Back in early October, Paul Ryan told Fox News anchor Chris Wallace that “it goes without saying that there is definitely media bias … as a conservative, I’ve long believed and long felt that there is inherent media bias, and I think that anybody with objectivity would believe that that’s the case.” Of course, Republican … Read more
During a call with top campaign donors last Wednesday, Almost-President Mitt Romney accused Actual-President Barack Obama of bribing key voter groups with “extraordinary financial gifts from the government” to win their votes. Mitt said that Obama’s promise to forgive college loans was a “big gift” to young people and that “free contraceptives were very big … Read more
Do we have to make Benghazi a conversation on 2016? While it does not seem fair to politicize the tragic loss of Americans in the line of duty, it appears that, by targeting President Obama’s likely State nominee, Ambassador Susan Rice, that is exactly what the Republican Party is doing. Rice, they argue, is not … Read more
Right now, my inbox is full of many more emails than I would like about Israel and Palestine. As part of the Harvard College Progressive Jewish Alliance, I am part of a campaign to “Open Hillel” by convincing Hillel International to allow co-sponsorships with groups that advocate for boycotts of, divestment from, or sanctions on … Read more
If you plan to major in philosophy, the American government will stop at nothing to prevent you. “Become an engineer. Study science or math,” politicos of every rank and label say. “Don’t bother with the mushy humanities.” In almost all places, they’ll try to convince to put down Proust and pick up an engineering textbook; … Read more
Although President Obama’s description of his foreign policy as a “pivot” to Asia was intended to be neutral in tone, political discourse in the United States has largely focused on his vision’s military aspects. From the bolstering of U.S. positions in the South China Sea to the opening of new bases in Northern Australia, the … Read more
On November 6, 2012, while the rest of the country was transfixed by the presidential election, the 3.7 million residents of the American territory of Puerto Rico were focused on their own historic election. In addition to voting for Governor, non-voting delegate to the U.S. Congress, and members of the local legislature, Boricua voters also … Read more
Jacob Cedarbaum’s first month as a Chicago public school science teacher was certainly unusual. He headed straight into the first Chicago teachers’ strike in over 25 years, which highlighted opposition to Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s push to scale back anticipated pay raises, extend the school day, and tie standardized test scores more closely to teacher evaluations. … Read more
Michelle Rhee is a lightning rod. Gwen Samuels, a former Head Start teacher and current education activist in Connecticut, knows what it is like to stand too close. When Samuels partnered with Michelle Rhee in Connecticut, a previously civil debate about education policy quickly turned into all-out warfare. “People I didn’t even know existed started … Read more
I find this recent feature by the Harvard Crimson immensely interesting, as a sports fan, and as someone who grew up in team locker rooms. I think people underestimate how much of the homophobia in our culture is- if not born- incubated and perpetuated in high school locker rooms. In particular, the casually homophobic language … Read more