Category Archives: politics

ISIS: Looking to the North

Cross-posted on the Corner: Over in the Financial Times, there’s an interesting piece on Putin’s friends abroad, but this passage in particular caught my eye: The current Egyptian government believes that the Obama administration’s failure to support former President Hosni … Continue reading

Posted in politics, Religion | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

‘But’

Cross-posted on the Corner. A writer for the Guardian, on cue (my emphasis added): We are in perilous territory. Slaughter as political protest cannot be defended. Free speech as legal and moral pre-requisites in a free society must be defended. … Continue reading

Posted in politics, Religion | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Jumping on the Popemobile

Cross-posted on the Corner It’s only fair to wait and see what Pope Francis has to say about the environment and climate change in his forthcoming encyclical, although, on the basis of a number of his comments on the topic … Continue reading

Posted in politics, Religion | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on Jumping on the Popemobile

#PasCharlie 2

Cross-posted on the Corner (yesterday): Tomorrow Paris will play host to a march designed to show France’s unity in the aftermath of the Charlie Hebdo attacks. The Guardian explains: Je suis Charlie. Nous sommes Charlie. La France est Charlie. Under … Continue reading

Posted in politics, Religion | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on #PasCharlie 2

#PasCharlie

Cross-posted on the Corner: The #JeSuisCharlie message doesn’t appear to be getting through to some. The Global Post: A Swedish member of parliament reported a far-right leader to the police on Friday for alleged incitement to hatred over a comment … Continue reading

Posted in politics, Religion | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on #PasCharlie

Will Anything Change?

Cross-posted on the Corner. At the Financial Times, Europe editor Tony Barber’s initial response to the atrocity in Paris included this: Charlie Hebdo has a long record of mocking, baiting and needling French Muslims. If the magazine stops just short … Continue reading

Posted in politics, Religion | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Charlie Hebdo

Cross-posted on the Corner. The revolting terrorist assault on Charlie Hebdo today is designed to intimidate for the future as much as to ‘punish’ for the past. And I suspect that it has, to some degree, been encouraged by opinion … Continue reading

Posted in politics, Religion | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments Off on Charlie Hebdo

A Coming Clash of Civilizations?

Cross-posted on the Corner. Over at the XX Committee, John Schindler takes a look at what he calls “Putin’s Orthodox Jihad.” Trying to make sense of Putin’s ideology, much of which appears to have been adopted on the hoof as … Continue reading

Posted in politics | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on A Coming Clash of Civilizations?

The Vatican and Cuba: Some More Background

Cross-posted on the Corner: With the latest crackdown in Cuba showing just how Havana has ‘read’ Obama’s policy shift towards the Castro dictatorship, this new Foreign Affairs article by Victor Gaetan giving some background to the Vatican’s involvement in the … Continue reading

Posted in politics | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on The Vatican and Cuba: Some More Background

Coming to a Pulpit Near You?

Cross-posted on the Corner The Guardian, excited: [C]an Francis achieve a feat that has so far eluded secular powers and inspire decisive action on climate change? It looks as if he will give it a go. In 2015, the pope … Continue reading

Posted in politics, Religion | Tagged , , | 1 Comment