“The single most important thing we want to achieve is for President Obama to be a one-term president”—Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), October 23, 2010 “Obama turns to McConnell to secure his legacy”—Politico, November 17, 2014 Barack Obama may have made “change” the lynchpin of his 2008 campaign, but few would have anticipated that four years … Read more
President Obama proclaimed it the “defining challenge of our time.” The New York Times published a series of articles entitled “The Great Divide.” Thomas Piketty’s Capital in the 21st Century became the must-read book of the spring. Political discussion on the Left had seemingly become about two words: income inequality. Democrats in academia and politics have been harping on … Read more
On December 23, Sony announced that its controversial movie, The Interview, would play in certain theaters on its originally-intended release date, Christmas Day. After receiving threats from hackers known as “The Guardians of Peace,” who broke into Sony’s security system and collected sensitive information, Sony initially canceled the movie’s release. The Guardians of Peace threatened … Read more
On the morning of May 16, 2011, the people of Chicago watched excitedly in Millennium Park as Rahm Emanuel, the city’s 46th mayor, was sworn in. Full of campaign promises and ideas for reform after serving as White House chief of staff, Emanuel swept into office with 55 percent of the popular vote, clearing a … Read more
David Foster Wallace’s Infinite Jest provides an alternate reality where television channels become obsolete as individual viewing choices take precedence over channel timetables. Eventually, entertainment and news were reduced to videocassettes that people watched at their leisure. Today television channels are slowly shifting to rely on viewer preferences, streaming, and personal information—but not to such … Read more
On October 17, 2005, I celebrated my tenth birthday. But more importantly, I learned about truthiness. That’s when, according to Stephen Colbert, you just feel what’s true “in your gut.” It’s stronger than the truth. Truthiness was the first feature in Colbert’s “The Word” segment, which became and remains The Colbert Report’s staple. And that … Read more
On August 1, 2013, four former Republican administrators of the Environmental Protection Agency published an op-ed in The New York Times, in a last-ditch effort to save their party and the environment. In “A Republican Case for Climate Action,” the four proposed one of two options: adopt a market-based solution such as a carbon tax … Read more
I’m utterly confused. I’m confused as to why we are discussing adequate protest strategy instead of the death of an unarmed black teenager. I’m confused as to why I’ve heard more about the feelings of upset naked students instead of a black man being killed on camera only to have his murderer walk away without … Read more
In an email to members of the Harvard student body, the activists who organized the demonstration at Primal Scream argued that the event was successful. While these activists do have a just cause, and while their goals lie beyond the scope of disagreement, the demonstration itself did not succeed in advancing any of its meaningful … Read more
President John F. Kennedy issued the Cuban embargo on February 7, 1962 after years of tense diplomatic relations and Castro’s increasingly close relationship with the Soviet Union. White House lore has it that just before authorizing the embargo Kennedy purchased 1,200 hand-rolled Cuban cigars for himself. The Cuban embargo is seen by some as a … Read more