With primary midterm elections fast approaching, Republicans are gearing up to challenge Californians’ voting rights at both the local and federal levels. Since February 9, Riverside County sheriff and Republican gubernatorial candidate Chad Bianco has seized ballots from the November 2025 special election in which Proposition 50 passed, initiated a recount, and opened a criminal […]
Tag: Trump
Your Romantic Getaway Is Not As Far As You Think It Is
Love: the most complicated, confusing, boundless, impassioned concept of our time. Of any time, really. We make a fool of ourselves for love, chasing even the idea of it when we cannot possibly find a better alternative to our desires. For many of us, we prefer watching love from the sidelines, living vicariously through the […]
How the Pandemic Unmasked Science
When asked, most people likely can’t produce an objective definition that separates the discipline of science from other related academic fields. Falsification, proposed by Karl Popper in 1934, is a method of defining science that asserts science must be “falsifiable,” capable of being proven wrong with evidence from a new experiment. This also implies replicability […]
South Park: The Cultural Hero We Need, But Don’t Deserve
Free speech concerns are louder than ever, amidst the Trump administration’s continued efforts to silence MAGA-opposed voices. Last year, ABC’s decision to suspend Jimmy Kimmel Live! – or more importantly, FCC chairman Brendan Carr’s threats of government action against ABC – sparked widespread outrage for its political implications. While Kimmel remained as critical as ever […]
Can We Still Buy Tulsi Gabbard’s “No War With Iran” T-shirt?
Born too late to deploy to the Middle East, born too early to deploy to the Middle East, born just in time to deploy to the Middle East. The America that exists in 2026 cannot be separated from the nearly two and a half decades of constant conflict in which it has been embroiled in […]
The Long Shadow of the Nobel
All roads lead to Oslo. The 2026 Nobel Peace Prize ceremony in Norway did not differ significantly from those held in Oslo City Hall for years. There was the same humbly bowing awardee, the same beaming audience, and the same emphasis on global cooperation. But just underneath this placid exterior, the very foundations that the […]
From Veto to Vacuum
“Sometimes you need a dictator,” offhandedly remarked President Trump in Davos on Jan. 21, the third day of the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting. Out of his many controversial statements uttered at the forum—such as repeated references to Greenland as Iceland—perhaps this statement went undetected to many. Or perhaps it was interpreted as another one […]
Political Activism is the New Showbiz
An actor’s job is to act. It’s an art. Art has and will always be political. From every deliberate, red brushstroke in paintings, rendering in photography, and distinct diction used to make memorable phrases plastered on posters, art has served as a reliable method of expression and a form of silent activism in politics today. Independent artists […]
America’s Disposable Allies
When it comes to American foreign policy, realpolitik rules. Democratic allies, be warned: Washington’s friendship may be an existential liability.
“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, […]
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, […]
No Kings Day Demonstrates that the Modern Era of Protest Culture Needs to be Revamped
On October 18, 2025, cheers and shouts echoed across the United States as a collective movement ensued among Americans nationwide. The news of more than 2,700 planned protests made headlines, all brandishing the same unifying slogan: “No Kings.” To criticize the Trump Administration for its already controversial policies in just less than a quarter of […]
Living in Fear: The Human Cost of Trump’s Deportation Agenda
“My biggest fear is seeing her one morning and not knowing if she’ll come back.” This fear and daily uncertainty is a sentiment shared by the 5.8 million households in the United States that are home to at least one undocumented immigrant, amidst the second term of President Donald Trump. As of 2023, California had […]
Supreme Court Rulings Favoring Trump Provide Little Explanation
The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) has taken on a more influential and significant role in legislation and policy making, as seen in the number of pivotal rulings and overturned precedents in recent years. SCOTUS, with its 6-3 ratio of conservative to liberal justices, continues this role by halting cases and decisions brought […]
The Dystopian Spiral of Third-Country Deportations
Shuttled out of countries under mysterious circumstances, dropped off in foreign states, and left with little legal recompense, the story of modern third-country deportees sounds like something out of a political fiction. But third-country deportations are intensely real, and they are only increasing. Third-country deportations occur when a non-citizen is deported from their current nation […]
Turning Point USA, November 10, 2025
On Monday November 10, Turning Point USA had its final stop of a 2025 tour on campus at UC Berkeley. Whilst attendees sat inside Zellerbach Hall, furious students, staff, and community members protested outside, declaring that conservative and instigative media were not welcome on campus. Outraged that the progressive campus would host TPUSA’s “American Comeback […]
David Oppenheimer on the Importance of Diversity & the War on DEI
With the recent suppression of DEI initiatives by the Trump administration and a war on diversity, Berkeley Law professor David Oppenheimer sits down with BPR to detail how his new book, “The Diversity Principle,” traces the long, often-overlooked history of diversity efforts, and reminds us why inclusion remains essential to learning, growth, and democracy itself.
