An Uncomplicated Mind: Umberto Eco

RIGHT TO VOTE NOT ENOUGH

Democracy is not in good shape. Many systems seem dysfunctional: The U.S. Congress, the coalition government in the U.K., and many governments in Europe have had difficulty making the decisions necessary to finding a way back to economic growth. Some fledgling democracies seem, in the short term at least, less competent to serve the needs of their citizens than some autocracies are. Click image to continue reading “Is Democracy Dead” by Tony Blair, The New York Times. Photo by Eoin Ryan.

OBAMA'S IMMIGRATION PLAN

President Obama’s speech Thursday night on immigration ended on a high, hopeful note. Mr. Obama, quoting Scripture’s admonition to welcome and protect the stranger, told millions who have lived and worked here for years, many of them Americans in all but name: We cannot fix your situation yet, but for now we will not expel you, because we have better hopes for you here. A speech is not a solution, of course, and now that it is over, the hard work begins. Efforts over the last decade to repair immigration have repeatedly ended in failure, leaving the meanness of the broken status quo. Click image to continue reading Mr. Obama’s Wise Immigration Plan by the Editorial Board, The New York Times. Photo by Kevin Hagen/Getty Images.

IS THE POPE CATHOLIC?

Almost from the beginning, there have been rumblings of discontent about Pope Francis I. While the world’s media fell in love with him, there were more conservative bishops who felt that Francis’s popular appeal came at the expense of carefully worked-out Church rituals and teachings. They saw Francis as chipping away at established Church teachings on sexuality, kowtowing to the liberal media, and acting aggressively towards conservative church leaders. Criticism of Francis has come to a head with the publication of the final report of the Synod on the Family. Despite changing absolutely nothing doctrinally, the Synod’s recommendations for a more understanding attitude to those in unconventional family arrangements have ignited a firestorm of controversy among conservative commentators. The possibility that Catholics who had divorced and remarried without receiving an annulment might be readmitted into full communion with the Church has made many apoplectic. Writing on his diocesan website, Bishop Thomas Tobin accused Francis of being fond of “making a mess” and stated that the Synod voting concept “struck [him] as being rather Protestant.” A funny argument, since Catholic bishops have been voting on key issues since the Council of Nicaea in 325, but that’s beside the point. Tobin seems to be suggesting that with Francis at the helm, the Catholic Church is no longer acting like the Catholic Church. For over a year conservative Catholics have had their chastity belts in a twist over Francis and apparently, the chafing has finally grown too much to bear. Click image to read more about Is the Pope Catholic? Critics Rally Around Benedict As Talk of Schism Looms by Candida Moss and Joel Baden, The Daily Beast. Photo by Franco Origlia/Getty Images.

T.O. CULTURE

The Next Stage Theatre Festival (NSTF) is Toronto’s premiere winter theatre event. Presented by the Toronto Fringe, the mandate of NSTF is to offer Fringe Festival artists the opportunity to bring their work to the next stage. The 2015 Next Stage Theatre Festival runs from January 7 – 18, 2015. This year, NSTF features political theatre with a punk-rock sensibility (DINK), zany sketch comedy (Unbridled & Unstable), high-energy contemporary dance (Pulse), Canadian premieres of new work (Piece by Piece, Mine and For a Good Time, Call Kathy Blanchard), Fringe Festival favourites (Myth of the Ostrich, Big Shot) and interactive storytelling (Snack Music, Graham Clark Reads the Phonebook).Programmed by a panel of industry experts, all ten NSTF shows have been selected to showcase the best of Canadian indie theatre. The festival is a platform for theatre artists from across Canada, featuring artists from Toronto, Vancouver, Victoria and Montreal. Like the summer Fringe Festival, NSTF is committed to keeping ticket prices low – making it possible to see professional, cutting-edge theatre by artists on the brink of making it big for $10 or $15. Click image to view what else is happenning in Toronto.

An Uncomplicated Mind

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Wednesday, April 16, 2014

Inventing the enemy