Sobre o aborto

Será que o debate português vai ser contaminado pela argumentação americana? "Muitos activistas anti-aborto deixaram cair a retórica do direito à vida em favor de provas segundo as quais o aborto prejudica a mãe."
A Slate resume assim um artigo de capa da revista do New York Times (que ainda não está online):

Many anti-abortion activists have dropped right-to-life rhetoric in favor of claims that abortion hurts the mother, despite scientific evidence that abortion doesn't increase the risk of depression any more than unwanted pregnancy or giving birth. Their viewpoint "challenges the connection between access to abortion and women's rights — if women are suffering because of their abortions, then how could making the procedure readily available leave women better off?" writes Slate's Emily Bazelon. To treat ensuing feelings of guilt and regret, abortion-recovery therapists "offer a diagnosis that gives meaning to the symptoms, and that gives the women a way to repent," says psychology professor Brenda Major.

Anjos e demónios

Um artigo publicado hoje na revista do "New York Times" (da autoria do filósofo Peter Singer, sobre a filantropia de Bill Gates) é resumido desta forma pela "Slate":

"In the cover story, philosopher Peter Singer tackles the big questions surrounding philanthropy. Criticism that Bill Gates' generosity was motivated by Microsoft's antitrust woes rather than altruism 'tells us more about the attackers than the attacked,' Singer contends.

Rather, such generosity should make us rethink our own behavior. He rejects the idea that people should only contribute their 'fair share' to society, but notes the risks of asking for more: "If the majority are doing little or nothing, setting a standard higher than the fair-share level may seem so demanding that it discourages people who are willing to make an equitable contribution from doing even that."

Olhar a tortura

A Slate publica hoje desenhos de Fernando Botero, inspirados nas fotografias da tortura na prisão de Abu Graib. Este é um deles.