The line cut through UC Berkeley’s campus before finally pooling into the Public Service Center, where volunteers handed out pizza and stickers to students voting in the 2024 presidential election. Before their turn in the booth, every student in line already knew the result of their vote: California and its 54 electoral college points are […]
Tag: donald trump
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 […]
The American Dream is Our Mirage
The American Dream: the ideal that the United States is, without fault, the land of opportunity. This doctrine promotes the notion that any individual who is willing to persist through hard work, toil, and determination will inevitably achieve social progress. Throughout centuries, whether rich or poor, people viewed the American Dream as the only way […]
Meet the Man Doing America’s Diplomacy in the Shadows
On October 13, President Donald Trump stood in front of the Knesset to give a speech following the U.S.-brokered ceasefire and hostage exchange deal in Gaza. In his remarks, he thanked just a handful of Americans who made the agreement possible, figures like Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner. Before all […]
Marching on a “Sacred Trust”
In 1770, eight British soldiers pointed their muskets at unarmed civilians, and six years later, America was born out of the idea that a government is built on consent, not coercion. The Boston Massacre wasn’t just about anti-British sentiment reaching its breaking point; it was also about defining what kind of nation America would become. […]
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, […]
Violating Constitution, Congress Lowers Majority Threshold to Confirm Presidential Nominees
New changes to the Senate present a striking change to congressional power. Article Two, Section Two, Clause Two. “Provided two-thirds of the Senate concur, the President shall appoint Officers of the United States.” This is a constitutional clause dictating that the Senate must have a supermajority to confirm Presidential nominations to the Bureaucracy. However, it […]
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. […]
Where is Trump leading NASA?
When the world watched Neil Armstrong take mankind’s first steps on the moon in 1969, the United States solidified its place in leading the push into the great unknown of space. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), in turn, not only elevated humanity’s collective knowledge but also America’s international reputation for scientific innovation. However, […]
When the Free Market Isn’t Free
The promise of American capitalism has long offered a vision of prosperity driven by the market and the people, where the government’s role was simply to stay out of the way. This American creed is embraced by conservative politicians shaped by Reagan-era beliefs in deregulation and small government, but it does not belong to conservatives […]
Times of Change: What Should Starmer Do Next?
Sir Keir Starmer, the prime minister of the United Kingdom, came to power on the back of a single-word election slogan: ‘Change’. At its core, his Labour government committed itself to transforming Britain from an economically stagnant country with poor public services to a clean energy ‘superpower’ abundant with economic growth. And yet, he has […]
Flight to the Right: How Democrats Lost San Francisco Asian Americans
In a historically progressive city, San Francisco’s Asian American community showed up and showed out in support of right-wing candidates and policies down the ballot in the 2024 election. While Trump’s share of Black and Latino voters hardly shifted, Trump captured Asian Americans in tension with the Democratic Party. After President Donald Trump’s onslaught of […]
DOGE Doom and Gloom: The Gutting of the CFPB
The past weeks have generated national outrage in response to the mass federal employment cuts pursued by the new Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). From Raleigh, North Carolina, to Washington, D.C., protestors are standing up to DOGE and DOGE-overseer Elon Musk after mass dismissals of federal workers. The Billionaire CEO has sought to reap the […]
With Fear for Democracy, the World Dissents: The Authoritarian Surge
Reflecting on the historical tides of American politics, resisting Russian influence was a bipartisan imperative, with conservatives leading the charge against Soviet expansionism during the Cold War. Today, however, that dynamic has shifted, with segments of the American right increasingly willing to align themselves with the Kremlin, a development that would have once been unthinkable. […]
Only Smokey the Bear Can Save National Parks–Except He’s Been Fired
It began with an email–or rather, a lack of one. Brian Gibbs was one of nearly a thousand workers whose livelihoods were compromised in the name of efficiency this February. About eight months into his role as an environmental educator at the Iowa Effigy Mounds National Monument, Gibbs was locked out of his government email […]
