What rights do people have in western democracies? Are some rights more “Important” than others? Does the provision of one right mean the sacrifice of an other? Is sacrificing one right for another every justified? Can you sacrifice a “right?”

I have no idea what the answers to these questions are, however as I read through the news it seems more and more important to think about it. The UK was awash with news about ID cards last year. Generally speaking this should be abhorrent for a western democracy, however in most debates about the subject the “right to life” and “prevention of crime” were most often bandied about. Is this valid? Does this justify the loss of an assumed freedom.

Continue reading →

Well, it looks official now. Charon (Pluto’s moon) has no atmosphere.

Why any one thought it actually had any is beyond me, and probably no longer open for debate…, however as reported by the BBC.

By watching as Charon eclipsed a distant star last June, they were able to determine that the speed the light (from the star) was cut off signalled the lack of any atmosphere.

You can read more at http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/4588628.stm

Well, quite soon after this blog comes online we are offered a wonderful example of how people can twist debates.

A common tactic when people come under criticism is to turn it round and attempt to refute the comments by making (an often personal – also called ad hominem) attack on the original.

This is flawed logic. It does in no way show the criticism to be flawed, and to an extent is a subconcious reaction to the criticism being correct. Continue reading →

At the moment, this blog is using a slightly modified theme downloaded from the main word press site. However it really is far from ideal and there is a very good chance that over the next couple of weeks quite a few modifications will be made!

If you have any suggestions or comments or tips as to what you think looks good, remains accessible and remains valid XHTML please let us know. Continue reading →

Although its quite old now – having been published in 2003 – the book “Bad
Thoughts” by Jamie Whyte is a fantastic introduction into philosophical
logic and common fallacies.

If you are interested in this book it can be found on places like Amazon if
you do a search for its ISBN – 0954325532, and new it was going for around
£8.99.

Throughout the book Jamie Whyte uses logic to expose the common fallacies
that surround us day to day – ranging from the false authority given to
victims of tragedies through to sheer evasive lies from the rich and
powerful.

Overall – a great read to say the least.

Hello, and welcome to the why dont you blog.

This blog will be used to highlight any inaccuracies or discrepancies we find in the news. Feel free to let us know if we miss anything.

It will also serve as a springboard for full articles on the Why Dont You Site – which will be the main place to find our rants, raves and advice.

Thats all for now 🙂