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 […]
Cuban Privatization: The Newest Victim of a Failed Embargo
The birth of Communist Cuba at the height of the Cold War presented a perceived immediate and dire threat to the United States. In response, President Kennedy authorized a handful of covert CIA operations to overthrow Cuba’s leader, Fidel Castro. All of these attempts failed, culminating with the disastrous Bay of Pigs Invasion. In October […]
The Big Bad Brony: Male Dominance of Feminine Space in the Media
From Barbie to G.I. Joe, American toy stores help to reinforce the socially constructed gender divisions between females and males. By separating and color coding aisles based on what is deemed appropriate for little girls and boys to play with, toy stores and toy companies help to entrench gender identities beginning from an exceptionally young […]
The Media Versus the Environmental Movement: The Unseen Battle
The environmental movement in the United States faces many challenges from varied social, political, and economic pressures. Economic growth and the free market often take priority over all other issues, regardless of the implications of those values. As such, attempts at regulation or environmental protection are viewed as restrictive and infringing upon the rights of […]
Net Neutrality and the Monopoly on Information
The Internet today is a vast ocean of data being downloaded, uploaded and transmitted all over the world at lightning fast speeds. Our current dependence on technology has become so fundamental that we are now considered to be living in the “Information Age.” Not only is the breadth of information seemingly limitless, but is also […]
4 Years of Citizens United: The Damage and Its Solution
January 2014 marked the 4th anniversary of the highly controversial Citizens United v. Federal Electoral Committee verdict, in which the Supreme Court granted corporations and unions complete first amendment rights. The Court ruled that these entities are allowed to spend unlimited amounts of money on political advocacy as long as that money is not given […]