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 […]
Dismantling DEI: Trump’s New Constructed Crisis
A mid-air collision over the Potomac. Raging wildfires in Los Angeles. The catastrophic collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge. At first glance, these events seem completely disconnected from each other. However, they do share one underlying theme: they were all swiftly blamed on DEI. In a world where accountability often takes a back seat […]
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 […]
Might Makes Right: the DRC, Rwanda, and a Shifting World Order
The winding path of international politics has reached a fork of values: enduring liberalism versus an emergent imperialism. Our new path will be chosen in Central Africa, a war-ridden and oft-ignored part of the world, where the Democratic Republic of the Congo is facing a resurgence of violence inflicted by its neighbor Rwanda. In 2012, […]
A Tale of Two Slogans: Brexit Britain After Trump
During the 2017 United Kingdom general election, Prime Minister Theresa May ran on the slogan that she would provide ‘strong and stable leadership’. What followed was a weak electoral performance and two years of chaos as her government failed to pass a Brexit deal. Looking back at her premiership, one could hardly pick a more […]
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 […]
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 […]
TW: SVSH – People Are Dying: The Effect of Abortion Bans in Red States
“With sorrow … we dissent.” Those biting words were written two years ago by liberal Supreme Court Justices Sonia Sotomayor, Stephen Breyer, and Elena Kagan in response to the 2022 overturning of the 32-year-old precedent of Roe Vs. Wade, a landmark decision that constitutionalized the right to abortions. A woman’s right to choice and privacy […]
The Danger in Trump’s Anti-Immigrant Rhetoric
“They’re eating the dogs, the people that came in, they’re eating the cats. They’re eating the pets of the people that live there, and this is what’s happening in our country, and it’s a shame.” In the weeks following the 2024 Presidential Debate between Donald Trump and Kamala Harris, the former president’s false claim—and now […]
Cease and Desist: The Dangerous Socio-Political Consequences of Trump’s Election Fraud Rhetoric
“CEASE & DESIST,” former president Donald Trump began in a statement on TruthSocial. “Please be aware that this legal exposure extends to Lawyers, Political Operatives, Donors, Illegal Voters & Corrupt Election Officials,” he wrote, adding that these people “will be sought out, caught, and prosecuted at levels, unfortunately, never seen before in our Country.” Just […]
Splitting the (Electoral) Vote
Less than two months before the presidential election, Nebraska lawmakers sprang into the national limelight as Republicans sought to change how the state awards its electoral votes. Unlike 48 other states, Nebraska does not award all of its electoral votes in the Electoral College—the body that ultimately elects the president—to the winner of the statewide […]
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 […]
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 […]
Electric Vehicles and Climate Policy: Where Do We Go From Here?
In 2016, Bloomberg’s Tom Randal boldly proclaimed “It’s looking like the 2020s will be the decade of the electric car.” It’s been eight years since, and electric vehicle (or EV) sales are dropping, worrying vendors and legislators over the durability of the California climate plan. According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, cars contributed to […]
Project 2025: Democratic Doomsday
Forget Trump. Project 2025 is the greatest threat to democracy we have seen in our country’s history. The 1000-page plan, written by Trump-era Republican groups, demonstrates once again the devastating effects partisan polarization can have on our country’s political stability. With the upcoming presidential election only a year away, voters aren’t the only groups mobilizing. […]
Chronically Online: The Politics of Kanye West
Before Kanye West started dating Kim Kardashian, he appeared in an episode of Keeping Up With the Kardashians in relaxed jeans and an untucked white button-down to “make Kim over.” West rifled through the walk-in closet of Kim’s Tuscan-style home, tossing out stilettos and leopard print tunics. He was soft-spoken, bordering on tight-lipped, in a […]
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 […]
Reconstruct the Administrative State
President-elect Joe Biden’s victory in the 2020 presidential election left many liberals with dueling emotions: the joy of avoiding four more years of President Trump, and the agony of a Republican Senate dooming any hope of an expansive progressive agenda. Although the two runoffs in Georgia could bring the number of Democratic senators to 50, […]
