it is obviously open to cheap tabloid sensationalism, as well as possibly attracting anti-vilification action in some jurisdictions. It's probably the sort of thing that is best understood (as Sheehand indicates) by knowing many local residents, which those outside of Sydney don't have much hope of doing.
Paul Sheehan definitely stirs the pot today about Muslim immigration, especially in Sydney.
For a Brisbane person, who only reads about the rape trials and the Cronulla riots in Sydney, it is hard to know what to make of this. I guess whenever any migrant group starts to settle mainly in one suburb or area, the old time residents resent it and can feel uncomfortable. However, Sheehan paints a picture of aggressive action by the new Muslim residents to scare out the old timers (or the permissive young).
It must be a difficult to report on, as it is obviously open to cheap tabloid sensationalism, as well as possibly attracting anti-vilification action in some jurisdictions. It's probably the sort of thing that is best understood (as Sheehand indicates) by knowing many local residents, which those outside of Sydney don't have much hope of doing.
Saturday, August 12, 2006
The economic woes of Iran
Guardian Unlimited | Guardian daily comment | Nuclear row boosts 'failing' Iranian president
This Guardian report paints a very gloomy picture of the Iranian economy:
The economy is coming under increasing public scrutiny despite official controls on newspapers and restricted access to the internet. An estimated 80% of all economic activity is under direct government control or managed through cooperatives known as bonyads, often dominated by well-connected clerics. In contrast, 80% of the population works in the private sector.
Critics say US sanctions, which have discouraged foreign investment and technology transfers, cannot be wholly blamed for Iran's economic backwardness. There are also complaints that taxpayers' money allegedly being sent to Hizbullah in Lebanon would be better spent at home.
Particular concern is focusing on oil-rich Iran's lack of refining capacity. It has a petrol shortfall of 30m litres a day, which is made up by expensive imports. Critics also note its failure to keep up with IT and e-commerce developments. A recent UN report ranked Iran 98th in the world in e-government.
This part also surprised me:
Ali, a graduate in part-time employment, said it was very difficult for young people to find good jobs in a country where two-thirds of the 70 million population are under 30.
Of course I knew that all Muslim populations are increasing rapidly (especially compared to the West), but that population ratio still seems extraordinarily high.
I still don't really understand why Muslim populations, even those now in Western nations, want to procreate at such a rapid rate. According to this Guardian article (which is a fun read because of its general disucssion of Islamic views on specific sexual activities) there is no general prohibition on contraception.
Increased wealth and material comfort makes people want fewer children. But can it be that Muslim populations in Western countries having sighificantly higer unemployment rates leads them to having more kids? Seems there must be more to it than that.
This Guardian report paints a very gloomy picture of the Iranian economy:
The economy is coming under increasing public scrutiny despite official controls on newspapers and restricted access to the internet. An estimated 80% of all economic activity is under direct government control or managed through cooperatives known as bonyads, often dominated by well-connected clerics. In contrast, 80% of the population works in the private sector.
Critics say US sanctions, which have discouraged foreign investment and technology transfers, cannot be wholly blamed for Iran's economic backwardness. There are also complaints that taxpayers' money allegedly being sent to Hizbullah in Lebanon would be better spent at home.
Particular concern is focusing on oil-rich Iran's lack of refining capacity. It has a petrol shortfall of 30m litres a day, which is made up by expensive imports. Critics also note its failure to keep up with IT and e-commerce developments. A recent UN report ranked Iran 98th in the world in e-government.
This part also surprised me:
Ali, a graduate in part-time employment, said it was very difficult for young people to find good jobs in a country where two-thirds of the 70 million population are under 30.
Of course I knew that all Muslim populations are increasing rapidly (especially compared to the West), but that population ratio still seems extraordinarily high.
I still don't really understand why Muslim populations, even those now in Western nations, want to procreate at such a rapid rate. According to this Guardian article (which is a fun read because of its general disucssion of Islamic views on specific sexual activities) there is no general prohibition on contraception.
