Tie the knot and hoist the flag

Well, I bet you are sick of all the news about the royal wedding, but here’s one more perspective on the whole affair, this one from an American point of view.  Is patriotism as positive as this writer claims?  Is flag waving a good way to measure it?  Is having a royal family a good way to boost it?  Would something like this help make Slovakia less divisive or more patriotic?

Compulsory chess

Do you think that making chess a compulsory subject for Armenia’s students is a good idea?  Is this a good way of encouraging the country’s specialty, similar to what Slovakia seems to be doing now with hockey?  Do you agree with the article’s claims about the many benefits of chess?  Obviously, it is not a skill that is directly applicable to the job market, but for those of you who feel that it is better to teach students how to think than to teach particular skills or facts, is chess the way to go?  If making it compulsory isn’t the best choice, are there other ways which schools could encourage the playing of chess?  What has been your experience with playing this game/sport?

Prey before you eat

Is hunting inhumane? Does eating necessarily involve killing, as this article claims?  On the other hand, does hunting desensitize us towards something we should naturally have feelings against?  Or is it a time-honored way of connecting with nature and with the food on our plates?  This article seems to take a strong pro-hunting perspective.  Is there anything the writer is overlooking?

Ungodly chaplains

Is atheism a religion?  Do soldiers of this persuasion deserve the same rights and services as others get?  Do atheists face misunderstanding and discrimination from religious believers and in mostly religious environments?  What about the problematic relationship between religion and the armed forces, between religion and war? 

Multiculturalism anyone?

This is an editorial rather than an article on a particular event, but the topic is quite timely, especially given the IB international week, but also the discourse on multi-culturalism and its supposed failure heard from the mouths of French, German and British leaders these days. Do you agree with this writer?  Is multiculturalism an inevitable consequence of  globalization?    Are cultural values a chimera?  And what is multiculturalism anyway?  Do people tend to define it in ways that are convenient for them, kind of like other hot-button words like feminist, depending on whether they are for or against?  The comments below the editorial are also enlightening.

The wire-mesh and cotton baby

This is the last posting you can comment on for the first half of May.

Would you dare try something like this – let’s say as original research for your extended essay?  How are teen mothers viewed in Slovakia?  How much do you think the gossip and stereotyping this girl experienced was because of her ethnic background?    What do you think her classmates' reaction was when they were told it was all a sham?  Do you think they learned something from this?   Finally, given what you know about social science research, what can the results of this experiment tell us and how reliable is it?

“Killer” whale is not a misnomer

This article brings up the controversial issue of wild animals in captivity.  What responsibilties do zoos have towards the animals they keep, towards their trainers, and towards the zoos’ patrons –the public which pays admission?   What should SeaWorld do/have done in this case?  Should zoos stop having shows with dangerous animals?  In general, what role should zoos have in our society?

Whose language is it anyway?

Here is another article on the issue of copyrights, this time regarding brand names and other copyrighted words.  Do companies deserve the criticism they receive from articles like this one?  Is this similar or different from companies like Monsanto who have been crtiticized for patenting organisms (genetic variants they develop and then make it impossible for farmers to grow their own seeds)?  In America, everyone uses the terms Kleenex, Band-Aid and Jello for what should officially be called facial tissues, adhesive bandages and gelatin desserts.  Other brands, however, must settle for the official terms.  When does common usage make a commercial brand name a common word which everyone should be able to use without penalty?  And what limits should be put on companies in terms of patenting a word which is already in common usage?  (Thanks to Petra for this link.)

Flat tax without the l

Overweight patients have more health problems and eventually cause the state and tax payers more money.  Should they be penalized for their unhealthy lifestyle?  Is the writer correct in asserting that this unfairly punishes poor people (those who rely on state-funded health care and those who cannot afford healthy foods)?   What should the role of government be in encouraging healthy lifestyles and good eating habits?

Corporal punishment is still alive in some schools

Of course, it is in severe decline as compared to what it used to be.  Some argue that this decline is the reason for the corresponding rise in discipline problems which teachers seem to be experiencing.  Do you agree or are there other reasons for this?  Should the option of wrapping on knuckles and swatting behinds be used more often, at least with certain offenses and/or certain offenders?  If so, how to regulate abuse? Or should it be eliminated forever, even in private institutions?

A threat to this blog

One of the big issues for journalists in today’s internet-dominated society is how to earn money when people no longer have to pay for newspapers.  Some websites rely on advertising alone, while others make you subscribe and pay for at least some, if not all, of their articles.  It looks as if one of the good sources this blog’s articles may be disappearing.  The New York Times will now charge to look at content.  On a practical level, is such a paywall tenable?  Or is it full of holes as this writer claims?  On a more ethical level, is this undemocratic?  Or is it a reasonable business decision?  How can we as citizens support a high-quality press which all can have access to, if this is even possible?

Should you pay a shrink to help you keep your cool?

This is the last post you can comment on for the first half of April.

Is anger a major problem for society as this article seems to argue?  Do you think the situation in Slovakia regarding this problem is better or worse than in the U.K.? What is to blame for an increase in anger-related incidents –more stress in society, childhood trauma, individual personalities, or a lack of good parenting?   What should be done about it?  Do you sometimes have trouble keeping your cool?  Do you think an anger management class would help?