In April 2024, left-wing Israeli news magazine +972 unveiled just one of the processes by which the Israeli military has been facilitating large-scale killing in Gaza. It involves an AI program with the code-name “Lavender” that gives IDF officers recommendations on which city blocks to level. After feeding endless lists of Gaza’s residents into this […]
Category: Opinion
Showgirl, Status, and the Crisis of Cultural Trust
When news of Taylor Swift’s “The Life of a Showgirl” first hit the airwaves, it seemed to have all the makings of a classic Swiftian masterpiece. Literary allusions? Check. Fun aesthetics? Check. A few cringe song titles? Check. And there would be no influence from the long-suffering Jack Antonoff, who has faced criticism for his […]
“Fiat Lux” Darkens With Peyrin Kao’s Firing
On Thursday last week, campus leadership dismissed UC Berkeley lecturer Peyrin Kao — the latest casualty in the administration’s war on Berkeley’s free speech foundations. Kao’s censuring proves yet again that free speech at UC Berkeley is no more than administrative marketing. It’s a principle invoked when convenient and easily discarded when costly. This semester, […]
Bob Dylan’s Model Political Art
“I have never written a political song. Songs can’t save the world.” – Bob Dylan In 1961, Bob Dylan arrived in New York City to meet his idol. Woody Guthrie, by then dying of Huntington’s, had been the prototypical hero of early 20th-century folk music, authoring celebrated pro-labor and anti-fascist classics. Dylan settled in New […]
The Future is for Sale on Polymarket
The 2024 U.S. presidential election was one of the most disheartening nights of the last year. It was also the first time I heard about Polymarket. This was not a coincidence, of course. As a group of friends and I were crammed in a claustrophobic dorm room watching a map of states flipping red or […]
How Judicial Philosophy Is Reshaping America
The Supreme Court’s recent decisions in favor of Trump’s policies have set off a wave of public anger and frustration. Many Democrats see a blatantly biased, Republican Court that has, and will continue to, bend the knee to Trump. While their outrage is justified, it is misdirected. Rather than being affected by personal political affiliation, […]
Is Political Violence Ever Okay?
Slavery in the United States was a violent regime built on the systemic dehumanization of enslaved Black people. White slaveholders stripped Black people of their humanity to make the otherwise unquestionably horrific treatment of them socially acceptable. Given this, it is entirely unreasonable to expect the enslaved to have nevertheless respected the humanity of their […]
Zen Buddhism In The Name Of Corporate America
The road on Tiananmen Square is gray, but every once in a while, it will turn green. And if you are attentive, you will notice the rifle carried by each forest-camouflaged soldier: identical across the thousands of men and women participating in the parade. That rifle is the Type 95, which serves as the standard […]
“Beauty Will Save the World”
What did Fyodor Dostoyevsky intend by his best-known words? What is beauty, what will it save us from, and how? In the century and a half following The Idiot’s publication, no interpretation of Prince Myshkin’s words has been definitively accepted. Yet today, they echo with a newfound tenor. There is a beauty that we have […]
Social Media and the Over-Democratization of Debate
We all engage in casual forms of debate almost constantly, and free argumentation is so integral to our daily decision-making that it’s only natural for it to be the foundation of a free, democratic society. Throughout American history, public debate has remained consistently central. Debate shaped the nation’s founding documents, like the Federalist and anti-Federalist […]
Your Party, Their Problems
Only two months after its founding, MP Zarah Sultana was already calling the UK’s newest political party a “sexist boys’ club.” Her antagonism was surprising given that, along with the well-known socialist Jeremy Corbyn, she was one of its founders. Their endeavor, currently known as “Your Party,” was founded earlier this year as a left-wing […]
The Beast The Right Built
At long last, MrBeast may have gone too far. His Sept. 27 video “Would You Risk Dying For $500,000?” poses the question to professional stuntman Eric, who is put through a variety of fire-related “death traps.” Eric begins the video in a burning building, tied to a chair, and must fight his way out, scooping […]
There’s No Room for Business in Love
In the early 2000s, a new word started popping up to describe the ever-changing dating scene — situationship. Officially added to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary in September 2023, it has since become a staple for how Gen Z describes their love lives. For those unfamiliar with the term, it’s defined as “a romantic relationship whose members […]
How Wokeness Became Everything — And Then Nothing
President Donald Trump was sworn into office this January as part of a promise to make the United States “woke no longer”. Using the word “woke” synonymously with left-wing indoctrination, his administration has promised to purge all “woke” remnants from our country’s schools, companies, and even its institutions. Democrats have responded to these movements with […]
Why Every Home Needs a Precision-Guided Bomb
In December 1959, New Yorkers were met with the curious scene of Soviet soldiers on 47th Street and a new landmark in Turtle Bay. There, they saw a 13-foot-tall figure heaving downwards, striking a sword into a plow. The bronze sculpture, “Let Us Beat Swords Into Ploughshares” by Evgeniy Vuchetich, was a gift from the […]
The Enlightenment Gone Dark
Liberalism is the tie that binds the nation. It is imperfect – it has frayed and nearly come undone numerous times throughout history. Since the signing of the Declaration of Independence, centuries of spilled blood and enormous intellectual heft have to fulfill its essential pronouncement: that all men are created equal. It has taken generations […]
Not a Citizen, but Not Un-American
Uprooted from Korea, raised in Cupertino, sent back across the Pacific only to return a decade later — all of it felt worth it, if it meant that I would finally be able to make a life for myself in the U.S. The American Dream carried me through it all. Like many other international students, […]
The Warden of the Panopticon: Trump and the Dawn of Digital Authoritarianism
Digital control is the bloodstream of modern authoritarianism. From the streets of Hong Kong to the border of Israel, technology has begun to amplify domination. The history of anti-authoritarian organizing has forced fascism to evolve, birthing the era of digital despotism. Left unchecked, the trend threatens to concentrate power into unelected elites, eliminate social movements, […]
Karl Popper’s Moral Case for Rationalism
One would assume that Austrian-Jewish philosopher Karl Popper’s 1945 book, “The Open Society and Its Enemies,” would be teeming with anti-fascism. However, his highly influential work instead took aim at three philosophers: Plato, Hegel, and Marx, the most recent of whom had been dead for over six decades. Why these targets? Was Popper simply a […]
A Homicide Against Academia
On August 14th, UC Berkeley students received an email from the Office of the Executive Vice Chancellor & Provost that provided an all-access service for Google’s AI large-language model (LLM), Gemini. Vice Chancellor Hermalin and his colleagues crafted an email that consists of two main parts: the first section of the email outlines the services […]
Uncivil Unrest from Nepal to the United States
With their Parliament building still warm from the blaze of the day before, tens of thousands of Nepalis gathered for an impromptu election. The burning of Parliament was only one part of a fiery two-day protest in Nepal’s capital, which toppled the former system, setting up an interim government in less than a week. In […]
What Newsom Doesn’t Get, Mamdani Does
Zohran Mamdani’s recent primary win in New York wasn’t just a triumph of social media savvy and grassroots organizing. It marked something rarer: a progressive campaign built on substantive policy, not on reactive posturing against Republicans. In doing so, Mamdani has charted a path the Left has long struggled to find. Available for purchase at […]
The Dangerous Poetry of Trumpism
It has long been leftist practice to critique the right as cold, materialistic, profit-focused, and neoliberal – rightly so. Positions such as opposition to higher corporate taxes or environmental restrictions exhibit an ideology that legendary sociologist Max Weber would have described as “rationalized,” insofar as they prioritize rational calculation in the ambition of material profit. […]
Scandinavia Isn’t the Model; Ireland is
If there’s anything Americans haven’t stopped talking about for years, it’s the economy. Two presidents, changes to the tax code, and even stimulus checks have done little to ease a growing sense of economic dread. A growing economic literature backs this up; for many ordinary people, the American Dream is no longer even within reach. […]
Short-Term Thinking Is Destroying American Science
As a part of alleged budget slashing and cost-cutting initiatives, the Trump Administration commenced its second term by freezing over 1,800 federal research grants, sending shockwaves through the scientific community. Between February and June of this year, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) distributed $8 billion less to universities and other research institutions than it […]
The Aesthetic of Authoritarianism: AI and the Trump Government
Donald Trump’s government hasn’t been shy about embracing generative AI. No later than his second day in office, the President announced the $500 billion Stargate project: a joint private venture aimed at constructing 20 AI datacenters in the US. Standing beside Trump when he made the announcement were the leaders of OpenAI, Oracle, and Softbank […]
A Modest Proposal for the Return of Stoning as Moral Instruction
It is a truth universally acknowledged that modern society has lost its way. This can be traced, with remarkable precision, to the erosion of divinely sanctioned morality. In our misguided quest for “progress,” we have replaced the clarity of ancient commandments with the chaos of empathy, reason, and moral nuance. In so doing, we have […]
Dismantling U.S. Economic Dominance, BRIC by BRIC
The greatest threat to the U.S. dollar isn’t a rival currency–it’s a financial system that doesn’t need one. And that’s exactly what the BRICS alliance–originally Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa–is trying to build. What started as a loose economic partnership has evolved into a strategic alliance bent on dismantling U.S. economic dominance. But […]
Soft Power, Hard Lessons: The Cost of Economic Nationalism
The Playground President The president of the United States views the global arena like a school bully views their playground; failing to see that playing the popular kid is a much better strategy. A bully is typically someone with none or very few friends, with little means of getting what they want without violence or […]
A World Without Heirs
In the central panel of The Garden of Earthly Delights, Hieronymous Bosch paints a society lost to debauchery and hedonism. The carnal scene warns of a society that diverges from the divine plan. Deadly sins seep into daily life. Lust and gluttony are abundant. However, one absence is striking in the scenes of sin: children. […]
Carbon Taxation: The Key to Decarbonization
Climate Change: The State of Emissions and the Trump Administration Climate change is a ticking time bomb sitting under humanity’s feet. Environmental scientists predict that within years billions could die from famine, heatwaves, floods, and resource wars. Current climate modeling cannot remotely capture the true effects of warming, as every aspect of human existence depends […]
Syria and the War on Terror: The Mask Finally Comes Off
The world watched with bated breath on December 8th, 2024, as rebel forces rolled into Damascus to oust then president Bashar Al-Assad. This ousting put an end to the reign of not only Bashar, but the Assad family, whose stranglehold on power in Syria began over five decades ago with Bashar’s father Hafez in 1971. […]
Crime and No Punishment: The Death of the Political Scandal
The day after Donald Trump was convicted on 34 felony charges, his campaign raked in a staggering $52.8 million in donations. Let that sink in. A former president became a convicted felon, and within 24 hours, millions of Americans opened their wallets to help put him back in the White House. Fifty years ago, this […]
The Middle East’s New Great Game—and America’s Moment To Lead
History is a story of great power rivalries. In our time, the competitors are the United States, Russia, and China. As I’ve previously argued, the United States must pursue its interests pragmatically in order to retain global supremacy. However, abstract ideas and goals rarely ever translate to results. Actions are needed to bridge our vision of […]
Playing Defense: Why Transgender Athletes Have a Place in Women’s Sports
For once, Gavin Newsom and Donald Trump agree on something: transgender athletes. In the inaugural episode of his podcast, “This is Gavin Newsom,” the California Governor called the debate over transgender athletes “an issue of fairness.” That should sound familiar: President Trump’s February 5th executive order refers to banning trans athletes from competing in women’s […]
Social Media’s Most Wanted: The New Age of Digital Villain Worship
“Double, double toil and trouble”—the cauldron of public opinion is once again brewing, this time casting criminals as misunderstood cultural icons. The romanticization of villains and criminals is nothing new. Yet, in an era where social media actively blurs the line between fact and fiction, Luigi Mangione is recast as a martyr, raising questions about […]
Controlling Control: Addressing Husbands’ Tactics of Controlling Their Wives’ Vote
Just over a hundred years ago, women finally secured the right to vote–extending political autonomy not just to men, but everyone. Universal suffrage in the United States marked an important milestone in American history by establishing legal merit toward gender equality. While women have since gained more independence and opportunity (e.g. obtaining degrees in higher […]
Cancellation to Compromise
Like it or not, we live in an age of “cancellation.” Any individual with a public presence can and will be held accountable for their decisions on social media. Rapper Kanye West’s infamous remarks on the Alex Jones Show and the immediate wave of backlash that followed is perhaps the most memorable example of recent […]
We Laughed Into the Void—And it Laughed Back: Understanding Gen Z Humor
“Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country.” JFK’s inaugural address is an iconic rallying cry for civic duty and national pride. Today, young people are still asking what they can do—but the answers they’re finding are increasingly unsettling. The reason? They’re turning to the internet […]
Behind the Facade of French Colorblindness
If you’ve ever taken a train through the less glamorous fringes of Paris, you’ve seen another side of the city, one that is a far departure from Hollywood fantasies. There’s a palpable gulf. Before reaching the glamorous eighth arrondissement and scenes that look straight out of Emily in Paris, one must traverse what the French […]
Trump 2.0: Defining a New Era of American Power
Each generation has its “crossing the Rubicon” moment—the reelection of Donald Trump is ours. The post-Cold War order that began with the resignation of Mikhail Gorbachev is no more. Populism is on the rise across the globe. America’s adversaries—Russia, China, and Iran—feel emboldened after years of American decline. Make no mistake, Trump’s reelection marks a […]
The Hidden Cost of Factory Farms: A Story of Environmental Racism
Factory farms are like cracks in a dam, steadily widening under pressure. With each passing day, they threaten to burst, flooding our communities with pollution and personal health hazards. The environmental and ethical impacts of factory farms require urgent attention and reform. Berkeley’s last concentrated animal feeding operation (CAFO), which closed in June this year, […]
Why Your Block Party is Just You, Your Cat, and a Bag of Chips
Declining social capital in the US has worsened polarization, slowed economic growth, and led to the death of local communities. The social bureaucracies that the capitalist world has created to address this problem have only exacerbated it. In the early 1970s, the General Social Survey asked the American public if they could trust others. Over […]
How to Ruin a Deal: Europe’s Farmer Protests, One Summer Later
Image Source: Kenzo Tribouillard/AFP via Getty Images
America Isn’t Broken—But Our Leaders Need It To Be
Americans hate politics. Or at least, that’s how it seems. A Pew Research Center study from last fall found that over half of Americans (55%) are “always” angry at politics in our country. And further, when asked “What word would you use to describe U.S. politics?” some of the most popular responses were “divisive” “chaos” […]
How the French Left Shot Itself in the Foot
Just a few months ago, leftists and liberals worldwide braced for a grim future. Right-wing parties and candidates across Europe—boasting a common catalog of xenophobia, Euroscepticism, and Islamophobia—were gaining traction. In elections for the European Parliament, these parties rattled long-standing balances. The once-taboo, far-right National Rally (RN) in France trounced President Emmanuel Macron’s centrist coalition, […]
The Case for Breaking Up Big Tech
The Big, the Bad, the Un-American… In 2020, New York Times writer Kashmir Hill set out to answer a salient question: how dependent are we on Big Tech? Working with a technologist, Hill designed a virtual private network that blocked all internet addresses controlled by tech’s five largest companies: Amazon, Google’s parent company Alphabet, Meta, […]
JD Vance: Donald Trump’s Achilles Heel
On the debate stage, JD Vance pulled off a miracle: He made Trumpism sound polished, polite, and coherent. He delivered his lines with a glossy veneer that concealed their inanity. You could catch yourself believing him for a split second—that is, until you take a peek into his past. Vance is a master con artist […]
“Stairway To Heaven” is Our Generation’s Political Anthem
We all know Led Zeppelin. 1970s British band. Founders of hard rock. Oh: and political commentators. Well, not exactly. Compared to their peers, Led Zeppelin generally avoided political themes in their songwriting. Pink Floyd decried all war with “Us and Them,” the Beatles critiqued Communist China in “Revolution,” and the Rolling Stones’ “Street Fighting Man” […]
“Fast Car”: The Unlikely Anthem Bridging America’s Divide
You’ve got a fast car. I got plans to take us away. These famous lyrics ring out as Tracy Chapman and Luke Combs meet eyes to share a private smile during their 2024 Grammys duet of “Fast Car”. Their presence on the stage together is unprecedented, and due to the true emotional vulnerability of the […]
Star Wars and Politicized Media: A New Hope or The Dark Side?