Toward a New Space Race
There’s something different about modern space policy. For the past 40 or so years, space related headlines tended to revolve around yet another shuttle mission, or perhaps pictures from a telescope or probe. Yet, in the last few years, everything seems to have changed. SpaceX and other private companies are the face of space exploration, […]
TIK, TOK, BOOM
Tiktok has been a bright spot of care-free entertainment during an otherwise tumultuous year for many young Americans. Whether participating in viral dance challenges, drinking cranberry juice and skating to “Dreams” by Fleetwood Mac or creatively fighting the powers that be through protest and civil discourse, this app has exploded in ways few have before. […]
The Mail Has Always Been Political
Among my peers and on the black hole that is the Twittersphere, I have seen a slew of comments expressing disbelief and confusion over the recent political chaos surrounding the U.S. Postal Service. Since when has the mail been political? Is nothing sacred anymore? For younger people, this reaction seems reasonable—for the duration of my […]
The Shifting Sun Belt
One of the most notable potential political shifts in the 2020 election is a shift in the electoral lean of Texas. It has long been a Republican stronghold. However, changing demographics and political coalitions is putting the state into play for Democrats at the presidential level for the first time since 2000, when President G.W. […]
ICE Illuminates America’s Backslide Into Fascism
Last week, Dawn Wooten, a nurse working at an ICE detention facility in Irwin County, Georgia, filed a bombshell whistle-blower report which alleged that female immigrant detainees were being subjected to forced hysterectomies among other unnecessary, non consensual medical procedures. Georgia’s Congressional Republicans have vehemently denied this report, and Department of Homeland Security 2nd-in-Command Ken […]
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 […]
Are Democrats Dumping Charters?
Leila Hooshyar and Tara Madhav Discuss the Changing Debate Around Charter Schools within the Democratic Party
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 […]
“Snowflake” and the Decline in Civil Discourse
“Snowflake.” A precursory Google search brings about an array of sources. YouTube recommends a video entitled, “SNOWFLAKE GETS OWNED BY MILITARY VET!” Breitbart offers an article entitled, “Triggered: Journalist Snowflakes Scared Trump Supporters Are ‘Turning on the Media.’” Most definitions for “snowflakes” revolve around the same general concept: a derogatory slang term that describes a […]
Love No Border: The Significance of Faith-Based Resistance to Trump Immigration Policy
In an era of xenophobia, nationalism and anti-immigrant sentiment, faith-based sanctuary movements are fighting back. The Trump administration’s efforts to stop what it calls illegal immigration and chain migration, alongside the ending of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program and President Trump’s controversial language around undocumented persons, have galvanized nationwide movements to protect immigrants […]
Interview with Jonathan Reiber, cybersecurity expert
Jonathan Reiber is a security expert currently serving as Senior Advisor at Technology for Global Security, a think-tank in Palo Alto, California, and a Visiting Scholar at UC Berkeley’s Center for Long-Term Cybersecurity. A frequent public speaker, his writing and work has been featured in Foreign Policy and Literary Hub and highlighted by the Atlantic and […]
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 […]
Clinton Defeats Trump: Polling Failure or Media Failure?
November 2, Election Day, 1948. Despite the best efforts of then-President Harry Truman, all major polls had long called the race for his challenger, New York Gov. Thomas Dewey. Hobbled by a printer’s strike, the Chicago Daily Tribune took a chance that would immortalize their paper in the annals of American politics, printing the morning […]
Trump and the White Evangelicals: Tension Between Morals and Politics
In Matthew 19:18, Jesus preaches, “YOU SHALL NOT COMMIT ADULTERY.” Donald Trump committed adultery when he had an affair with Marla Maples, while still married to his first wife Ivana Trump. Galatians 5:14 says, “For the whole Law is fulfilled in one word, in the statement, “YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.” Donald Trump […]
The Truth About MS-13, Trump’s Favorite Bogeyman
Foreign, ruthless, violent — all of these words have been used by President Donald Trump to characterize the gang MS-13 as a threat to the United States of America. Trump has used incendiary rhetoric to lambast the Obama administration for its immigration policies that “allowed criminals to enter the country” and to push forward his […]
To Engage or Not to Engage: Diplomacy with North Korea?