Increased wealth and material comfort makes people want fewer children. But can it be that Muslim populations in Western countries having sighificantly higer unemployment rates leads them to having more kids? Seems there must be more to it than that.
Friday, August 11, 2006
Reaction to the arrests
The first step towards defeating the terrorists: stop blaming ourselves - Comment - Times Online
Worth reading, especially when you see how Daily Kos readers and their ilk respond to terrorist plot arrests.
Worth reading, especially when you see how Daily Kos readers and their ilk respond to terrorist plot arrests.
For those planning on visiting nearby stars
0511180.pdf (application/pdf Object)
This lengthy article is called "Astrobiologically Interesting Stars within 10 parsecs of the Sun". They come up with 13 relatively nearby stars most likely to have life.
Handy if you have just finished building your own faster than light starship. (Or if you are writing science fiction.)
This lengthy article is called "Astrobiologically Interesting Stars within 10 parsecs of the Sun". They come up with 13 relatively nearby stars most likely to have life.
Handy if you have just finished building your own faster than light starship. (Or if you are writing science fiction.)
Thursday, August 10, 2006
Some more serious news from the BBC
BBC NEWS | UK | 'Plot to blow up planes' foiled
Of course, the big terrorism news is about the sudden escalation in airport security in Britain.
No carry on baggage at all. Nothing in your pockets. All carry on bags to go in with checked baggage.
This would be enormously inconvenient for people with bottles of alcohol or fragile gifts in carry on bags. (I recently, somewhat foolishly, flew with a bottle of alcohol in a checked in suitcase. It did not survive, but to my surprise, Campari does not stain clothes. By the way, it's my wife's drink.)
My second thought is: just how confident would you feel that there is not a bomb in the checked in baggage. Presumably there is much less chance of an explosion in the hold causing the plane to go down, but it's not something you want to be on board to test.
Of course, the big terrorism news is about the sudden escalation in airport security in Britain.
No carry on baggage at all. Nothing in your pockets. All carry on bags to go in with checked baggage.
This would be enormously inconvenient for people with bottles of alcohol or fragile gifts in carry on bags. (I recently, somewhat foolishly, flew with a bottle of alcohol in a checked in suitcase. It did not survive, but to my surprise, Campari does not stain clothes. By the way, it's my wife's drink.)
My second thought is: just how confident would you feel that there is not a bomb in the checked in baggage. Presumably there is much less chance of an explosion in the hold causing the plane to go down, but it's not something you want to be on board to test.
Even rats are more useful than cats
Gambian rodents risk death for bananas - World - www.theage.com.au
OK this is not a new story. The link above is an article a year old about how mine clearance rats were being trained in Africa.
The reason for the post is that on the BBC news site there is currently a video showing the mine clearing rats in action. (I can't link directly to the video window, it seems, so you just have to look for it on the video link.)
Have a look at the size of the rats. They are huge! Still sort of cute, although I guess at some size that adjective becomes inappropriate.
OK this is not a new story. The link above is an article a year old about how mine clearance rats were being trained in Africa.
The reason for the post is that on the BBC news site there is currently a video showing the mine clearing rats in action. (I can't link directly to the video window, it seems, so you just have to look for it on the video link.)
Have a look at the size of the rats. They are huge! Still sort of cute, although I guess at some size that adjective becomes inappropriate.
Some good news for Howard
Howard hails falling jobless figures. 10/08/2006. ABC News Online
The PM's comments on this seem apt:
The July job figures have surged beyond analysts expectations with the creation of 50,700 jobs in the month, well ahead of forecasts of just 7,500.
It has taken the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate down a notch to 4.8 per cent.
The rise in employment was almost equally shared between full-time and part-time jobs, while the participation rate - or number of people looking for work - also increased....
He [PM Howard] says it would be premature to say the laws are responsible for the extra jobs but the figure is enough to disprove claims that jobs would be lost.
