As jourÂnalÂists try to find their footÂing in the new digÂiÂtal enviÂronÂment, News21, a Carnegie and Knight iniÂtiaÂtive, has startÂed “incuÂbatÂing” eight jourÂnalÂism schools across the counÂtry and helpÂing stuÂdents develÂop new forms of invesÂtigaÂtive reportÂing in mulÂtiÂmeÂdia forÂmats. Above, we have Spilling Over, a piece of digÂiÂtal reportÂing that lays bare the emoÂtionÂal toll the BP Oil spill has takÂen on a Louisiana comÂmuÂniÂty. The eight minute video report was assemÂbled by a News21 team at the UniÂverÂsiÂty of North CarÂoliÂna. NPR has more on the News21 project, and the News21 webÂsite feaÂtures othÂer stuÂdent projects. H/T to Mike S. for anothÂer superb find…
America on the Brink
David GerÂgen has served four difÂferÂent AmerÂiÂcan presÂiÂdents (Nixon, Ford, ReaÂgan, and ClinÂton), and he now heads the CenÂter for PubÂlic LeadÂerÂship at the HarÂvard Kennedy School. Last month GerÂgen, known for being a meaÂsured observÂer of polÂiÂtics, spoke before the ComÂmonÂwealth Club of CalÂiÂforÂnia and issued a very sober warnÂing: AmerÂiÂca faces monÂuÂmenÂtal probÂlems. But unforÂtuÂnateÂly our capacÂiÂty to address them has nevÂer been so diminÂished, and we’re this close to headÂing into a civÂiÂlizaÂtionÂal decline. Just what is limÂitÂing our abilÂiÂty to hanÂdle these probÂlems? If you cut to the chase, it’s a mediocre genÂerÂaÂtion of AmerÂiÂcans – politiÂcians, busiÂness leadÂers, media moguls, citÂiÂzens – habitÂuÂalÂly putting perÂsonÂal interÂests first and the greater good secÂond. It’s not a pretÂty picÂture, but GerÂgen sugÂgests a few ways out of the woods. (Hint: eduÂcaÂtion counts here.) You can stream the talk here, grab it on iTunes, or lisÂten below. And if you think there’s nothÂing you can perÂsonÂalÂly do to make this genÂerÂaÂtion a betÂter one, I sugÂgest you watch the last few minÂutes of this Robert SapolÂsky video.
Karen Armstrong Weighs In on the Ground Zero Mosque Debate
AmerÂiÂca, as a nation, has some big fish to fry these days. But the enerÂgy is being focused right now on a symÂbolÂic quesÂtion. Can the nation tolÂerÂate the buildÂing of an IslamÂic culÂturÂal cenÂter and mosque near Ground Zero almost a decade after the 9/11 attacks? Or, more to the point, can AmerÂiÂca uphold one of its core valÂues – reliÂgious tolÂerÂance? The debate has smolÂdered on throughÂout the sumÂmer, and we’ve seen the hard right and left conÂdemn the CorÂdoÂba IniÂtiaÂtive and Islam more genÂerÂalÂly. On the right, Newt GinÂgrich has talked about how we’re facÂing an “Islamist culÂturÂal-politÂiÂcal offenÂsive designed to underÂmine and destroy our civÂiÂlizaÂtion.” And built into his thinkÂing is the assumpÂtion that when ChrisÂtians comÂmit abhorÂrent crimes, it’s a perÂverÂsion of the reliÂgion, not an indictÂment of its essence. But the same charÂiÂty doesÂn’t get extendÂed to the IslamÂic minorÂiÂty faith in the counÂtry. MeanÂwhile, Sam HarÂris on the secular/atheist left gets in bed with GinÂgrich when he says “there is much that is objectionable—and, frankly, terrifying—about the reliÂgion of Islam and about the state of disÂcourse among MusÂlims livÂing in the West.” If it matÂters, the main difÂferÂence between HarÂris and GinÂgrich is HarÂris’ conÂsisÂtenÂcy, which boils down to a conÂsisÂtent conÂtempt for reliÂgion. (ParÂtialÂly ExamÂined Life takes a much closÂer look at HarÂris’ arguÂments here).
All of this makes me wonÂder: What would someÂone who actuÂalÂly knows someÂthing about Islam say about the whole affair? So here you have it. Karen ArmÂstrong, one of the most well known thinkers in the field of comÂparÂaÂtive reliÂgion, a forÂmer Catholic nun, and the author most recentÂly of The Case for God, offerÂing her thoughts on the matÂter above.
Good Capitalist Karma: Zizek Animated
Slavoj Zizek, one of today’s most influÂenÂtial philosophers/theorists, spoke earÂliÂer this year at the RoyÂal SociÂety of the Arts (RSA). And now RSA has postÂed the video online with their patentÂed aniÂmatÂed treatÂment. Like othÂer recent RSA speakÂers, Zizek makes modÂern capÂiÂtalÂism his focus. This time, we see how conÂtemÂpoÂrary capÂiÂtalÂism has essenÂtialÂly reworked Max Weber’s ProtesÂtant EthÂic, or that strange relaÂtionÂship between monÂey makÂing and perÂsonÂal redempÂtion. Zizek’s criÂtique isn’t utterÂly damnÂing. (No one will run to the barÂriÂcades.) Nor do I think he intends it to be. But the obserÂvaÂtions hold a cerÂtain amount of interÂest, espeÂcialÂly when placed alongÂside BarÂbara EhrenÂreÂich and David HarÂvey’s relatÂed RSA talks.
