President Obama has received a considerable amount of criticism during his time in office, from conservatives, liberals and independents alike. Many liberals and independents claim to feel betrayed by the president, because he has not followed through with many of the idealistic promises made during his campaign (as if a president of any party could follow through with promises in the face of our rigidly divided Congress, Senate and House of Representatives). Conservatives, on the other hand, have had a vendetta against Obama from the get-go, maintaining that his particular (liberal, communist) plan of action would be—and is now—detrimental rather than beneficial to the country’s future.
Protesters hold signs quoting President Obama at a rally against the Keystone pipeline in Washington
Regardless, there are several very momentous things Obama has done for the United States of America, both in policy changes and by simply being a primary figurehead that isn’t a blubbering idiot, which critics from either side cannot ignore. He has (somewhat) effectively ended the Iraq War and extended health care to millions by signing the Health Care Reform bill. He has improved the quality of life of marginalized groups by repealing Don’t Ask Don’t Tell, increasing funding for the Violence Against Women Act, expanding U.S. hate crime laws to include sexual orientation and appointing more openly gay officials than any president in the country’s history.
Continue reading ‘Obama Rejects Keystone XL, Stands Up Against Hasty Republicans’
January 18 could prove to be an unprecedented day in the history of the Internet. For the first time, several of the world’s most popular websites will “black out,” or go offline, in protest of the Stop Online Piracy and PROTECT IP Acts (SOPA and PIPA, respectively). These bills were designed primarily to stop foreign-based websites from violating U.S. copyrights online. However, glaring flaws leave room for fears of Internet censorship equivalent to that of North Korea and Cuba.
One of Wikipedia's proposed 'blackout pages' for Wednesday, Jan. 18
A number of high-profile websites have now officially released statements declaring that full blackouts will indeed happen tomorrow, Wednesday, January 18. The most notable of these is Wikipedia, whose English-language site will be shut down for a full 24 hours, from midnight EST on January 18 until midnight EST January 19. The English Wikipedia houses nearly 3,850,000 articles and receives roughly 25 million visitors a day from around the world. Tomorrow, however, Wikipedia’s largest Encyclopedia will be replaced by proposed “blackout pages,” detailing information about the proposed SOPA and PIPA acts.
Continue reading ‘Wikipedia, Reddit to ‘Black Out’ Wednesday in Protest of SOPA’
Thursday evening, comedian and political pundit Stephen Colbert made an announcement that could potentially be the best news the U.S. has heard in decades. Colbert, host of the Comedy Central satirical news show The Colbert Report, revealed on last night’s show that he is “forming an exploratory committee to lay the groundwork for [his] possible candidacy for President of the United States of South Carolina!”
Stephen Colbert for President!
The announcement comes after a Public Policy Polling survey released on Tuesday found Colbert polling ahead of former Utah governor John Huntsman in Colbert’s home state of South Carolina. According to the survey, Colbert has five percent of the vote, while Huntsman only has four. Discussing the results on his Wednesday show, Colbert said, “This just got real.”
While many people often have trouble determining when Colbert should and should not be taken seriously, it would be a mistake to underestimate his intentions in this instance. In 2008, he attempted to enter the South Carolina Republican primaries to run for president, but could not afford the hefty fee. The Democrats of his state made a decision to block him, ending his campaign aspirations.
Continue reading ‘Stephen Colbert for President?’
The Iowa caucus is easily the most anticipated and most overrated event in the United States presidential elections. Since 1972, the Corn State’s caucuses have been the first major electoral event of the nominating process for the Office of the President. For that reason, the outcomes of Iowa’s caucuses are typically interpreted to represent the supposed opinion of “America’s Heartland” in its entirety. Those who fair well often tend to go on to receive a Republication nomination on the national level, and those who do not usually drop out after this very first caucus. Despite the emphasis placed on Iowa’s caucuses, however, only about one percent of the country’s electoral delegates come from the Iowa State Convention, rendering the state largely obsolete in the long run, other than for mere speculation.
