Counterbalance: To War or Not To War

The Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) or the Islamic State in Iraq and Levant (ISIL) or the Islamic State, the terrorist organization that has seized parts of both countries, has one overarching goal in mind- the creation of an Islamic caliphate. The breadth of this goal alludes to one of the largest dangers […]

The Future of Net Neutrality

“After more than a decade of debate and a record-setting proceeding that attracted nearly 4 million public comments, the time to settle the net neutrality question has arrived.”  (1) Tom Wheeler, Chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, published an article on Wired.com announcing his proposed plans to settle the net neutrality debate. Net neutrality contends […]

Spread the Word to End the Word

Every year on the first Wednesday in March, thousands of people across the country take part in “Spread the Word to End the Word,” a national campaign to raise awareness about the use of the r-word. The word “retarded” was once a diagnosis for people who are mentally delayed or intellectually challenged. However, in modern […]

Encryption is Not Terrorism

“Do we want to allow a means of communication between people which we cannot read?” Prime Minister David Cameron asked the press, attempting to propose a ban on services which offer “end-to-end” encrypted messaging.[1]   Simply put, encryption is the technology used to protect data. When users wish to protect their data— passwords, bank account […]

Counterbalance: the Beginnings of Legislative Tug-of-War

On January 20th 2015, when delivering his second to last State of the Union (SOTU) address, President Obama assertively used the podium to unveil his progressive agenda, and emphatically prove that he has indeed got his swagger back. The 2015 SOTU was particularly unique; Obama abandoned his fleeting hopes of constructively working with his opponents […]

Colombia-FARC Peace Process

The Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia, better known as the FARC, began as a resistance movement among impoverished farmers in rural Colombia during the 1920’s and 1930’s. The movement started peacefully as a way to protest a lack of government intervention in peasant hardships, but when the government failed to intervene. The FARC became more […]