Fodder
Items to spark thought and discussion from our ongoing research
Humanitarian ‘Impulses’ vs. Convictions
Wed 20 Aug 2008 • Responses: 0 • by Joseph Loconte
Writing in last Sunday’s New York Times Magazine, Princeton professor Gary Bass observes that despite the ongoing crisis in the Darfur region of Sudan and the difficulties in the U.S.-led war in Iraq, “the idea of humanitarian intervention remains intact.”
In his essay, “Humanitarian Impulses: Why Interventions Aren’t Going Away,” Mr. Bass argues that the concept of military intervention to stop ethnic cleansing and genocide is as much a European idea as an American one:
The U.N.’s Human Rights Charade
Wed 13 Aug 2008 • Responses: 0 • by Joseph Loconte
The Geneva-based U.N. Watch has just released its critique of the tenure of former U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Louise Arbour. Entitled, “The Right to Name and Shame,” the report offers a clear-eyed look at the record of the U.N.’s most prestigious human-rights official. Sadly—but predictably—Ms. Arbour’s performance, painstakingly examined, receives mixed reviews:
Social Justice and Conservative Politics
Sun 10 Aug 2008 • Responses: 2 • by Joseph Loconte
Americans don't pay much attention to the domestic politics of other countries, but the tectonic shift of political fortunes in Great Britain deserves some reflection. In a recent cover story of The Weekly Standard, "First, Lose Three Straight Elections," executive editor Fred Barnes describes how the Conservative Party has emerged from a long and lonely trek in the wilderness. The youthful face and articulate voice of party leader David Cameron only partially explains their astonishingly strong support in public opinion polls. Once known as "the nasty party," Conservatives have redefined themselves—not only in style but in substance.
Broken Promises for Human Rights in China
Tue 29 Jul 2008 • Responses: 0 • by Joseph Loconte
Though painfully overdue, a leading human-rights organization has finally focused serious and sustained attention on a leading human-rights abuser: China. In a scathing report released ten days before the Olympic Games in Beijing, Amnesty International has concluded that China “continues to persecute and punish” those who advocate for human rights and democratic reform.
Muslims Challenge Islamic Hypocrisy
Fri 25 Jul 2008 • Responses: 0 • by Joseph Loconte
The Arab regime of Omar al-Bashir in Sudan has long been accused of ethnic cleansing in its war against black African rebels in Darfur. Since fighting broke out in the spring of 2004, various U.N. investigators and human-rights groups have offered strong evidence of government complicity in the destruction of villages, sexual violence against women, and the brutal dislocation of nearly two million non-Arab Sudanese. Indeed, last week the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for Mr. al-Bashir, accusing him of genocide. Yet, as best as I can tell, not a single Arab state has spoken out clearly and forcefully against the Islamist government in Khartoum.
The manifest hypocrisy of the Arab world toward Sudan, however, is becoming too much for some Muslims to bear.
An Important Anniversary
Thu 17 Jul 2008 • Responses: 0 • by Joseph Loconte
Earlier this week President Bush marked the tenth anniversary of the International Religious Freedom Act (IRFA), the legislation that authorizes U.S. sanctions against governments that violate international protections for religious liberty. The law established the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom and mandates that the State Department monitor religious liberty in every nation and identify the worst offenders. Also this week, the Congressional Human Rights Caucus Task Force for International Religious Freedom (TIRF) is holding a conference to celebrate the International Religious Freedom Act and discuss its ongoing importance in U.S. foreign policy.
Christian Realism and the United Nations
Wed 09 Jul 2008 • Responses: 0 • by Joseph Loconte
The myth of a morally empowered United Nations, which continues to thrive on both sides of the Atlantic, is becoming absurdly difficult to sustain. The spectacle of U.N. paralysis in the face of international aggression, ethnic cleansing, and genocide—as the brutality and economic meltdown in Zimbabwe illustrates—demands a better response than the tranquilizing diplo-speak of “multilateralism.”
No Place to Call Home
Sun 29 Jun 2008 by Joseph Loconte
One of the most serious matters in religion is the issue of apostasy, that is, the act of renouncing one’s faith. Christianity has a long and troubled history with apostasy. For centuries the Catholic Church treated apostates—or those suspected of apostasy—as criminals worthy of persecution, imprisonment, and death. Protestants often took a similar line, especially when they found themselves in positions of political power.
Islam’s record of confrontation with apostates is no less oppressive and violent. The obvious difference, of course, is that much of the Muslim world continues to react to apostasy with fear, contempt, and violence.
Me Me Me Me!
Thu 26 Jun 2008 by Mark Meador
Jennifer Byrne, in her recent column at PopMatters, posted an excellent piece on the “My” phenomenon that has taken hold of the Internet. The ubiquity of the word struck her as she navigated a “My UPS” page to track a package.
“Out of curiosity, I decided to do a search under the word 'My', just to see what came up. Here’s just a smattering of what I found: My T-Mobile, My New York Times, My Widgets, My Feeds, My Tupperware, My Anime, My Netscape, and My Monster.”
Who’s a Dogmatist?
Wed 25 Jun 2008 by Joseph Loconte
Earlier this week the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life released its second report on the U.S. Religious Landscape Survey. It suggests that although many Americans consider themselves highly religious, most are not “dogmatic” in their approach to faith—at least, they’re not dogmatic as some pollsters define dogmatism. According to the Pew survey, about 70 percent of Americans with a religious affiliation say that many religions—not just their own—can lead to eternal life. Most believe that the teachings of their own faith can be interpreted in various ways. Pew Forum director Luis Lugo summarized the results this way:
“The fact that most Americans are not exclusive or dogmatic about their religion is a fascinating finding. Most people will be surprised that a majority of adherents in nearly all religious traditions, including a majority of evangelical Protestants, say that there isn’t just one way to salvation or to interpret the teachings of their own faith.”
