Archive for April, 2005

Writing for Knight Ridder, Steven Thomma provides evidence for the erosion of personal responsibility, marked by any number of acts of self interest without regard for consequences.

Historians, philosophers, political scientists and sociologists cite many reasons for the decline of an ethic of responsibility in America over recent decades, including:

A culture of narcissism or self-absorption;
The rise [...]

two reports today on the controversy in the Central Valley over pesticide use that may expose the public in the vicinity of spraying. While both KRON4 television (news at 6) and USA Today mention the exposure to the (millions of) workers (as a fleeting footnote) they both fail to mention the impact on those who [...]

The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), along with its Candian brother (the CRIA), has been lobbying for stronger copyright legislation, claiming that it has experienced significant financial losses due to illegal music downloading on peer-to-peer (P2P) services.
Writing for First Monday, Michael Geist details the elaborate myths the RIAA and CRIA have constructed, distilled into [...]

Pharmacists in an increasing number of instances have refused to fill prescriptions for such things as contraceptives. Their failure to perform their jobs stems–on the surface–from a dilemma they face regarding patients’ rights versus their cultist moral beliefs. Some druggists have even cited the “conscience clause,” an exception that most states have in place for [...]