De Omnibus Dubitandum Est.

America is waking up to the incredible news that three young women who vanished in separate incidents about a decade ago in the US state of Ohio have been found alive in a house in Cleveland. Amanda Berry disappeared aged 16 in 2003, Gina DeJesus went missing aged 14 a year later, and Michelle Knight disappeared in 2002 aged around 19. A six-year-old was also found at the home, who speculation suggests could be Amanda Berry's daughter. This is completely shocking story, for the length of time these young women were incarcerated, the seeming simplicity of the ultimate discovery or escape, and for the fact that the man who lived at the property was no recluse  but often seen playing with his dog or bbq'ing on the front lawn. I find it incredible that something like this can go on for such a length of time and no one knew anything about it. One cannot help but speculate if this might be a result of the 'none of your business', individualist attitude which pervades...

For some time I have found myself increasingly disconcerted with regard to modern so-called 'liberal' politics. I say so-called, because there seems to be a fundamental dichotomy between my reading of what philosophically led to liberalism and the way supposed liberal principles actually lead to dictatorial pontification in modern politics. There seems to be a growing trend for liberals to seen as the sole guardians of common sense and reason in this country. I must admit to being a bit left of centre politically myself, concerned about less well-off members of our community, social justice, the dignity of the human person, etc. Over the last ten or twenty years, however, I have found that some of these issues seem to have been hijacked and amalgamated with an increasingly  formulated ideology of forward thinking, development and freedom, which is then stuffed down people's throats as the only reasonable option. This seems, in essence, deeply illiberal. There ...