"It is not however too early to refute completely, on the basis of these figures, the outrageous claims that were made by the Labor Party at the time, and by the unions at the time, that this new legislation would lead to mass sackings," he said.
The PM's comments on this seem apt:
The July job figures have surged beyond analysts expectations with the creation of 50,700 jobs in the month, well ahead of forecasts of just 7,500.
It has taken the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate down a notch to 4.8 per cent.
The rise in employment was almost equally shared between full-time and part-time jobs, while the participation rate - or number of people looking for work - also increased....
He [PM Howard] says it would be premature to say the laws are responsible for the extra jobs but the figure is enough to disprove claims that jobs would be lost.
"It is not however too early to refute completely, on the basis of these figures, the outrageous claims that were made by the Labor Party at the time, and by the unions at the time, that this new legislation would lead to mass sackings," he said.
About Muslims in Western countries
Guardian Unlimited | Comment is free | What young British Muslims say can be shocking - some of it is also true
This article suggests that maybe Muslims have a point in their complaint about some aspects of Western society (in this case, British society in particular):
Particularly among younger Brits in urban areas, which is where most British Muslims live, we drink more alcohol faster, sleep around more, live less in long-lasting, two-parent families, and worship less, than almost anyone in the world. It's clear from what young British Muslims themselves say that part of their reaction is against this kind of secular, hedonistic, anomic lifestyle. If women are reduced to sex-objects, young Muslim women say, I would rather cover up. Theirs is almost a kind of conservative feminism. Certainly, it's a socially conservative critique of some aspects of British society, particularly visible in their generation, in the urban neighbourhoods where they live.
And the critique is nuanced. Half those asked for the Channel 4 programme thought Muslim girls should make up their own minds whether to wear the hijab to school. Nearly a third of female respondents felt there was some truth in the idea that Islam treats women as second-class citizens. (The men just couldn't see it. Now I wonder why ... ) And a majority said that British society treats women with respect.....
The idea that these young British Muslims might actually be putting their fingers on some things that are wrong with our modern, progressive, liberal, secular society; the idea that rational persons might freely choose to live in a different, outwardly more restricted way; these hardly feature in everyday progressive discourse. But they should.
A fair enough point really, although of course one has to be careful not to let this argument turn into an excuse for militancy and murder within a society which (after all) they themselves chose to move to.
The ironic thing is that commentators who most vigourously promote understanding of the Muslim perspective are usually of the Western Left, which (at least in its current form) is the side most likely to promote the social issues like gay rights and laissez faire feminism which would most offend the conservative Muslims.
It may be difficult for conservative parties to make political mileage out of it (because they don't want to be seen as bending to a Muslim agenda), but there is an argument that voting conservative in Western countries is more likely to lead to less alienated Muslims within that country.
(OK - maybe that doesn't work in the US, because Republicans went into Iraq and are currently identified more closely with Israel than under the Democrats. And in Australia and Britain, conservative parties are not so socially conservative anymore. At least some of them draw a line at gay marriage, I suppose, and take a more pragmatic view of feminism. The difference is perhaps only marginal, but I still think it has some validity.)
This article suggests that maybe Muslims have a point in their complaint about some aspects of Western society (in this case, British society in particular):
Particularly among younger Brits in urban areas, which is where most British Muslims live, we drink more alcohol faster, sleep around more, live less in long-lasting, two-parent families, and worship less, than almost anyone in the world. It's clear from what young British Muslims themselves say that part of their reaction is against this kind of secular, hedonistic, anomic lifestyle. If women are reduced to sex-objects, young Muslim women say, I would rather cover up. Theirs is almost a kind of conservative feminism. Certainly, it's a socially conservative critique of some aspects of British society, particularly visible in their generation, in the urban neighbourhoods where they live.
And the critique is nuanced. Half those asked for the Channel 4 programme thought Muslim girls should make up their own minds whether to wear the hijab to school. Nearly a third of female respondents felt there was some truth in the idea that Islam treats women as second-class citizens. (The men just couldn't see it. Now I wonder why ... ) And a majority said that British society treats women with respect.....
