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We Got More Than Our Health
President Obama took on one of the worst crises in American history in one of the most politically polarized periods of American history and made lemonade. He passed historic legislation, he pulled America back from the brink of economic collapse, and he knows how to moonwalk.
Say Nyet to Racism
International soccer can lead to respect and admiration for all different members of one’s nation and national team. But there are two teams in every match. The other team and the individuals that comprise it are “them,” one’s team is “us.” When a member of the opposition does not match the vision of what “us” looks like, especially when “us” is nearly homogeneous, it is easy to consider him an enemy.
Read Between the Lines
Though the Court’s ruling was a victory for the Obama administration, especially four months before the presidential election, the opinion does not endorse liberalism. For the moment, the Chief Justice silenced criticisms of his court.
A Step in the Right Direction
The law is not perfect, nor fully operational yet (the mandate not becoming effective until 2014). But, at least the question now can now be “how will it work?” rather than “is the law even constitutional?”
Interview: #Yosoy132 Organizer Valeria Hamel
CPR’s Andrea S. Viejo had the opportunity to converse with Valeria Hamel, one of the student spokespeople of the #YoSoy132 student movement in Mexico advocating for freedom of the press. She gave us insight into the upbringing of this movement and what it was like to organize the first independent student run presidential debate in the history of Mexico.
Democracy is Not a Spectator Sport
There is a big difference between the Democratic Party rank-and-file and its leaders, but when it comes down to it, the rank-and-file don’t have a say.
Reframing the Debate
In today’s political environment, expediency often takes precedence over good policy making. But the sooner we realize that there isn’t a magic bullet for fixing the economy, the closer we’ll get to fixing it.
Things Go Better with Coke
It is the global community that needs to learn from Myanmar. Rather than attempting to wait out the gluttons of privilege, international sanctions ought to be relaxed to let the North Korean people eat and allow for some much needed foreign dollars to enter the country. And, maybe, with a little time, and a little help, North Koreans can have a Coke too.
Washington Can Learn from Nudists and Cherokees
Washington can learn from the Massachusetts election. Washington can learn what it means to be civil again. Washington can learn what it means to govern efficiently, not rule with blind ideology. The Massachusetts race has it all.
Race in a Race: Elizabeth Warren’s Ancestral Claims Stir Controversy
This controversy has captured national public attention because, frankly, average Americans are wondering why such value was put on Warren’s heritage and why the issue of racial minutia still holds importance to some.
In the Name of Macedonia
Greece accuses the former Yugoslav province, which has been independent since 1991, of stealing its national heritage and misappropriating Hellenic heroes such as Philip and Alexander of Macedon for the purpose of tourism and national identity building. Stealing another country’s national heritage is a bad enough crime, say Greeks, but revising history is unacceptable.
Drill, Baby, Drill: Use American Energy Now, Not Never
So long as the United States is dependent on oil as an energy source, it only makes sense to transition towards more domestic oil before finally moving past nonrenewable fossil fuels to fully renewable sources of energy.
Obama Refuses to Deport Undocumented Youth...Sort of
This policy provides no path to legal status. That is the essential part of the DREAM Act that hundreds of thousands have fought for and that Obama promised.
Egypt’s Military Coup: Take Two
Revolutionary forces must recognize that the military has been in power since 1952, and the decisions of the SCAF over the year and a half “transitional” period have only tried to preserve the old order. The sad truth is that alliance between the people and the army was only a means for the SCAF to pursue its own agenda.
Starting to Listen
Iran’s reaction to these talks has, time and again, proven that it is not what we are proposing that bothers them. What bothers them is that we are proposing anything at all.
China's Search for Glam Power
China has an image problem and an influence deficit. Unsurprisingly, the Chinese government has already taken coordinated steps to raise China’s profile on the world stage.
By Royal Proclamation: Obama Bypasses Congress to Dictate Immigration Policy
The move is not due to an act of Congress but is instead solely due to the president’s directions to the Department of Homeland Security. Essentially, the president is telling the department to stop enforcing federal law.
Melting the Snowball Effect
So to all of the Obama supporters checking Politico every 30 minutes, take a breath. It’s going to be okay. And even if you don’t buy any of these arguments, remember that the average American doesn’t care nearly as much as you do.
The World's New Powder Keg
The international community as a whole has an interest in ensuring that Caspian oil continues to flow, and Azerbaijan’s stability is central to that aim. The abeyance of the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline, for example, because of an avoidable regional conflict would wreak havoc on a global energy market already under tremendous pressure. Hillary Clinton ought to pay several more visits to the region in the near future to ensure that Armenia and Azerbaijan’s glacial peace process quickens its pace.
For Better or Worse: How the Electoral College Affects How Candidates Do Business
Ultimately, whether these nearly-toss-up states become a bigger part of the campaign dialogue is dependent on the economy. An improved economy could be Obama’s biggest asset when courting the big states he needs.