Category Archives: Social Commentary

Published on
25 November 2010

The Dark Side of Determinism: The Pope, Condoms, and Moral Discourse

Posted in Ethics in the Media, Freedom, Religion, Social Commentary, World Affairs

SERIES ON HUMAN FREEDOM: PART ONE The first blog in a series on human freedom examines what the media reaction to the Pope’s recent comments says about the state of moral discourse in contemporary society. One of the most-reported news stories this last weekend dealt with the Pope’s now famous comments on condoms. The Pope […]

Published on
20 October 2010

The Curious Case of Mary Bale

Posted in Ethics in the Media, Social Commentary

Imagine a crime committed here in England so grotesque that not only the national media but international news sites are united in shock. The Deputy Prime Minister is called upon to comment publicly: ‘Quite rightly people don’t understand how [this] could possibly happen’, he says. Global media outlets waste little time broadcasting the appalling truth, […]

Published on
10 March 2010

Some Reflections on Puerto Rico, Language, and National Identity

Posted in Latin America, Social Commentary, United States of America

Questions about the complex political status of Puerto Rico as a commonwealth within the United States are, once again, on the table in Washington, D.C., and in San Juan. The road to becoming the 51st State seems to be wide open for the island. It has, no doubt, been cleared and paved by a Democratic […]

Published on
27 January 2010

Legislating for Good Behaviour

Posted in Culture, Legal Affairs, Liberty, Social Commentary

Both Labour and the Conservatives seem to be falling over themselves in trying to stop excessive drinking. No one who has strolled down the local high street in any British city on a Saturday night will have failed to notice the often high levels of intoxication of local inhabitants. This culture of ‘binge drinking’ might […]

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