The idea that these young British Muslims might actually be putting their fingers on some things that are wrong with our modern, progressive, liberal, secular society; the idea that rational persons might freely choose to live in a different, outwardly more restricted way; these hardly feature in everyday progressive discourse. But they should.
A fair enough point really, although of course one has to be careful not to let this argument turn into an excuse for militancy and murder within a society which (after all) they themselves chose to move to.
The ironic thing is that commentators who most vigourously promote understanding of the Muslim perspective are usually of the Western Left, which (at least in its current form) is the side most likely to promote the social issues like gay rights and laissez faire feminism which would most offend the conservative Muslims.
It may be difficult for conservative parties to make political mileage out of it (because they don't want to be seen as bending to a Muslim agenda), but there is an argument that voting conservative in Western countries is more likely to lead to less alienated Muslims within that country.
(OK - maybe that doesn't work in the US, because Republicans went into Iraq and are currently identified more closely with Israel than under the Democrats. And in Australia and Britain, conservative parties are not so socially conservative anymore. At least some of them draw a line at gay marriage, I suppose, and take a more pragmatic view of feminism. The difference is perhaps only marginal, but I still think it has some validity.)
Member for silly stunts
From stately sentiments to bird-brained burlesque | Matt Price | The Australian
Matt Price does not think highly of a silly stunt by Labor MPs in Parliament yesterday:
Yesterday, though, the mischief turned downright moronic. When Costello rose during question time, a bright-orange fluffy toy bird magically appeared on the desk of Labor MP Bernie Ripoll. You'll never ever be able to guess what it was. Starts with C? Ends with "icken"?
While most Labor MPs thought it all brilliantly funny, several cringed in undisguised embarrassment. Only the day before, Ripoll was recorded in Hansard accusing Alexander Downer of being an "evil little shit" so I guess we're lucky he didn't turn up waving a giant fluffy brown turd.
Speaker David Hawker was furious, and in the ensuing mayhem Ripoll and frontbench colleague Gavan O'Connor were both ejected. O'Connor feigned kissing the toy, then performed a lame chicken jig exiting the chamber. Hilarious, non?
While we are on this topic, some readers would have noticed the large billboards around town showing Kim Beazley literally tearing in half a mock up "Workplace Relations Act". ("Kim Beazley will repeal the unfair workplace relations law" goes the caption, or words to that effect.) It looks so (for want of a better word) "stagey" that I find it rather silly. I can't be the only one who thinks this.
I also think I may never have gotten around to complaining about the annoying way they were obviously told that whenever they mention the Workplace Relations Act, they all must use the identical phrase (what was it - "this extreme Workplace Relations law" ?)
Made them all sound like PR automatons rather than people who could come up with their own rhetoric.
Low marks for whoever is doing their PR advice, I reckon.
Matt Price does not think highly of a silly stunt by Labor MPs in Parliament yesterday:
Yesterday, though, the mischief turned downright moronic. When Costello rose during question time, a bright-orange fluffy toy bird magically appeared on the desk of Labor MP Bernie Ripoll. You'll never ever be able to guess what it was. Starts with C? Ends with "icken"?
While most Labor MPs thought it all brilliantly funny, several cringed in undisguised embarrassment. Only the day before, Ripoll was recorded in Hansard accusing Alexander Downer of being an "evil little shit" so I guess we're lucky he didn't turn up waving a giant fluffy brown turd.
Speaker David Hawker was furious, and in the ensuing mayhem Ripoll and frontbench colleague Gavan O'Connor were both ejected. O'Connor feigned kissing the toy, then performed a lame chicken jig exiting the chamber. Hilarious, non?
While we are on this topic, some readers would have noticed the large billboards around town showing Kim Beazley literally tearing in half a mock up "Workplace Relations Act". ("Kim Beazley will repeal the unfair workplace relations law" goes the caption, or words to that effect.) It looks so (for want of a better word) "stagey" that I find it rather silly. I can't be the only one who thinks this.
