This examination of free expression by Salman Rushdie, excerpted from an interview in the August / September issue of Reason (print only), seems to fit well with the motif of today’s posts: reason:  Do you think freedom of speech is threatened by cultural relativism—by the idea that principles like free expression are not universal truths but simply local cultural constructs? Rushdie:  The idea of universal rights—the idea of rights that

In light of today’s federal trial court ruling upholding the 9th Circuit’s earlier ruling favoring Michael Newdow in his efforts to have the phrase “under God” removed from the Pledge of Allegiance (which had been thrown out previously by SCOTUS on the grounds Newdow had no standing), I thought now would be a good time to republish some links from the time of the original 9th Circuit Court ruling, back

Hey, at least when I talk to ghosts, I have the courtesy to identify them as such.

So I’m sitting down to lunch with a plate of chicken and a Diet Dr Pepper when, without warning, the can of soda erupts all over my t-shirt and boxer briefs.  But rather then rushing shoeless out onto the nearest overpass and screaming for FEMA (WHERE ARE YOU, MR PRESIDENT?  STAINS ARE SETTING INTO MY WHITES!), I simply took off the shirt, rinsed it out with water, wrung it dry,

Taking his cues from big government progressives, “conservative” columnist Andrew Sullivan takes aim at the Bushies and their handling of the Katrina aftermath, arguing—convincingly, he imagines it; inexcusably, from any objective standard (something that Andrew is no longer capable of approaching)— that the President and his administration have actually emboldened terrorists, an instance of such stunning projection that the mind practically reels at the level of self-delusion necessary even to

From the BBC: The Swiss government is hosting two days of talks in Geneva in an effort to agree on a new emblem for the International Red Cross At the moment, the only two emblems recognised under the Geneva Conventions are the red cross and the red crescent. Some countries are reluctant to use either symbol and want a new emblem which has no religious connotations. There is a proposal

From ABC News: Amid the chaos and confusion that engulfed New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina struck, a local congressman used National Guard troops to check on his property and rescue his personal belongings — even while New Orleans residents were trying to get rescued from rooftops, ABC News has learned. On Friday, Sept. 2 — five days after Katrina hit the Gulf Coast — Rep. William Jefferson, D-La., who represents

Schumer:  “There are many other pasta dishes, each with its own distinct taste and quiet dignity.  And as you know, I respect every one of them.  Deeply.  But if we’re being candid, I think we can all agree that I am the most delicious—and the cheesiest—of all pasta dishes.  Am I not?”* *

**** update:  Patterico has more faith than I do.

From the Boston Globe: President Bush said Tuesday that “I take responsibility” for failures in dealing with Hurricane Katrina and said the disaster raised broader questions about the government’s ability to respond to natural disasters as well as terror attacks. “To the extent the federal government didn’t fully do its job right, I take responsibility,” Bush said. The president was asked whether people should be worried about the government’s ability