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Monthly Archives: March 2010
Human Rights Nonsense (14): Tanning Tax Discriminates Against Whites
Another fine example of frivolous use of the language of human rights: Does New 10% Tanning Tax Discriminate Against Whites? … I [have] a question about the intersection of taxation and civil rights law. It strikes me that the health … Continue reading
The Ethics of Human Rights (26): The Repugnant Conclusion and Human Rights
The Repugnant Conclusion is a moral dilemma for utilitarian and consequentialist moral theories. The dilemma was first presented by Derek Parfit in his 1984 book Reasons and Persons. The “repugnancy” in question refers to the consequence of a thought experiment. … Continue reading
Moral Dilemma (12): Greatest Happiness for the Greatest Number
Imagine the discovery of a new type of chair. This chair would produce great happiness and wellbeing to those sitting in it. As we live in a world with limited resources, suppose we would only be able to produce one … Continue reading
Posted in economics, justice, moral dilemmas, philosophy
Tagged ethics, happiness, moral dilemma, morality, utilitarianism
2 Comments
Political Jokes & Funny Quotes (80): Torture
(source) Guard: “Now tell me where you hid the money, or you will suffer.” Translator: “Tell him where the money is, or you will suffer.” Prisoner: “I’ll never speak.” Translator: “She says she won’t tell you.” Guard, putting a gun … Continue reading
Human Rights Ads (44): Homelessness
(source) (source) More on homelessness. More human rights ads.
Posted in housing, human rights ads
Tagged ad, advert, advertising, homelessness, human rights ad, shelter
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Children’s Rights (12): Child Soldiers, Why and How?
Why are children recruited for warfare? Why not just use adults who are likely to be more capable and reliable soldiers? There’s an interesting paper here looking at some of the reasons: Children are relatively easy to abduct, subjugate, and … Continue reading
Posted in children's rights, data, education, poverty, war
Tagged arms, child soldiers, civil war, coin, human rights, indoctrination, insurgency, peace, politics, rebellion, signaling
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What is Democracy? (51): Representatives as Actors and Authors
Sorry for this very long post, but I think this is important. During the discussions about healthcare reform in the U.S., opponents frequently mentioned the unpopularity of the proposed Bill (although now, after the Bill has been accepted and turned … Continue reading
Posted in democracy, freedom, health, law, philosophy, what is democracy?
Tagged actors, authors, edmund burke, elections, hannah arendt, healthcare reform, majority rule, opinion polls, popular sovereignty, public opinion, representative, representative democracy, types of democracy, tyranny of the majority, u.s.
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Human Rights Maps (83): Where Deposed Dictators Have Settled
There’s an interactive map here showing where some of the recently deposed dictators have ended up after they had to flee the countries they once ruled. This is a screenshot: More human rights maps.
Posted in democracy, freedom, governance, human rights maps
Tagged asylum, dictator, dictatorship, map, mapping, maps
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Why Do Countries Become/Remain Democracies? Or Don’t? (11): The Relative Cost of Freedom and Dictatorship
When dictatorial governments come under international pressure to improve the human rights situation in their countries, they often react by stating that they govern developing countries and don’t have the resources that are necessary to make improvements. Such statements have … Continue reading
Posted in democracy, economics, freedom, international relations, intervention, why do countries become/remain democracies
Tagged correlation, cost of freedom, cost of oppression, determinants of democracy, dictatorship, GDP, omitted variable bias, oppression, police state, repression, taxation
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