Comments for Rationalist Society of Australia

Comment on Meredith Doig by Inside the Near Meltdown of the #Feminist Tour in Australia | Rationalist Society of Australia

Wed, 24 Apr 2019 01:09:00 +0000

[…] Desh contacted another possibile host: Meredith Doig, a feminist with a Ph.D. who is president of the Rationalist Society of Australia, a Medal of […]

Comment on A tale of two cutting cultures by Michael Glass

Michael Glass — Thu, 03 Jan 2019 09:27:14 +0000

I agree that the arguments supporting infant and childhood circumcision are defective. However, two powerful religious groups believe that circumcision comes from God/Allah. As there are millions of Jews and more than a billion Muslims in the world, banning infant and child circumcision is not going to happen easily or overnight.

However, by aiming to reduce the harm of circumcision, the present situation may be improved.

Circumcision is surgery and there are always risks. Infant circumcision is also questionable, because the owner of the foreskin cannot give his own consent to the surgery. Nevertheless, all parents have an interest in child welfare. Therefore the following steps may be possible.

Only the prohibition of infant circumcision could deal with the moral objection to this practice. However, some common sense rules could reduce the risks of circumcision and deal with some of the abuses.

1 Unqualified people should be banned from circumcising anyone!

2 Incompetent circumcisers should be banned from circumcising anyone else!

3 Dangerous traditional practices such as metzitzah b’peh (oral suction of the circumcision wound) should be discouraged by public education and other suitable measures.

4 Before anyone is circumcised, an independent doctor must certify in writing that the person is free of any bleeding disorders and any other contra-indications and is strong enough to withstand the surgery. It is scandalous when bleeding disorders are discovered after a child’s life is endangered by uncontrolled bleeding.

5 No child should be circumcised against the objection of a parent. The informed and written consent of both parents should be mandatory.

6 If a man or an older child is forcibly circumcised against his will, this should be treated as a sexual assault, and the perpetrator prosecuted accordingly.

These rules won’t interfere with most circumcisions and they don’t answer the ethical problem of circumcising young boys, but they would reduce the medical risks of this operation and deal with some of the worst abuses.

Comment on The supposed failure of liberal centrism is anything but. by Gary Bakker

Gary Bakker — Sun, 07 Oct 2018 03:39:04 +0000

OF COURSE either political extreme would hurt us. It’s always been a matter of shifting a bit to the left or the right as circumstances change. (Though it’s really a circle, not a spectrum. Communism usually becomes indistinguishable from fascism as power centralises. So it’s not ‘either extreme’, it’s really ‘anywhere toward the bottom of the circle’.)
So, if the spectrum (circle) goes from communism at 1, through socialism at 2, and grades of ‘social democracy’/progressivism at 3 and 4, to centrism at 5, then shades of conservatism at 6 and 7, to totalitarianism and fascism at 8 and 9, then:
— China is currently at 1 1/2.
— Abbot is at 7.
— Trumble (’The Spineless One’) pretended to be at 5, where recent election results show the overall Australian population wanted to be. But when he came to power, he behaved at 6 1/2.
— The Greens sit around 3 1/2. The federal ALP at 4. The Coalition at 6-7, depending on who is their leader this week.
— The US Democrats are at 6. The US Republicans are at 7-8. But they think they’re both around the Centre. That’s how ethnocentric Americans are. The only countries to the right of the US now seem to be North Korea, Hungary, Chile, and The Philippines.
— The Scandinavian/ northern European countries are around 3, which seems to be the right balance point for affluent, educated, first world countries these days. (I believe the optimal point varies with affluence and education. There has never been a successful third world democracy. And India is not one. Inasmuch as it’s successful, it’s an aristocracy (of the Brahman caste). And inasmuch as it’s democratic, it’s failed. E.g. wealth disparity is huge, and the poor don’t really have any power. It is falling well behind China, which is an unabashed outright autocratic communist state. Which is working in that its population is thriving. Now it just needs to transition toward democracy in a way that the USSR and apartheid South Africa didn’t even try.)
— Unfortunately, Australia has for 20 years at least been following the US to the right. There lies wealth disparity, and simplistic, adversarial, 2-party, winner-takes-all politics. I wish we were moving a little left, in the northern European model toward equality and sophisticated, progressive, science-based, multi-party political decision-making.

Comment on Bigotry is bad business, so why not let the consumer decide? by Gary Bakker

Gary Bakker — Fri, 05 Oct 2018 10:21:16 +0000

First time I’ve seen this position, which coincides with mine, put so well. Not so much the “let the consumer decide”. But more that simple distinction between refusing to sell a standard article to a person, and refusing to tailor an article in a way your conscience won’t allow. I’ve had printing done by a religiously devout family who refused to print gambling paraphernalia such as betting slips or even raffle tickets. Who cares? It’s just profit they are missing out on.

Comment on Media release: Hillsong a global business empire by Leslie Allan

Leslie Allan — Wed, 26 Sep 2018 23:43:38 +0000

Another very profitable religious business completely tax exempt. It’s time for the tax laws to change in this country.

Comment on The supposed failure of liberal centrism is anything but. by Leslie Allan

Leslie Allan — Wed, 26 Sep 2018 23:36:39 +0000

Well said. I agree that in political economy, we need a blend of left and right. We need a middle way between economic libertarianism and communalism.

Comment on Letter: to Scott Morrison upon becoming PM by Ken Derrick

Ken Derrick — Mon, 10 Sep 2018 22:07:38 +0000

To see the evidence that Serena Williams is a JW watch John Cedar on Youtube.

Comment on Letter: to Scott Morrison upon becoming PM by Meredith Doig

Meredith Doig — Mon, 10 Sep 2018 22:02:13 +0000

In reply to Ken Derrick. I didn't know Serena Williams was a JV! Ah, the lord moves in mysterious ways.