http://www.thepunch.com.au/author-bios/xavier-symons/ Xavier is currently completing honours in philosophy at Syndey University’. He has a keen interest in moral philosophy, and particularly in virtue ethics and natural law. Upon completing his degree, he suspects he will be living in a bus shelter. But ideally he hopes to get into journalism. Xavier has previously published articles with the Sunday Telegraph, and is currently working for them as a news room assistant. en Copyright 2012 The Punch penberthyd@newsltd.com.au penberthyd@newsltd.com.au Sat, 26 May 2012 20:00:40 +0000 Sat, 26 May 2012 20:00:40 +0000 Politics, opinion, world news, sports news, latest news, views, Barack Obama, Kevin Rudd, Julia Gillard, Nathan Rees, Malcolm Turnbull, Peter Garrett, Barnaby Joyce, Australian, federal politics, opinion polls, election, The Punch, thepunch, punch ExpressionEngine 1.6.7 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss 15 http://www.thepunch.com.au/images/punch-logo-rss.png http://www.thepunch.com.au/ 144 70 Politics, political opinion, world news, sports news and the latest news and views updated live, daily on The Punch - Australia's best conversation. Search The Punch keywords http://www.thepunch.com.au/search/ http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/the-united-colours-of-pseudo-morality/ For years now The United Colours of Benetton has been running shock advertising campaigns. Many of us remember the confronting images of AIDS victims that formed part of their early ‘90s campaigns. And some may remember their 2003 food-for-life campaign, depicting the different effects of famine on people from various African nations. According their former head of advertising, Oliviero Toscani, the ads are intended to “promote peace, tolerance, multiculturalism and to challenge stereotypes”. However, their latest advertising campaign - which irresponsibly insults Muslim moral sensibilities - has revealed Benetton’s real motives. Benetton has just been exploiting the latte set’s vague commitment to world peace, using it to sell their products. They don’t care about peace and tolerance. Indeed, they don’t care whether they provoke violent reactions from extremist groups. The bottom line of these buggers is selling jeans and knickers. feedback@thepunch.com.au (Xavier Symons) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/the-united-colours-of-pseudo-morality/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/the-united-colours-of-pseudo-morality/#item7192 Sun, 20 Nov 2011 19:47:10 +0000 Xavier Symons | Author bios | The Punch http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/Crummy-artist-left-to-pick-up-the-scraps/ You can call a controversial comic’s work an ‘artwork’. But this doesn’t change its shocking subject matter. American cartoonist Robert Crumb has repeatedly depicted scenes of rape, incest, paedophilia and bestiality. Many of his works have racist overtones. We should be discouraging him from publishing, and I was relieved to hear yesterday that he had cancelled his Australian tour. Robert Crumb is a self confessed “weirdo“, whose work promotes exploitation of women and minors. We should not be celebrating him. feedback@thepunch.com.au (Xavier Symons) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/Crummy-artist-left-to-pick-up-the-scraps/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/Crummy-artist-left-to-pick-up-the-scraps/#item6465 Wed, 10 Aug 2011 19:50:49 +0000 Xavier Symons | Author bios | The Punch http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/great-leaders-rise-above-great-rhetoric/ UPDATE: US President Barack Obama has announced that a deal has been signed to raise the debt ceiling, saying “the leaders of both parties… have reached an agreement that will reduce the deficit and avoid default”. The gods are angry in Asgard. Odin is hurling thunderbolts at Balder. Balder is whirling his two-handed berserker sword. Puny earthlings are trampled underfoot. And this is before Götterdämmerung on August 2, when the US financial system threatens to collapse, taking the world with it in a vortex of fire and ruin. You know, I’m just a wee bit weary of the American penchant for transforming their politicians into gods and goddesses. Think I’m exaggerating? Check out the August edition of Esquire magazine, where Obama is put forward as a kind of spiritual deity. feedback@thepunch.com.au (Xavier Symons) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/great-leaders-rise-above-great-rhetoric/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/great-leaders-rise-above-great-rhetoric/#item6401 Sun, 31 Jul 2011 19:55:38 +0000 Xavier Symons | Author bios | The Punch http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/QA-is-the-equivalent-of-intellectual-McNuggets/ Mainstream media holds a mirror up to society. If we take a look into that mirror, we see what is preoccupying our attention. On a deeper level, we can gain significant insight into the way we tend to investigate and argue. Monday’s Q and A episode provided great insight into the superficial way we tend to approach philosophical and ethical topics. The fast paced program is geared towards political discussion, but for this episode, the topic was God, Religion and Ethics. Disappointingly, There was a focus on sound bites, concrete current affairs and controversy, and as a result, many of us went away no more enlightened on the topics than before. feedback@thepunch.com.au (Xavier Symons) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/QA-is-the-equivalent-of-intellectual-McNuggets/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/QA-is-the-equivalent-of-intellectual-McNuggets/#item6322 Tue, 19 Jul 2011 19:45:17 +0000 Xavier Symons | Author bios | The Punch