Editors’ disclaimer: this debate was crafted during early 2018, before the development of new events between North and South Korea’s possible peace treaty that would formally end the Korean War. The contents discussed in the debate below ought to be evaluated as if such a groundbreaking event has yet to occur. RESOLVED: The United States […]
Wanted: Young, White, and Angry
My friend was killed by a neo-nazi. It’s a strange thing to type out, but it’s true. Even stranger, though, are the details: killed by a former classmate of ours. He picked my friend up in his car, drove to a local park, and then stabbed him. This is a boy who was once my […]
The “Golden Door” of American Opportunity: Why Are We Shutting It?
How terminating the American Visa Lottery would detriment both the US economy and deserving immigrants. George Washington wrote on December 2nd, 1783 that “The bosom of America is open to receive not only the Opulent and respectable Stranger, but the oppressed and persecuted of all Nations And Religions; whom we shall welcome to a participation […]
How to Steal a Nomination
Donna Brazile. That is the name of the woman that is reopening old wounds that the Democratic Party so desperately wants to close. In excerpts from her new book titled Hacks, the former interim chair of the Democratic National Committee reveals the alleged corruption, the bargaining, and the turmoil that was behind Hillary Clinton’s Democratic […]
Democrats Join the Mad Tea Party: The Contest Begins between Feinstein and De León
The December midnight was drenched in silence. A large crowd stared on from the harbor as the Sons of Liberty crept along the docks in Mohawk Native American costumes. They swept through the streets of Boston with one pursuit in mind: dump the coercive British tea. With the quiet punctuated only by the sound of […]
The Power in a Political Narrative
It may be a cliche, but the phrase “Trump means it seriously, but not literally” may be quite telling about the power of rhetoric that supports a particular worldview. Narratives, or larger stories about the way the world is, are essential to political candidates. When one thinks of former president Ronald Reagan, we not only […]
Black Glove, Raised Fist; Bowed Head, Bent Knee: Historical Parallels of Political Protest in Sports
It was the medal ceremony for the men’s 200-meter sprint at the 1968 Olympic Games in Mexico. American sprinters, Tommie Smith and John Carlos, stood on the podium to receive their medals, but something was off in their appearance. On their feet, they had on black socks, but no shoes, and on their hands they […]
Sanctuary Showdown: Jerry Brown versus Donald Trump
On October 5, 2017, Governor Jerry Brown openly defied the federal government. With the passage of State Senate Bill 54, California became a sanctuary state in direct defiance of President Donald Trump’s stringent immigration policies. However, while this seemingly appears to be a bold and unprecedented action on the part of California, the idea of sanctuary […]
The United States… And Territories: America’s Paradise Lost
On October 13, one news headline stood out among the rest: “Trump says he spoke to U.S. Virgin Islands’ ‘president’ — which is him.” “Must’ve been a one-sided conversation,” one Twitter user noted. The Daily Show put out a video of Trump shaking hands with his “genetic replica.” This hilarity momentarily puts a spotlight on […]
The United States… And Territories: The State of Puerto Rico
Praying for my friends and family. Can’t communicate with my family. I don’t know anything about them, this is desperate. But I trust in God that they’ll be okay. My sister-in-law follows each Facebook post with a video of the storm. A Miami transplant, she’s luckily away from her hometown in Puerto Rico. But much […]
Presidential Election Primaries: The Struggle for Influence
For nearly a century, a well-established political institution within the United States, the presidential primaries, has convinced many in its influential power to decide the nominee for each political party’s presidential candidate. The deeply-rooted drive for a greater influence on the outcome of the presidential election recently drove California to pass new legislation that would […]
Knock Knock, It’s Your Old Neighbor, White Supremacy
It’s hard to start an article that talks about Nazis. Nazis. In my short lifetime, I would hear “Nazi” in a history or government class. When I entered college, I heard it from freshmen in political science courses who decided that by asking the age-old question, “but what about the Nazis?” would show how smart […]
Racism Today versus Racism after 9/11
After the September 11 attacks in New York, the level of hate crimes against people who appeared Middle Eastern, Arab, or Muslim rose to extremely high levels. According to FBI data, there were 93 reports of anti-Muslim assaults in 2001, compared to 12 reports in 2000. While the number of reported hate crimes decreased over […]
AIIB – To Join, or Not To Join?