The New “Clear and Present Danger” to the United States is Trumpist Aggression
On Sep. 1, 2025, a U.S. Navy combat aircraft illegally sunk a ship in international waters off the coast of Venezuela in an airstrike. All 11 people on board were killed. The unlucky vessel was allegedly carrying drugs to Trinidad and Tobago, presumed to be for ultimate export to U.S. consumers. This missile strike was […]
Diplomacy as Performance in Trump’s Saudi Strategy
Unlike most U.S. presidents who traditionally make their first foreign trip to Canada or Mexico, Donald Trump broke precedent in 2017 by choosing Saudi Arabia and returning again in 2019. These visits signaled a dramatic recentering of U.S. foreign policy around Riyadh, reflecting Trump’s fascination with Saudi wealth, spectacle, and geopolitical leverage. Yet, as Saudi […]
The Lockean protests of D.C. juries
Despite what national authorities may tell you, Washington, D.C. is not a dangerous city. On August 22nd, this fact was apparently not of great concern to the nation’s commander-in-chief, who federalized the D.C. National Guard and sent 2,200 National Guard members to the city. This was carried out on erroneous grounds that the nation’s capital […]
The Realities of a Government Shutdown
On October 1 at 12:01 p.m., the U.S. federal government shut down, hours after the Senate failed to reach an agreement on the 12 appropriations bills for its upcoming fiscal year. In the days leading up to the standstill, tensions rose between the Republican and Democratic parties in Congress, neither of whom wanted to give […]
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 […]
AB 260 Protects Reproductive Freedom Amid State Crackdowns
“California stands for a woman’s right to choose,” affirmed Gov. Newsom as he signed Assembly Bill 260, a sweeping California law designed to protect reproductive care in the state. His message to the rest of the nation is unmistakable: when Washington turns its back on women, California will stand in their defense. Just months ago, […]
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 […]
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, […]
The Smithsonian v. Nationalism
Individuals are able to communicate with the past, present, and the future through museums; they can interact with their long-lived ancestors, connect through deteriorating or flourishing culture, and discover minor and major triumphs as well as sins of the collective. It’s a privilege of the United States to be home to the world’s largest museum […]
Congressmen Eric Swalwell on the Government Shutdown & Future of Democratic Politics
Isabelle Jacobson and Keira Bixler are joined by Congressman Eric Swalwell to discuss the current government shutdown, its impact on the American public, and the political landscape. He also shares his perspective on the future of the Democratic Party, its challenges, and the path forward in uncertain times.
