Our Facebook and Twitter generation has spread all kinds of nonsense with its cod philosophies and meaningless 'likes'. It promotes a dangerous kind of sloppy thinking that needs to be challenged. And ideas about 'tolerance' are right at the top of the list.

In this short book, the first in a series called 'Bloody Nonsense' designed to debunk some of these stupidities, the author sets out the truth about our over valued ideas of 'tolerance'. At best, tolerance is a useless ideal. At worst, it's a vice. Tolerance of bad religion has resulted in death and alienation. Lazy thinking about tolerance has led to confusion about racism, genetics, and gay marriage. Political 'tolerance' is often another word for 'cowardice'.

Reaction against this kind of 'tolerance' has led to 'Zero Tolerance', which is just another way of describing secular fundamentalism.

We shouldn't tolerate bad thinking, bad religion, or bad politics. Good things should be celebrated, not merely 'tolerated'. And there's no point in 'tolerating' simple differences. They need to be celebrated as part of life's rich tapestry. Celebrated generously.

In fact, today's 'tolerance' has become a vice that creates hypocrisy, lazy thinking, and fear of challenging wrong. It's not a virtue. It's a very British vice.