Counterbalance: When Policies Die and Elections Begin
For some, politics has always been a topic of interest. For others, it wasn’t until Kevin Spacey, Kate Mara (RIP) and Robin Wright took the screen to produce one of the most influential political drama series since the West Wing. House of Cards season 3 aired on Netflix at midnight (PST) on February 27, leaving […]
Fossil Fuel Divestment: Our Path to a Livable Future
As the climate crisis worsens, it is becoming clear that action must be taken to prevent further deterioration of our environment. As a society, sustainable living needs to become a priority to preserve the Earth and save resources for future generations. One of the major problems we are currently facing is our reliance on fossil […]
Bigger Than History: What Selma’s Portrayal of LBJ Really Means
In one of the opening scenes of the Oscar-nominated film Selma, released this past December, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. pays President Lyndon B. Johnson a visit at the White House to discuss discriminatory voting laws in the South. Dr. King wants President Johnson to vigorously pursue new legislation that would take away the ability […]
Counterbalance: the Grudge Goes Global
Following November’s midterm elections, it was quite clear that with a shift in the balance of power, current policies were going to be modified . What may have been less obvious before Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s US visit and Senator Tom Cotton’s Iran Letter, is that the new conservative majority would overhaul basic democratic […]
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 […]
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 […]
Israel, Palestine, and Northeastern University: An Issue of Free Speech and Competing Interests
In March of 2014, Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP), a student group at Northeastern University, placed dozens of mock eviction notices in dormitories as an act of protest against the forced evictions of Palestinians in Israel.[1] The act was one in a string of controversial SJP protests, which ultimately resulted in the group’s suspension […]
Fifty Shades of Grey: National Security
“Your President(s) will see you now.”
Know Thy Enemy: Cyber Warfare in the 21st Century
“It’s the great irony of our Information Age – the very technologies that empower us to create and to build also empower those who would disrupt and destroy.”[1] Referring to the 2010 hacking attacks on Google and several other companies in various industries, President Obama demonstrates the new type of threat that the world is […]