The Rise of Political Violence and Ideological Polarization
I was walking to my dorm after class when I heard the news: Charlie Kirk, a well-known conservative political activist, was shot at Utah Valley University while speaking to students at an on-campus event. My heart dropped to my stomach. I paused for a second to scroll through the many articles, all of which were […]
How Florida’s War on Crosswalks Threatens Public Health
For the last eight years, pedestrians crossing Esther Street in Orlando, Florida would step across a rainbow crosswalk, a memorial to the 49 people who lost their lives in the 2016 mass shooting at Pulse, a gay night club in the city. At the time, Pulse was the deadliest shooting in American history, a brutal […]
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 Chinese Dream Versus a Chemical Crisis
China has backed itself into a diplomatic corner. In order to achieve its ambitious goals, Beijing must balance its reputation, relations with potential investees in the Global South, and relations with the United States. In terms of the U.S., Beijing wants to project power, mainly by winning the trade war through strategic leveraging of counternarcotics […]
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 […]
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 […]
Trump’s Deportation Policy Cuts Two Ways in California’s Economy
One in every eight Americans are immigrants and California is home to 10.6 million of them. To that end, immigrants have significant importance on the economy and culture of California. It is a large misconception that immigrants don’t positively contribute to the economy and benefit from their residency in the US without paying taxes. In […]
Milei and MAGA: A Love Story
If the pragmatic James Carville gave us the slogan “It’s the economy, stupid,” we now have an ideologue’s response. Javier Milei, the self-described “anarcho-capitalist” President of Argentina, won the 2023 presidential election off the back of his rallying cry “Long live freedom, Goddamnit!” Just last month, Milei’s slogan, glistening and italicized, found itself engraved on […]
Names Games and America’s Re-Frame: Trump’s Renaming Spree
My phone was constantly buzzing with “Breaking News” alerts during the first day of Trump’s presidency. Seeing the flood of his executive orders, withdrawing the U.S. from the Paris Climate Agreement, the World Health Organization, eliminating DEI programs, and more was exhausting. But I caught a break when I saw the headline reading “Trump renames ‘Gulf of Mexico’ […]
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 […]
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. […]
Dark MAGA: An Ominous Signal for a Troubling Future
January 20, 2025. The start of a “new Golden Age of America,” attended by billionaires with a collective net worth of over 1.35 trillion alongside hardline MAGA Republicans Marjorie Taylor Greene and Hulk Hogan. This is a polar contrast to Donald Trump’s first inauguration, wherein a promise was made to end “American Carnage” and the […]
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 […]
The Rhetoric of Too Much Testosterone—Transgender Youth in CA Politics
California has long been a leader in the United States when it comes to transgender legislation. Since 2004, the California Gender Non-Discrimination Act has protected transgender people from discrimination within public life, including employment, housing, and education. Until recently, California has served as a haven for transgender people. Republican Assemblymember Kate Sanchez has emerged as […]
Undermining Stability: How U.S. Policy Shifts Impact South Africa’s Fragile Democracy
Amidst the changing political tides in South Africa, shifting U.S. policy under the Trump administration exacerbates longstanding tensions. The withdrawal of crucial aid and contentious public statements have not only influenced domestic policies but also threatened the stability of a nation striving for equitable governance. Since the historic election of Nelson Mandela in 1994, the […]
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 […]
Washington Exits: WHO Cares?
In recent years, the U.S. and the World Health Organization (WHO) have had a relationship that makes Hollywood breakups look tame. In 2020, President Donald Trump walked out, slamming the door on what he called a dysfunctional, China-biased bureaucracy. A year later, Biden rushed to patch things up, eager to restore American influence in global […]
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 […]
Space Race 2.0: Profits, Power, and the Politics of the Cosmos
Capitalism is out of this world—quite literally. The commercialization of space is propelling us into a second space race, one that is fundamentally different from its Cold War predecessor. Unlike the 20th-century contest between the United States and the Soviet Union, this new race is driven by private enterprise, technological ambition, and the pursuit of […]
“Nothing But a Stain Will Remain”: Russia and the Baltics Threatening Nuclear War
The world has grown numb to the idea of nuclear war. Generations of children grew up practicing nuclear drills under their high school desks, as if fake wood covered in old gum and graffiti would fend off a nuclear winter. As a result, international media has given little coverage to the newest threats, dismissing them […]
Clashes in Leadership
As the election looms ever closer, Congressional Republicans found themselves between a rock and a hard place: a government shutdown, and the demands of their presidential nominee, Donald Trump. However, this conflict arose not just from Democrat-Republican relations, but internal party politics. Through the whole month of September, Republicans and Democrats debated amongst themselves on […]
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 […]
Southeast Asia is Rebalancing the Scales
At the height of the Cold War in the 1960s, much of anti-communist Southeast Asia aligned itself with the United States, entrenching U.S. hegemony around North Vietnam and its close allies in communist China. These countries regarded ties with the U.S. as a way to maintain and develop their economic and political strength in a […]
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 […]
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 […]
Haiti’s Encroaching Dictatorship and the Forces Behind It
Initially set to be published in Spring 2021. On February 11th, a sea of protesters marched into the streets of Port-au-Prince, Haiti. Sharp chants of “down with the dictatorship” accompanied by the boom of rallying drum beats rang out through the crowds of thousands as police responded with rubber bullets and tear gas. Only a […]
The Texas Governor’s Race: What You Need to Know
The Texas gubernatorial general election is set for November of 2022, with the primary elections being held in March 2022. Texas does not have gubernatorial term limits, and current governor Greg Abbott is seeking a third term. With an endorsement list that includes political juggernauts like former president Donald Trump and senator Ted Cruz, along […]
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 […]
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 […]
Why Do Chinese Liberal Intellectuals and Dissidents Support Trump?
