Massachusetts voters will, in fourteen days, express their satisfaction, or lack thereof, with the state’s leadership over the past four years. In a state where Democrats have learned no elections can be taken for granted, especially during the current tumultuous political climate, incumbent governor Deval Patrick ’78 has conducted a skillful ground game in the … Read more
Russia isn’t even pretending to be our friend anymore. After suffering the embarrassment of having an enormous spy syndicate captured on American soil last summer, one would think that the Russian government may attempt to play it safe and appease America for a little while. I mean, having 12 spies unmasked is grounds for some … Read more
Makhdoom Shah Mahmood Qureshi, foreign minister of Pakistan since March 2008, spoke at the John F. Kennedy, Jr. Forum at the Institute of Politics tonight. Professor R. Nicholas Burns of the Kennedy School moderated the event, which featured a statement from Qureshi and a question and answer session. 6:01 PM: Qureshi and Burns come out … Read more
Last week I mentioned 350.org and the 10/10/10 Day of Work in this space. On Sunday, I went to a small rally on the steps of the Statehouse in Boston. Activists from Greenpeace and a smattering of local groups had gathered on Beacon Hill to rally for environmental change. A microphone was set up on … Read more
This is a follow-up post on Alastair Su’s blog post “Taking a Cue From Thailand’s Mr Condom”, looking specifically at China’s one-child policy and its economic impacts. Just over a year ago, the first few Chinese babies born in 1979 turned 30 – a significant milestone by any measure, but one made all the more … Read more
This week I stumbled upon a lot of articles on the new Call of Duty: Black Ops video game. The game is attracting attention due to its controversial dual player mode which allows gamers to play as the Taliban, hunting down U.S. Troops. The game has been banned on U.S. military bases and is coming … Read more
The Westboro Baptist Church is not afraid to make their extreme views on homosexuality and religion known. In fact, they are infamous for picketing funerals of American soldiers while carrying signs that read “God Hates Fags” and “Thank God for IEDs,” among others. This controversy finally reached the Supreme Court on Wednesday, October 6 in … Read more
Last week’s decision to award Chinese Liu Xiaobo with the Nobel Peace Prize was hailed by many around the world, but condemned by the Chinese government. Calling the award an “obscenity”, China has since cancelled two high profile diplomatic meetings with Norwegian officials and even a concert, though the parties involved had little to do … Read more
Last year, the U.S. Supreme Court infamously ruled in Citizens United v. FEC that corporate funding of independent political broadcasts in candidate elections cannot be limited under the First Amendment to the Constitution. In other words, the Court reaffirmed the idea that money serves as a means by which individuals can express their speech. Specifically, corporations … Read more
In what’s thought to be a move to appease the right wing of his government, Netanyahu has successfully advanced through Knesset a bill that requires new citizens to pledge allegiance to Israel as a Jewish and democratic state. Could they have thought of better timing? In the wake of the Mavi Marmara incident and the settlement … Read more