Category Archives: USA

Defending the Cordoba Mosque

Posted on 10 August 2010 by Robert

Over in New York, an argument is blazing over the Cordoba Initiative, an Islamic cultural and community centre planned for downtown New York.  Shrill critics have labelled it the ‘Ground Zero Mosque’ and called for the project to be cancelled, … Continue reading →

Posted in Human Rights, Multiculturalism, Religion, USA | 13 Comments

Heathcare Reform Photo

Posted on 22 March 2010 by Robert

I just saw this photo on a BBC News report on healthcare reform. It was pulled from the White House’s official Flickr stream, and I think it may soon become emblematic.  It will be used to illustrate a huge victory, … Continue reading →

Posted in Politics, USA, Visual | 1 Comment

XtraNormal and Political Debate

Posted on 14 March 2010 by Robert

I am very taken with XtraNormal, a website for making free animations online.  It is perfect for school projects and the like, and will be instantly employed for satire in the Get Your War On style.  but I think it … Continue reading →

Posted in Film, Human Rights, Internet Philosophy, USA | 1 Comment

War and Incitement

Posted on 1 March 2010 by Robert

Henry V, inciter of violence. Continue reading →

Posted in Diary, Film, Human Rights, Terrorism, Theatre, USA | Leave a comment

A Prison for the Innocent

Posted on 18 January 2010 by Robert

The full list of Guantanamo detainees backs up Clive Stafford-Smith’s claim that hardly any of them were guilty. Continue reading →

Posted in Human Rights, Terrorism, USA | Leave a comment

Creating the Haystack

Posted on 6 January 2010 by Robert

An adequate approach to discovering terrorist plots might be to collect less information. Continue reading →

Posted in Debate, Modern Liberty, Terrorism, USA | 1 Comment

So, We Can Engineer a Mass Movement to Hack the Christmas Pop Charts, but We Can’t Agree on a Global Climate Change Treaty?

Posted on 22 December 2009 by Robert

And as for Twibbons? This innovation seems to me to be a hugely reductive exercise, shrinking political debate to a space 100 pixels wide. Continue reading →

Posted in Human Rights, Internet Philosophy, Middle East, Music, USA | 8 Comments

“You Will Not Leave This Place Innocent”

Posted on 3 October 2009 by Robert

There is nothing against you. But there is no innocent person here. So, you should confess to something so you can be charged and sentenced and serve your sentence and then go back to your family and country, because you will not leave this place innocent. Continue reading →

Posted in Human Rights, USA | 2 Comments

Two Americas – Infinite Jest and The Wire

Posted on 16 September 2009 by Robert

The two pieces are obviously very different in style. The Wire is brutal realism (if not totally real), whereas Infinite Jest is satire, fable, comedy, with a little magical realism thrown in. Nevertheless, the two have a fair few similarities. Continue reading →

Posted in Books, USA, Visual | 1 Comment

Gay Marriage in America

Posted on 9 April 2009 by Robert

The I think the ‘Hussain’ meme, which implies that the President is a secret Muslim, offers increasingly diminishing returns. That some columnists in America are still earnestly deploying it is quite, quite sad. However, to use it in the same sentence as the ‘pink fascism’ slur makes no sense whatsoever. Continue reading →

Posted in Human Rights, USA | 4 Comments