Brave New World

Into the Abyss or the Same-but-Different?

By Justin Katz | June 6, 2007 |

There’s an attraction, among older folks, to validating what the kids are doing. Nobody wants to become the modern version of that fuddy-duddy whom they mocked as children, but there’s a risk of overlooking important considerations as one rushes to be cool about the modern-day Walkman, the latest music, or newfangled manifestations of the recklessness…

Fatherland, Socialism or Death

By Carroll Andrew Morse | May 1, 2007 |

In honor of today’s worldwide May Day celebrations, I present to you the slogan of the Western Hemisphere’s leading socialists, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez and Cuban Leader Fidel Castro…“We will triumph. Fatherland, socialism or death.”

Humanity in a Brave New World

By Justin Katz | April 16, 2007 |

At the risk of confirming suspicions of conservatives’ reactionary squeamishness, I have to admit to huge, visceral aversion to this sort of thing: Women might soon be able to produce sperm in a development that could allow lesbian couples to have their own biological daughters, according to a pioneering study published today. Scientists are seeking…

The Fairness of New Media, or The Power of Jim Hummel’s Pinky

By Justin Katz | March 31, 2007 |

Not too long ago, public figures — beleaguered school superintendents, for example — could leverage print media and law enforcement procedures in order to manipulate public understanding of confrontations, much as North Kingstown Superintendent James M. Halley is doing in this Projo report: Halley filed a complaint with the police Thursday alleging that Hummel, a…

Look on Their Works and Despair

By Justin Katz | March 27, 2007 |

Yeah, yeah, I know I’m a superstitious flatearther afraid of science and willing to impose my fear-based morality on others, but I’m beginning to wonder if our culture will be able to muster the fortitude to object to any scientific “advances.” The latest: Scientists have created the world’s first human-sheep chimera – which has the…

Mitt Romney on Social Issues

By Carroll Andrew Morse | January 29, 2007 |

I know. I’m not supposed to be posting anything on the 2008 Presidential campaign before June. However, I’m adding a codicil to my New Year’s resolution: I can make an exception when able to present primary-source material about a Presidential candidate (or someone with a Presidential exploratory committee) that adds to a discussion area already…

Needed: A Eugenics Program for Public Policies

By Justin Katz | January 4, 2007 |

You’ve likely come across the notion that a society that rejects a governing morality will require laws to fill the void. Well, have you noticed that those whose societal aspirations run against the grain of traditional morality are often quick to treat all objections — even mere expressions of concern — as if they are…

Children of “Murphy Browns” Paying the Price

By Marc Comtois | December 18, 2006 |

Dan Quayle was taken to task many years ago for his “Murphy Brown” speech, in which he said: Ultimately however, marriage is a moral issue that requires cultural consensus, and the use of social sanctions. Bearing babies irresponsibly is, simply, wrong. Failing to support children one has fathered is wrong. We must be unequivocal about…

It’s Frighteningly Telling…

By Justin Katz | November 10, 2006 |

… that Brown University professor emeritus of psychology, medical science, and human development Lewis Lipsitt doesn’t offer one single example of what he means by “learning processes and socialization on a grand scale [that] will ensure human survival.” The same intelligence that brought us here must now be used to reverse aggressive assaults and promote…

The United Nations and the Internet

By Carroll Andrew Morse | October 27, 2005 |

What do they mean, exactly, when they say the United Nations is trying to take over the internet? Bascially, they mean that at the next meeting of the WSIS, the WGIG may recommend replacing ICANN with a more direct authority over the 13 root name servers. I explain in a bit more detail in my…