From left to right: presidential candidates Santorum, Paul, Romney and Gingrich
Even so, the Iowa caucus was rendered just as important in 2012 as it has been in years past. Candidate Rick Perry spent $4 million on TV ads in the state, and Rick Santorum invested roughly $30,000. The official caucus took place yesterday, Tuesday, January 3, 2012, and the results released early this morning were surprising on many fronts. Conservative Republicans Mitt Romney and Rick Santorum nearly tied for first place, with Romney winning by only a fraction of a percentage and eight total votes. Santorum’s success was most surprising of all, as his popularity seemingly appeared out of nowhere in roughly two weeks. The Conservative, anti-gay and anti-abortion candidate is widely believed to have succeeded due to the wide range of Evangelical and “born-again” Christians who came out to vote in the state. Ron Paul, who has run in just about every Presidential election since I can remember and is perhaps only now being taken seriously, shocked everyone by coming in third place with 21.4 percent of the votes.
Continue reading ‘What the Iowa Caucus Really Means (and Why We Should Fear for the Future of Our Country)’
The recent death of North Korean dictator Kim Jong-il bears stark resemblance to the May 2011 execution of Osama bin Laden. I personally received a heavy amount of criticism after bin Laden’s death, as I professed my discomfort with the United States’ overwhelmingly celebratory attitude regarding the event. Don’t get me wrong—I do not “side” with bin Laden. He was inarguably a cruel and ruthless man who took many lives. However, I was downright disturbed by the fact that one of the most advanced countries in the 21st century was celebrating a gruesome murder like we had won a sport’s game. No matter how many atrocities someone commits while he is alive, the loss of any human life should be regarded with respect, dignity and, in this particular instance, apprehension for the future. Instead, the United States of America responded childishly, demanding to see pictures of the dead body, making jokes about his death and going out to bars or even throwing parties to drink and celebrate. I can understand feeling relieved, more safe and secure, knowing that such a person is no longer a threat to society. However, I cannot understand reveling in the idea of the loss of human life, no matter the circumstances.
North Korean communist dictator Kim Jong-il has passed
Today, the North Korean state television officially announced that communist dictator Kim Jong-il had passed away two days ago from a heart attack at age 69. The news brings about mixed emotions, for despite his uncouth ways of leading he was regarded as by many in North Korea as the “Dear Leader” of their country. In fact, photographs from the last two days show North Korean residents overwhelmed with grief at the news of their leader’s death. Despite this country-wide reputation, however, a 2004 Human Rights Watch report named Kim’s North Korean government “among the world’s most repressive,” having roughly 200,000 political prisoners and no freedom of the press or religion. Kim’s regime barred political opposition, equal education and health care.
Continue reading ‘Kim Jong-il and Osama bin Laden: The World Responds’
In light of recent violent attacks by authorities against peaceful Occupy Wall Street protestors around the country, one of the nation’s largest cities has perhaps set the stage for appropriate police-protestor interaction. Early this morning, the Los Angeles County Police Department served an eviction notice against Occupy Los Angeles, whose camp is located on the lawn of City Hall. The LAPD announced this weekend that it wanted protestors to clear out of the camp by 12:01 A.M. Monday morning.
Occupy LA protestors facing eviction Monday morning
In response, hundreds of additional people came down to show their support for the movement. Roughly 1,000 protestors converged on the streets around City Hall, and police made it verbally clear that arrests would be made if people continued to block traffic. Rather than violently attacking and arresting the resilient protestors, however, the LAPD instead closed down the impacted streets and extended the arrest deadline to 4:30 A.M. Shortly after 5:00, police ordered demonstrators to disperse. Most complied, and the few who did not were willingly and nonviolently arrested. The city’s mayor, Antonio Villaraigosa, praised both Occupy LA protestors and the LAPD for the peaceful confrontation. While he says he is “empathetic” to the movement’s concerns, he stated that the city still intends to evict the Occupy LA camp. He would not say when, but only that it would happen “when it is safe for the officers.”