I also think I may never have gotten around to complaining about the annoying way they were obviously told that whenever they mention the Workplace Relations Act, they all must use the identical phrase (what was it - "this extreme Workplace Relations law" ?)
Made them all sound like PR automatons rather than people who could come up with their own rhetoric.
Low marks for whoever is doing their PR advice, I reckon.
Slate on the Lieberman defeat
Why Lamont's victory spells Democratic disaster. By Jacob Weisberg
This analysis of what the Lieberman defeat means for the Democrats overall (in short, disaster) makes a lot of sense. Go read it.
This analysis of what the Lieberman defeat means for the Democrats overall (in short, disaster) makes a lot of sense. Go read it.
Japanese work
Western values 'are causing mental illness' - World - Times Online
From the short article above:
Statistics indicate that 60 per cent of workers suffer from “high anxiety” and that 65 per cent of companies report soaring levels of mental illness.
Meanwhile, the size of the Japanese population is shrinking, and for the first time the Government has acknowledged that the falling birth rate is linked to job-related factors. Directors of the Japanese Mental Health Institute blame the same factors for rising levels of depression among workers and the country’s suicide rate, which remains the highest among rich nations.
Merit-based pay and promotion are of particular concern because they are at odds with the traditional system, built on seniority, that has reigned supreme in corporate Japan. In the harsh new atmosphere of cut-throat rivalry between workers, the Institute for Population and Social Security argues, young people do not feel financially stable enough to start families.
I can think of some other reasons why workers may be depressed (based on some personal observations):
* a common expectation that anyone who wants to get ahead will work a 10 to 12 hour day, and then socialise after hours as well;
* an inability of most workers to have any more than a week's holiday per year (although they do get quite a few public holidays as well). Of course, some men who want to get ahead will take no holidays (apart from public holidays) for decades at a time;
* a traditional culture that is still inclined to view mental illness as a character failing or weakness. (A friend who works in Japan, supervising english teachers from all over the world, tells me that he has had calls from the police saying to come get a teacher who is in trouble before the teacher is sent into a psychiatric care. Apparently, everyone knows that if you are committed to a psych ward in Japan, it may be a very long time indeed before you are ever seen again.) The young are more open to seeking psychiatric help, I think, but the effect of this old cultural view is still strong.
From the short article above:
Statistics indicate that 60 per cent of workers suffer from “high anxiety” and that 65 per cent of companies report soaring levels of mental illness.
Meanwhile, the size of the Japanese population is shrinking, and for the first time the Government has acknowledged that the falling birth rate is linked to job-related factors. Directors of the Japanese Mental Health Institute blame the same factors for rising levels of depression among workers and the country’s suicide rate, which remains the highest among rich nations.
Merit-based pay and promotion are of particular concern because they are at odds with the traditional system, built on seniority, that has reigned supreme in corporate Japan. In the harsh new atmosphere of cut-throat rivalry between workers, the Institute for Population and Social Security argues, young people do not feel financially stable enough to start families.
I can think of some other reasons why workers may be depressed (based on some personal observations):
* a common expectation that anyone who wants to get ahead will work a 10 to 12 hour day, and then socialise after hours as well;
* an inability of most workers to have any more than a week's holiday per year (although they do get quite a few public holidays as well). Of course, some men who want to get ahead will take no holidays (apart from public holidays) for decades at a time;
* a traditional culture that is still inclined to view mental illness as a character failing or weakness. (A friend who works in Japan, supervising english teachers from all over the world, tells me that he has had calls from the police saying to come get a teacher who is in trouble before the teacher is sent into a psychiatric care. Apparently, everyone knows that if you are committed to a psych ward in Japan, it may be a very long time indeed before you are ever seen again.) The young are more open to seeking psychiatric help, I think, but the effect of this old cultural view is still strong.
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