This summer, I had the privilege of interning in Washington, D.C. with Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren (CA-19). While the current administration and Senate healthcare bill have certainly dominated national headlines, working on the Hill has also deepened my understanding of often-overlooked policy issue areas, including the U.S.-ASEAN relationship and potential U.S. membership in the Asian Infrastructure […]
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 […]
A Matter of Pride and Prejudice: The Firing of FBI Director James Comey
It all began as an October surprise. On October 30, 2016, just days before the Presidential election that would cause an upset of historical proportions as Donald Trump was elected the 45th President of the United States, headlines read much like this Politico one: “The Very Political James Comey: The FBI director says he doesn’t […]
Power Plays
A Tug of War Between the President and the Intelligence Community On January 21, 2017, addressing several hundred key CIA officials, Donald Trump stood before the CIA Memorial Wall and announced, “there is nobody that feels stronger about the intelligence community and the CIA than Donald Trump”. Despite this declaration of support, his speech received mixed […]
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 […]
The Fight Over the First
The Forgotten, but Increasingly Topical, Debate Over Hate Speech The factions which most oppose Trump, those which most vehemently reject his policy positions and executive orders may inadvertently be working to silence themselves. Outspoken populations championing the cause for regulated speech are unwittingly pushing for policy which could imbue Trump with one of the principal […]
Trump’s Misinformation Plague
How providing anti-vaccination proponents with a platform sidelines the greater discussion to be had regarding autism research “Vaccines worked so well… that people have forgotten the agony of infectious disease.” Kathryn Edwards, the chair of pediatrics at Vanderbilt University, made this remark concerning humanity’s unfortunate amnesia about the destruction of life wreaked by diseases throughout […]
What Are We To Make of Trump’s Airstrike?
“No child of God should ever suffer such horror” said a sober Donald Trump, justifying his decision to launch a targeted airstrike just hours ago. But what are we to make of this action? After all, it wasn’t all that long ago that the now Commander-in-Chief masqueraded as an isolationist – keen on criticizing both […]
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 […]
Donald’s Manufacturing Myth
Why the Decline of Manufacturing Jobs Persists “God bless Boeing.” Standing in front of a shining Boeing 787, this was the exaltation of the President of the United States. Perhaps his blessing was misplaced. In a trip to celebrate American jobs, Donald Trump had decided to give a speech before a plane of which the […]
The Coming Battle
Donald Trump and the Future of Sanctuary Cities “We are going to fight this, and cities and states around the country are going to fight this,” said New York Mayor Bill de Blasio (D) at a press conference following President Trump’s January executive order aimed at pressuring sanctuary cities to reverse their policy. The sentiments expressed […]
Trump vs. Tech
How the President has incited political action from Silicon Valley “This is truly an amazing group of people,” President Donald Trump said in a meeting with prominent executives during his presidential transition. “I’m here to help you folks do well.” The executives weren’t the Wall Street bankers or oil magnates Trump is often criticized of […]
Aftermath: The Milo protests and where Berkeley went wrong
This article is part of a series examining the anti-Milo Yiannopoulos protests and their aftermath — a campus event that has since pierced and provoked people nationwide — from various different perspectives. Several of these pieces include first person testimonies and narratives that illuminate facts of the protests not necessarily highlighted in mainstream media coverage. […]
The Myths of Far-Right Populism: Orbán’s Fence and Trump’s Wall
Hungary’s Viktor Orbán has been characterized as one of the many ‘Strong Man’, right-wing populist politicians who has recently gained power (sound familiar?). While hindsight is twenty-twenty, there is a lot to be learned from modern economic history in light of the recent rise of far-right populist groups across the globe. The rise of populism […]
The New Resistance
La Resistenza, or the Resistance, were a loose coalition of self-described Italian freedom fighters during late World War II. They fought the occupying Nazi army and the remainder of Mussolini’s Fascists in any way possible. This ragtag group—rogue journalists who published dissenting articles, partisans conducting guerilla ambushes, and communists who spoke out openly, just to […]
