Searching Indonesia on TikTok once yielded viral videos of an 11-year-old kid racing boats and “aura-farming”. Now, the same search is instead met with clips of burning buildings, demands to the government, and the “Jolly Roger” flag from the 1997 Japanese manga and anime One Piece. These two jarringly different snapshots have one thing in […]
Tag: corruption
The Same Old Corruption Story in Argentina
Corruption in South America is hardly breaking news, but the Milei scandal cuts differently because it was never supposed to happen here. Javier Milei, the President of Argentina, rose to power as a chainsaw-wielding outsider who promised to destroy the “political caste” and end decades of backroom deals. Now, leaked recordings point straight at his […]
The Corruption Blame-Game: San Francisco’s Mayoral Election
Corruption, the age-old critique of local politics. And this year, San Francisco mayoral candidates seem to enjoy singing that worn-out tune. September 19th’s mayoral debate was no exception, with Mayor London Breed being slammed for her involvement in corruption. Breed was quick to dismiss these accusations. She seemed to claim that corruption is a natural […]
Nigeria: How Resource Wealth Trapped a Nation in Neo-Feudalism
In the heart of Lagos, a crowd gathers—voices raised in unison, banners waving with the words ‘End Bad Governance.’ It’s 2024, and Nigerians have had enough. Economic hardship, soaring inflation, and corrupt leadership have driven thousands to the streets. They are protesting against a system where oil wealth trickles up, but never down. Nigeria boasts […]
“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” […]
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 […]
Electricity Shortages Continue to Plague South Africans
Lloyd Albert, who owns two bakeries alongside his brother, is often forced to bake through the night in order to have products to sell during the day. He is in this position because he must plan around South Africa’s regular power outages, which exist as part of a load-shedding program. Like many other South African […]
Guatemala’s “Uncle Bernie” Faces Potential Coup After Presidential Victory
Guatemala is on the verge of a political coup amid election turmoil. In the country’s recent presidential election, progressive candidate Bernardo Arévalo secured his victory with 58% of the votes, defeating the former first lady Sandra Torres’s 37%. The unprecedented victory of this dark horse candidate has provoked wrath and fear in the country’s political […]
FIFA’s Long History of Corruption Amid Qatar Controversy
On November 20th, 2022, the Federation Internationale de Football Association World Cup began. This year, Qatar, a small country of only 11,500 square kilometers (4,440 square miles), roughly the size of Connecticut, is hosting the event throughout five cities. Qatar will be accomplishing a lot of firsts this season, including but not limited to the […]
Israeli Election: Netanyahu’s Comeback Attempt, Plus Far-Right Revival
“Elections have consequences:” Israelis will pick winners today in a contest with the potential to dramatically alter long-standing norms. Today, Ehud, an Israeli construction worker from the small city of Hadera, will vote on his country’s future. What kind of future? He hasn’t decided yet. With over 30 parties vying for parliament, Ehud likely won’t […]
Where Does “Where the Crawdads Sing” Come From?
——— History of Things ——— Any decent murder mystery should begin with a dead body in the woods. That’s how this one starts. In 1994, park scouts shot a man dead in the empty woodlands of North Luangwa National Park, a Zambian nature preserve about the size of Delaware. Squadrons wielded their rifles at the man and […]
Vietnam: Potential Ally or Headache?