Star Wars is a simple story. Light Side vs Dark Side. Luke Skywalker vs the evil Empire. I mean, have you seen Darth Vader’s menacing look? However, while Star Wars seems superficially simple, there are complex political undercurrents. This politicization was not a major problem in 1977, but recent Star Wars projects face boycotts and […]
Why Identity is Important: How Exploring Ethnicity Can Help Fight Racial Divides
It feels like every other day we hear about a young black person who was murdered by police. In 2023, 1,160 black people were shot to death by law enforcement. African Americans are 12% of the population, but they were 24% of those killed in police shootings, which is a stark contrast when one considers […]
The Unplugged Reality of Electric Vehicles and Clean Transportation
In 2016, the California Senate passed SB-32, requiring that state greenhouse gas emissions be reduced to 40% below 1990 levels by 2030. In 2018, California Governor Jerry Brown issued EO-B-55-18, establishing the statewide goal of achieving carbon neutrality by 2045. Today, nearly six years later, the state is not on track to meet either target. […]
Take a Trip With Me: LSD, MDMA, Psilocybin
Heroin, LSD, Marijuana, MDMA: what do they have in common? Chemically, not much. But Richard Nixon’s 1970 Controlled Substances Act designated all of them “as drugs with no currently accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse,” otherwise known as Schedule I substances. Americans have since accepted the various medical uses of marijuana, yet […]
Private Markets Aren’t the Problem in Healthcare. It’s Patents.
The issue that destroys the most lives is an instrument intended to save lives. The United States widely implements patent protections for medical technology, but its use internationally leaves the most vulnerable populations at risk. This political tool damages developing economies and deprives millions of essential healthcare. Medical patents are licenses that grant pharmaceutical companies […]
Dear Supreme Court, Affirmative Action Deserved Better
“Why was I rejected?” is the most common question students have after receiving a college rejection, and it’s a fair one. Even with high SAT scores, GPAs, and plentiful extracurriculars, the upper echelons of higher education can remain out of reach for many students like Calvin Yang. Yang was a plaintiff in “Students for Fair […]
How The Federal Reserve Quietly Worsens Inequality
The Federal Reserve is one of those institutions that everyone has heard of but no one really cares to talk about. Sure, you’ll have the odd conversation with your friend about rising interest rates and how that means something, probably, but are you really passionate about it? Do you get the same rush to open […]
The Best DNC Agent: Big Tech
On January 20, 2021, Joe Biden was sworn in as the President of the United States and while there were split opinions across the nation, behind the closed doors of Twitter and Facebook, there was likely a celebration as months of working to censor conservative news stories had finally achieved its end goal. The months […]
The Child Tax Credit: How American Individualism Destroyed Welfare
There’s a Joseph Campbell quote you’ve probably seen on one of those fake deep Instagram accounts you get recommended on your Explore page that has 30 followers but follows like 8000 people. It reads, “You can tell what’s informing a society by what the tallest building is.” A corollary could be that you can tell […]
An Argument Against Reparations is An Argument Against Equality
The recent repeal of affirmative action has catalyzed national discussion about what policies most effectively advance racial equality for Black Americans. Affirmative action, while not reparations, was a social inclusion policy that sought to increase minority representation in universities where students of color may not have been accepted due to systemic discrimination. While affirmative action […]
Katie Porter is the progressive choice
The California Senate race is well underway with the March 5th jungle primary less than 6 months out. Multiple big-name candidates have thrown their hat in the ring to replace the late Senator Feinstein, who served California since 1992. Of those big names, Representative Katie Porter is clearly the best progressive choice to represent the […]
Ditch Charity, Pick Mutual Aid
The ultra-wealthy present themselves as the solution for inequality, pledging millions and sometimes billions of dollars to philanthropic projects. Take Jeff Bezos, who gave $100 million to food banks during the pandemic, but did not provide adequate leave for Amazon workers who were sick during initial COVID outbreaks. Most billionaires’ charitable acts are more self-serving […]
Environmental Activism: Eco or Ego?
2023 was set to become the hottest year on record. Carbon dioxide levels are at their highest point in history. Heat waves and wildfires are scorching our planet… Need I go on? It is impossible to turn a blind eye to the climate crisis we face today. And many of us aren’t—we feel we are […]
Free Speech is Under Attack
The Problem: Censorship in higher education In March 2023, Kyle Duncan, a conservative federal judge, was invited to speak at Stanford Law School. He was met by hundreds of student protestors, who gathered outside the classroom where his talk was scheduled to brandish signs and hurl insults at Duncan. One student shouted: “We hope your […]
Data Collection in a Post-Roe World: A Need for National Security
Since the repeal of Roe v Wade in June of 2022, women seeking to maintain their bodily autonomy have had targets placed on their backs by regional and federal governments. As of September 2023, twenty-four states have banned and/or plan to ban abortion. These states have begun a witch-hunt persecution, incentivizing individuals to report women […]
Care About Soccer—It Ends Wars and Starts Rebellions.
In 2005, the world was not sure whether Cote d’Ivoire could continue to exist. Home to over three million Ivorians of about 60 different ethnic groups, the coastal African nation was torn by a three-year-long civil war. Despite attempts by both France and the United Nations to de-escalate, tensions were reigniting between the Ivorian government […]
The Case Against DeSantis
Presidential hopeful and current Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has made waves in the past few years and is working hard to make his name known. He is adored by most Floridians and those on the right for his COVID-19 response and his Trumpist policies. Despite campaign ads and comments of his that have worked hard […]
In Defense of SCOTUS
Biden vs. Nebraska, 303 Creative LLC vs. Elenis, and, of course, Dobbs vs. Jackson are just a few of the new Supreme Court’s landmark decisions that have fundamentally changed the nation’s political landscape. To the dismay of progressives, SCOTUS has demonstrated an increasing willingness to strike down prior decisions rooted in judicial activism, in the […]
Online to On-Campus: The Symbiotic Growth of the Alt-Right Pipeline
The rise of social media has revolutionized American politics. While some of those implications—increased activism, youth engagement, and misinformation—are well-documented, many of equal importance are often overlooked. In particular, while most are likely familiar with the radicalizing effect of social media (everyone has that Facebook-obsessed uncle), few grasp just how powerfully the magnets of indoctrination […]
The Mahatma & The Politics of Pakistan
Clinging onto hope is a core tenet of the Quranic scripture, a book that Ulemas (Islamic Jurists)—who, as everybody knows, represent 100% of Pakistan’s population— believe form the basis of all institutional & civilian structures in the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. But latching onto false hope for the coming of a Mahatma (Great Soul) like […]
California: The Most Over-Hated State
When I first came to Berkeley, I was well aware of the Bay Area and its reputation. Friends and family, both in-state and out, hit me over the head with tales of crime, homelessness, poverty, and stuck-up tech CEOs. Although the last admonishment was warranted, as soon as I arrived Berkeley struck me with its […]
The UAW is Redefining What It Means to be a Blue Collar Worker
What does it mean to be a worker in America? This is the fundamental question at the heart of the United Auto Workers’ strike. On September 15 the UAW made history by simultaneously striking each of the Big Three auto manufacturers: Ford, General Motors, and Stellantis. The move comes off the back of Shawn Fain […]
Rethinking Low Fertility
In 2022, Elon Musk made statements that shocked the Twitterverse that led to headlines like “Elon Musk thinks the population will collapse. Demographers say it’s not happening” and “Elon Musk says ‘population collapse’ is more dangerous than global warming. Experts say that won’t happen.” By now, Musk has taken these claims off X, formerly known […]
The Business of Eating Disorders
In 2023, beauty standards reign supreme, seemingly stony and impossible to truly change or avoid. Yet, throughout history, the definition of a “perfect” body has been incredibly transient depending on the time and place in question. From the Paleolithic curves of the Venus of Willendorf to the jutting collarbones and translucent limbs of the nineties […]
Good Riddance, Affirmative Action: What’s Next?
