What happened on February 24th should not be regarded as just another day in Japanese politics. It was the day 70% of Okinawans voted to oppose plans to relocate the Futenma Air Station to Henoko, a remote location in the prefecture with endangered coral reefs.[1] As the central government plans to move forward with the […]
There is very little a government can do to frustrate and anger its population more than shut down. Citizens pay taxes and abide by laws—even those with which they don’t agree—and in return, the government abdicates much of its responsibility and ceases to function over issues that do not necessitate such drastic measures.[1] Indeed, this […]
In recent years, as the American political sphere has become more polarized, news pundits, online commentators, and politicians have repeatedly declared that professional athletes are “out-of-touch-millionaires” who should “shut up and dribble.” Players such as Colin Kaepernick, LeBron James, Stephen Curry, and Richard Sherman have pushed back against the ‘whitelash’ to become more politicized. But […]
Human activities are on path to destroy the only known environment capable of sustaining life. Our consumption and depletion rate of natural resources will lead us to a point where there will be no resources to trade, no need for economies to develop, no need for society to progress or for politics to rule—in essence, […]
Here’s a sampling of recent headlines gleaned from major news websites: Gigantic Cavity in Antarctica Glacier Is a Product of Rapid Melting, Study Says [1] Why the Fed Made a U-Turn: Perceived Risks to Growth Shifted [2] While E.U. tries to bypass U.S. sanctions on Iran, Trump administration amps up pressure [3] Republicans want mortgage […]
There is no middle; there is no moderation. There is only endless argument between Republicans and Democrats who have fundamental issues with their opposition. Compromise in today’s politics is seldom reached, and too often each side is so embroiled with their hatred of their opponents that they fail to bring about any real change. For […]
My parents peddled three myths to me as a child: the Tooth Fairy, Santa Claus, and American meritocracy. The “American Dream,” our national ethos of opportunity and success based on hard work, has been a mainstay of many immigrant parents, including mine, who come to the U.S. seeking a better life for themselves and their […]
In Greek mythology, a hunter, famed for his beauty, was so captivated by his reflection in a pool of water that he literally drowned in his own self-image. The hunter’s name was Narcissus, and from it derives narcissism, the excessive love for one’s self. The story of Narcissus reveals the deadly temptation of excessive self-love, […]
In 1981, James Kirkland Batson, an African-American man from Kentucky, was charged with second-degree burglary and receipt of stolen goods. During voir dire (jury selection), the prosecution struck down all four potential black jurors using peremptory strikes, which allow lawyers to disqualify potential jurors without providing objection or justification. Though the defense and prosecution both […]
This September, I was traveling on a bus through the rural farmland of Chiapas, the southernmost state of Mexico. While driving down a dirt road, our bus had to stop. With my face pressed up against the glass, I could see about 30 people gathered in a circle in the middle of the road, huddled […]
