Online OpinionOnline Opinion is an experiment in journalism for the new world. The core of the site is a traditional newspaper opinion column, published weekly. You - the reader - can syndicate this column into your own virtual newspaper by simply adding it to your bookmarks, favourites, RSS headlines reader, or the links page of your website.Believer or Nutter- (Found July 2, 2008 ) So Blair seems to believe that only God has the right to judge him. This seems to be taking a leaf out of Bush's book, who claims that God wanted him to invade Iraq. Now if an ordinary member of the public killed one person (let alone one hundred thousand) and justified it as "doing God's will" we'd lock him up in a nice, padded cell... On 050306http://www.onlineopinion.net/archives/00000116.html Before Destroying the Green Belt, Release Existing Stock- (Found July 2, 2008 ) The green belt is once again being threatened, this time by the Tories, who propose building there to help first time buyers. That's always the excuse - first time buyers. Yet the lack of affordable housing is driven primarily by the demand for buy-to-let and holiday homes, rather than lack of buildings. Those seeking buy-to-let properties are generally wealthier and see rising house prices as guaranteeing a return on investment. I've advocated introducing a tax on second house ownership...http://www.onlineopinion.net/archives/00000115.html Freedom is a two-way street- (Found July 2, 2008 ) Back when Rome was airing in North America, I came across a comment on the Internet. The young man had just seen the first series' last episode, and declared a desire to punch the actor who played Brutus. The same chap had earlier threatened violence against George R.R. Martin, for killing off a favourite character in Martin's Song of Fire and Ice series of novels. If this case ever came to court, would a jury view this as incitement to violence, even terrorism, or simply a way of blowing off...http://www.onlineopinion.net/archives/00000114.html Freedom to Offend- (Found July 2, 2008 ) This last week we've been gifted a little glimpse of the future. Our government wishes us to live in a world where offending religious sensibilities is a criminal offence. Okay, the offence needs to be shown to display or cause hatred. That seems to be little deterrent to the religious zealot. The now-infamous Danish Mohammed cartoons have caused world-wide protest, death threats, censorship, and at least one death. The claims against them appear to be that (a) portraying the prophet is...http://www.onlineopinion.net/archives/00000113.html Isn't It Terrible- (Found July 2, 2008 ) So, Live 8 is over. The first of the Edinburgh marches has passed off (largely) smoothly. The people involved have gone home and returned to their normal lives. I wonder how many by now have already had the chance to do something positive, but failed to do so - perhaps because they've already "done their bit". Geldof's politicing has two great dangers. Firstly, it portrays the single big day as the way to make changes in the world. For fund-raising that's true. For political lobbying, it could.http://www.onlineopinion.net/archives/00000112.html eBay 8- (Found July 2, 2008 ) So, Bob Geldof has accused eBay and (some of) its sellers of profiteering because a few people were trying to sell unwanted Live 8 tickets through the web site, some for large sums of money. If that wasn't bad enough, this morning we're treated to the likes of Janet Street-Porter (a woman who once boasted on television about abusing beggars) calling on eBay to "show some responsibility". There's the faintest whiff of hypocrisy in the air here. I may be alone in this, but Geldof's complaints...http://www.onlineopinion.net/archives/00000111.html Forward to a New Europe- (Found July 2, 2008 ) The French (and any moment now, Dutch) rejection of the European Union Constitution provides Britain, and especially Tony Blair, with a historic opportunity. While the proposed constitution was in many ways a good thing - codifying existing EU practice, providing a basis for enlargement - the rejection appears to have been based on two main problems. Firstly, that it is too centralist. Secondly, that it provides protection for the free market at the expense of nations' own economies. The...http://www.onlineopinion.net/archives/00000110.html |