Published on
26 June 2013
Posted in Big Society, British Politics, Civil Liberties, Conscience, Culture, Moral Philosophy
You wait months for a whistleblower to say something genuinely newsworthy and then two come along in quick succession: Edward Snowden, a former NSA worker who let the world know about PRISM; and Peter Francis, a former police officer who reports that he was ordered to find out compromising information on family and friends of […]
Published on
10 April 2013
The strongest in society have a duty to support the weakest. As with any duty it is better that it be fulfilled voluntarily. In this instance this is by far the better course because such a duty frequently concerns the disposal of private property. But this duty is rarely fulfilled to the satisfaction of social […]
Published on
25 February 2013
Posted in British Politics, Civil Liberties, Philosophy, Religion
Increasingly we are told that the ‘war on drugs’ has failed, and the evidence for this is persuasive. In spite of the challenges of legalisation it is clear that criminalising everyone associated with the drugs trade is, in the words of one report, ‘as costly as it is ineffective’. Throughout history some people have sought […]
Published on
12 November 2012
When Philip Schofield passed a list of alleged sexual abusers to David Cameron on camera it was clear the Prime Minister was not pleased. This was not a simple matter of the government or the Tory party facing charges of ‘honours for cash’ or of political ‘u-turns’. The possibility that senior members of the party […]
Published on
13 September 2012
Posted in British Politics, Culture, Human Life, Moral Philosophy, Same-Sex Marriage, Uncategorized
For many supporters of same-sex marriage (SSM) in the UK their opponents are ‘bigots’. They are entitled to their opinion but the epithet in question is, to parody Samuel Beckett, fast becoming a word in search of some meaning. The assumption is that there are people who want something, and that there is no problem […]
Published on
29 June 2012
Posted in British Politics, Political Economy, Social Commentary
The leader of the Labour Party recently made some remarks on the subject of immigration. He admitted, in a speech given to the Institute for Public Policy Research, that the last Labour government had made errors in regard of immigration policy. Mr. Miliband asserts that the Party must now change its tack. Addressing the concerns […]
Published on
21 June 2012
Posted in British Politics, Ethics in the Media, Social Commentary
Regular readers of a Blog for all Seasons might expect some coverage of the ongoing Leveson Inquiry. It is, after all, a matter of public interest and there are possibilities for ethical analysis. Unfortunately, it is difficult to be other than cynical in respect of the Leveson Inquiry. It was established to examine the […]
Published on
14 June 2012
Posted in British Politics, Social Commentary
The recent marking of the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II has brought back to mind notions highlighted in a couple of earlier blog-posts: stability and security. It is clear from the varied crowds present at the recent London events that the British people have great affection for the institutional monarchy. The media, in print […]