There’s no way around it: affirmative action was a failure. Affirmative action sought to help non-White Americans overcome systemic barriers to equal opportunity. Considering the racial imbalances in education–funding inequities in primary/secondary schools, advanced coursework inaccessibility, and various non-academic factors–a system like affirmative action is necessary for approaching equal opportunity. A system like affirmative action, […]
Fitness Influencers and the Unseen Market of Teenage Exploitation
Being trapped inside the house for months during the COVID-19 lockdowns gave everyone new options for how to spend their newfound free time: one could turn to binge-watching a new Netflix series, picking up a new hobby, or for many, attempting a new workout regimen. Thanks to social media, during quarantine, it became a trend […]
Malls Are Dying, Not San Francisco
San Francisco is dying. We can tell from videos online that robberies and violent crimes are through the roof and the city is a decaying relic: a metropolis turned into a third-world hellscape. The beautiful city that starred in films and television shows such as Vertigo and Full House has completely changed into a failed […]
The Right to Bear Arms…
…Shall not be infringed. While to most, that line seems pretty straightforward, New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham lacks this basic understanding. On September 8, 2023, Governor Grisham announced a firearms order that essentially banned guns for 30 days in sections of New Mexico. While the order has since been scaled back after significant bipartisan […]
How Modern-Day Capitalism Paralyzed Hollywood
This summer, Hollywood came to a standstill. For the first time in 63 years, writers and actors went on strike together as both the Writers Guild of America (WGA), representing 11,500 writers, and SAG-AFTRA, a 160,000-strong coalition of actors and media professionals, failed to settle contract negotiations with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television […]
How Surface Level Social Liberalism Hides Hollywood’s Deeply Exploitative Labor Practices
When we think of Hollywood’s politics, we often remember recent Oscars acceptance speeches with topics ranging from recognizing the accomplishments of immigrants to the condemnation of drinking cow’s milk. It feels as if every year, moments like these become more and more common, a seemingly odd trend in the entertainment industry. However, this trend is […]
A Comprehensive Defense of Astrology
Cancers are sensitive. Virgos are uptight. Leos are passionate. Everyone is uncertain. Throughout history, humans have placed varying amounts of faith in the unknown. Whether that be the vengeful gods of Ancient Greece or the Catholic saints who still maintain relevance in some cultures, the belief that there is something beyond what we can sense […]
Boycott TurboTax’s Corporate Lobbying Power
Spring is a favorite season of many Americans; as winter finally begins to fade away, green replaces brown, and favorite foods come back into grocery stores and farmer’s markets. Americans welcome spring with celebrations like Easter, Holi, the Spring Equinox, Songkran, Passover, and Nowruz. But, what really unites us all in springtime is much less […]
A Swindled Future: The Cost of the National Debt
From slaughtered schoolchildren to draconian abortion bans, there is much to deplore in our political present. Daily headlines are littered with stupidity, cruelty, dysfunction, and death. Such a disturbing picture makes it easy to dismiss less tangible issues—like the $31 trillion national debt—as mere distractions. But the government’s profligate ways are no longer a theoretical […]
Homeschooling: Fueling White Supremacy
The seventh most populous state of the union, Ohio, is so typical that it verges on the point of drab. But on the Buckeye State’s quiet streets teeming with suburban housing of seeming normalcy, there rests an underbelly of white supremacy. In the Winter of 2023, the Ohio Department of Education uncovered a bustling Neo-Nazi […]
The Democratic Party is Untenable
The United States stands at the precipice of so many crises that I cannot hope to list them all here. We seem intent to drive straight off the cliff of imminent climate catastrophe. Our healthcare and education systems balloon in costs, run by and for profit-seeking middlemen rather than the interests of the people that […]
Embracing AI: ChatGPT is a Teacher’s Friend, Not Foe
Artificial intelligence is powerful. We can use it to generate artistic images with a short prompt in DALL-E, or to negotiate our daily lives via smart assistants like Siri or Alexa. But as ever, the arrival of transformative technology raises doubt and fear: will it be made to do our bidding in ways that improve […]
Holy War: Blood for God in Israel-Palestine
Examining the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is an exercise in déjà vu. The deaths of an old man, a young child, and nine others in the recent West Bank flare-up are tragically unremarkable. So is the ensuing cascade of violence, punctuated by the brazen murder of two Jewish brothers and a retaliatory settler rampage of a nearby […]
Papa Louie: A Reflection of Labor Exploitation
It’s 2014. You sit in front of a boxy beige computer. The air smells like EXPO markers as you listen to the chatter around you. You don’t partake in the conversation—you have a job to do. With your eyes intently glued to your computer screen, you produce taco after taco, perfecting every detail from the […]
American Land Belongs in American Hands
The very essence of the American Dream is under threat today—Wall Street private equity groups are buying up the land rights to entire communities while our foreign adversaries are gaining ownership over hundreds of thousands of acres of American farmland. If our nation continues down this path we will cease to be a nation of […]
Get Ready for our Newest Style Icon: Capitalism
So you want to be “that girl”? Will that be cash or card? Though Paris Fashion Week concluded its last show on October 4th, Bella Hadid’s career is just getting started. Hadid walked in a whopping 64 runway shows this season, going viral for modeling in the now-famous spray-on Coperni dress. Countless designer outfits tailored […]
The Quiet Menace of Court Packing
The Supreme Court has a credibility problem: a 40% approval rating, to be precise. Such a number is par for the course for President Joe Biden (whose approval hovers at 41%) and enviable for Congress, whose approval rose to a paltry 23% this year. But for the Supreme Court, 40% approval marks a seismic 19-point […]
Facial Recognition Software Reflects Systemic Inequality
I paid for lunch today with my face. Well, not really—but I didn’t need cash or a physical debit card, courtesy of Apple’s Tap-To-Pay technology. I didn’t even have to touch the screen; Apple’s incorporation of Facial Recognition Software provides users with unparalleled convenience, allowing us to unlock our phones and use countless features with […]
Why the Rise of Far-Right Populism Could Spell the End for the EU
Swedish voters went to the polls on September 11th as the last remnants of summer clinging in the air began to dissipate in expectation of the colder months ahead. As the results began to roll out, lawmakers around Europe could feel chills running down their spines. Swedish Democrats, the far-right nationalist party, had managed to […]
The Untaxed Business of Religion
Each year, religion contributes $1.2 trillion dollars to the country’s economy. However, a large portion of that goes untaxed due to the belief that churches are providing for the community, as any charity or non-profit does. In the past, religion had played a major role in providing a good for society, but that is seen […]
Building a Better Chile
September 11, 1973. Santiago, Chile. Latin America’s most stable democracy goes up in flames as jackbooted goons brutally murder thousands of civilians in the streets and arrest even more to be tortured and killed in prisons. General Augusto Pinochet, the head of Chile’s military, is mounting a coup d’état to seize power from democratically elected […]
An Open Letter to the Fashion Industry: Forget Your Instagram Posts, Change Your Supply Chain
Fast fashion disproportionately affects women on both the consumer and producer end. According to Vogue Business, “more than half [of women] reported buying most of their clothes from fast-fashion brands” and young women between the ages of 18 and 24 make 80% of fast fashion clothing. This parasitic relationship only became possible in the past […]
Putin’s Side Project, and the Warning It Sends to Democracies
Written in July 2022 As Vladimir Putin’s baseless war in Ukraine unfolds, the Russian propaganda machine has been hard at work churning out false narratives—like asserting the U.S. and Ukraine are training birds and reptiles to spread viral pathogens in Russia. Though seemingly trivial, this claim may be the pretext for the use of chemical […]
A Case Against Higher Education
It is no secret that attainment of a four-year college degree is associated with an increase in earnings over the course of a lifetime; recent college graduates earn, on average, about $52,000, while high school degree holders have average earnings of $30,000 in the United States. This discrepancy is the cause of massive economic inequality […]
The Rail Workers Can Still Strike Back
No worker is more essential than the one who makes sure the trains run on time. The men and women who operate and maintain the freight trains that travel cross country define the backbone of our nation’s economy. The union workers who maintain and operate America’s freight system are as important as the tracks on […]
Addressing the Alt-Right Pipeline
It’s no secret your social media algorithm knows you better than you know yourself. What you click, what you ignore, and how long you stare at a post gives algorithms slews of information they collect, store, and use to keep you on the app for as long as possible. While this feature has been great […]
Newgenics: the Dangerous Quest for Human Perfection
A young woman is pregnant with her second child. As a member of a minority population, her worth is immediately diminished, as many people believe members of her race are less intelligent and less valuable. Upon giving birth to her baby via cesarean section, doctors bully the woman into undergoing a sterilization procedure that will […]
A More Volatile Union: The Danger of Direct Democracy
In recent years, a growing cacophony of grievance from the progressive left has targeted our unrepresentative, antidemocratic, dysfunctional Senate. Much of this frustration has materialized in calls to end the filibuster. Though, one wonders if such decided advocates will change their tune when former GOP Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell returns to his old job […]
The Bottom Line on Saudi Arabia’s “The Line”
The 2021 “Largest Survey of Public Opinion on Climate Change” carried out by the United Nations Development Program found that a majority of people across every age group, nationality, economic standing, and education level classify climate change as an emergency. Consequently, people everywhere are turning to their leaders—whether that be governments or the corporations that […]
War Within a War: Sexual Violence in Ukraine
Trigger Warning: Discussion of sexual assault and violence against women The United Nations departments of Sexual Violence in Conflict and UN Women put forth a joint statement on April 9th stating that they are “gravely concerned about mounting allegations of sexual violence perpetrated against women and girls in the context of the war in Ukraine.” […]
The Lacks Legacy: Reforming Racism in the Medical Field
On a cold day in January of 1951, Henrietta Lacks, a Black woman from Virginia, rushed to the Johns Hopkins Medical center after experiencing heavy vaginal bleeding and severe uterine pain. Dr. George Otto Gey, a white, male physician, examined her, diagnosed her with a severe case of cervical cancer and began treatment. Eight months […]
Energy Drinks: Does this quick fix really come without strings?
Energy drinks feel like the perfect quick fix. After drinking one can of Bang, I feel equipped with enough energy to go on a run, take two midterms, and still spare power to go to the Cal-Stanford football game. It just doesn’t seem like drinking one cup of coffee can give me the equivalent feeling […]
Big Tech Is Quaking, And We Are Here For It!
Big Tech is in a crazed frenzy like we have never seen before —and there is not much they can do about it. The Senate Judiciary Committee passed the Open App Markets Act, marking the first piece of legislation and the latest attempt to limit the power of big tech companies. Not only is it a […]
Why Science Should Strike: The Real Cost of Intellectual Labor
We often don’t think about why our car gets a certain amount of miles per gallon, or who tells the weatherman what to say on TV or who is actually monitoring the sea level rise and melting ice caps we constantly hear about. And that’s to be expected, just like how we might not consider […]
The Case for Canadian Moderate Conservatism
The End of O’Toole Everything happened in a flash. First, a ragtag ensemble of truckers, in the early days of 2022, arrived in Ottawa, Canada’s capital, calling for an end to vaccine mandates and, in some cases, the removal of Trudeau. Erin O’Toole, then the leader of the Conservatives and hesitant in lending his support […]
The Gen Z Stimulant Epidemic
A New Crisis The United States is one of the most medicated countries in the world with over half of the nation taking at least two prescription medications, a number that has been increasing steadily over the past decade. While prescription drugs can be a life-saving solution that helps Americans regain control over their physical […]
The Case for Senate Abolition
…my allegiance is to the Republic, to democracy! – Obi Wan Kenobi Springtime in Berkeley effuses the air with a sense of unadulterated hope: the days become sunnier, the flowers bloom en masse, and the desiccated dreams of a political party seem as distant as the San Francisco fog. I am referring to President Biden’s […]
Minority Voters Save Democrats. Now, Democrats Must Save Minority Voters.
Fish live in water, humans breathe air, and minorities vote for Democrats. Right? I am a person of color and have aligned myself with the values of the Democratic Party, so it must be natural in American politics that voters of color will consistently turn out to elect Democrats. This seems to be the view […]
Beyond Wall Four: Attack on Titan’s Condemnation of Fascism is Woefully Misunderstood
This article contains spoilers for the anime adaptation of Attack on Titan up to Season 4 Episode 22. Some sources may link to external sites that contain spoilers for the manga and/or anime episodes that have not yet aired. In November of 2021, Representative Paul Gosar (R–AZ) tweeted out a truly baffling video in which […]
Stop Treating Marijuana Use Like Doping
In June last year, sprinter Sha’Carri Richardson won the women’s 100-meter race at the U.S. track and field finals, earning a trip to the Olympics as a gold medal favorite. That is, until her Olympic dream crumbled: Richardson tested positive for marijuana, a Performance Enhancing Drug (PED) according to the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), the […]
30 Years After Anita Hill, the Senate Must Now Confirm Ketanji Brown Jackson To The Supreme Court
Thirty years ago, bright lights and bustling press concentrated on the testimony of Professor Anita Hill— the brave former colleague of then-Judge Clarence Thomas— as she shared her story of sexual harassment with the world. Prior to Hill’s testimony, Thomas, nominated by President George H.W. Bush for the Supreme Court, was noted for his commendable […]
The Fault of the Frequent Protest
It’s been over half a century since the Free Speech Movement gripped UC Berkeley, yet the institution still maintains its reputation for frequent protests and progressive ideology. UC Berkeley has found its name in national headlines throughout the years for mass protests like Occupy Cal and various anti-war movements. The issue is that protests, designed […]
What Lead’s Rise and Fall Can Teach Us About Microplastic Pollution
We have reached a point in our planet’s history where what we do will have effects that may outlast us entirely. In the relatively short amount of time humans have been catastrophically polluting, we have had several moments where we realized our harmful effects were too great and needed to be resolved. Those moments are […]
Dear Supreme Court, Affirmative Action Needs To Go
He scored 1550 on the SAT, maintained a 3.9 unweighted GPA as an IB student, played two varsity sports, won state and national rewards for debate and international recognition for his start-up. Like thousands of other qualified applicants, he didn’t make it into Harvard. Why? Because he ticked “Asian” for ethnicity on his Common App. […]
Supervised Injection Sites Save Lives. Let’s Talk About It.
Our discourse on drug policy and addiction is often relegated to hyperbolized images of wayward teens, often racialized and targeted pictures of poor communities of color, dark alleys of anomy, shame, and fear, and the ever-present “Just Say No” platitude. At the heart of the discourse is the increasingly controversial subject of the creation of […]
Cryptocurrency: The Modern Pyramid Scheme
Investing in cryptocurrencies is advertised like a trip to Vegas—are you going to win big or blow it all? While this concept glamorizes and attracts many potential investors, it is just glamour. At best, investing in both cryptocurrencies or NFTs is like supporting your local Herbalife distributor and joining at the bottom of a pyramid […]
The Fallacy of Guns, Gold & Glory: Time for the US to Reevaluate its Foreign Policy
On February 4th of 2021, Joe Biden stood in the U.S. Department of State headquarters and delivered an important message to Americans everywhere: it was time for the United States to reclaim its role as a guardian of democracy on the global stage. He portrayed American leadership as the key to combating what he called […]
The Democrats’ Branding Failure
The midterm election set to take place this year has significant potential to upset the delicate balance of Congress. With an effective 50-50 split in the Senate accompanied by a slim eight seat majority in the House, Democrats face an uphill battle in the coming election cycle that signals the need for the party to […]
The Fragility of Representative Governance and the Need to Protect It
Democracy is the most common form of governance. By 2017, there were more democratic than autocratic regimes in the world, a trend since the 70s. Rudimentarily, we describe there as being two forms of democracy: representative and direct. But in truth, no country in the world is a full direct democracy; every democratic country utilizes […]
Yes, The War in Yemen is Still Happening.
“We’re literally looking at 16 million people marching towards the brink of starvation.” We’ve all seen the horrifying images of malnourished children, cities ravaged by war and a nation on the brink of collapse. But, this staggering statistic exposed the true depth of the crisis in Yemen. Fueled by a civil war that has […]
Climate Change Fatalism: The Nail in the Coffin for a Dying Planet
“After 30 years of intensive climate science research, we have sufficient knowledge about our climate system and how it interacts with atmospheric emissions. But our knowledge about how people respond to climate science has been lagging behind.” – Per Espen Stoknes The planet is dying. Or more accurately, humanity’s chance at long-term survival on the […]
Restitution of Nazi-Looted Art: Can US Courts Guarantee Access to Justice ?
