The Ethnic Future for New Zealand Is Unknown. But It Will Be Diverse and Different
Read MoreMuslim
Dog-whistle politics and Islamophobia in the Canadian election
With just a week to go in Canada's Federal elections, Prime Minister Stephen Harper has been roundly accused of racism and dog-whistle politics in order to draw attention away from the failings of his administration. Next Monday he will know if his tactics have worked.
Read MoreWalking the moral tightrope
I stand alongside anyone arguing for freedom of speech. But sometimes also against them. And alongside the other side too, sometimes. Such is walking the moral tightrope
Read MoreNous sommes Charlie aussi
There is no transferring blame away from the perpetrators of this crime.
Moderate muslims are not to blame.
It is not the disastrous invasion of Iraq, even if this gave jihadists a foothold. France, like New Zealand, didn’t support that war.
The ugly truth of prisoner exchanges
Obama critics are disingenuous when they imply the Taliban would not have been fussy about which Guantanamo prisoners released in exchange for a US soldier they have held for five years. Their real issue is Obama succeeded - albeit with some questions stil to answer.
Read MoreWorld News Brief, Friday March 1
US to send food and medical supplies to Syria; Thailand signs deal with militant Muslim group; China signals new foreign policy focus; Tony Blair defends Rwanda's role in Congo; Bulgaria announces election; and more
Read MoreThe Idiotic Cocktail of Politics and Religion
In the midst of the Canadian election campaign - the fourth in seven years - the Conservative incumbents have come up with a doozy...hunt the ethnic vote under the guise of an office of global religious freedom.
Read MoreOf Mosques and Madness and Mid-term Elections
The concept of a mosque a couple of blocks from Ground Zero has unleashed the ugly side of American politics, where those who profess tolerance have none themselves. Instead they have a hefty dose of prejudice, jingoism and stupidity and it is all on display.
Read MoreFacing up to the Burqa ban
Quebec has waded in to the burqa fight, and while the legislation that will lead to a limited ban on full facial covering has been suspiciously suspended, the debate of persecution versus xenophobia rages on.
Read MoreHate speech, free speech...or just Ann Coulter?
When American right-wing maven Ann Coulter was shut down in Canada, she resorted to type—she went feral—but the whole incident brings in to focus the fine line between free speech and hate speech
Read MoreWhat's in a name, Mr Barack Hussein Obama?
Barack Hussein Obama is going the whole name hog in his inauguration and in so doing he may well define a new political generation. Names it seems are critical in top US politics – think Clinton, or Kennedy or Bush…
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