online archive

Multiculturalism, sex, religion and the environment

From Arena, multiculturalism, long the bête noire of the Right, has come under increasing attack from the Left. But whether multiculturalism is a threat to Enlightenment values or not, the real debate must be over how we understand the term itself, writes Per Wirten. Evil and pathetic: How the phrase "moral relativism" was hijacked and misused. Identity crisis: Multiculturalism may seem a liberal policy, but it reinforces prejudices. Better Dead Than Rude: Political correctness set out to reform our manners, but now seeks to smother our thoughts. It won’t succeed. A review of Camelot and the Cultural Revolution: How the Assassination of John F. Kennedy Shattered American Liberalism by James Piereson. Ellis Weiner on how to write like a conservative.

From Writ, a review of When Sex Counts: Making Babies and Making Law by Sherry Colb. A look at what proponents of the "rape exception" teach us about abortion. A review of Girls on the Stand: How Courts Fail Pregnant Minors by Helena Silverstein. Sex Panic! An interview with Debbie Nathan, author of Satan's Silence: Ritual Abuse and the Making of a Modern American Witch Hunt. On Intimacy with Dogs: Sensuality, pleasure, loyalty, and love outside the norms of heterosexual relationships. A review of Modern Sex: Liberation and Its Discontents. GOP candidates cross the line in the Culture War: Despite their carefully cultivated images, both Mitt Romney and Fred Thompson have recently found themselves on the wrong side of the conservative view of sex.

God and country: A look at what it means to be a Christian after George W. Bush. Among the most durable myths of American public life is that conservatives are more authentic in their religious faith than liberals and progressives. The Democratic front runners are leading their party's crusade to win over religious voters. A review of With God on Our Side: One Man's War Against an Evangelical Coup in America's Military by Michael L. Weinstein. A review of Wayward Christian Soldiers: Freeing the Gospel from Political Captivity by Charles Marsh. A review of Bonds of Imperfection: Christian Politics Past and Present by Oliver O'Donovan and Joan Lockwood O'Donovan.

From Mother Jones, when will the next Katrina hit? An interview with Mike Tidwell, author of The Ravaging Tide: Strange Weather, Future Katrinas, and the Coming Death of America's Coastal Cities. Field of Dreams: Burning ethanol made from corn is supposed to reduce our dependence on oil; instead, it's wreaking havoc on agriculture. What our grandparents can teach us about saving the world: The World War II home front was the most important and broadly participatory green experiment in U.S. history. Is it a model we should use today? Eco Indulgence: The $800 green-tini and other luxuries for the trust fund tree-hugger. The paradox of green consumerism: We're always going to buy stuff. So maybe the solution isn't to consume less, but to consume differently.