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(10/26/16 11:37pm)
Nationalism is an amorphous ideology, more of an addition to an existing system of beliefs than something that can stand on its own. It can take the form of anything from the hopeful and forward-thinking of liberal, or civic, nationalism or the hateful and bigoted form of ethnic nationalism. Nationalism, at its worst, commandeers history and culture to justify individuality as subservient to the goals of the nation. Nationalism once brought us down a road that killed approximately 77 million people. Nationalism has ripped nations apart, leaving disjointed nationalities at each other’s throats. Nationalism is yet again on the rise throughout the world, the United States included. Unchecked, it poses a threat to our system of nations, of beliefs and of living.
(10/13/16 11:10pm)
On Sept. 21, Russia was officially blamed for the airstrike that destroyed a UN convoy headed for the besieged city of Aleppo, the epicenter of the Syrian civil war. This airstrike, among other ceasefire violations, collapsed the temporary halt in the conflict negotiated by Russia and the U.S. This provocative and likely illegal action is yet another attempt by Russia to regain its position on the world stage lost with the collapse of the Soviet Union. Russia claims that many of these actions were taken to protect itself from the growing NATO security block; however, this neglects the very reality of Russia’s present aggressive and expansionist actions, taken for the sole purpose of boosting Moscow’s influence in world affairs.
(10/05/16 9:08pm)
When intervening in world affairs, should the U.S. prefer military or diplomatic methods?
(09/28/16 4:54pm)
Monday’s debate was what everyone was waiting for: the first real Trump-Clinton head-to-head. Supporters on both sides waited eagerly for this moment, undecided voters waited in apprehension. In the end, it seems that preparation and experience won out over charisma and attacks in a truly disastrous debate for Trump.
(09/23/16 1:35am)
Fiction writing could be considered one of the cornerstones of culture in the modern world. In the past, fiction has defined culture as much as it has described it, with authors like Dostoyevsky and Camus, among many others, describing what they see through a lenses of what they want to see in culture. However, fiction is under threat. Not by external enemies (though there have been plenty of those), but from the inside. Not by fundamental conservatives, but by so called “progressives.” These people seek to limit what they call “cultural appropriation” in fiction writing. Ironically, doing so would strip away much of what gives fiction its particular freedom as a genre — the ability to examine any subject with any viewpoint, even one not your own.
(09/01/16 12:53am)
On the 24th of August, North Korea launched what’s known as a SLBM, a submarine-launched ballistic missile. The missile flew about 300 miles from the submarine to land in the Sea of Japan. This test of the North Korean missile program was a success by many measures and has worried much of the world over the possibility of North Korean first strike capabilities. On the 25th, Iranian Revolutionary Guard speedboats "harassed" a U.S. Navy ship in an area between the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman, further degrading relations between two long-time enemies.
(08/22/16 1:57am)
When people think of disease, they think of HIV/AIDS, Ebola and now Zika. Disease takes the most sacred moments of our humanity and corrupts them with pain and death. Ebola took away the act of washing the dead, a common practice in many sub-Saharan cultures, leaving many with yet another pit of grief in their lives. Zika takes from us the gift of birth, leaving us with microcephaly and miscarriages.
(08/18/16 1:57am)
Donald Trump’s campaign has had a tumultuous past several months. Scandal after scandal, blunder after blunder. This may be the beginning of the end for Trump and his combative style of politics. What is interesting, however, is that Trump’s polling speaks volumes about what works and what doesn’t in the Trump strategy — particularly in regards to who is running his campaign at the time. Comparing polling data to changes in personnel and strategy can give us more insight into the seemingly imminent failure of perhaps the most storied and divisive presidential campaign of the past century.
(08/12/16 6:42am)
If I learned anything freshman year of college, it was that you’re going to get sick. A lot. If not you, then your roommate. If not your roommate, then your suitemate. All of us have been sick before, but, for many people, this might be their first time getting sick away from home. This means no medicine from your parents, nobody to take you to the doctor and nobody to nag you into doing what will get you healthy again. You might be tempted to go straight to Student Health Services, which can lead to its own share of problems. Here’s some advice on what to do and what to buy to stay out of the clinic.