You can find the full 30 minute lecÂture (sans carÂtoons) here, or downÂload the video as an mp4 here.
Michael Sandel on Justice, Aristotle & Gay Marriage
We have menÂtioned him here many times before. Michael Sandel teachÂes phiÂlosÂoÂphy at HarÂvard, includÂing the ever-popÂuÂlar course, “JusÂtice,” takÂen by some 14,000 stuÂdents durÂing the past two decades. (The legÂendary course is now freely availÂable online.) SpeakÂing at the Aspen InstiÂtute not too long ago, Sandel gave a very abbreÂviÂatÂed verÂsion of the course. Call it “JusÂtice in Under an Hour.” (My title, not his.) And, by the time he wrapped things up, he got down to a timeÂly quesÂtion in AmerÂiÂca. Is it just for the state to withÂhold the instiÂtuÂtion of marÂriage from same sex couÂples? What would ArisÂtoÂtle (who laid the founÂdaÂtion for westÂern thinkÂing about jusÂtice) have to say about this quesÂtion? And how do Sandel’s HarÂvard stuÂdents grapÂple with it? The full preÂsenÂtaÂtion is availÂable above; the parÂticÂuÂlar secÂtion on gay marÂriage is here.
LookÂing for free phiÂlosÂoÂphy coursÂes? Have a look through the PhiÂlosÂoÂphy secÂtion of our big colÂlecÂtion of Free Online CoursÂes.
Richard Dawkins & John Lennox Debate Science & Atheism
No one debates quite as well as an Oxford proÂfesÂsor. And so today we feaÂture two Oxford profs – atheÂist biolÂoÂgist Richard Dawkins and ChrisÂtÂian mathÂeÂmatiÂcian John Lennox – debatÂing God and sciÂence in … of all places … BirmÂingÂham, AlabaÂma. The debate turns largeÂly on a quesÂtion raised in Dawkins’ 2006 bestÂseller, The God DeluÂsion: To what extent can reliÂgious belief and seriÂous sciÂenÂtifÂic disÂcovÂery go hand-in-hand? The debate is liveÂly, and the thought seriÂous. A good way to spend 90+ minÂutes. And BrazilÂian readÂers, you’re in luck. You get subÂtiÂtles. If you would like to purÂchase a copy of the debate, you can buy it through the Fixed Point FounÂdaÂtion, the ChrisÂtÂian orgaÂniÂzaÂtion that orgaÂnized the event. You can also watch a verÂsion of the debate on the Fixed Point web site here.
RelatÂed ConÂtent:
50 Famous AcaÂdÂeÂmics & SciÂenÂtists Talk About God
50 Famous AcaÂdÂeÂmics & SciÂenÂtists Talk About God — Part II
Pete Seeger, 91, Performs BP Protest Song
Bless the man. Pete Seeger, now 91, is still doing it, putting protests into song. On July 24th, he appeared at a Gulf Coast Oil Spill fundraisÂer at The City WinÂery in New York City. There, he perÂformed a song he co-wrote with Lorre Wyatt: “God’s CountÂing on Me, God’s CountÂing on You.” All proÂceeds went to the Gulf RestoraÂtion NetÂwork. This one is for you, Bob…
What is WikiLeaks?
WikÂiLeaks has done it again. This weekÂend, the whisÂtle-blowÂing webÂsite released 92,000 milÂiÂtary docÂuÂments that vividÂly illusÂtrate why the US milÂiÂtary camÂpaign in Afghanistan has achieved so litÂtle sucÂcess. Among othÂer things, the release shines a light on PakÂistan’s intelÂliÂgence appaÂraÂtus, which has proÂvidÂed strateÂgic supÂport to the TalÂiban, helpÂing it coorÂdiÂnate attacks against US troops and assasÂsiÂnate Afghani leadÂers. (MeanÂwhile, PakÂistan offiÂcialÂly claims to be an ally of the US.) The founder of WikÂiLeaks, Julian Assange, called this release “the nearÂest anaÂlogue to the PenÂtaÂgon Papers” pubÂlished durÂing the VietÂnam War. “It proÂvides a whole map, if you like, through time, of what has hapÂpened durÂing this war.”
This is not the first time that WikÂiLeaks has made news lateÂly. In April, the site released footage showÂing US troops launchÂing a seemÂingÂly unjusÂtiÂfied air strike in Iraq, killing 12 peoÂple, includÂing 2 Reuters jourÂnalÂists. (Click here and scroll to botÂtom for video.) And last year, WikÂiLeaks helped get “CliÂmateÂgate” rolling when it pubÂlished memÂos from cliÂmate sciÂenÂtists – memÂos that gave conÂserÂvÂaÂtives ammo to argue that globÂal warmÂing is a ficÂtion.
So what is WikÂiLeaks all about? On July 14, NPR’s Fresh Air interÂviewed Philip Shenon, an invesÂtigaÂtive reporter preÂviÂousÂly at the New York Times, and now conÂtributÂing to The DaiÂly Beast. DurÂing the 35 minute conÂverÂsaÂtion, they enter the secret world of WikÂiLeaks and answer your quesÂtions. You can stream the interÂview here, grab it on iTunes, or lisÂten below.
[gplayÂer href=“https://public.npr.org/anon.npr-mp3/npr/fa/2010/07/20100714_fa_01.mp3” ] [/gplayer]
Sources for this post: The New York Times, The WashÂingÂton Post, and The Guardian
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