If you were watching the Republican National Convention in August last year, you may have spotted something interesting: a blind Chinese dissident named Chen Guangcheng called for American voters to “fight for President Trump for the sake of the world.” Before coming to the U.S., Chen was a self-taught human rights lawyer in China, where […]
A Precarious Peace: Israeli-Jordanian Relations
The 1994 Israeli-Jordan Peace Treaty ushered in an unprecedented era of diplomatic relations, brokering peace between an Arab nation and Israel in ways previously unimaginable. This peace process has enjoyed longevity into the present day; yet this historical peace was not without unease and will certainly crack under pressure if the United States and Israel […]
The Clock is Ticking, but on Trump not TikTok
TikTok, the app that Americans have come to either love or hate, is the most popular social media app in the U.S. right now. Originally known as the lip-syncing app Musical.ly, TikTok has become a cultural emblem of Gen Z, with 60 percent of its users falling in the age group. Like other social media platforms […]
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 […]
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 […]
The U.S. Must End Military Aid to Saudi Arabia
On September 1, 2019, nearly 100 civilians died in Saudi Arabia’s deadliest attack of the year — an overnight offensive on Dhamar, a city in the southwestern region of Yemen. Attacks such as these contribute to regional instability, a hallmark of Saudi Arabia’s continuous commitment to the war in Yemen. The war in Yemen is […]
Floundering California Republicans Search for Answers in a Changing State
Since Washington’s presidency, American politics has functioned according to a two-party system. Although Democrats and Republicans wax and wane, compromise, shift positions, and trade viewpoints, the two parties have been among the longest-standing pillars of American political ideology. However, in California, this time may be coming to an end. California Republicans’ power has dwindled to […]
Bordering on Stupid: California’s Need for Trump’s Wall
On February 15th, President Donald Trump declared a national emergency regarding the U.S.-Mexico border, subverting Congress in order to acquire billions in funding for a proposed border wall that was supposed to be paid for by Mexico. This was the culmination of an ongoing dispute between the President’s agenda and Congress, with its previous iteration […]
Is Jean Claude Juncker Important Yet?
In 2010, Herman von Rompuy, President of the European Council, sat on the floor of the European Parliament as Nigel Farage accused him of being “the assassin of European democracy, and of the European nation-states,” and a laughable match for global leaders like President Obama. “We were told that when we had a president, we’d […]
Sharing is Caring: The Politics and Consequences of Trump’s Trade War
Trump’s recent economic policies on levying tariffs against countries, primarily China, that have a trade deficit with the U.S. have consequences that go beyond just harming the other party. The effects of these policies can be felt right here at home, but your average American voter has a bad understanding of basic economics, not to […]
You Will Not Benefit From Social Security (Unless Changes Are Made)
It is likely you have been paying social security taxes for a large portion of your life. It is also likely you haven’t received any benefits because, even though social security benefits cover about 62 million people, only the elderly, disabled workers, and families with a deceased parent or spouse are covered. The program has […]
2018’s October Surprise?: Hurricanes and What they Mean for the Midterm Elections
In 2005, Hurricane Katrina devastated the southern portion of the United States. The disaster resulted in thousands of deaths and billions of dollars in damage, leaving many to argue that the response by the Bush administration had been inadequate and ill-timed. As a result of the destruction of critical infrastructure, businesses, and homes, the unemployment […]
Stop and Frisk, or Protect and Serve? In Chicago, Trump Undermines Law Enforcement Reform Efforts
“It works, and it was meant for problems like Chicago: Stop and frisk,” Speaking to an audience of law enforcement leaders in Orlando in early October, President Trump stated that Chicago police officers should bring back stop and frisk policies to reduce crime rates. To Trump, Chicago’s violent crime problem is “very easily fixable” — it […]
The Perfect Storm: Politics of Disaster Management
Rich and poor nations across the globe are confronted with natural disasters every year that test their political leaders’ competence and acumen. During Hurricane Katrina, the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) poor leadership under Michael Brown, the agency director appointed and praised by President Bush, cost the president public support. In 2012, the public rewarded President […]
D10, Democracy, and Donald
Since 2014, a group of high-ranking officials from leading democratic nations have held secret meetings each year to discuss protecting the liberal world order. Who’s this mysterious group? They call themselves the D10, and its members are no surprise: America, Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Canada, Japan, Australia and South Korea, and the European Union. But […]
Icing Out ICE
As congressional candidates throughout the country campaign this fall, immigration will inevitably be one of the issues most debated and discussed. Over the past decade, immigration has ballooned from a civil debate with some level of bipartisan agreement to a flashpoint in a national culture war, with President Trump as the ideologue fanning the flames […]
Will ICE Freeze the Blue Wave?
