Ethics news:
archived: 9 August 2007
Ethics News is regularly updated with links and introductions to ethics-related news stories gathered from all over the web. We regularly archive the stories collected.
Religion is the root cause of terrorist threat
Why are most of the terror suspects (so far) well-educated medical professionals, not poor and dispossessed types? This week's arrest of Mohamed Haneef in Brisbane may be more curious for the fact he's a professional lifesaver than for the possibility that he's a terrorist ... more.
The Australian - 5 July 2007
A rift that's hard to heal
The affiliation between doctors and radical groups is not a new one. Although I was raised in Australia, as a hospital registrar of Bangladeshi and Muslim background I am often approached by overseas-trained doctors with tales of woe and misery ... more.
The Age - 5 July 2007
Car bombs: packed with explosive nihilism
The attempted attacks in London and Glasgow show that contemporary terrorism is driven by a haughty disgust for society. It remains to be seen who drove two cars packed with gas canisters, 60 litres of petrol and six-inch nails into central London ... more.
Spiked Online - 2 July 2007
Battle of the hypocrites
The West is perceived to be hypocritical in its Middle East dealings, while al-Qaeda has bombed Muslims. Perhaps the most immediately apparent feature of the weekend's spate of attempted terrorist attacks in Britain is that their perpetrators were, mercifully, incompetent ... more.
The Age - 4 July 2007
Time for a long look at the bottom of the glass
The link between blokes and drink in Australian culture harms us all. Alan Didak's alcohol-fuelled escapade has apparently left him terrified and embarrassed, put the Collingwood Football Club in major damage control and attracted national attention ... more.
The Age - 5 July 2007
The horror of child abuse is all around us
It's something that they do, but that we don't. That's the message, it seems, after more than a week of debate about the Howard Government's plan to halt child abuse in indigenous communities in the Northern Territory ... more.
The Age - 2 July 2007
I am a water angel, so name and shame those that are wasters
Those not taking water saving seriously deserve to suffer serious pain. Forget sex, politics and religion. Try water. I have tackled plenty of divisive topics in my time and never have I felt so strongly about nailing my colours to the mast ... more.
The Age - 4 July 2007
Achtung: if you're fat, you're anti-social
The German government�s new anti-obesity campaign seems designed to turn people�s weight into a measure of their moral integrity. According to the German government, Germans are too fat. They�re so fat, in fact, that the government has made encouraging weight loss one of the country�s main political tasks ... more.
Spiked Online - 4 July 2007
To the censors we're all Aboriginals now
On 22 June, in response to a report showing high levels of sexual abuse of Aboriginal children, the Australian government announced a ban on Aboriginals accessing pornography. The ban was denounced in Australia and across the world as racist, unworkable and largely irrelevant to the problem ... more.
Spiked Online - 2 July 2007
Is it ethical to buy goods from China and India?
I am getting very worried about China and India. They have basically just told the G8 to stuff its agreement on carbon emissions. Obviously these developing nations want to improve their people�s lives, but this breakneck industrialisation seems extreme ... more.
Spiked Online - 15 June 2007
One country, no democracy
If only Hong Kong were allowed to show China the way politically as it has economically. When China took back sovereignty over Hong Kong ten years ago, it promised to preserve its unique 'way of life' ... more.
The Economist - 28 June 2007
The price of virtue
How to get people recycling more�even if they do not particularly want to. Plastic here, newspapers there, bottles in that pile, tin cans over there. Across the rich world tonight a small army of worthy householders will pick through their rubbish ... more.
The Economist - 7 June 2007
Fourth of July sparks American values debate
As revelers celebrate the nation's birthday, commentators debate what it means to be an American. As the United States celebrates its 231st birthday, Americans and Brits alike are assessing the American values that the holiday commemorates ... more.
Christian Science Monitor - 5 July 2007
The paperclip thieves
The law-abiding majority is a myth, according to a survey, which finds most of us have indulged in some sort of petty crime. Steve Tomkins brings some middle-class criminals to book. After that - test your ethics with four everyday dilemmas ... more.
BBC News - 26 June2007
Row over religion's role in US jails
Supporters of President George W Bush say it's one of his greatest achievements: encouraging religious organisations to help with the provision of basic social services. The White House has doled out millions of dollars of public funding to these bodies - many of them representing evangelical Christians ... more.
BBC News - 25 June 2007