Imaginary Islamist Think-Tanks
Extremists dub themselves 'Directors' of organisations that exist only in name, and the mainstream media swoons
Politics, Ideas and the Arts
Helping Africa Break Free
Aid to Africa is the problem, not the solution, according to Dambisa Moyo, Zambian-born economist and author of Dead Aid. She discusses the issue with Richard Dowden, executive director of the Royal
Mumbai: On the ‘Slumdog’ Trail
Standpoint‘s Writer-At-Large visits the slums of Mumbai to assess the Oscar-winning film The Mumbai slums where Danny Boyle shot Slumdog Millionaire are a world of surprises. There are the gaggles of uniformed
Park City, Utah: Movie that Pulls Aside the Veil
A new documentary made in Afghanistan has won two awards at the the Sundance Film Festival. Afghan Star could help the cause of feminism there and encourage a desperately-needed sense of national
A Novel Way to Treat a Writer
I have been inundated with emails from GCSE and A-level students who want me to spoonfeed answers on their set texts
Our Reading’s Bad – But Not That Bad
Literacy teaching has undergone massive changes, but more are needed in the modern world
Caracas: Chávez’s Secret Fan Club
‘In his decade as president, Chávez has parlayed socioeconomic resentment into near-invincibility. But Venezuela’s decay, and the chinks in his armour, are there for all to see’ GETTY IMAGES And there it
New York: A Cousin in the White House
US Election Week diary: New Yorkers and their attitudes towards the new president “I don’t want to live in a country that will elect Sarah Palin.” Fragments of a conversation between two
Language, Truth and Logos
The analytic philosopher Elizabeth Anscombe was able to reconcile her field with her faith, without "compartmentalising", or compromising either
Evil, on the Face of It
Behavioural predilections are all in the mind, but we still judge each other by physical appearance
New York: Diary
‘New York feels much calmer than London about the financial crisis. It’s not clear if this attitude is a product of resignation or sheer denial, schadenfreude against wealthy financiers, or perhaps a
Rethinking the War on Terror
The presidential adviser and author of Terror and Consent, Philip Bobbitt, shares his ideas on the war on terror in a Standpoint dialogue with Conservative politician and author of Celsius 7/7, Michael