(07/27/16 3:50am)
The Democratic convention has been off to a rocky start — an email scandal, the fall of Debbie Wasserman Schultz and plenty of protesters. Worst of all, however, has been the “Bernie or Bust” supporters. They pair an overly simple understanding of political realities with a childlike response to Sanders' primary losses. They have disrupted the convention, rejected the presumptive nominee and, ironically, have booed their own candidate for supporting Hillary Clinton. These ideologues fail to grasp that progressive politics in America can only survive through pragmatism and cooperation rather than sheer will and obstinance.
(07/20/16 4:30am)
The aftermath of the coup attempted last Friday in Turkey was viewed by many as a triumph of democracy. After all, the military did attempt to overthrow the democratically elected president of Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, and the people rose up to stop it. Despite this, the complaints voiced by the military of Erdoğan’s authoritarian streak are supported by Erdoğan’s actions, particularly in the aftermath of the coup. Erdoğan has arrested thousands in the military and has fired further thousands from the education sector, the judiciary and the police, groups that had nothing to do with the coup. Clearly, Erdoğan is consolidating power following the coup, as one would expect him to do, but this egregious violation of due process and rule of law in Turkey is the largest threat to Turkish democracy since the country's inception in 1923.
(07/06/16 2:44am)
Politicians aren’t looked very highly upon in America. To us they’re liars, cheats and charlatans. A snake oil salesman might be considered more honest in this country than a Donald Trump or Hillary Clinton.
(06/29/16 12:00pm)
The far right in America these days has rebranded itself. No longer are they the Tea Party or the party of Reagan; they are the alternative right (alt-right). This movement, popularized by Donald Trump, is essentially an offshoot of mainstream conservatism that thrives more on nationalism and xenophobia than foreign policy and fiscal responsibility. While many have written articles regarding the bigotry of Donald Trump, I believe that that distinction is less concerning than the bigotry of his followers. As many others have said, even if Donald Trump isn’t bigoted (or racist, or sexist, or a Klansman, or a neo-Nazi) he certainly is the No. 1 candidate of those who are.
(06/15/16 4:19am)
In July 1995, Srebrenica, a town in Bosnia and Herzegovina, fell to the Bosnian Serb Army. The 11-day rampage of violence that descended on the town has come to be infamous throughout the world as the single largest act of depravity and barbarism seen in Europe since the end of the Second World War.
(04/18/16 3:58am)
Saudi Arabia is one of our biggest Muslim allies, despite its duality between religious extremism and a realpolitik approach to foreign policy. They have led a UN human rights panel while being one of the most repressive nations on Earth. They fall in line politically with the United States while sowing Wahhabism, an extreme literal interpretation of the Quran, domestically and abroad.
(04/12/16 2:06am)
My colleague, Andy Wilson, recently wrote a column titled "Sanders' fiscal policy unsustainable" and posited that the fiscal policy of Bernie Sanders will leave the next generation in an economically worse situation than their parents. By Mr. Wilson’s assumptions, the only real concern of a tax plan should be its impact on the federal debt. However, what Mr. Wilson neglects to consider is the even larger potential negative impact of income inequality on the next generation and what Sen. Sanders’ fiscal plan could do to fight it.
(04/05/16 12:49am)
The topic of resuming diplomatic and economic relations with Cuba has been a big issue in the current presidential race. Candidates on the Republican side — with the exception of Donald Trump — believe that a warming of relations with Cuba will simply strengthen the aging communist regime. Those on the Democratic side, however, believe that the only way to bring liberalization and the end of the government is through negotiations and trade. The way forward favored by Democrats is the best way forward. Cuba offers us a new trading partner, improved regional security and more regional influence. Throwing away that chance in favor of the continuation of a failed foreign policy would be both hypocritical — given our relationships with other repressive nations like Saudi Arabia and China — and shortsighted.
(03/29/16 2:34am)
Last week the world watched in horror as Belgium experienced one of the worst terrorist attacks in its history, with 31 dead and over 300 wounded. The attacks bring back memories of the carnage that took place in Paris in January and November of last year. In all three cases, the attacks were perpetrated not by foreign extremists, but French and Belgian citizens who had become foreign fighters in the Syrian conflict then returned home.
(03/17/16 1:22am)
America is no stranger to political violence. It has thrived in our country since even before its creation. From labor riots to politically motivated assassinations, blood and politics have gone together. Its causes, however, have varied. For example, during the civil rights era, politically motivated riots, beatings, bombings and assassinations were common in the struggle for equality. This is not the case now.
(03/11/16 12:13am)
Zika virus, the scariest thing in America since Ebola.