A Disunified Party in Power: Republicans off to a shaky start with ACA Repeal
January 9, 2016 — On the floor of the Senate, Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) stands in front of a large posterboard emblazoned with a neon yellow “$9.7 trillion” — the amount of money he claims national spending will be increased by, were the current budget reconciliation plan to pass. Paul is arguing that the current […]
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. […]
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 […]
Why the Clinton Democrats Lost and Will Keep on Losing
Bill and Hillary Clinton at Hillary’s Concession Speech. President Trump. Let that sit in. People across the country are confused, angry, or celebrating Trump’s decisive win over Hillary Clinton after a bitterly divisive presidential election. Misogyny, racism, and the FBI are being suggested as potential causes for the loss of a former Secretary of State […]
An Open Letter to President-Elect Donald Trump
Dear President-Elect Trump, I’d like to start this off by offering my congratulations on a well-fought campaign. While you did not have my support before the election, I recognize that you are now my President, and I refuse to protest the will of the people. You have clearly pinpointed a strong source of anger and […]
Prize for Parents: How Paid Family Leave has Entered the Spotlight and is Here to Stay
By Alexander Casendino “Today, we’re the only advanced country on Earth that doesn’t guarantee paid sick leave or paid maternity leave to our workers.” President Obama’s statement from his final State of the Union Address remains true; within the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, a consortium of 35 countries with developed economies, the U.S. […]
Who Will Rebuild America?
Infrastructure has always been used to build up the United States. Though the Great Depression was a time of loss, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt embraced the opportunities it presented. He took bold strokes to better the United States through public works projects, which strengthened America’s infrastructure and economy. A few decades later, President Eisenhower […]
CETA and the fate of free trade: Why the EU and Canada’s new deal changes how trade agreements are negotiated for good
After a tumultuous few months, the European Union and Canada finally signed the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) last Sunday. CETA is the first agreement of its kind that the EU has signed with a G7 country. The agreement required the approval of all 42 national and regional governments in the EU, which is […]
The Forgotten Migrants Of Central America
America’s Harsh Rhetoric On Immigration Policy Bleeds Across The Border By Adrian Hernandez-Morales The Northern Triangle, a region in Central America surrounding Honduras, El Salvador and Guatemala, is perhaps one of the poorest and most violent places in the world. The predominance of gang rivalry, post-civil war instability, repressive political regimes and extreme poverty […]
FDT: How One Compton Rapper Influenced the Presidential Election
Cover Photo: The album cover of Still Brazy by YG, on which the track “FDT” appears. “Just when I thought it wouldn’t get no sicker, woke up one morning and heard this weird ass mothaf***a talkin’ out the side of his neck. Me and all my peoples, we always thought he was straight. Influential mothaf***a […]
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 […]
Make America Vote Again: How Sanders and Trump Have Helped to Fight Voter Apathy
Pete* has been apathetic about politics since the death of Robert Kennedy in 1968. After being an active participant in Bobby’s campaign, he has not been able to muster support for another candidate in forty years. Pete is not the only person who feels this way; voter apathy is a major problem in the United […]
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 […]
The Gift That Keeps On Giving: Why Trump Fever Is Here to Stay
The man is all over national airwaves, newspapers, and internet memes. He is a presidential candidate, yes. But perhaps more than that, Donald Trump is a social phenomenon: a real-life hashtag, national trend, and constant re-tweet. Mr. Trump’s popularity has been repeatedly taken apart and examined under the social microscope. The conclusions are as varied […]
A Coded Political Mantra
According to Malcolm X, “Racism is like a Cadillac, they bring out a new model every year.” Since the outlaw of slavery, racial discrimination taken on many different forms, from physical abuse, to legal segregation, to dog whistle politics, with the last yet to be prohibited. Today, dog whistle politics, a type of political speech […]