A week or so ago a string of emails came from the Mercatornet whose tagline is “Navigating Modern Complexities.” They all arrived in such a short period of time I assumed someone over there hit the wrong button. Regardless, the articles were a terrific batch of research and commentary worth linking to (many for a second time).
Mercatornet is based in North Strathfield, Australia, near Sydney, and I’ve been linking to their articles for a number of years. On their “our ideals” page is this:
This is what MercatorNet stands for: reframing ethical and policy debates in terms of human dignity, not dollars and cents or political calculation.
…
We oppose moral relativism, scientism, crass commercialism, utilitarianism, and materialism — in short, any ism which reduces persons to ciphers and treats them as soulless machines. We delight in dissecting media cliches. We respond with logic and evidence. We do our best to be civil and courteous.
These are MercatorNet’s principles. We apply them with flair and a sense of humour. If you like the package, sign up for our regular updates so that you won’t miss out on the fun.
If more people on our side would go to school on the kind of material Mercatornet produces — and if the money guys and gals would fund a real marketing campaign — we could start to make real progress in the information war.
These articles are not in any order.
Let’s have a SCIENCE-based debate about LGBT issues
A landmark report from the US questions cliched views of homosexuality and transgenderism.
The transgender agenda: forcing us to lie
The ‘bathroom wars’ are about more than who uses the ladies’.
Lost in the Gender Triangle: is transgenderism social, medical or legal?
Logic sinks without a trace in a trackless seas of assertions and theories.
A British Muslim pushes for polygamy after same-sex marriage
Some women feel empowered so why not support them, a lawyer asks.
There is not just one ‘trans’ narrative
But turf warriors are bent on imposing an absolutist dogma.
Where did transgenderism come from?
The first article in our symposium on its astonishing rise.
America’s bathroom battle – by the book
How dynamic regulatory capture put women’s safety last.
A sad tale of dodgy statistics
How was same-sex marriage accepted so quickly? In part, by telling some fibs.
It didn’t happen overnight
The cultural and social changes of the past 50 years laid the groundwork for transgenderism.
How do you speak politely to 60 different genders?
A German politician shows how.
Reality check: gender diversity is driven by a top-down ideological movement
The transgender moment was utterly predictable.
Distinguishing differences in the notion of ‘transgenderism’
A philosopher sheds some light on how to discuss sex and gender.
The toxic fumes of democracy
Heated debate and stable democracy go hand in hand, even with same-sex marriage.
Is there really no difference between straight and gay parenting?
The consensus is flawed by small-scale studies, badly framed questions and poorly understood data.
An outstanding resource for the fight for marriage
David van Gend’s book has provoked outrage, but it is an eloquent defence of the weak and vulnerable.
Robbing children of their innocence
A documentary outlines the development of a disturbing program for sex education.
I thought it was all about homophobia until I watched this video
The debate is about two vastly different ideas of marriage, not about whether we like gays.