Léone Meyer never had a traditional life. In 1942, she was only two and a half years old when she saw her mother get deported to Auschwitz’s concentration camp. A Jewish orphanage in Paris’ suburbs then took her in, and after five long years, a wonderful couple finally adopted Léone: the Meyer family, philanthropic parents […]
It’s Time for the Age of the Airship to Return
So I said goodbye to all my friends And packed my hopes inside a matchbox Because I know it’s time to fly – Led Zeppelin, Night Flight, 1975 In just 34 seconds on May 6, 1937 the future of airships went up in smoke — and fire — as the airship Hindenburg LZ 129, lead ship […]
Fund Schools First: What the Free College Education Movement is Forgetting
In 2019 President Biden released “Joe’s Plan for Higher Education,” detailing his intentions to help Americans access higher education easily. With almost two-thirds of Americans supporting free college tuition, Biden’s initiative attracts much intrigue and support from the majority of voters. However, his plan does not consider a vital issue in the movement—the quality of […]
Misinformation: A Catch-22 For Facebook And Big Tech? Hint: The Future Is Not Meta
In today’s world, information is a valuable currency. While the age of social media has inarguably broadened our horizons and our accessibility to information, our society is facing a massive crisis of counterfeiting due to the flood of misinformation. Social media sites and big technology companies continue to grace headlines for their oversight or lack […]
What About the Women: China’s Human Rights Abuses to Uyghur Muslims Includes Reproductive Rights Violations
Trigger warning: rape/sexual assault/women’s rights violations Beijing has confined 1-2 million Uyghur Muslims in “re-education camps” under the presumption of having “free vocational training” that would make the Uyghur’s lives more “colorful.” In these centers, the Uyghurs undergo immense human rights violations, including but not limited to the stripping of their religious expression, forceful […]
Elizabeth Holmes is Not Your Feminist Martyr
As Elizabeth Holmes’ company, Theranos, came crashing down around her ears, NPR writer Sydell penned an article that asked “Is There A Double Standard When Female CEOs In Tech Stumble?” The article cited Holmes as one example of potentially disproportionately targeted female CEOs. Sydell was not alone in her concern: The New York Times published […]
The Haitian Migrant Crisis: Business As Usual For US Border Policy?
Why do we see brutal images and aggressive tactics against immigrants under the Biden Administration? Is US immigration policy just going to be a continuation of the Trump Era? 38-year-old Joanne Joseph told the New York Times that life in Haiti was “a struggle every day.” An immigrant, she feels safe and secure as she […]
South Korean “Feminism” Must Go
The growing social divide between the men and women of South Korea shows no signs of subsiding in the near future and threatens to seep into the upcoming presidential election. Never has the country experienced such vicious conflict between the sexes. The mere mention of gender is bound to spark an argument in nearly any […]
Andrew Yang’s ‘Forward’ May Set Us Back
Two years ago, Americans intently watched the shifting momentum and traction of the Democratic Party’s presidential nominee hopefuls; the public fixated on the frontrunners like then-Vice President Joe Biden, Senators Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren, and even the fresh, charismatic Mayor Pete Buttigieg. However, entrepreneur and businessman Andrew Yang quickly proved a formidable opponent, polling […]
Oh, Aaron Rodgers Is Most Definitely Immune
The man who wears number 12 for the Green Bay Packers is many things. Super Bowl champion. Reigning NFL MVP. Three-time first-team All-Pro and nine-time Pro Bowler. By far the greatest quarterback UC Berkeley has ever produced. We now know, by way of his testing positive for COVID-19 last Wednesday, that he is also unvaccinated. […]
A Time for Triage: Hospitals Need to Reserve Beds for Patients Who Are Vaccinated
Hospitals across the country are filling up and reaching their full capacities yet again. An Alabama man named Ray DeMonia was turned away from 43 hospitals due to lack of capacity and ultimately died in an ICU 200 miles away from his home. After his death, his family pleaded for people to get vaccinated to […]
The Future of the Real Estate Industry…Is Virtual?
When we think of real estate, we think of homes, skyscrapers, and other buildings. These physical spaces, while a large part of real estate, are not all-inclusive of the magnitude of impact that the real estate industry has on a vast grouping of people. Historically, the real estate market has been known to fluctuate and […]
A Diagnosis With No Cure: Missing White Woman Syndrome
Gabby Petito’s parents declared her missing on September 11, 2021. Within nine days, the name Gabby Petito had become a buzzphrase for news outlets and social media users alike. On TikTok alone, “#GabbyPetito” amassed over 794 million views. This kind of coverage placed Gabby’s case on a global stage at an unfathomable speed, and by […]
The Lingering Effects of Female Hysteria in Medicine
Human history can be defined by many threads, one being the millennia spent oppressing women’s bodies, minds and spirits. This has lasted and thrived into the modern era, resulting in unfounded beliefs about female frailty shaping every facet of our society. The stereotype that women are weak, fragile and to be protected from strenuous mental […]
Sarah Edwards and Beyond: Building Cities That Are Safer For Women
3rd March 2021 was not a peculiar day for most living in South London. It was yet another day of lockdown amid the COVID-19 pandemic mandated by the Boris Johnson government. A woman was walking home at night from a friend’s house in Clapham Common. She went missing on the same night. Six days later, […]
Sensory Marketing – When Music Makes You Buy
Sight. Sight. Sound. Smell. Taste. Touch. Since the 1940s, major marketing corporations have studied ways to appeal to our five senses to convince us to buy. Today, manipulating the human psyche is done in such complex ways that it has become something of an art form. Which colors stimulate your appetite? Which “new car” smell is most likely […]
Our Politics Has A Sexual Violence Problem
Bill Clinton, Joe Biden, Andrew Cuomo, Donald Trump, Brett Kavanaugh, and Clarence Thomas: what do all these men, Democrats and Republicans alike, have in common? Numerous allegations of various forms of sexual misconduct. What is further troubling is that these are only a few names in a long, exhaustive list of elected politicians that have […]
The Two State Solution Is Dead.
The holy grail of conflict management has always been between Israel and Palestine; it is the most shining accomplishment for any individual or state mediator. Since the establishment of the state of Israel, the most preferred solution to the Israel/Palestine problem has been the “Two State Solution,” which essentially proposes two sovereign states for two […]
Death to the Death Penalty: Capital Punishment as a Tool of White Supremacy
White America is slowly but surely coming to the realization that when government-created and funded systems fail minorities, the intended systems have not broken; rather, those systems are working exactly as intended. They directly reflect their creation on the backs of slaves as our nation was born. One of the most vile and haunting reminders […]
To Hear or Not to Hear: The Dilemma of Hearing Parents with Deaf Children
Alice De Gentile first heard her mother’s voice when she was seven; due to a congenital cochlear malformation, she was born deaf in both ears. Her hearing parents had very limited knowledge of the Deaf community. Nevertheless, they faced an important decision: whether or not to get their daughter a cochlear implant. Like Alice, more […]
Originalism, The Supreme Court, and Reform
The relentless news cycle fixated on election and presidential transition turmoil made it relatively easy to forget that on October 26th, 2020, the Senate voted 52 – 48 to confirm Justice Amy Coney Barrett’s nomination to the Supreme Court. Her nomination solidifies not only a conservative majority, but an overwhelming 6-3 conservative majority on the […]
We Must Invest in a Public Healthcare System: Medicare for All Now!
The coronavirus pandemic may have started in the East, but China, a country with a population four times the size of the United States, kept its death totals to 90,000. This number is dwarfed by the now 517,000 deaths being reported in the US, the most in the world by approximately 250,000 deaths. Considering that […]
Painful Memory of Sri Lankan Civil Not Forgotten: A Reckoning At Last?
On the fateful day of the 18th of May 2009, between 40,000 Tamils lost their lives in a Civil War that had embroiled the nation of Sri Lanka since the year 1983 in a long-fought insurrection between the majority-Buddhist Singhalese country and minority Tamils. This event has come to be known as the Mullivaikal Massacre. […]
Vaccine Disparities: The Future of Foreign Policy?
As the end of Covid-19 slowly dawns, and with it the advent of a vaccine, a troubling trend is on the rise. Faced with worldwide lockdowns that had a crippling effect on the global economy, public health, and the world at large, scientists from all over rushed to create a vaccine that would finally put […]
Feeding the Moths Eating at Europe’s Fabric
For those following European Politics, news of democratic backsliding is not new. Viktor Orban’s Fidesz party has ruled Hungary with an absolute majority in parliament since 2010. Since his absolute majority win, Orban has diligently worked to consolidate his power. In 2013, the Hungarian parliament approved controversial amendments to the country’s constitution. The reforms included […]
Dog Overpopulation in New Mexico: A Symptom of Chronic Poverty
Notoriously overcrowded and underfunded, New Mexican animal shelters struggle every day to keep up with the number of strays and surrendered pets that come through their doors. Every year, these shelters act as the final destination for thousands of dogs. The pandemic has only worsened conditions inside the shelters –– in the past year, the […]
What the Future for the Independent Party Holds
Since the 1790s, with the establishment of the Federalist and Democratic-Republican political parties, the United States’ roots in the country’s two-party system have deepened. Nevertheless, this two-party system is not what the constitutional framers had in mind. They envisioned a nation united, not divided into feuding parties who refuse to get along. In fact, the […]
For The Sake Of Our Asian Elders, Reject Anti-Blackness
Anti-Asian racism is surging, and it’s no secret as to why. Thanks to the bigoted lie that our community was responsible for bringing Covid-19 into America and the morally bankrupt leaders who doubled down on discrimination, hostility towards the Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) peoples has run rampant. In the six months after the nationwide […]
America the Lonely: social isolation, public health, and right-wing populism
Our hunger to belong is the longing to find a bridge across the distance from isolation to intimacy. – John O’Donohue, Irish poet When the 2016 presidential election ended in one of the biggest upsets in modern political history, pundits and talking heads scrambled to diagnose the shocking outcome. They blamed economic anxiety, xenophobia, a […]
GreenWashing: On How Neo-Liberal Capitalism Persists Amid The Climate Crisis
Are we truly in an era of green marketing and greenwashing today as our climate crisis continues to deteriorate? Does Fiji water truly justify their claim that ‘every drop is green’? Coined in the 1980s and beginning with the anti-nuclear campaign, “greenwashing” describes a business strategy of making claims about the environment to promote companies’ […]
No More Lies: The Truth About Raising the Minimum Wage
“I budget and budget, and I still can’t really buy no food,” explained Carolyn Allen, a 58-year-old minimum wage worker at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. She dreams of paying her medical bill and still being able to afford Pine-Sol or bleach to clean her house. Other minimum wage workers, like Laugudria Screven Jr., resort to […]
The United Nations: Is It As United As We Think?
On October 24, 1945, fifty nation representatives at the United Nations Conference on International Organization in San Francisco collaborated to create the United Nations. With supporting signatures from China, France, the Soviet Union, the United Kingdom, and the United States, the United Nations became the global governing force. Following World War II, the world […]
Asian Values: A Political Narrative To Erode LGBTQ Rights Today?
The concept of Asian Values is by no means a new concept today, however, what does it really mean in today’s political contexts, particularly for the future of LGBTQ rights? ‘’What Asians value may not be the same as what Europeans value. Westerners value the freedoms and the values of the individual. As an Asian […]
Revolutionizing Sex Work? The Growth of OnlyFans Within a Hostile Working Environment
In early August of 2020, actress and child-star Bella Thorne’s OnlyFans account captured the attention of many young adults when she posted a highly edited Instagram video, in which she revealed that she would be selling her nude photos for roughly $200 each. While she received thousands of orders, buyers never acquired the promised photos. […]
Pigs Need Friends: How Factory Farming is Morally Bankrupting our Food System
Last year over nine billion farm animals were slaughtered for consumption in the United States, roughly twenty-five million a day. The beyond gluttonous manner in which we produce and consume animal products in this country has morally bankrupted us as at the kitchen table and has financially decimated countless small farmers. While it would be […]
Post-Charlie Hebdo: After the Nice Attacks in 2020, When Will France Address The True Elephant In The Room?
Two men march into an office building at around midday. They were not extraordinary men, yet they were loaded with rifles and other weapons. Within the next few hours, they would take hostage and kill 12 people. The two suspects identified were Said and Cherif Kouachi. The date was 7th January 2015. This would be […]
Do You Hear the People Sing? – How Chinese censorship of the coronavirus is spurring an online revolution.
