Archive for the 'Politics' Category

Obama Rejects Keystone XL, Stands Up Against Hasty Republicans

By: alex.chrum, January 19, 2012 in Government, News and Politics. Closed Tags: , , .

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.

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Wikipedia, Reddit to ‘Black Out’ Wednesday in Protest of SOPA

By: alex.chrum, January 17, 2012 in Government, Internet, News and Politics. Closed Tags: , , , , .

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.

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Stephen Colbert for President?

By: alex.chrum, January 13, 2012 in Celebrities, Government, News, Politics and Television. Closed Tags: , .

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.

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What the Iowa Caucus Really Means (and Why We Should Fear for the Future of Our Country)

By: alex.chrum, January 4, 2012 in Government and Politics. Closed Tags: , , , , , .

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.

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Kim Jong-il and Osama bin Laden: The World Responds

By: alex.chrum, December 19, 2011 in Government, News, Passings and Politics. Closed Tags: , .

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.

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Author and Visionary Christopher Hitchens Passes Away at 61

By: alex.chrum, December 16, 2011 in Literature, Passings, Politics and Science. Closed Tags: , .

“Take the risk of thinking for yourself, much more happiness, truth, beauty, and wisdom will come to you that way.” –Christopher Hitchens

Yesterday, December 15, 2011, controversial author, journalist, humanist and political activist Christopher Hitchens lost his battle with esophageal cancer. Hitchens, an outspoken atheist, was undoubtedly one of the most brilliant minds of our time.

Christopher Hitchens speaks during a debate in New York in 2005

In fact, he was voted the world’s fifth top public intellectual in a Prospect/Foreign Policy poll. While exceptionally smart, he was also remarkably accessible, writing for The Atlantic, Vanity Fair, Slate and other publications. In 2007, he published a book on atheism and the nature of religion titled God is Not Great. His central argument, which is both incredibly powerful and controversial, is that the concept of god is a totalitarian belief that destroys individual freedom. He believed that free expression and science should replace religion as a means of teaching ethics and defining human civilization. Undoubtedly, he was one of the most prophetic and brilliant minds of the century.

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LAPD’s Attempt at Evicting Occupy LA Ends Peacefully

By: alex.chrum, November 28, 2011 in Government, News and Politics. Closed Tags: , , , .

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.”

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Maher and Hasselbeck Face Off in a Battle of (No) Wits

By: alex.chrum, November 16, 2011 in Celebrities, News, Politics and Television. Closed Tags: , , , .

My feminist knickers are in quite a remarkable twist today after hearing of an exchange between two of my least favorite woman-haters of all time. Bill Maher, the notorious liberal, loud-mouth comedian, made an appearance yesterday on the all-female talk show “The View.” Maher is making the media rounds promoting his new book, ironically yet somehow appropriately titled, The New New Rules: A Funny Look at How Everybody but Me Has Their Head up Their Ass. During his visit, host Elisabeth Hasselbeck, the equally woman-hating yet ultra-conservative former “Survivor” star, called Maher out for comments he made about trading her to Egypt after his last appearance on the show. Needless to say, Maher showed little remorse.

Maher and Hasselbeck facing off on "The View"

During the interview, the left-wing political commentator also criticized the Republican Presidential candidates, apparently irritating the right-wing Hasselbeck. “Wow,” she said, “I actually feel smarter sitting next to you.” (I can imagine that’s a new feeling for her.) Maher didn’t back down, retorting, “Really? I feel like I’m in high school sitting next to you.” Oh, the public bickering of two ignorant grown adults!

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Actress Jessica Chastain to Play Princess Diana

By: alex.chrum, November 8, 2011 in Celebrities, Movies and Politics. Closed Tags: , .

I was only eight years old when Princess Diana died, but the event is forever engrained in my memory. Unfortunate as it is, more than her remarkable life, I remember her tragic death. After a sleepover at a friend’s house, I came home early the next morning to crawl into bed with my mother and watch the coverage of her funeral. I remember the thousands and thousands of people, the procession through the streets of London, and Elton John singing “Candle in the Wind.” I remember feeling exceptionally sad, especially at my age, for a woman whom I never knew.

Chastain is slated to play Diana in "Caught in Flight"

Princess Diana was undoubtedly one of the most beloved royal figures in history. A new film, “Caught in Flight,” will bring the tale of her highly discreet two-year affair with Pakistani surgeon Dr. Hasnat Khan to the big screen. Actress Jessica Chastain, who recently starred in “The Help,” is reportedly slated to play Diana, a role that will undoubtedly change her career forever.

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Victory for Students as Obama Unveils Loan Forgiveness Plan

By: alex.chrum, October 27, 2011 in Finance, Government, News and Politics. Closed Tags: , , , , .

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?

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