On March 1st, the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) announced that operations in their Northern-Central California jurisdiction have resulted in 232 arrests for violations of federal immigration law. 117 of these offenders were “non-criminals” innocent of any offense unrelated to immigration. A few months later, a three-day criminal sweep mostly centered on immigration violators […]
Breaking the ICE: The Hidden Illegal Immigrant
You Ruined my Dream Journal With the recent abolition of DACA, many undocumented students are struggling to renew their DACA before the deadline. The imminent doom of deportation already looms over their heads but ICE has taken action and is now “visiting” schools to actively seek out suspects to take into custody. This course of action is […]
NATO: Losing Sight of the North Atlantic?
President Trump’s campaign trail rhetoric focused heavily on presenting a tough, assertive image of American power. Indeed, he broke new ground in toughness — not only did he take traditional US opponents to task, but traditional allies as well. At a July 2016 campaign rally in Wisconsin, Trump had harsh words for the North Atlantic Treaty […]
A Debate On Open Borders
RESOLVED: The United States federal government should establish open borders. Affirmative Constructive Speech (Nathan Fillingim-Selk) The U.S. has a border problem. According to the American Immigration Council, the cost of enforcing the U.S.-Mexico border has increased tenfold since 1993, yet people still cross the border in search of a new life in America. These immigrants […]
The Political Side of Fútbol
The FIFA World Cup is the most watched event in the world, and this summer, it will be played in Russia. There are 32 teams competing for the title, with powerhouses such as Germany, France, Brazil, and Spain considered to be the favorites to win it all. Unfortunately, the United States will not be represented […]
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 […]
Democrats, Negative Partisanship, the 2018 Midterm Elections, Oh My!
Shock, disbelief, grief. That was the response of Democrats to the 2016 presidential election results. For others like political scientists, however, the election was confounding for different reasons. According to a study by Abramowitz and Webster, political scientists at Emory University, a record number of voters in 2016 were not satisfied with their own party’s […]
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 […]
Thinking in Color: Disputing Identity Politics
On the 9th of November, 2016, in the wee hours of the morning, the news networks proclaimed Donald J. Trump the president-elect of the United States. From my vantage point, I watched hundreds of Berkeley students on Sproul Plaza collectively react in unmitigated horror as the man whom they reviled so personally claimed the highest […]
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 […]
Gassed up: Standoffs, Strikes, and Tension in West Virginia
A couple weeks ago, Lissa Lucas, a Democratic political candidate for the West Virginia House of Delegates, was physically dragged off the House Chambers floor during a Judiciary Committee hearing. Prior to this, Lucas had taken to the podium at the hearing and listed donations that Congresspeople, primarily Republicans, had received from the oil and […]
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 […]
Nambian President to Tump: Don’t Forget the Small States
On September 20th, the people of Nambia were thrilled to hear the president of the United States, Donald Tump, recognize our nation for the inroads we have made against the scourge of infectious diseases. While I am pleasantly surprised President Tump demonstrated awareness of the affairs of smaller states like our own, as President of […]
To Boldly Go Where No Military Branch Has Gone Before
In 1969, the United States became the first country to land a man on the moon. While this was not the first time America had set its eyes upon the stars, it was one of the first realizations of that dream. Nearly fifty years later, a new era may have arrived as serious conversation has […]
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 […]
A Caribbean Catastrophe
Another hurricane. Massive devastation. The inevitable loss of life. Hurricane Irma’s catastrophic wrath made landfall in the Caribbean in late August, following the devastation of Hurricane Harvey. By the first week of September, the dangerous Category 5 storm had already left its mark on the area, including the U.S. Virgin Islands, Turks and Caicos, St. […]
Fake News is Real: The Rise of Computational Propaganda and Its Political Ramifications
“Fake News” — two words that have become synonymous with Donald Trump and his 2016 bid for the presidency. Some wholeheartedly believed it, some cast it aside as irrelevant, and others avidly denied it. Yet, President Trump was right. Fake news is real, but not necessarily in the way that most imagine. In the 2016 election, […]
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 […]
The Danger of Land-Based Nuclear Weapons
“I am become death destroyer of worlds” said J. Robert Oppenheimer, quoting the Hindu scripture The Bhagavad Gita, as he watched the first nuclear weapon explode before his eyes. Since then, the US nuclear arsenal has changed dramatically to confront evolving adversaries, but our overreliance on land-based missiles may make Oppenheimer’s apocalyptic rhetoric a reality. […]
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 […]
Soldiers of Fortune: the Rise of Private Military Companies and their Consequences on America’s Wars
By Alexander Casendino War and conflict are synonymous with human history, and where there is conflict, there are often mercenaries who reap the profits. These “armies for hire” appeared as early as Ancient Egypt and Rome, with rulers deploying paid auxiliary forces to supplement imperial armies. In present-day America, mercenaries have consolidated into one 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 […]
Divisive Indivisible: Will Democrats Decide to Divorce?
