Last Saturday, the day after the uprising, I left home to go to Besiktas around 1 p.m. My plan was to go help the people who were cleaning up in Besiktas, walk to Taksim to join the protestors in the square, and then move on to Gezi Park. In my backpack I had two bottles of … Read more
Turkey has woken up from its sleep during the AKP’s fascist regime. Founded in 1923, Turkey is a secular republic. Since 1946, it has maintained a multi-party democracy. The AKP (A.K.A. the Justice and Development Party) is an Islamist party elected in 2002 following the economic crisis the previous year. At first, its movements against … Read more
After years of expansion and growth, the Eurozone finds itself in crisis. Austerity measures following a sovereign debt crisis have spurred anti-European sentiment and a wave of nationalism, recently illustrated by the outcome of the Italian elections. The European project is at risk of being undermined by economic forces, while the region is in dire … Read more
As soon as the nationality of Dzhokhar and Tamarlan Tsarnaev was announced in the aftermath of the Boston bombings, misinformed statements stereotyping the Chechen people spread through Facebook, Twitter, and other social media. Not only did such updates and tweets draw a connection between the suspects and Islamic extremism that has not been confirmed, but … Read more
Media coverage of the Italian elections on Feb. 24 and 25 occasionally slipped into a complacent reaffirmation of old clichés. As the new parliament convened for the first time in early March, much of the political analysis offered superficial explanations for the outcome, accusing the Italians of being irrational voters and of avoiding reality. Yet … Read more
After weeks of fierce protests against (and counterprotests in favor of) mariage pour tous (“marriage for all”), the French National Assembly cast the final vote 331-225 in favor of legalizing marriage for same-sex couples on Tuesday. President François Hollande made same-sex marriage a central promise during his presidential campaign. The victory, though a clear success … Read more
In an interview with a major Italian newspaper, the newly appointed president of the Italian Senate and former anti-mafia prosecutor Pietro Grasso said that his dream is to to hold his grandson on his lap and tell him a story that starts with the words “C’era una volta la mafia,” meaning “Once upon a time … Read more
In the first two days after former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher passed away, it seemed as though every reporter and op-ed contributor had a different view of the Iron Lady. Comments on Lady Thatcher ranged from current Prime Minister David Cameron declaring, “she saved our country” and President George H. W. Bush remembering her … Read more
On October 22, 2012, Italian judge Marco Billi sentenced six Italian scientists and a government official to six years in prison. The crime? Manslaughter, for statements they made prior to a 5.8 magnitude earthquake in the region of Abruzzo, which resulted in 309 deaths. On March 6, almost five months after the sentencing and just … Read more
Though cardinals are supposed to vote based on divine inspiration, voting for the pope has always been secular. Lots of factors come into play, and without polls for the likes of Nate Silver to work their magic on, it’s anybody’s guess as to whose coming next. While I don’t plan to contribute to the one … Read more