Dispatches from the Culture Wars

Posted on January 19, 2009 by Walter Olson

Many readers will already be familiar with that lively secularist redoubt at ScienceBlogs, Dispatches from the Culture Wars, where Ed Brayton often crosses swords with creationists, WorldNetDaily, and a wide assortment of other religion-inspired groups and publications ranging from Focus on the Family to Scientology. I’m not sure what Ed’s own politics are, but I’ve tended to classify Dispatches as at least secular-right-friendly, since it’s relatively low on the sort of gratuitous preassumed leftishness one meets with in many such enterprises. If you’re not already familiar with Dispatches this makes a good time to check it out, if only because of the variety on display: Ed has just returned from a vacation during which six (!) guestbloggers stepped in to fill his shoes. Among the six was friend of this site Jon Rowe, who posted twice on the role of religion as a possible underpinning of legal rights, and whose farewell post, here, ended with an enormously controversial semi-appreciation of George W. Bush, along with less controversial tributes to this site and to Tim Sandefur. And another was Reason investigative journalist and police-abuse specialist Radley Balko, some of whose contributions can be found here (federal subsidies to police), here (“mild” defense of cop in BART shooting — did someone mention controversy?), and here (Drug War).

About Walter Olson

Fellow at a think tank in the Northeast specializing in law. Websites include overlawyered.com. Former columnist for Reason and Times Online (U.K.), contributor to National Review, etc.
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8 Responses to Dispatches from the Culture Wars

  1. David Hume says:
    January 19, 2009 at 11:43 am

    I consider Ed a friend. We’ve met. He’s a libertarian, though he seems more interested in specific issues more than The Movement.

  2. Fitz says:
    January 19, 2009 at 2:12 pm

    “I’m not sure what Ed’s own politics are, but I’ve tended to classify Dispatches as at least secular-right-friendly”

    Well apparently “secular-right-friendly” means anything but family friendly policies. When confronted with serious defenders of marriage he goes off the deep end.

    I don’t know what that tells anybody but I don’t consider a perfunctory banning a sign of a keen intellect.

  3. Grant Canyon says:
    January 19, 2009 at 2:26 pm

    “…means anything but family friendly policies…”

    With “family friendly”, of course, being a code-word for hating gay people. No wonder you were banned.

  4. Dave M says:
    January 19, 2009 at 4:17 pm

    When confronted with serious defenders of marriage he goes off the deep end.

    Since when does marriage need “defending”. Who is attacking it? Is there a sudden outbreak of folks storming into churches all over the country preventing people from getting married?

  5. rmp says:
    January 19, 2009 at 4:46 pm

    I agree with David Hume. I consider him to be libertarian leaning but not an ideologue.

  6. Jon Rowe says:
    January 19, 2009 at 5:54 pm

    Thanks for this.

    For the record, Mr. Brayton welcomes discussion from opposing views on gay marriage. The “Op Ed” crowd were banned after they “swarmed in” (yes like a bunch of bees) and spammed Brayton’s comment section.

  7. Chris Bell says:
    January 19, 2009 at 6:43 pm

    Let me give my own shout out to Ed. I love the fact that he has his 3+ posts up every day at 9AM EST. There’s something comforting about it. There is no need to check back periodically through the day. He says his piece on a set time and schedule, and it’s usually insightful. Jack of all trades.

  8. Fitz says:
    January 20, 2009 at 11:53 am

    Dave M (writes)
    Q. “Since when does marriage need “defending””

    A. 1968

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