Monthly Archives: June 2011
The Despicable Nadya Suleman and Ethics Estoppel
From the beginning, the only thing keeping Nadya Suleman from being unequivocally despicable has been the lingering suspicion that she was mentally ill. It might be more than a suspicion, to be fair: having octuplets by artificial insemination when one already has six young children and no viable means of support could be called “proof.” Now even that malady is a sufficient defense: the issue is settled, and she is despicable beyond redemption. Continue reading
Filed under Bioethics, Family, Gender and Sex, Health and Medicine, Journalism & Media, Love
Ethics Dunce: Bernie Madoff, Now and Forever
Bernie Madoff, reports the New York Times, is feeling mistreated. Continue reading
Group Bigotry: Is This The Way It’s Going To Be? AGAIN?
I already covered this topic when Christiane Amanpour held an unrestrained “males are inferior managers because all the blood rushes to their penises” session on ABC’s “This Week” a few Sundays ago, but since it is becoming clear that the outbreak of gender bigotry in the media is more widespread than ABC, a second alarm is warranted. Continue reading
Oh, Shut Up! There Is Nothing Wrong With “Go the F*** to Sleep”
The guilt-mongers and Child Over-Protection Patrol have set their sites on “Go the F*** to Sleep,” Adam Mansbach’s children’s book parody, a cranky, profanity and obscenity-laced release for frustrated and sleep-deprived parents of small children everywhere. Continue reading
The Washington Post Flunks Integrity, Conflicts, and Trustworthiness
The Washington Post Ombudsman had to write about 1) why a Post editor, Peter Perl, continued to employ Vargas and hid his immigration status for eight years after learning that he was in the country illegally and 2) why Vargas’s 4000 word piece about his deception (and the Post’s complicity in it) was killed by another Post editor, resulting in its being picked up and published by the New York Times. So the in-house ethics watchdog wrote about it, and concluded—nothing. Continue reading
Zombie Ethics
People for the Ethical Treatment of Zombies (PETZ) is now officially accepting members. Continue reading
Filed under Bioethics, Etiquette and manners, Humor and Satire, Popular Culture, U.S. Society
Ethics Quote of the Week: Justice Antonin Scalia
Those who have suggested that Justice Scalia’s vote in support of unrestricted campaign advocacy by organizations in the much-reviled Citizens United case was motivated by political bias rather than dedication to principle ought to read his opinion here, and then send him a letter of apology. Continue reading
An O. Henry Story Comes To Life
The media thoroughly disgraced itself by hyping the stupid story of James Verone, an out-of-work 59-year-old man with health problems who robbed a bank in Gastonia, N.C., for $1, and then waited patiently for the cops to arrest him. Continue reading
“Are You a Flake?” Ethics
With only four well-chosen words, Fox news anchor Chris Wallace accomplished several objectives Sunday, all of them in the best tradition of ethical, objective, responsible journalism.
The words were “Are you a flake?,” posed to Minnesota Congresswoman Michele Bachmann, who is running for President. Continue reading
Ethics Dunces: The Wisconsin Supreme Court—Choker, Chokee, Everyone
For the state’s highest court to behave in such a juvenile, disgraceful fashion—whatever happened, and whoever was at fault—embarrasses Wisconsin, the legal system, the judicial profession, and the nation. Every single justice on the court failed his or her ethical duty, because with competent, diligent, serious attention to the professional duties of the judiciary, justices do not start attacking each other. Continue reading
