extremism - A Tippling Philosopher

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extremism

A collection of 86 posts

The GOP Sustained Assault on Democracy

There are some really terrible moves being made by the GOP at all levels of politics in the US. This has arguably been going on for decades, but most pointedly so since Trump's election in 2016. There is a very good case to suggest that the GOP is

consequentialism

Well That Escalated Quickly: Knowledge and Consequentialism Discussed

So yesterday I posted a piece being very critical of Islam as a religious theology (in the context of teaching RE), just as I have spent 10 years doing with Christianity. The comments thread exploded and, I have to say, the conversation was really pretty good. There were lots of

Islam as a Religion of Peace? Problems with RE...

Islam as a Religion of Peace? Problems with RE...

I am a socially and politically liberal commentator. I have also written many books and literally thousands of blog posts criticising Christianity. Nobody in my community bats an eyelid. I have done that because, as an atheist philosopher, I’ve been born and brought up within a Christian context. However,

Far-Right Groups Raise Millions Via Christian Funding Site

The far-right can easily be associated with Christian fundamentalism. This can be seen in many contexts, from the Ku Klux Klan to the Proud Boys and this latest example of fundraising. I say "latest" because, last year, Christians raised inordinate amounts of money for right-w9ing shooter Kyle Rittenhouse.

Martyrs, Terrorism and Hypocrisy

Martyrs, Terrorism and Hypocrisy

I'm just finishing a book that I have previously declared as one of the most important books I have ever read, even though at the time I had not finished it! I still very much believe this. The book is Harari's 21 Lessons for the 21st

The Best Analysis of the GOP I Have Heard

The video below is the single best analysis of the GOP, where it is at and where it is going, that I have yet heard. It is from FiveThirtyEight and it is probably so good because it involves a panel of three conservatives giving frank, honest and quality party-reflection. Galen

Twexit to Parler: The Right-Wing Are Fleeing Twitter

Recently, hateful right-wing political uberfuhrer Katie Hopkins was banned from Twitter. She had previously said all manner of things, from comparing immigrants to cockroaches to claiming dementia sufferers should not block hospital beds. Sussex Police even reported her tweets after 5 (BAME) Londoners drowned at Camber Sands and she mocked

Indonesia's Religion Transformed under Saudi Arabia's Influence

Indonesia's Religion Transformed under Saudi Arabia's Influence

Indonesia, as the world's most populous Muslim country, is a source of great interest for those looking to see how it evolves in the context of the globals cultural milieu of the 21st century. It has traditionally been a pretty tolerant place, relatively speaking, with other religions protected

Andy Ngo, Twitter

On Left and Right Politics: Andy Ngo and Marie Colvin

I know that this was the subject of my last piece and I apologise if I’m going to bore you. However, this is something I’ve been brooding upon to the last couple of days. I have seen a number of friends and colleagues posting and writing about this

Is Evangelical Christianity Sociopathic?

There is a decent article in the Huffington Post that grapples with this question. At first, I thought it would be a reactionary piece, but it is a thought-evoking piece that had me agreeing. It opens with giving a quick summary of sociopathy before giving a few examples of such

Shamima Begum: On Returning Islamic Fighters

Anyone in the UK knows about the latest piece of divisive news (as in, everyone has an opinion, and they appear neatly split in two): Shamima Begum, a "Jihadi bride", who left the UK to join ISIS as a bride when she was fifteen, has just had a

The Christian Destruction of the Classical World

The New York Times recently ran a piece on a new book, the book being The Darkening Age: The Christian Destruction of the Classical World by Catherine Nixey. The book looks to be an evisceration of the notion that Christianity has so pristinely added so much to the world, as

Preacher Clarification: Execute Gays "Humanely"

Well, that's okay, then... Why am I not surprised? Dead State reports: Matt Powell is a young Christian preacher with a little over 350 YouTube subscribers who is trying to create a following for himself. The problem is that whenever his videos get any sort of attention, it’

Tommy Robinson, Islamic Extremism and the BBC

Last night, on the BBC's flagship news commentary programme Newsnight, experienced presenter Kirsty Wark came up against Tommy Robinson, far right activist (co-founder of the English Defence League, the European Defence League, Pegida UK and a writer for Rebel Media). The segment was concerning the Finsbury Park mosque

Gun Control and Vehicle Terrorism

Australian Prime Minister has said in the last day: “After the Nice truck attack last year I asked the counter terrorism co-ordinator… to get together with all of the state and territory police agencies, with business, with local government and make sure that we had a comprehensive strategy for protecting

Islamic Terrorism: A Thought Experiment

I was thinking about the recurrence of terrible atrocities done in the name of Islam, again, today. Barcelona has been hit, and one assumes that Islam, as a worldview, has something to do with the events, in some way. Now let's take this to the extreme (no pun

Trump Is Simply an Idiot

There are many reasons this is so. Firstly, let's look at his ability to communicate like an adult. Here is part of the transcription of the press conference he gave after the Charlottesville problems. I didn’t wait long. I didn’t wait long. I didn’t wait

"Alt-Right"? No, the Far Right.

It's all going off in the US, that's for sure. But something that has been bugging me, and many others, is the use of the term "alt-right". This seems to be a term to describe the rise of the right amongst social media and

Come to My Talk on Islam in Bristol Tonight

I/ am speaking to the Bristol Skeptic's Society tonight. The venue is the UK's only boutique magic theatre pub, Smoke and Mirrors. The facebook events page is here. My talk is about Islam and violence, one that is pretty controversial but has been universally well-accepted whenever

Free Will / Islam Talks in Fareham & Bristol in Next 2 Weeks

If you are local to myself, in the Fareham and Gosport area of Hampshire, please come along next Wednesday (19th) to my free will talk. The Facebook event page is here. The week after that, on July 26th, I'll be talking to the Bristol Skeptics Society on Islam

Another Call for the Release of Raif Badawi

This has come from the IHEU - the International Humanist and Ethical Union (IHEU): Coalition of rights groups supports statement by Ensaf Haidar at UN, calling for release of her husband Raif Badawi - after five years in jail It's been five years since Saudi writer and activist,

Trump and Sadiq Khan: Trump Is Being a Tool

It's not very highbrow of me, I know. But, my goodness, Trump, as President of the US, is being an utter tool. Sadiq Khan is the left-wing (Labour) Muslim Mayor of London. Trump has never liked him for those qualities. Trump appears to have it in for people

Terrorism vs Air Pollution: An Interesting Perspective

I said this on another thread (paraphrased): An interesting perspective (and not AT ALL to diminish the horrors of last night for all those involved): Deaths by terrorism in UK between 2000 and 2015: 90 Deaths from air pollution last year alone: 40,000Someone wrote, in attacking Labour: "I

Terror Attacks: Why Voting for the Right is the Wrong Decision

What has happened in London overnight is another terrible example of completely redundant ideas and ideology taking hold and being used for moments of mass idiocy (where idiocy is not nearly strong enough). The political ramifications are interesting and important. This short piece is not an attempt to opportunistically use