The Socialist Republic of Vietnam: once a major battleground of the Cold War, it is now better known as a vacation destination for Westerners with cash to burn. In the new era of tension between China and the West, however, Vietnam has become an increasingly important player in the conflict. As one of the few […]
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 […]
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. […]
Imprisonment of controversial dissenter sparks protests across Russia
Russian politician and activist Alexei Navalny returned to Moscow on January 17, after five months spent recovering in a German hospital from a near fatal poisoning, which he blames on Vladimir Putin. Navalny was immediately arrested upon his return, as the government threatened would happen, and has since been sentenced to a penal colony for […]
Violent protests continue in Peru over government corruption
On November 9th, 2020, the President of Peru, Martín Vizcarra, was ousted from office by the Peruvian Congress. Vizcarra was popular and supported by the majority of constituents due to his pledge to dismantle corruption by government officials. In his place, Congress appointed a little-known politician named Manuel Merino. Both the appointment and his Cabinet […]
The Art of State Engineering
Under the guise of development and democracy, state architecture is being used to conceal the centralization of power in both Malaysia and Singapore as leaders grapple with how to literally engineer the perfect, coordinated society. How does one engineer a harmonious state? Singapore’s People’s Action Party (P.A.P.) and Malaysia’s U.M.N.O. Party will argue that you […]
State Capture: Corruption Personified
Kevin Ramatsi, an 11th grader from South Africa, says corruption takes children away from schooling. “Gangsterism, violence and bullying is prevalent in schools. Kids are not protected. Some of the libraries and computer centres in our schools are not accessible. Now we are being told about the Fourth Industrial Revolution, but some of us we […]
Campaign Finance Remains Biggest Obstacle to Change— Why America Must Rid Itself of Money in Politics
Amidst the flurry of controversy and dissension of the recent Trump-Ukraine scandal came the news that NRA chief Wayne LaPierre offered to bankroll Trump in exchange for Trump halting any attempts to pass gun control reform. This report of a supposed direct quid pro quo for Trump’s legislative inaction came and went, lost in the […]
Corruption: The Gravedigger of Populism?
The surge in the success of right-wing populists has been one of the biggest political developments of this decade, as leaders like Viktor Orbán, Jair Bolsonaro and Donald Trump have all demonstrated the power of appealing to social divisions within society to gain power. Recently, however, another surprising trend has arisen: the implication of right-wing […]
Nigerian Elections: a Divergent Violent Pattern and Future Uncertainty
Nigeria just re-elected Muhammadu Buhari of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for his second four-year term. His opposition in the election, Atiku Abubakar of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), lost in his fifth bid for president. In Nigerian history, the election of incumbents is common, as only one failed reelection bid has occurred since the […]
Murder and Famine: Sand’s Story in 21st Century India
In 2004, Sumaira Abdulali, one of India’s foremost environmental activists, drove to an illegal sand mining site. Upon her arrival, four men, including the son of a local Indian National Congress politician, smashed her side window, dragged her out of the car and beat her in an effort to silence her efforts to stop the […]
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: […]
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 […]
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, […]
Is Justice Bought?
CRIMINAL You’re a drug dealer who’s just been busted for possession with intent to distribute. You started dealing in college to help pay for tuition and promised you would stop after graduation. Beads of sweat shoot down your face as you realize the evidence is stacked against you and could do up to ten years. […]
The Crisis of the African National Congress: The Coming Intraparty Conflict
Upon assuming the South African presidency, Nelson Mandela proclaimed, “The time for the healing of the wounds has come.” At the time, South Africans hoped that the end of apartheid would also bring an end to the civil strife that the country had experienced for so long. During the late 1990s and the early 2000s, […]
România: Fixing a Broken Record
On January 18th 2017, thousands of Romanians swarmed the streets in anger to oppose their government’s reported plans to adopt an emergency law, which would decriminalize forms of corruption if the damages caused amounted to less than $48,000. Though the government withdrew its plans to approve the bill, these protests have now become a nightly […]
Uncle Sam Wants Your Rubles
Good morning, Americans. Or shall I say, доброе утро! Doesn’t it make you feel warm and fuzzy inside to know that since Donald Trump was elected President on November 8, five dozen Russian billionaires have seen their net worths skyrocket by a total of 27 billion dollars? One of these billionaires, an aluminum tycoon […]
The Long Road To Peace In Central America
Can Honduras, Guatemala, and El Salvador Band Together to Banish the Gangs? In November 2016, the three Central American countries of Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador announced the establishment of a multinational taskforce to combat gangs and cross-border violence in the region. The three form Central America’s “Northern Triangle”, a region that often appears in […]
The Third Time’s Not the Charm: Corruption in Somalia’s Election
On February 8th, Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed was elected President of Somalia, defeating the incumbent Hassan Sheikh Mohamud. This was the culmination of the third election cycle since 2009. In 1991, the central government fell to armed opposition groups. Since then, elections have been held in 2009, 2012, and 2017, although the 2009 election had to […]
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 […]
Bolivarianism: A Fanfare for the Common Man?