“There should be more than one voice in a healthy society.” Dr. Li Wenliang’s words renewed a rebellious spirit within the Chinese people, and his death prompted the start of an ongoing online revolution protesting the government’s increased censorship. After Dr. Wenliang’s attempt to warn the public of the emergent virus that threatened China in […]
No Perdonamos Ni Olvidamos: Feminists Takeover Mexico’s National Human Rights Commission
This past year Mexico has seen a precipitous rise in the amount of violent crimes committed against women, consequently spurring a vigorous feminist movement. Last month, members of the feminist group “El Bloque Negro” led a protest that culminated in the takeover of Mexico’s National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) building. In a display of solidarity […]
Are You Listening? Misogyny in Rap Music and What It Means for Women in Society
Rap music gained its hype in block parties in New York City in the 1970s and has become a staple part of culture in society today. Rap is literally defined as the recitation of lyrics over instrumental beats, but it has become a form of expression and art. Over the decades, this art has advanced […]
It’s Time to Move On from Fracking
The conversation around fracking has long been present in political circles and is an issue on which even candidates from the same party seldom agree upon. It was a contentious and topical issue in the democratic primary, and we saw its return in both the vice-presidential debate on October 7th and the presidential debate on […]
The Korea You Know Doesn’t Exist
Trigger Warning: Suicide, Self Harm, and Eating Disorders It’s the 2017 American Music Awards. In a packed theater, the crowd competes with the blaring music as individuals scream their favorite band members’ names — an all too familiar sight. From performances by the Beatles to One Direction, swooning fans are the staples of music awards […]
Trippin’ for treatment — why magic mushrooms might be the next breakthrough mental health drug
Psychedelic drugs are often associated with deadbeats, dropouts and eccentric musicians. Using them as medicine seems like something straight out a hippie handbook, but it is a concept that has been gaining traction among medical researchers in recent years. We are currently experiencing a renaissance of psychedelic research, exploring the potential applications of criminalized psychedelic […]
Migrant Workers Were Forgotten During Singapore’s Coronavirus Crisis
“Given Singapore’s land constraints, dormitories are a practical way to housing our migrant workers. This is unlikely to change. What will need to change however are the specifications as well as the management of the dormitories including the daily living habits of the dormitory residents……” said Josephine Teo, Singapore’s Minister for Manpower during a session […]
Boots on the Moon: Weighing the Pros and Cons of the Space Force
The Space Force has been the subject of much ridicule in the media. The release of Netflix’s Space Force earlier this year and several comedians picking the force as a comedy bit have added to this mainstream conversation and have painted a rather odd picture of what the Space Force is designed to achieve. But, […]
California is burning wrong — listen to native tribes and burn it right
“You have to understand fire. You have to respect fire. You can’t be afraid of it.” – Ron W. Goode, Tribal Chairman, North Fork Mono Tribe Fires have long been a fixture of California, but over time they have become increasingly intense and disruptful, with “megafires” becoming more and more frequent. While fires are key […]
When Inclusivity becomes Conditional: Racism, Body Shaming, and Femme Shaming in the Gay Male Community
As a crowd of individuals walk proudly throughout the streets, a gay couple affectionately kiss against a backdrop of rainbow. In this community, love always wins – except when it doesn’t. An image of equality and inclusion generally accompanies the LGBTQ+ community, and rightly so. As a group that has been outcasted and othered for […]
Progressives Sparked a Movement; The Democratic Party Killed It
As the progressive movement advances past the leadership of Bernie Sanders, it must come to terms with the difficulties in challenging the Democratic Party establishment. When Senator Sanders entered the presidential race in 2016, he hoped to shift the Overton window — the range of policies politically acceptable to the mainstream population — to the […]
Between the Lines
What Underhandedly Racist Comments Sound Like and Why They Call for Self-Reflection Although slavery was abolished in 1865, its long-lasting impact is still felt in 2020. However, the difference between 1865 and 2020 is that racism is not as blatant. Racism has diverted away from textbook imagery and is now predominantly emulated through implicit biases […]
Under New Management: The Resignation of Japan’s Longest-Serving Prime Minister
Japan’s longest tenured prime minister, Shinzo Abe, announced his resignation due to complications with a chronic health condition on August 28th. The sudden departure of Abe, one of Japan’s most consequential post-war prime ministers, has created yet another layer of uncertainty in a region currently mired in tension with China. Additionally, Japan has been devastated […]
Brazil and Africa: a double-standard relationship?
“When Brazilians come to Africa, they have the opportunity to find their own ‘history’ […] We [Brazilians and Africans] are united by a feeling for justice and by the effort to overcome ‘inequalities’ within and without our national borders. Having said this, we are also united by this extraordinary ‘cheerfulness’ of our people, on […]
Why Mongolia’s catch-22 should serve as a wake-up call
If you ever were to go to Mongolia and take a tour around the capital, Ulan Bator, you would likely need to bring a mask with you. In the period from July 2018 to July 2019, the city experienced unhealthy levels of air pollution almost every other day. It is known for having some of […]
The Truth Behind the Burger
The Inhumane Treatment of Animals Within the Slaughterhouse and Dairy Industries Every second, thousands of innocents lose their lives in horrific fashions, yet few humans seem to care. The slaughterhouse and dairy industries brutally massacre animals daily, but the carnivorous habits of Americans prompt a lack of empathy for these voiceless creatures. Who runs the […]
Sanctuary Cities Keep You Safe
“Sanctuary” Cities are rapidly becoming the new favorite punching bag for the US right wing, seen most notably with Trump attacking them in his 2020 State of the Union. In his brief stint as Attorney General, Jeff Sessions argued, “So-called ‘sanctuary’ policies make all of us less safe because they intentionally undermine our laws and […]
Legalized Discrimination: India’s NRC and CAA
Everyone is entitled to all the rights and freedoms set forth in this Declaration, without distinction of any kind, such as race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status. Furthermore, no distinction shall be made on the basis of the political, jurisdictional or international status […]
When a Miscarriage is a Crime: El Salvador’s Humanitarian Crisis
“I’m afraid to die,” Beatriz told her doctor, Dr. Guillermo Ortiz, the Director of Obstetrics at El Salvador’s principal maternity hospital. Ortiz had just told Beatriz that her fetus was missing pieces of its brain and head and would not, under any circumstances, survive. Beatriz had lupus and kidney problems, and the pregnancy was killing […]
Drawing the Life Out of the Fourth Amendment
The Supreme Court has once again avoided ruling on the substance of state law and rather stuck to taking an easier, less-controversial road of constitutional jurisprudence. In this case, it was the Fourth Amendment’s protections and the consent doctrine that was sacrificed. In Mitchell v. Wisconsin, the Court ruled that drawing blood from an unconscious […]
“Carpooling Can Save the Planet,” and Other Lies Exxon and Shell Want You to Believe
During the Cold War, students learned to duck and cover under their desks in the event of a nuclear bomb. The flimsy wood wouldn’t have made an appreciable difference in whether or not they survived, of course, but it must have felt better to have some tiny piece of control over an otherwise terrifying and […]
One Size Does Not Fit All: The Rise of Diverse Fashion Models
The 2019 New York Fashion Week runways were said to be the most diverse ones yet, with an estimated 48 percent of the featured models being from minority groups. This statistic is shocking, considering the history of the industry as a whole. For decades, the fashion industry has established the standards of beauty for society […]
There are Eyes Everywhere: The Dangers of Policing and Surveilling Black and Muslim Communities
As the technological revolution sweeps countries and cities all over the world, more and more daily activities are being mechanized. From iPhones being unlocked by faces, to online stores knowing exactly what you want when you want it, we are at a time of innovation. New high-tech security cameras and alarm systems are making homes, […]
Tampons Are a Necessity Yet Are Being Taxed Unconstitutionally
This June, California state legislators and Governor Gavin Newsom agreed on a new budget that included provisions to exempt menstrual products from being taxed. Surely, this is a death blow to the “tampon tax” in California? Not quite — in reality, it’s more like a tranquilizer dart. This is because the exemption is only good […]
Something Wicked This Way Comes…And It’s Not Halloween
Warning: This article deals with sensitive issues, such as domestic violence and sexual assault. October: pumpkin spice lattes, sweater weather and spooky Halloween. For a day, or even days if you count “Halloweekend,” you can pretend to be someone or something else. You can escape your reality and dive head-first into a world of manufactured […]
Pelosi’s Partial Response to Skyrocketing Drug Prices
James Fahy once said, “Nothing unites people like a common enemy.” In that case, perhaps we do owe drug manufactures a thanks, if only for making high drug prices so deeply unpopular that Nancy Pelosi, Donald Trump and 77 percent of the US can all agree that prescriptions are too expensive. Pelosi recently introduced a […]
Tunisian ban on the niqab in public institutions: Attack on freedom of expression or necessary security measure?
On July 5, Tunisian Prime Minister Youssef Chaed declared an official ban on the use of the niqab in the country’s public institutions. The ban came about in the aftermath of a double suicide bombing in the capital, Tunis. One of the attacks, which took place on June 27, AlJazeera reported that a witness saw […]
The Way Out Is Forward: In Defense of Worker Cooperatives in the USA
The Crisis Today, it seems that the wasteland of the free market has reached a fevered pitch of self-parody. Insulin prices jump to the thousands and homeless people are found frozen solid in the streets while billionaires complain about not being called ‘people of means’. America ranks fourth-highest in world wealth inequality while politicians continue […]
The Death Knell for the Death Penalty: Gavin Newsom’s Execution Moratorium
In March, California governor Gavin Newsom declared a moratorium on executions, effectively ending any chance of execution for the 737 California prisoners still on death row. While it is obvious that this move is important for the future of the death penalty in California, the significance of Newsom’s declaration lies in its potential ramifications for […]
New Paradigms of Prosperity: Challenging Traditional Metrics of Success
It’s a running joke across many college campuses that economics is the “dismal science”. For those who are not economists, it can be hard to connect abstract terms like “absorptive capacity” and “nonparametric statistical methods” to the real lives of people across the globe. Part of the reason that these concepts seem so obfuscated is […]
Political Innovation: Taking a Page from the Business Playbook
We live in a world marred by uncertainty. Each day it seems that more and more crises are coming to the fore: incoming climate disaster, rampant xenophobia, growing economic discontent. Yet the approach by many political leaders to this rapidly-changing environment is the same as it has been for decades: maintain stability, keep law and […]
Race Based Affirmative Action Has Run Its Course
One of the aspects of American governmental institutions that doesn’t get enough attention is the lack of an intersectional approach to juridical issues that arise out of society. We have never been known to be able to take a multifaceted approach to any issue, especially when it comes to race relations. With years and years […]
Beating Trump: Five Things Democrats Need To Do Before 2020
Beating Trump in 2020 will not be easy. If there is anything that the Democrats should’ve learned from 2016, this is probably it. The truth is Donald Trump is a much better politician than many of us give him credit for. He is savvy and has great political instincts along with unmatched abilities to manipulate the […]
Why Being ‘Woke’ Is Not Enough
As we inhabit the most polarized political environment our nation has faced since the Civil War, we must work towards unity by questioning everything — our institutions, values, one another, our systems of thought, and even our language. Looking inwards means evaluating all that is political in order to cleanse and remove that which does […]
Femicide in Mexico: What Happens when the State Looks the Other Way
Laura Velazquez had to identify her sister Diana’s body by her braids because her face and torso were left unrecognizable. Diana left her house in Chimalhuacan, Mexico, on July 2, 2017, where she was raped and choked to death by multiple men. Now, almost two years later, the authorities still have not found her murderers, […]
Overprotective Parents and a New Generation of American Children
The beginning of the year 2014 was marked by a peculiar event. In an appellate court decision, a mother was found guilty of abuse and neglect for leaving her toddler in the car while she went into a store for five to ten minutes. Although the toddler was deemed to have been in no imminent […]
Malaysia: Lessons on Institutional Roadblocks to Climate Change Adaptation
It is one of the world’s most tragic ironies that the most detrimental impacts of climate change will accrue to the countries that have had only a minor role in bringing them about. The Southeast Asian island nation of Malaysia is a prime example. The country is already feeling the disastrous effects of climate change: […]
What Gene-editing in China Reveals About Progress and Risk
On November 25, 2018, a Chinese researcher by the name of He Jiankui released a video of himself detailing the process through which he edited the genes of a set of twin girls. Against the backdrop of various scientific instruments and with a disarming smile, He reveals how his lab deleted the CCR5 gene in […]
The Positives of Political Polarization
It’s no secret that Americans are extremely anxious about the current state of our political system. Our reasons for this are varied, but perhaps the most frequently discussed is the recent increase in political polarization, or the widening gap in ideology between opposing political viewpoints. Americans are more sharply divided ideologically than at any time […]
Embracing Nationalism in East Africa
On September 16th outside of Ethiopia’s capital, Addis Ababa, leaders of the once exiled Oromo Liberation Front gathered. Scores of supporters came to show their support, and they had not forgotten one thing: the other ethnic tribes in the region were the ones that had displaced them. Some of the supporters began attacking non-Oromo people, […]
Venezuela: A Textbook Case of How Socialism Breeds Dictatorship
With the largest oil reserves in the world, Venezuela was once the wealthiest nation in Latin America. But today, it is experiencing a historic economic collapse that has forced over 2.3 million citizens to flee the country. Since 2013, Venezuela has lost a third of its gross domestic product while inflation rates have soared at […]
Ukraine Wants Weapons, and NATO Should Give it to Them
Four years after Russia violated Ukraine’s territorial integrity and seized the Crimean Peninsula, it is clear that Putin got exactly what he wanted—and at little cost. While Russia used direct and decisive military action, the international community responded with underwhelming sanctions and words of admonishment. Years later, Ukraine remains tormented by constant attacks from pro-Russian […]
The Tyranny of Microaggression
On university campuses, increasingly within social interactions, and now potentially in large corporations, there has been a movement that should be cause for concern. This movement, which stems largely from the principles of PC culture, is the growing preoccupation with retaliating against microaggressions–defined as “comments or actions that subtly and often unconsciously or unintentionally express […]
Creating A College Admissions Process Based On Disadvantage
Affirmative action policies have been adopted by universities across the country for at least four decades, in the hopes of ensuring a diverse campus by creating an equal playing field. The motivation behind these policies is admirable. As someone who was born in a country where over 98 percent of the population shares the same […]
Our Unbridled ‘Protector’: The U.S. Intelligence Community
This November, the Central Intelligence Agency was forced to release a 90 page document. They did so begrudgingly, because in this document were the detailed reports of decades of experimentation on prisoners with the purpose of creating a “truth serum.” In the report, they discussed trapping prisoners in coffin-like boxes, repeatedly waterboarding prisoners, and kindly, […]
The World’s Largest Security State Has Created its Own Security Problem
Violence In Western China The capital of the Chinese province of Xinjiang, Urumqi, looks like many Chinese cities. The horizon is full of construction machinery creating new factories, high-rises, and office buildings. More striking is that the streets of the developed sector are largely populated with ethnic Han Chinese. The Chinese government has incentivized Han Chinese to move […]
The Civilian-Military Gap and the Undermining of the US Military
Civilian control of the military is one of the hallmarks of a democratic society. A government whose military is not under civilian control is effectively an authoritarian government, with the power to conduct state-sponsored violence on a whim. As mandated by the Constitution, the U.S. Armed Forces are under complete civilian control, meaning the decisions […]
The Commodification of Activism
When Nike revealed Colin Kaepernick, the former 49ers quarterback, to be the face of their new “Dream Crazy” marketing campaign, they drew a myriad of responses. Some took to social media to express their disbelief by burning all of their Nike gear, while others applauded the company for openly endorsing Kaepernick and his message. President […]
The Political Case Against Impeaching Trump
This summer, Alan Dershowitz, a retired Harvard Law School professor, laid out his case against impeaching President Donald Trump in his new book, The Case Against Impeaching Trump. While he presents a valid case from a legal perspective, the political arguments against impeaching the president may be even stronger. Trump’s Popularity Donald Trump is popular — at […]
The (Limited) Case for Lowering the Voting Age
With a national walkout attracting 3,130 schools and a March For Our Lives rally which gathered hundreds of thousands of people, the momentum for gun control reform after Parkland seems unprecedented. Yet what is most perplexing to people is not how this movement came to be, but who it is spearheaded by. It’s not politicians, […]
Uncharted Waters
The last time you used Facebook, it is entirely possible that like any normal social media user, you saw a cute picture or an interesting post and reacted by clicking the like button or commented how you felt about it. Sounds pretty innocent, right? False. The recent Cambridge Analytica scandal has revealed that not only […]
The Politics of Code: An Exploration of Technological Activism
“Slacktivism” has become a common term to reference individual efforts to use social media platforms as a means of political activism. This is often further characterized by inaction other than sharing political opinions on social media. As a result, people have stopped viewing technology as something with innate political utility but instead see it as […]
The Political Is Not Personal: Neoliberalism and Today’s March Culture
“The personal is political”. With its roots in 70s second-wave and intersectional feminism, this phrase is found everywhere in our current political discourse. In any march or protest you go to, it’s likely that you’ll see it some sign or banner. Its ubiquity can be attributed to its effectiveness: few other phrases capture so well […]
Legalizing Trafficking: Iran’s Unjust Organ Market and Why Legal Selling of Organs Should Not be The Resolve
Celeste Lee has been patiently waiting for a kidney for over 20 years. She was just 17 when an autoimmune disease wrecked her kidney Function, and since then has been relying on a transplanted kidney to keep her alive. Celeste’s story is not uncommon. Around 4,500 people die annually waiting for a kidney transplant. Along […]
Development: A Dam Problem
It seems odd to juxtapose “environment” with “refugee”. The environment is a set of conditions that cultivate the life of beings. By definition, it is suited to the livelihoods of certain humans, just as humans are suited to their environments. Both participate in a symbiotic relationship, so the term “environmental refugee” indicates a very […]
Queering Sexual Education: The Push for Comprehensive Sex Ed
In 2015, the Supreme Court of the United States ruled that states must uphold same-sex marriages. Since then, the conversations regarding queerness in America have diminished from rallying cries to whispers. The lack of policy-oriented conversations addressing queer concerns gives the impression that queerness is no longer ostracized –which is wholly […]
Venezuela’s Humanitarian Crisis: Not The Exception, But The Rule.
