All Articles
The Shared Hypocrisy of Rahm and Barnard
Mind-boggingly, last week Barnard President Debora Spar herself wrote, “Of course, companies should strive to create generous maternity leaves,” and “…keep fighting the proverbial fights—better day care, better family leaves, more flex time at work and co-parenting at home. These are important goals.” Yet she is in charge of demanding huge cuts to maternity leave and flex time.
Political Minutes: A Future without HIV/AIDS
Under the rotunda of Low, four of the biggest names in the fight against HIV/AIDS all voiced the opinion that the tide has turned in the struggle against the disease.
Political Minutes: The European Crisis in its Political Context
The event was timely in light of recent conjecture surrounding the European Central Bank’s predicted interest rate cut, which is will lower interest rates to 0.50 percent (down from 0.75) in an attempt to boost growth throughout the faltering eurozone.
A Seat at the Table
But being an elite is expensive. Fortunately, Spar and her Wall St. affiliated Barnard board members realized the best way to keep Barnard solvent would be to slash the health, pension, and tuition benefits of the lowest paid employees at the college-the clerical workers. And in order to empower women, Spar decided to drastically cut from the most basic female employment victories — maternity leave and flex time.
The Taxer Conspiracy
Even in the face of an overwhelming wave of evidence that soundly contradicts their claim, they remain resolute in their conviction, undeterred by any well-grounded facts or presented documentation. They do so because their belief in this claim is based not on rational argument but rather on a deep hatred of the associated presidential candidate and what he stands for.
Political Minutes: The Constitution, the Court, and America’s Promise
Professor Freeman began by setting the tone of the era through the eyes of Alexander Hamilton, noting that, "He was a brilliant, sometimes arrogant, often impatient, and always impulsive politician."
Putting Evil in Context
Within the story of the MEK lies the greater story of the ways in which the ideology and activity of a given entity can change, sometimes for worse and sometimes for better.
Joshua Fattal
Joshua Fattal is a Columbia sophomore planning to major in Intellectual History. He is interested in philosophy, politics, and human rights, and currently sits on the editorial board of The Current and the Columbia Undergraduate Law Review. He can be reached at jrf2126@columbia.edu
Political Minutes: Ekmeleddin İhsanoğlu
The future lies in “two vital principles,” which he delineated as good governance and the allowance of political freedoms ingrained in established rules of human rights. This, warned Ihsanoglu, “is no easy undertaking,” especially in a world with such a diverse scale of polities and ideological landscapes. Some Muslim regimes have the “strictest possible” interpretation of Islam, while others deny its role, and others seek a middle way.
The Elephant in the Room
Mitt Romney, in being anything but a good candidate, is an example of the American process: that we are not given good candidates—we have to choose them.
Sound Bite Politics
As a citizen voting in her first presidential election, I am disappointed with the flavor of the current discourse and the lack of concrete ideas. Politics always has had mudslinging and distracting sound bites, but in this election we are faced with two competing visions for the American government to bring the country out of its economic recession.
Political Minutes: Aung San Suu Kyi
Since her release from house arrest and her election to parliament, Suu Kyi is no longer just a symbol of hope but also a political figure. As a political figure, Suu Kyi has to navigate the treacherous waters of Burma's polity, and that means steering away from the tough questions.
A Mukden in the Making
Let’s remember, though, what September 18th is the anniversary of. The Mukden Incident was a contrived pretext for expanding Japan’s empire into what had until then been Chinese territory. What we are seeing now are the first rumblings of a rising China looking to throw its newfound wealth and power around.
Political Minutes: Politics of Change in India
The event was particularly germane and received special attention in lieu of the contentious reform measures announced by the Congress-led government over the past week, including a decision to raise the limit on foreign investment into Indian retail. The backdrop of faltering economic growth in India and stalled economic reform mandate lent an air of urgency.
Will Citizens United Win It for Romney?
So, as much as Citizens United has changed the electoral landscape, its effects on the presidential race alone are likely to be muted. Unfortunately, this probably won’t be the case for smaller congressional and state congressional races, where less is known about candidates’ records.
Political Minutes: El Ghobashy and Mitchell at New School
On Wednesday, The New School hosted a panel featuring academics well-versed on different facets of Egyptian society. The topic of the discussion was Egypt after the presidential elections.
The Numbers Game
The growing discontent of the middle class means that this total will likely be difficult to attain: 58 percent of the population disapproves with her performance and more than 70 percent of the population now disagrees with the government’s economic policies.
Libya Shows Obama the Presidential
It doesn’t feel good to risk your life for a country that won’t pause to show its support. It doesn’t feel good to throw your life in harm’s way, only to hear that if there were another commander-in-chief, things would be different. It doesn’t feel good to be told your tremendous sacrifice is simply some politician’s collateral damage.
Marriage Equality Republicans Face Primaries
These election results are the result of a zealous minority taking advantage of low turnout to make a loud statement to GOP incumbents: moderates and Republicans who move to the left on any issue will be challenged and defeated for reelection.
Freedom of Speech: In Defense of Defense
Obama should have said something to the effect of “I personally disagree with the filmmaker and his despicable film, but this country will ardently defend his right to produce it”.