Hugo Chávez clapping in front of a portrait of Simón Bolívar Not long ago, Venezuela sought to brand itself as a leader, a resurgent power eager to lead the escape from U.S. imperialism towards true Latin independence. With a new constitution and the charismatic Hugo Chávez at the helm, Venezuela underwent extensive political, economic, and […]
South Africa: Demographics and the One-Party State
A voter shows her inked thumb after voting in South Africa’s municipal elections For the party that led South Africa out of Apartheid, a monopoly on the future of South Africa has long been assured — that is, until last August. Taking home only 53.9% of the vote in the municipal elections, the African National […]
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 […]
The Decline of Mugabe and the Political Surge in Zimbabwe: What is to be, or not to be in the post-Mugabe era?
After years of authoritarian rule in Zimbabwe, it looks as though the tide is set to change. Political tension in Zimbabwe was demonstrated in a recent ten-hour long meeting of the country’s ruling party, the Zimbabwe African National Union—Patriotic Front (ZANU–PF). Several party members were either suspended or expelled without being given a chance to argue […]
The Indonesia Experiment
Analyzing the tension between political popularity and economic growth in Indonesia. Indonesia, as some scholars such as Professor Steven Fish of UC Berkeley and Professor Danielle Lussier of Grinell College have said, should never have been a democracy. After the fall of the country’s dictator Suharto in 1998 following a severe economic crisis, Indonesia was the last […]
#VaiaDilma: President Rousseff’s Trust Deficit
Less than five months after voting President Dilma Rousseff into office last October, the Brazilian people have demanded her impeachment. On March 15th, 2015, approximately one million Brazilians, wearing the national colors of green and yellow, took to the streets in a series of nationwide demonstrations and chanted “Out Dilma.” Sao Paulo witnessed the largest […]
The Fall of John Kitzhaber
On February 18th, amid allegations that his wife was inappropriately paid by clean energy companies, Democratic Governor John Kitzhaber of Oregon resigned. The entire affair was a bizarre series of events which took down Oregon’s most experienced politician. At the inaugural address of his 4th term, Kitzhaber stated “[t]his will complete the arc of my […]
A Tale of Two Rulers
Over one and half billion people live in India and Indonesia, two immense nations whose histories have long been intertwined. Last year, in a monumental exercise of democracy, nearly six hundred and ninety million voters went to the polls to elect new leaders in the two countries. In both nations, two challengers who were born […]
Delhi Elections Have Ramifications for All of India
On February 10, the highly anticipated results of the Delhi State Assembly elections in India were announced. It was a rousing victory for the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), led by Arvind Kejriwal, as they won 67 of the 70 assembly seats. Though Delhi is the capital of India and its elections are always closely watched, […]
The Afghan Honeymoon: Why Post-Election Optimism Won’t Last
The international community has recently showered Afghanistan with much praise. Yet, despite the handful of developments that call for celebration, the nation’s future is nonetheless littered with obstacles for both the Afghan government and its constituents. The Presidential election this June between Ashraf Ghani and Abdullah Abdullah deteriorated into an acrimonious stalemate, as the latter […]
South America: The Selectively Remembered Continent
Post Fujimorismo Whiplash. It is a phrase that might describe the current state of affairs in Peru over a decade after the removal of authoritarian President Alberto Fujimori, who went to extremes to combat narcotics such as engaging in the systematic elimination of citizens associated with the narcotics industry and the Shining Path, a Maoist […]
Wasteful Stadiums
The Manaus, Brazil World Cup stadium cost $300 million to build. Source: Brasil.gov The 2014 FIFA World Cup hosted in Brazil has been the most popular one yet. One Brazilian channel attracted a whopping 42.9 million viewers for a single game, the largest global sports viewing audience this year. The ESPN World Cup coverage even broke […]
Courting the Public
In democratic societies, the relationship between candidates and voters boils down to the more-than-familiar concept of courtship. Often, campaigns employ a myriad of strategies to court voters, which include winning the hearts of the people through actions or through words. Even though the conventional wisdom suggests that action speaks louder than words, the time constraints […]