As Syrian refugees continue to arrive in battered dinghies to the shores of Europe, a migration of similar urgency is taking place in Latin America. The Venezuelan crisis has its roots in the poor transfer of dictatorial power and an over-reliance on oil exports. However, this issue of politics and economics has transformed into a […]
No Nation For Indian Women
With India nearing general elections in 2019, one is forced to look back on where Modi’s revolutionary government has brought us. While it has been generally accepted that the status of ethnic groups such as Muslim and Dalit minorities have declined, another group that has arguably faced increased marginalisation is women. Hindu nationalism or Hindutva […]
Afghan War: the Never Ending Struggle
The US war in Afghanistan is now entering its sixteenth year. Countless lives and tax dollars have been spent fighting it. Yet, despite administrative changes at the federal level and fresh vows to bring an end to the war, the US is still embroiled in a painfully long struggle with no exit strategy in sight. […]
‘The Creeping Iron In The Soul’ : Babri Masjid in 2018
“It is not madness; not lunacy. It is the creeping iron in the soul.” In December 1992, India was shaken awake by the news of 150,000 Hindu nationalists ruthlessly tearing down a mosque built in the 16th Century- Babri Masjid (Babri Mosque)- in order to build a temple on the disputed land. Secular segments of […]
Trump’s Twitter Regime: Empowering the People, Killing the Press
The president and the press are entrenched in a strenuous game of cat and mouse. It’s a trial of wits in which each president seeks to promote their version of factual truths to the populace without interference from the press. This media avoidance has been practiced throughout history in notable ways: Franklin D. Roosevelt’s fireside […]
Quit Kashmir: Ending the Brutal Occupation in South Asia
In 1947, the political landscape of South Asia transformed as the fight for independence triumphed. The demands of Indians everywhere who had taken to the streets and implored the British to “Quit India” were finally heard. British colonial rule of India came to a complete halt with the passage of the Indian Independence Act, commonly […]
The Trouble of Localism in Hong Kong
A giant locust sits perched upon a mountain, the Hong Kong cityscape in the distance. Next to it, bold black lettering asks, “Are you willing to let Hong Kong spend a million Hong Kong dollars every eighteen minutes on bringing up anchor babies?” Spanning a full page, this provocative advert ran in the popular Chinese-language […]
The State of Pakistani Democracy
Democracies are built on the backs of ideals. As democracies get stronger, so do the institutions and ideals they are built upon. However, the international community has recently seen even the most resilient democracies fracture under the weight of anti-democratic forces. Take India and Turkey as examples, where strong-arm leaders have gained control, and have […]
Why isn’t the United States Killing the Death Penalty?
At 2:19 pm on February 14th, I was basking under the pleasant skies on memorial glade, a common pastime of any Berkeley student on a sunny day. At 2:19 pm on February 14th, Nikolas Cruz had entered Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School with the intention of committing murder. The current discourse surrounding the Parkland high school […]
China paves the way, will Asia follow?
China’s rise as a world power has been comprehensive to say the least. Alongside its growing powerhouse of an economy comes its political ambitions to assert dominance. Nothing new, one would assume. However Xi Jinping’s soft power initiatives in Africa, Latin America and most importantly, in his own backyard, Asia, show a shift in the […]
A Call for Caution: India’s Aadhaar
India is a land of dualities. Venture into New Delhi, and one can see the smog create a portrait with the fiery sunset, hear the chimes of temple bells form a paean mixed with the deafening honks of the traffic, and experience order among a chaotic mass of people.India is a complex society that necessitates […]
When Universalism Met Culture
As I read the story of Aasia Bibi, the 17-year-old Pakistani girl who unintentionally poisoned and killed 17 members of her family in her attempt to escape the prospect of an arranged marriage, I wonder how many South Asian women have contemplated the same. As a South Indian woman myself, talk of my marriage is […]
Iraq’s Kurds: Questions on Self-Determination
Kurdish independence has arguably been one of the most long-standing struggles for self-determination. But with independence referendums taking flight across the world, what makes the Iraqi Kurds’ claim to autonomy more, or less, legitimate? The answer some use is ethnicity. Others look to the historical persecution of the Kurds. These two reasons don’t exist in […]
Homo Hominibus Tigris: Xi Jinping and the Rise of the Good Dictator
To the countries of the Western world, where the ancient Greek traditions of democratic governance have institutionalized over centuries, China is a peculiar, if not an intimidating, case against the conventional truth that democracy is good for humanity. American exceptionalism tells us that democracy is essential for economic growth, for the establishment of a just […]
Myanmar’s Swiss Cheese Democracy
The atrocities facing Rohingya Muslims, both inside the Rakhine state of Myanmar and those fleeing into Bangladesh as refugees, are well documented by now. And so is the blanket denial of the government, represented by its de facto leader and the 1991 Nobel Peace Prize winner, Aung San Suu Kyi. While world leaders are […]
The Dangers of Techno-Optimism
It’s no secret that the internet age has given rise to a generation of clickbait articles, which aim to draw people in with eye-catching, irresistible headlines. Amongst these are ‘news’ posts documenting humanity’s technological progression, where sites like Futurism tease their audiences with topics on stopping aging or bionic eyesight. While this journalistic niche seems […]
Front Lines: The Weak Defence for ‘Human Shields’
Picture this: a young man, branded with a nondescript sign on his chest, being paraded through villages and neighbourhoods as he only just manages to stay on the jeep that he has been so carelessly tied to. The use of civilians as ‘human shields’ in times of conflict and war is not novel or particular […]
A Wedding Cake and The Supreme Court
To Jack Phillips, his cake is his canvas. From his intricately designed cakes and pastries, it is easy to see that his baked goods display a high mastery of skill. He considers his pastries to be his art, and his store to be a private entity reflective of his values. The question is, does his “art” and […]
The North Korean Nuclear Crisis: Where to Go From Here
On September 15th, North Korea fired an intercontinental ballistic missile over the Japanese island of Hokkaido for the second time in the span of three weeks. This provocative launch comes just four days after the U.N. Security Council’s unanimous adoption of new U.S.-drafted sanctions on North Korea. Despite the new sanctions’ unprecedented severity and the […]
Pakistan’s “Godfather” Bites The Dust
Pakistan’s former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif was ousted in July this year on allegations of corruption and money laundering. The Panama Papers leak linking Sharif and his family to several offshore companies sparked a Supreme Court inquiry into their financial dealings over the years. The case, however, quickly started to resemble a reality tv […]
Are You #MakingADifference?
Over the past decade, voluntourism has become a dirty word in the world of development. You may have encountered it in updated Facebook profile pictures. Or an advertisement selling idealism through service projects to Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania Africa. Or, maybe, you watched ‘Who Wants To Be A Volunteer’; a satire of the stereotypes perpetuated by volunteers […]
To Fund or Not to Fund
How should society determine its priorities? Should government invest only in services that yield a quantifiable, measurable benefit? Or, should government also recognize the importance of things that, while gratifying to the soul, are not as clearly utilitarian? For decades, the arts have been lumped in with the second category. Museums, theaters, galleries, and other […]
A House Divided: What Must Be Done to Achieve Campus Détente
Note: The views in this article are those of the author alone, and do not represent the views of any organization in any official capacity. A favorite talking point of the Right is that students at liberal universities, Berkeley especially, live in a bubble. Whenever the students of UC Berkeley embarrass themselves in front of […]
A Dance with the Devl(in): Insight to the Fracturing of the Berkeley College Republicans and How It’s Still Dangerous
Note: The views in this article are those of the author alone, and do not represent the views of any organization in any official capacity. Even to outsiders, it is hard to miss the drama surrounding the Berkeley College Republicans that has drawn national attention by inviting controversial speakers and giving rise to protests that […]
The Beef Ban: A Symbol of Hindutva and a Threat to Indian Democracy
Contrary to what one might imagine associated with no-meat and no-beef movements in the West, such as animal rights and veganism, the connotations of restrictions on cow slaughter in India are very different. Instead, the news conjures up images of murder and lynchings, of executions without trial for a crime that isn’t legally penalized. […]
The Environment Isn’t Doomed Yet
Washington is no longer in tandem with a majority of American citizens. Less than 30% of the American population endorses Trump’s decision to forego a global leadership opportunity for the nation by exiting the Paris Agreement. Donald Trump’s announcement that the U.S. will exit the Paris Agreement was shocking and disheartening, but it isn’t the […]
China’s Quest for Soft Power
In order for China to compete with the scale and magnitude of United States’ soft power, it must increase its investment in the renewable energy sector. Although China has made considerable strides in heightening its presence in solar and wind energy in the past decade, it must become the foremost name in clean energy in […]
Populism’s Rise, Humanity’s Fall
Overused is the famous question, ‘What’s in a name?’ Yet, when looking at the United Nations, the question seems most appropriate. The organization is supposed to be a collection of nation states that are united in common causes such as ending world hunger, stopping the proliferation of weapons that threaten humanity, and working to mitigate […]
When the Fox Met the Golden Bear: Former Mexican President Vicente Fox Wasn’t Ready for Cal
Reflections Upon Vicente Fox’s Speech at UC Berkeley: April 19, 2017 One word comes to mind upon seeing Vicente Fox in the flesh: charming. Tall and straight, boasting a full head of hair and an impressive mustache, the 55th president of Mexico does not look his seventy-four years. His age isn’t reflected in his […]
Montgomery, Alabama – Race Relations and Reforms
“The only way to solve the problem is to admit we have a problem,” said Montgomery County Executive, Ike Leggett, at the town hall. So what is the problem? On July 19, 2016, Montgomery County organized a town-hall discussion at the Silver Spring Civic Center to allow residents to express their concerns about local police, […]
The Challenges of Myanmar’s Fledgling Democracy
For the future of Myanmar’s democracy, the military should be separated from politics in the interest of human rights and stability. Moreover, the United States, a self-styled guardian of democratic sentiments, must not be a bystander while a domestic crisis bordering on genocide unfolds in Myanmar. Since 2011, Myanmar has been in the throes of […]
A New Sino-Soviet Split
Trump’s policy of pursuing closer relations with Russia has been the center of much ridicule, often dismissed without any consideration. Yet, if carried out correctly, it could become the next diplomatic revolution. Today, the United States is stuck in a quandary. Its two biggest rivals, China and Russia, are growing closer and closer together. In […]
Of Miscreants and Malignancy
Something is rotten in the state of the Union. Our leaders are more concerned about making the other side look bad than they are about effective governance, and have forgotten that they were elected to make mature decisions about the nation’s future. Politicians use underhanded methods and baiting tactics to produce “gotcha” moments for the […]
Donald Trump and the Future of US-India Ties
US-India bilateral relations have been tumultuous since the conception of two nascent nation-states, India and Pakistan, in 1947. A primarily socialist India found a strong ally in communist regimes such as the USSR. Pakistan, toeing the line of Cold War politics, became a traditional ally of the US. 1991 ushered in the collapse of the […]
Unethical Yet Unsurprising: The GOP’s Latest Blow to Planned Parenthood
Were you to search for online testimonials of people who have received services from Planned Parenthood, you would find results overwhelmingly inspirational and hopeful, ranging from stories of women from strict religious families receiving birth control pills and becoming the first in their family to not become a teenage mother to college students getting STI […]
Milo’s (Biblically?) Predestined Fall from Grace
For a British editor of a far-right, highly disreputable news source, Milo Yiannopoulos has certainly been gracing headlines of leading U.S. papers far more than expected. Then again, we’re living in a world where Breitbart News founding member and former executive chair Steve Bannon is widely considered the most powerful man in the White House. […]
Are Asians apolitical and other musings
I was browsing Facebook when I came across Jesse Watters’ “Chinatown segment” from the O’Reilly Show on Fox News. I had some time so I decided to watch it. As the camera panned to Chinatown, New York, a stereotypical Oriental riff chimed in the background. Watters’ first words? “Am I supposed to bow when I say […]
Duterte’s Unlikely Pivot to China
“America has lost,” President Duterte of the Philippines said to China’s top leaders in Beijing this October. As the leader of the oldest American ally in Asia, Rodrigo Duterte’s speech and behavior have been regarded by many as outlandish. Duterte’s anti-American rhetoric has warned international observers about a geopolitical tectonic shift, one in which the Philippines […]
The Park Administration and the Fragility of South-Korean Democracy
Park Geun-Hye, the 11th President of South Korea. Democracy is fragile. In many countries, it took years—most often decades—of struggle to achieve transparent rule of the people. It requires hundreds and thousands of burnt, bruised, tear-gassed, and bloody bodies to overthrow a hierarchical dictatorship and establish fair, representative governance. However, just like a beautiful glass […]
