The television clip showing American president, Donald Trump, pushing aside the prime minister of Montenegro at the last NATO meeting, just about sums up the character of the man, and the nature of his presidency up to now. The clip caused a sensation on social media, and rightly so. I even saw a remix of […]
Month: May 2017
When Progressive Humanism Meets Terrorism
Islamic attacks on Western democracies pose a deep philosophical and moral problem to anyone sympathising with a progressive humanist vision of society. The Islamic fundamentalists are targeting the very heart of our democracies and, more importantly, our entire way of life. They are trying to drive a wedge between the Islamic community, which they are […]
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Cold Justice: “The Red Pullover” – Part II: The Trial
On 6th November 1975, Christian Ranucci was officially charged with the abduction and murder of 8-year-old Marie-Dolorès Rembla, in June 1974. The official investigation was characterised by numerous “potential” irregularities, including the “rejection” of a last-minute testimony from a witness favouring Ranucci’s innocence. The two major controversies related to the investigation were Ranucci’s sudden U-turn on […]
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Cold Justice: “The Red Pullover” – Part I: The Crime
In March 1976, Christian Ranucci was tried and condemned to death, for the murder of 8-year-old Marie-Dolorès Rembla, in June 1974. He had his request for pardon rejected by president Valéry Giscard d’Estaing, and was executed on July 28th 1976, at 4.13 am. The death penalty was abolished by François Mittérand, in September 1981. Ranucci […]
Tolerance In The Attic
If ever a ranking of ordinary-looking houses that possess a universal value were made, the building situated at 38 Oudezijds Voorburgwal, in the centre of Amsterdam, would probably be near the top of the list. Whereas the Anne Frank House, situated on the nearby Prinsengracht, symbolises all that is bad about human nature, this house epitomises […]
Emmanuel Macron Must Stand Up And Deliver
Emmanuel Macron has won an unprecedented victory. The question now is, will he be able to deliver his promises? The victory chants echoing all around the world famous Louvre museum underscore that, what was unthinkable a little more than 36 months ago, has just taken place. Emmanuel Macron quit banking, became finance minister and, today, […]
French Presidential Debate: Much Ado About Nothing
From time to time, there is such a build-up to a mid-week football match, that you cannot wait for the Wednesday night. The build-up to this week’s French presidential debate promised a night of high drama, philosophical insights and antipodal ideologies. Instead, I was forced to watch the debate on my iPad, my son having […]
Joan Of Arc And The Little Prince
Joan of Arc, having liberated France from English occupation in the 15th century, has become a symbol of ultra-nationalism expressed by the French National Front Party. The Little Prince, written by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, is a poetic tale, in which a pilot stranded in the desert meets a young prince fallen to Earth from a […]