April 2012
3 posts
De-sensationalising the charitable giving debate →
This BBC article is just one of many discussions in the media which, in one journalistic breath, refer to the debate about whether there should be a limit placed upon untaxed charitable donations and tax avoidance.
Let’s be clear on what the issues really are.
First of all, charitable giving does not amount to what is generally referred to as “tax avoidance” or “tax...
Tyler and Trayvon →
The tragic deaths of two teenagers raise questions about hate-crime laws and our urge to fix the human race.
Bill Keller’s article in the NY Times is a thought- provoking critique of “hate crimes” although his commentary raises significantly more issues than it grapples with.
Keller does not set out the legislative provisions with which his discussion is concerned. One...
We need to rethink how we define merit for supreme... →
What counts as “merit” in the context of making judicial (or other) appointments?
Is there any reason why the criteria for selection should be limited to (say) experience, academic achievement, education and so on? These kinds of considerations have been traditionally thought of as identifying the best person for the job. But sex, race, socio-demographic background and so on might...