China’s 1%: The Rich Chinese Kids of Instagram
Coco the Alaskan malamute poses with her eight new iPhone 7s. For the past two decades, China’s growth has shot upwards at a dizzying speed. Under the revolutionary leader Deng Xiaoping, the traditionally Communist and centrally-planned country executed successful economic reforms in record time. The successive regimes of Jiang Zemin, Hu Jintao, and now Xi […]
A Drone Before Noon
Humankind has always wished to take to the skies. The innovations of Abbas ibn Firnas and the Wright Brothers have captured the imaginations of millions, as their contributions to flight technologies gave us a chance to soar through the clouds. Today, this technology is used to transport millions around the globe, allowing passage from New […]
The Death of the Conventional Politician
“Hitler massacred three million Jews. Now, there is three million drug addicts. I’d be happy to slaughter them.”- Rodrigo Duterte, Incumbent Philippian President. “When Mexico sends it people, they’re not sending their best. They’re not sending you. They’re sending people that have lots of problems, and they’re bringing those problems with us. They’re bringing drugs. […]
If He’s Messed Up, You’re to Blame
In the parlance of Donald J. Trump, ‘many people are saying’ how the candidacy he has waged is unprecedented, incomprehensible, and astounding. The narrative goes that never in the history of the Republic has a candidate come about with such an unintelligible policy platform or knack for the offensive and absurd. The Access Hollywood tape depicting Trump’s already well-documented misogynistic folksiness […]
Modi’s 500 Rupee Solution for Ending Corruption
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi took over screens in an unscheduled television address on the evening of November 8th and announced the invalidation by midnight of the 500 and 1000 rupee bills, currently the largest bills in circulation. Talks about the ban had been taking place for a while, but any actual confirmation was kept […]
Hillary Clinton’s Brand of Nationalism
In the February of 1942, a mere two months after the attack on Pearl Harbor, 127,000 people of Japanese descent were rounded up from all along the west coast, and were subsequently marched into American internment camps. Though these individuals included fathers and mothers, sons and daughters, from a myriad of backgrounds, they shared one […]
Monsanto’s Plight: Seeds of Anger
When the rich and powerful try to work together to become even bigger, backlash can be expected. German pharmaceutical giant Bayer’s agreed acquisition of American agricultural biochemical company Monsanto for $66 billion (a $128/share valuation) was no exception. The impending Bayer-Monsanto merger has already acquired negative reviews, in part due to antitrust concerns and in […]
Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act: The Bad and the Ugly
Advocates of the Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act protest President Obama’s veto outside the White House. Stephanie DeSimone was pregnant when her husband, Navy Commander Patrick Dunn was killed at the Pentagon in the September 11 attacks in 2001. 15 years later, in 2016, DeSimone filed a lawsuit against the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. […]
Taiwan’s President Must Prove She Can Lead
On May 20th this year, I landed in Taiwan’s Taoyuan Airport, full of excitement because I was finally able to live through a historic moment. It was Tsai Ing-wen’s inauguration day. Taiwan’s first female president, Tsai of the Democratic Progressive Party, came across as a capable, pragmatic politician, famously known for her pro-independence stance about […]
A Middle Ground for Snowden
Three years ago, Edward Snowden shocked the world with his revelation of NSA mass surveillance programs. Now he wants to come home. As a new wave of public debate surrounding privacy and national security takes place, now is the best time for the U.S. government and Mr. Snowden to find a common ground. The U.S. […]
The Ill-Named Item Number
Kareena Kapoor, a famous Bollywood actress, is seen in the still above performing the item number “Fevicol Se” in the film Dabangg 2. A colorful brothel. Scantily dressed women. Intoxicated men ogling prostitutes. These set the scene for one of the most popular item numbers in Bollywood, “Munni Badnaam Hui” from the 2010 movie Dabangg. […]
Nothing is Fair, Sanctions or War
At the ripe age of 12, most American kids are concerned with making friends at school or convincing their parents to let them see R rated movies. When Joseph Kim was 12, he was solely concerned with survival. Joseph grew up at the height of North Korea’s decades’ long drought in the 1990s. Before even making […]
The British Identity Crisis
Boris Johnson, the new foreign-secretary of Britain, was the driving leader of the Brexit campaign. It is yet another night in London, when the usually busy and crabby British gather in local pubs to loosen their ties and sip on bitter beers. The slightest mention of politics or Brexit has people roll their eyes and […]
Why the CCP’s Days are Numbered
Barricades in the streets. Chaos everywhere. A few officials frantically working to stall the impending storm. No, this isn’t the rebel base under attack in The Empire Strikes Back. This is Hong Kong, 2016. The Empire is the Chinese Communist Party, and its archenemy is time. In 2014, the Chinese Communist Party proposed that Hong […]
India: The Development Partner Africa Needs
The beginning of the 21st century saw a drastic increase in the diplomatic activity between India and African nations, resulting from India’s drive to heighten its engagement with Africa. The First Indian Africa Forum Summit (IAFS) was held in 2008 and witnessed the participation of over 14 African nations. Subsequently, the initiative grew due to […]
Bride Kidnapping: Can the West Make a Difference?
TW: Kidnapping, Sexual Assault, Physical/Emotional Abuse In 1997, Aberash Bekele of southern Ethiopia was walking home from school with several friends. A girl of 14, Aberash was abducted by men on horses wielding whips and lassos. One of her captors, who intended to marry her, spent that afternoon beating and raping her. The following morning, […]
On Brexit: Did Britain defy expectations or fulfill them by choosing to leave the E.U.?
In headlines across lands so expansive that the sun never sets upon them, the United Kingdom chose to leave the European Union in a national referendum on June 23, 2016. For those of you who, like numerous British citizens, are wondering what exactly this means or why everybody of every nationality seems to have such […]
Cut Out the Middle Man
How Elections Hurt Our Democracies Representative democracy began thousands of years ago in the Roman Republic. The Romans favored this system over the direct democracy of the Greeks, for good reason: being bigger than the Greek city-states, it was impractical to have everyone vote on every issue. Also, it made sense for the richest and […]
Lady Politics: What It Means to be the First Lady in the Twenty-First Century
Ted Cruz and Donald Trump recently had an epic throwdown through Twitter—and this time, their wives were involved. The first punch came from the Cruz’s side, though Ted Cruz publicly announced that it was not issued by his official campaign team. It was a nude GQ Britain photo of Melania Trump, Donald Trump’s wife and […]
North Korea’s Nuclear program: time for a new strategy
January 7th, 2016: North Korea announced that it had just conducted its first successful test of the hydrogen bomb, a weapon estimated to have the destructive power of 9 kilotons of TNT. World leaders protested the tests in unison. Brazil said that the situation was cause for “great concern,” Russia condemned the nuclear tests as […]
Renewing and Rewriting Our Vows to the Constitution
America loves the Constitution. The centuries old parchment captivates the reverence of every demographic: from Democrats to Republicans and Socialists to Tea-Partiers. Newly naturalized citizens and members of our highest offices alike swear allegiance to the document; junior high students memorize its beloved framers and many amendments. Iconic phrases such as “We the People” create […]
A Case for Opening the Great Firewall
“Across the Great Wall we can reach every corner in the world,” read the first email from China to Germany in 1987. Today, the prophecy looks rather ironic; China’s internet censorship protocol, “the Great Firewall,” blocks Chinese netizens from Google, Facebook, and the rest of the world. To ask for total internet freedom is impractical, […]
The Social Bad in Selling Social Good
March 2014: I’m at Seattle’s We Day, the flashy event celebrating youth public service that happens in stadiums in various big cities every spring. In one of the more surreal experiences of my life, I take pictures with Seahawks coach Pete Carroll and Martin Luther King III in a backstage dressing room, slightly insulated from […]
On Palliative Care in the United States
A few months ago, I had the opportunity to shadow an oncologist, a physician who treats cancer patients. From day one, he emphasized how much suffering there was in his profession, particularly in his specialty. It was sad to watch these patients agonize through chemotherapy and radiation therapy, as treatment regimens sapped their vitality. As […]
Doomed to Fail: why Hong Kong’s street protests hurt more than they help
Fires, tension, warning shots fired into the night: the 2016 “fishball riot” is the latest in a long line of destructive clashes between democratic activists and the Hong Kong police. Unfortunately, the violence is sending Hong Kong down a path democracy can’t follow. 2016 marks the 19th year Hong Kong has been part of China; […]
A Horrifying Reality: A Favorite Nobel Laureate presiding over Internment Camps
Given the choice of exile or imprisonment, Aung San Suu Kyi chose to suffer fifteen years as a political prisoner in defiance to Myanmar’s brutal military dictatorship. The world needs more of such selfless devotion to democracy and human rights in the face of certain opposition. This November, in the first free elections in a […]
Politicians, Capitalism, and the Dying Earth: Why the 2015 Paris Climate Agreement Became a Roadblock
“We do not inherit the Earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson When the 2015 Paris Climate Agreement was finalized on December 12th, 2015, politicians, the media, and various non-profit groups from around the world heralded the agreement as a momentous occasion for international cooperation. U.S. Secretary of State […]
A Symbiotic Relationship: Why Industry Should Increase Funding for University Research
Intellectual property has always been a controversial topic. However, this controversy is usually reserved for intellectual property in the form of books, movie, patents, etc. Some results from research are considered general knowledge, open for use by society. Thus, there is no particular protection of this information. In some ways, that’s a good thing, since […]
The Woes of the Model Minority: The Dual Existence of Asian-Americans in the United States
On January 9th, 1966, the New York Times Magazine published an article by sociologist William Petersen called “Success Story, Japanese-American Style.” In the article, Petersen wrote that Japanese-Americans, despite enduring the “most discrimination and the worst injustices” of WWII-era internment, have achieved great success in America “by their own almost totally unaided effort.” Petersen goes on […]
When News Speaks for the Party
“I don’t trust WeChat anymore,” a friend told me. “It’s terrifying.” She had recently updated the popular Chinese instant messaging app on her iPhone and was logged out because she forgot her password. WeChat instructed her to choose three friends for identity verification. It then sent texts to her friends, including me, with verification codes. […]
Making the Change: Why the ICD-10 Couldn’t Come Sooner
If you have ever gone to the doctor’s office, chances are an ICD code, critical to your health care and billing, was used. The ICD stands for the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems. The 10th revision, the ICD-10, was finally adopted by the U.S. on October 1, 2015. Specifically, the U.S. […]
“There’s An App For That”
On a typical weekday from 4 to 8 p.m., the streets of San Francisco bustle with food delivery cars, each carrying a colorful trademark of an on-demand food delivery business. A red flag means Spoonrocket. A large M means Munchery. A green leaf means Sprig. These cars carry chef-prepared gourmet food, delivered on-demand to the […]
The Art of Unapologizing
Political apologies are flawed, especially from the perspective of comfort women. About 20,000 women and girls were taken against their will to “comfort stations” throughout East Asia to provide sexual service to Japanese troops before and during WWII. The sacrifice of these “comfort women” were not formally recognized until fifty years after the war: the Kono […]
Trade, Oppression and Uncle Sam
The belief in American superiority poisons nearly all public debate in the United States. In recent months, the effect of this belief has become painfully clear in respect to the debate surrounding the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) — a debate, in which opponents and proponents alike refract their arguments through thick lenses of American nationalism. […]
Gun Violence and the American Mind
“Reform the mental health care system.” Time and time again, this has been the right-wing response to mass shootings. From three years ago, when 26 lives were lost at Sandy Hook Elementary School, to more recently, when ten people were killed at Umpqua Community College, right-wing politicians have consistently shifted blame onto the American system of […]
A Dying King, a Rising Military
Thailand is standing on the cusp of its most decisive event in modern history: the approaching death of King Bhumibol. The struggle for control and power has already started and includes a military coup, a populist billionaire politician in exile and a playboy Crown Prince with a pet poodle named Air Chief Marshal Foo Foo. […]
A Second Look: Shaping Public Opinion
By now, most of the world has heard the story of Ahmed Mohamed. On September 14, 2015, this high school freshman brought a homemade clock contraption, complete with a ticking timer, to school. A teacher who thought the device was suspicious reported it to the principal, who then called police. Police questioned Ahmed for about […]
Putting a Price on Life
The cost of medical treatment in the United States may be more of a headache than the health problem itself. Insurance prices are extremely high, but if one doesn’t buy insurance, s/he can be hit with even higher out-of-pocket expenses in case of a medical emergency. The need for the United States to reform its […]
Our renminbi. Your problem.