Continue reading ‘LAPD’s Attempt at Evicting Occupy LA Ends Peacefully’
When it comes to student loans, I’ve been luckier than most. Federal financial aid and academic scholarships paid for almost all of my college education. Even so, a majority of students in America today will earn their Bachelor’s degrees and consequently face roughly $25,000 in debt. For those who decide to go to graduate or law schools, that amount is often tripled.
An Occupy Wall Street protestor shows his dissatisfaction with the current student loan program
This leaves young people with an unrealistic burden to carry. After all, it is next to impossible to find a job without a college degree. Higher education has become almost as crucial to social survival as elementary and high schools. Yet with today’s economic climate, jobs have never been harder to come by. Those who graduate with a degree often cannot find careers until several years after they have completed their schooling. Without a legitimate income, how can they pay back the thousands of dollars it took for them to get their education in the first place?
Continue reading ‘Victory for Students as Obama Unveils Loan Forgiveness Plan’
When Muammar al-Gaddafi seized control of Libya in 1969, his dictatorship changed the landscape of the country forever. Not only did he abolish the country’s Constitution, instituting his own form of aggressive and destructive government of which he was the sole participant, but he funded militants, terror groups and guerilla armies.
Libyans celebrate Gaddafi's death in Martyr's Square
He caused destruction not only in the country over which he ruled, but in the world at large. His regime was held responsible for several terror attacks, including the 1988 bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie,
Scotland, that of a French passenger jet in Africa in 1989 and the 1986 bombing of a German dance club.
Continue reading ‘Gaddafi is Dead! …Gaddafi Who?’
Has it been 24 months already!?
‘Till death do us part…unless of course two years down the road we decide to call it quits.’ That could very well be the attitude of citizens in Mexico who are talking marriage if the proposed legislation passes that will allow married couples the option to sign a marriage contract that is only valid for two years. With almost 50% of couples in Mexico City ending in divorce, and a large majority of these divorces happening within the first 24 months, this seems like a fairly logical solution. Why continue to put money in the pockets of divorce lawyers who feed off of the failed marriages of others? But on the flip side, with divorce rates so high, why would a country want to almost encourage the idea that marriage is no longer a lifelong commitment and divorce truly is the norm.
Call me crazy, but I was raised to believe that marriage was a sacred union between two people who planned on spending the rest of their lives together. Now, I understand that times have changed and that the US divorce rate is frequently reported at around 50%, yet I still cannot fathom a law being passed that gives people a cop out after just two years. True, this contract would almost wipe out the ‘messy’ parts of a divorce. Predetermining who gets the kids, the house, the car, etc. would take out a lot of the heartache and unnecessary fighting that so often comes with splitting up, but that still doesn’t make it right.
Thankfully, this legislation is only being discussed in Mexico, but the United States isn’t one shy away from adopting a law from another country that seems to be working. So, that leaves us with this question – if this legislation was being proposed in America, would we pass it?
Is a life without mail any life at all? This is a question you may have to ask yourself after the USPS announced that given the rate of declining first-class mail volume it will be broke by early next year. According to the NY Times, since mail volume has dropped 22% from five years ago, the Postal Service is lobbying Congress for multiple cuts and program changes; among these is the approval to discontinue Saturday mail delivery. The USPS once had pride in their service and adopted the phrase, “neither snow, nor rain, not heat, nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds”, originally coined by Herodotus, to describe their commitment to delivery. However, these days it seems that a little bit of snow and ice can stop delivery, and mail was once delivered twice a day, or a dozen times a week, back before the 1950s.
The Postal Service’s current fiscal year ends on September 30, so unless Congress enacts legislation this month to eliminate programs to save the USPS $5.5 billion annually and allow them to cut back on deliveries, then a world without your friendly neighborhood mailman is fast approaching.
So, what does this really mean? These days most packages are being delivered by UPS or FedEx, and many people are receiving their bills online. Does the idea of the USPS going under really raise concerns with a large number of people, or are people more concerned with the ease in which companies and organizations are asking the government for a bailout?
It might be time to say 'adios' to your neighborhood mailman
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