Marriages are messy. Every couple shares some common ground that forms the basis of their relationship, but, humans being humans, each will have disagreements that create tension. Sometimes, the spouses come together and talk about these differences like adults. But if they come to view the other as detrimental to their wellbeing and fail to […]
Stealing Our Jobs: The Future of the H-1B
Srinivas Kuchibhotla and his colleague Alok Madasani were regular patrons of the Austins Bar in Olathe, Kansas. They were called the “Jameson guys” after their regular drink of choice – Jameson whiskeys. Both men were from Hyderabad, India, and were working as software engineers at the tech firm Garmin. Kuchibhotla had come to the US […]
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 […]
Running on Empty
The Demise of the American Coal Industry Hidden within the the Appalachian Mountains is a deeply American problem. Dotting the Appalachians are coal mines, and around these mines, coal towns. However, as global energy dependence has shifted away from coal and towards clean energy, the lifeblood of the traditional energy industry was siphoned away, leaving […]
Make Education Great Again
How politics and campaign funding affects the future of school reform “If confirmed, will you insist upon that equal accountability in any K-12 school or educational program that receives federal funding whether public, public charter, or private?” asked Senator Tim Kaine. “I support accountability,” replied Education Secretary nominee Betsy Devos. “Equal accountability for all schools […]
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 […]
Influence From Within
Nepotism in Modern Politics Before running for president and shaking the foundations of modern American politics, Donald Trump stated: “Loyalty is extremely important to me. My family and close friends will say that I am loyal to a fault.” Perhaps this lends an insight into why Jared Kushner, a 36-year-old Harvard graduate and lifelong Democrat from […]
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 […]
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 Military-Industrial Kleptocracy
The Growth of the Military-Industrial Complex Under Trump President Dwight Eisenhower’s foreign policy was an ode to interventionism. Eisenhower began the escalation of U.S. presence in Vietnam, toppled governments from Iran to Guatemala to Thailand and elsewhere, extending U.S. military involvement across multiple continents. Yet Eisenhower warned, “we must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted […]
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 […]
Antifa: A New Political Resistance?
They showed up wearing black clothes and masks, throwing fireworks and smashing glass windows. They threatened people recording them, and attacked those who stood in their way. They set fires and threw Molotov Cocktails. Later, they were described as “Ninja-like” individuals who used “paramilitary tactics”. But this wasn’t a civil war or a terror attack. […]
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 […]
Trump on Immigration – A Preview of the New Administration
Keeping with his campaign promise to restrict immigration from the Arab world, President Trump on January 27th began his program of “extreme vetting” with an executive order barring the acceptance of new refugees and restricting all travel to the United States by citizens of several Middle Eastern countries. The order quickly drew widespread criticism, with […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
Lessons from the School of Trumpian Politics along the Venezuelan-Colombian Border
Xenophobic ideology is not new to politics. It is, however, relatively new to Venezuela, which has been one of the more welcoming South American countries to immigrants throughout the second half of the 20th century. On August 19, 2015, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro announced “Operation Liberation of the People” (OLP). Since then, over 1,500 Colombians have […]