“If an alien landed on earth they would be puzzled by its international financial institutions as China is grossly underrepresented” (BBC). In fact, it’s not just China; the vast majority of Asian countries are severely underrepresented in international financial institutions such as the International Monetary Fund (IMF), though Asia is home to the world’s fastest […]
The Silent Plea of America’s New Mothers
In the U.S., the fight for women’s rights in the workplace has come a long way. In 1963, Congress passed the Equal Pay Act, protecting women’s rights to be paid equal wages as men. In 1978, the Pregnancy Discrimination Act was passed, banning workplace discrimination based on pregnancy. In 2015, King v. Burwell upheld the […]
Barking up the Wrong Tree
All dog lovers like myself would agree that there exists no worse scenes than those taking place in summertime Yulin, where puppies were tortured, beaten, and even boiled and skinned alive to please local residents’ appetite. This year, Yulin’s annual dog meat festival consumed approximately 10,000 dogs, sparking more controversy than ever. Provocative descriptions of […]
Picket Signs Over Gavels
In the beginning of 2015, the Swedish foreign minister, Margot Wallström, described the Saudi Arabian judicial system as “medieval.” Since then, she has been portrayed both as a culturally insensitive Islamophobe and as champion of human rights. The Guardian, for example, called her “magnificently undiplomatic.” But Margot Wallström is neither an Islamophobe nor is she […]
Bringing Down the House
If the Greek fraternity system is molding the leaders of tomorrow, then tomorrow is going to look an awful lot like the past. Modern American society has been at war with backwards “isms”, including exclusivism, sexism, and racism. We fight these wrongs in the name of progress. We rightly champion the American values of merit, […]
Popping the Berkeley Bubble
“So…why’d you pick Berkeley?” my new friend asks, looking at me over the rims of his glasses. It’s a frequently asked question during Welcome Week, the favorite of awkward strangers-turned-conversationists in the dorms. Walking down Telegraph Avenue, I think about the answer as I take in the melange of people and activities around me. There’s […]
The High Cost of Threats: Sino-Israeli Relations
Say “economic sanctions” and three countries come to mind: Russia, Iran, and North Korea. Sanctions are usually reserved for historically hostile regimes, not long-time allies. Yet Obama administration and other Western European nations are threatening to impose sanctions on Israel, with the assumption that Israel is so dependent on Western markets that it will have […]
“Under the Dome”
China’s internet censors strike again, and this time, the country’s already deteriorating environment becomes the victim of their restrictive policies. A newly released documentary, “Under the Dome,” instantly went viral on the internet as the most thorough investigation of China’s pollution problems. In its first week the documentary attracted more than twenty millions viewers and […]
A Story of Sisyphus – Islamophobia
The start of 2015 has been wrought with extremism: from the Charlie Hebdo attacks to an increasingly violent ISIS, Islam has began the year with an increasingly detrimental reputation for terrorism and chaos. However, in light of the recent tragedy in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, where a Caucasian man murdered three Muslim university students, important questions […]
LGBT Rights for the New Political Generation
Following Oregon Governor John Kitzhaber’s resignation from office on February 18, Kate Brown became the first openly bisexual governor in the history of the United States. Oregonians were already prepared for a bisexual governor though; not only was Portland’s former mayor, Sam Adams, involved in a gay sex scandal early in 2009, but the current […]
e-Estonia: A Model for Success
At the outset of World War II, Adolf Hitler and Joseph Stalin approved the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, the famous non-aggression pact that divided Europe into German and Soviet spheres of influence. The treaty was predicated on the assumption that the two great powers would achieve preeminence on the European continent, and following the war, the Soviet […]
A Not So Innocuous Crisis
The horrific nationwide outbreak in measles has caused a renewed interest and discussion regarding vaccinations of such diseases. While in 2013 there were just under 200 reported cases in the United States, there were around 650 cases in 2014, and in the first two months of the 2015 calendar year, there have already been 173 cases across […]
American Sniper: Opposing Scopes
From The Hurt Locker to Zero Dark Thirty, military combat films have become increasingly controversial in the media. But has political correctness gone too far or can these films divorce politics from art? Staff writers Adora Svitak and Jordan Ash offer contesting views of the Oscar-nominated movie American Sniper.
A New Reign in Saudi Arabia
On January 23rd, the global political sphere lost one of its longest standing participants when Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud passed away. King Abdullah, by the age of 90, had officially ruled the kingdom of Saudi Arabia since 2005, but since the nineties effectively managed domestic, security and foreign policy affairs in […]
Cruel and Unusual
How many deaths is the U.S. Food and Drug Administration directly responsible for every year? This question may strike you as facetious. After all, it’s the FDA’s mission to protect and advance public health. The regulatory and enforcement powers granted to the FDA in the 1938 Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act were a result […]
In Defense of Beauty Pageants
The bright beams of the stage lights focus on my face as I strut into the glare with a smile, grinning at my opponents and staring into the eyes of my judges with resolute confidence. I accept the microphone and speak with grace and emphasis. I speak of my goals: to attend U.C. Berkeley, to […]
Not Another Hashtag: Social Media’s Failure to Fight #BokoHaram
The power of social media can only extend so far. While our tweets, Facebook statuses, and tumblr posts may be effective at generating publicity, their effectiveness at actually catalyzing change is questionable. A recent example of social media’s failure to catalyze tangible change is the “Bring Back Our Girls” campaign that dominated twitter this past […]
Power Move: Scottish Independence
The recent Independence Referendum in Scotland, where voters flocked to the polls to answer a deceivingly simple question, “Should Scotland be an independent country?” failed by a comfortable margin. 44.7 percent of voters, about 1.6 million, answered yes, while the remaining 55.3 percent of voters, around 2 million, answered no. The week leading up to […]
The Anti-Israel Alias: The European Disguise for Anti-Semitism
Europeans insist that since World War II, their society has largely overcome any remaining anti-Semitic biases, and has successfully transformed into a progressive, tolerant culture. This widespread belief can be attributed to European leaders who have publicly attacked anti-Semitism and promoted meaningful discussions about the Holocaust, as well as the existence of numerous laws against Holocaust denial. However, twenty-first century […]
The Contradictory Legacy of Eric Holder
Eric Holder announced in late September that he would be stepping down from his position as Attorney General. Holder made history as not only the first African American attorney general to serve, but also the third longest serving attorney general in history and the longest standing member of the Obama administration. While Holder made strides […]
Hipsters, Murals, and Putin’s New Youth Movement
It’s easy to see why Russia’s ultranationalist youth groups have earned comparisons to the Hitler Youth. Masterminded in 2005 by Kremlin ideologist and later Deputy Prime Minister Vladislav Surkov, Nashi (“Ours” in English) soon became the largest among the pro-Putin youth groups. In its heyday, it was some 100,000 members strong. Nashi members attended patriotic […]
Children Left Behind: The ADHD Epidemic and Problems in American Education
The morning of October 21st, 2004, a fourteen-year-old named Matthew Hohmann took an Adderall XR pill for ADHD symptoms. His parents saw him down the pill with a cup of water; the next time they saw their son, he was prostrate on the bathroom floor. His lips were blue. He was nonresponsive. Matthew Hohmann died […]
Art of Intervention: The ISIS Threat to China
China’s foreign policy has traditionally revolved around a belief of non-intervention. Their so-called Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence was codified in 1953 and later added to the Preamble of the Chinese Constitution. China’s primary objective is stability, and from their perspective, the surest way to destabilize a region is by intervening militarily. However, despite its […]
An Unnecessary Evil: The Politics of Wild Horse Roundups
The mustang is an iconic symbol of the American West. The horses roam the protected mountains of ten U.S. states with a spirit that makes them legendary. You can even “adopt a living legend” yourself, courtesy of the Federal Bureau of Land Management. What’s concerning, however, is the BLM’s roundups of wild horses, a miles-long […]
Racial Profiling and the Media
Recently, widespread attention has been devoted to instances of racial profiling, about the tragic lives of the victims of racial profiling, about how “wrong” racial profiling is, and about what we, as members of the community, should do to eliminate such activity. There’s just one problem, though. None of this incessant and often repetitive dialogue […]
Death of a Salesman
If I were President Obama, I might be asking myself, “How did I get here?” “What happened to those chanting masses? Where are all those t-shirts? What about the bumper stickers, the signs, the Nobel Peace Prizes? This is not my vision. This is not my changed world. Things are the same as they […]
The Hyde Amendment: Disproportionately Affecting Minority Women Since 1976
In 1976, just three years after the Supreme Court’s groundbreaking decision in Roe v. Wade, Republican congressman Henry Hyde attached a little-known amendment to a Health and Human Services appropriations bill that would shift the course of reproductive justice in the United States for decades to come. The Hyde Amendment banned the use of federal […]
Humanitarian Intervention is a Proactive Approach to Solving the Immigration Crisis
Since last October, the U.S. Border Patrol apprehended over sixty thousand children fleeing abysmal conditions in Central America. These numbers represent an exponential increase in the number of unaccompanied minors seeking refuge in the United States each year from Honduras, Guatemala, and El Salvador. While some politicians have labeled the situation as a pressing national […]
Hasty Military Maneuvers
The global community continues to hear about the escalating conflict between Russia and Ukraine. At the NATO summit in Wales on September 5th, Prime Minister Poroshenko called on NATO nations to come to the defense of Ukraine in light of the latest failed cease–fire. While the conflict between the two countries is becoming increasingly more […]
From “No Means No” to “Yes Means Yes”
If you’re a college student, you’ve most likely heard that “no means no”. Universities around the United States have taken multiple approaches to the sexual assault epidemic affecting our campuses, offering mandatory orientations, campus advocates and social media campaigns, all under the premise that if you’re uncomfortable with something, speak up. But many fail […]
Dress Codes: Foundations of Rape Culture
Recently in Illinois, a middle school banned girls from wearing yoga pants or leggings because they were deemed “too distracting.” While this move was met significant protests from students and parents alike, Illinois is not an isolated incident. Across the nation, schools are banning all types of dresses, shirts, and pants that girls can wear. […]
The UN Security Council Needs Reform, and Fast
The conflict in Syria has resulted in the greatest humanitarian disaster of recent times. In 1945, the global community said ‘never again’ to loss on such a wide scale. They said the same in 1999 after the Rwandan genocide. Despite the loss of over 140,000 lives, the UN’s only decision has been to […]
Has the Supreme Court Decision to Vote Down Section 4 Made America More Racist?
The summer of 2013 was a time of unprecedented judicial decisions. Throughout the months of June and July, the Supreme Court made headlines for its landmark decision to legalize gay marriage. However, the very next day, amidst the celebrations of human rights activists across the country, the Court released another controversial decision; this one wasn’t […]
The Challenges of Allyship: Why Engaging Difference is Difficult, but Necessary
Janet Mock made her major media debut this February by appearing on the CNN prime time talk show, Piers Morgan Live. With a sparkle in her eye and a fierce, determined voice, the charismatic 29 year old writer and activist had an important goal in mind: to be a positive role model for trans women […]
Gerrymandering and the Government Shutdown
The recent government shutdown has severely shaken the American people’s faith in their government (even more so than before), and has people wondering “what happened?” The inability of our elected leaders to keep our government functioning, at the very least, is symptomatic of a much larger problem– the extremely polarized political environment of Washington. […]
Hope for the 12 Million: A Path to Citizenship
Since the failure of the DREAM Act back in 2010, we have yet to see any meaningful or progressive immigration reform policy. While legislation like the KIDS Act is in the works, none offers a solution to the heart of the issue of immigration reform- a comprehensive path to citizenship. Without offering undocumented immigrants a […]
Food Stamps: The Usual Target
This past month Representative Tim Huelskamp from Kansas said the GOP’s plan to cut social programs including the food stamp program (SNAP) meant, “you can no longer sit on your couch…and expect the federal taxpayer to feed you.” His comments echo those of his party, whose main focus since 2010 has been to reduce […]
The Snub Heard ‘Round China
My mom and I seldom talk about politics because of the language barrier and also because I need her to pay my tuition. But a month ago, she asked me why Michelle Obama snubbed Peng Liyuan, the wife of Chinese President Xi Jinping, by not going to the Obama-Xi summit meeting. I told her that […]
Encore: Harvard “History” Professor Niall Ferguson Strikes Again
Harvard “history” professor Niall Ferguson said that John Maynard Keynes was short-sighted because he was gay and childless. Niall Ferguson is a stain on academia; we should not be surprised that he’s tenured at Harvard. Every elite university has its share of controversy. Torture memo author John Yoo still works at Boalt, here in Berzerkeley […]
Tragedies after Tragedy: Ignorance and Blame in the Boston Marathon
Undoubtedly, an act of terrorism is an abominable action. But even as things calm down – suspects caught, victims recovering – a new type of tragedy sets it: American ignorance. Though the Boston bombings left three dead and over two hundred injured, Americans have no right to blame an entire religion or another region of […]
While You Were Sleeping
Last night, holed up in the London Ecuadorian Embassy, Julian Assange attempted once more to set the world alight with the release over 1.7 million U.S. diplomatic cables. This time however, the cables date from 1976, the conflicts and figures involved in the documents are no longer active, and the media, frankly, does not care. […]
Why April 1st? The Politics Behind April Fool’s
We all love the April Fool’s holiday, but how did it come to be? Different explanations abound. One explanation posits that New Year’s Day used to be March 1st in Rome before the Julian reform, and — given that it was a lunar system — this day fell at different points in the solar year […]
Devil’s Advocate: Should editorialists disclose political affiliations?
I wasn’t planning on writing another Devil’s Advocate so soon after the first one, but the combination of disgraced Harvard history professor Niall Ferguson‘s partisan lies about Obama making the cover of Newsweek as “editorial” and UC Berkeley’s own The Daily Californian publishing the anti-marijuana and anti-Rep. Barbara Lee lies of a non-expert named Roger Morgan […]