In 1848, German philosopher Karl Marx delineated in his Communist Manifesto that society, at the time phasing through a period of industrialization and capitalism, would become continuously split into two distinct economic classes known as the bourgeoisie, or the holders of wealth, and the proletariat, or the working class. Although Marxist thought has European origins, no European nation has...
On Monday, Sept. 17, Donald Trump imposed 10 percent tariffs on $200 billion worth of products imported from China, including goods like toilet paper and seafood. Although sizeable, these tariffs are merely the tip of the iceberg, as President Trump has threatened China with tariffs on an additional $267 billion worth of imported goods. The president has claimed these...
On June 4, President Donald Trump tweeted that he had the “absolute right” to pardon himself, a novel and unprecedented legal claim that he apparently considers his constitutional right. His attorney, Rudy Giuliani, has since claimed that he can “probably” pardon himself, but has no plans to do so. His acknowledgment of the President’s claim served to downplay its...
As one of his campaign promises, Brazil’s president-elect Jair Bolsonaro said he would push for a stricter crackdown on criminal activity by retaliating with higher levels of police brutality. Brazil has steadily declined in its safety rates, with gangs gaining control over certain neighborhoods that police don’t often visit. In instances where confrontations with the security forces and criminals...
20 years ago, starting Jan. 9, 1999, and continuing until the beginning of February, the second ever Senate trial of a president of the United States was held, starring former President Bill Clinton. His trial was the culmination of an investigation led by special prosecutor Kenneth Starr. Clinton was initially investigated over suspicious dealings in the Whitewater Property sale...
Richard Grenell is not off to a very good start. The newly-appointed U.S. ambassador to Germany has already caused embarrassment and tension twice since his appointment in May, first with threats of sanctions against German businesses trading with Iran and, recently, with a commitment to “empower” conservative movements in Europe.
Despite the admittedly immodest and hostile nature of these comments,...
2018 saw a large increase in the amount of Asian and Asian-American representation in pop culture, most notably with the premiere of “Crazy Rich Asians,” Hollywood’s first movie with an all Asian cast in 25 years. In addition to this highlight, there have been other noteworthy milestones for Asians in the film industry. Pixar released the short film “Bao,”...
In March 2018, the Italian general election ended with a hung parliament after no running party achieved a clear majority in the legislature. Neither the center-right nor center-left coalitions, nor the populist Five Star Movement were able to claim absolute victory. Subsequently, the left and right-wing populist parties, the Five Star Movement and the League, coalesced to deliver a...
A bill recently introduced by Assemblyman Jose Medina, (D-Riverside), a former ethnic studies teacher, seeks to make ethnic studies a high school graduation requirement in California. The bill, AB 2772 passed the Assembly floor on June 27 and is awaiting a vote in the State Senate. If passed, it would require all high school students to take one semester...
I usually know I’m getting old when there’s a new popular saying I don’t completely understand. Certain slang words come and go faster than I can learn them. Although it makes me feel totally un-hip, it’s actually pretty common for people to stop learning new slang in their 20s and simply keep using the slang they already know. As...