Anthony McIntyre's Blog, page 681

A Morning Thought @ 1314

Revolt And Repression In Kazakhstan

People And Nature ✒ The Kazakh government has unleashed ferocious repression against the uprising that exploded last week.Security forces opened fire on demonstrators. “Dozens” died, according to media reports, but on 7 January president Kasym-Jomart Tokaev let slip that “hundreds” had been killed. Tokaev also said he gave the order to “shoot to kill without warning” to suppress protests.There

Lynx By Ten To The Power Of One Hundred And Twenty Three

Ten links to a diverse range of opinion that might be of interest to TPQ readers. They are selected not to invite agreement but curiosity. Readers can submit links to pieces they find thought provoking.Before We Conform, Let Us At Least Be CuriousThe Working Class is Not Voting Against Its InterestsDesmond Tutu and the Labour Party’s Phonies on IsraelA Critique of Obscene WealthAmid Deadly

Can Unionism Really Trust Truss?

Dr John Coulter ✒ Now that British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss has locked horns with the European Union over the Northern Ireland Protocol, should Unionism rely solely on her to deliver the death knell for the Protocol, or should Unionism prepare its own Plan B? TPQ's contentious political Monday columnist commentator examines the dilemma for the pro-Union community.The bitter political medicine

A Morning Thought @ 1313

A Candle For Ashling Murphy

Anthony McIntyre ✒ There had been gatherings of the same type in Drogheda before. Two years ago this month, Droghedians assembled in West Street to protest the brutal slaying of a local teen, Keane Mulready-Woods.Ashling MurphyFriday's vigil was an act of reaching out beyond the confines of Louth. It was  part of a nationwide act of revulsion against the murder of young schoolteacher Ashling

Atheist Ireland Raises Religious Discrimination In Irish Schools With UN And C&AG

Atheist Ireland ✒ has asked the United Nations to raise religious discrimination in Irish schools when it next questions Ireland on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights.  We have also made a complaint to the Irish Comptroller and Auditor General about the misuse of public funds regarding the teaching of religion in Irish schools.The Irish Government aims to have 400 multi-denominational schools

Mary's War

New Humanist ✒ What can we learn today from Mary Whitehouse’s campaign to silence the humanist movement? Samira Ahmed The two-minute “God slot” at 7.50am on Radio 4’s Today programme has long seemed anachronistic. At its most benign, “Thought for the Day” has offered comfortable homilies from the likes of Rabbi Lionel Blue, and while dominated by Anglican and Catholic voices, it is inclusive of

Remove Religious Gatekeepers From School Admissions

National Secular Society ✒ Faith-based selection forces families' religiosity to be assessed, compels conformity, and undermines everyone's freedom of belief, says Alastair Lichten.Religious discrimination in school admissions is opposed by people right across the religious and political spectrum. It is often the number one objection to faith schools and regarded by many as their most egregious

Religious-Right Leaders Who Promoted Trump’s Big Lie Object To Biden’s Voting Rights Push

Right Wing Watch ✒ Right-wing leaders who have promoted former President Donald Trump’s stolen-election lies and supported new voting restrictions based on those lies are predictably unhappy about President Joe Biden’s renewed push for passage of federal voting rights protections​. Peter MontgomeryOne day after Biden called for senators to change filibuster rules to overcome the ​Senate