For Americans, the word “cartel” normally conjures unpleasant images, such as OPEC ministers manipulating the price of petroleum, or drug lords executing rivals. The words “global strategic reserve” make us nervous, too, and the combination of “cartels” and “global strategic reserve” in the same paragraph is likely to send us running for cover. The alarming […]
Archives for December 2014
Ebola Today. Ebola Tomorrow.
When a sickness exits the body, it generally departs with some good courtesy. The symptoms eventually fade, and after an adequate amount of rest and recovery, the body falls back into its old routine. Yet, once Ebola leaves Sierra Leone and fades from the headlines, what mark will it leave on the people it once […]
Detroit’s Water Crisis
“If you’re wealthy enough in Detroit, you can have water. If you’re not wealthy enough, you can’t have water.” This is how Dr. Peter Hammer, the director of the Center for Civil Rights at Wayne State University, characterizes the latest developments in Detroit’s financial crisis. In what the United Nations has declared a violation of […]
Mass Graves in Iguala: Why Corruption is Mexico’s Biggest Problem
On September 26th, a group of idealistic students from the leftist Raúl Isidro Burgos Rural Teachers College of Ayotzinapa, Mexico, traveled to Iguala to protest discriminatory hiring practices. The group had commandeered buses and blocked a road, so they expected a police reaction, possibly beatings or detention. They did not expect an all-out assault from […]
The Politics of National Mourning
On Tuesday, November 12, 60 year old Lee Joon-Seok was sentenced to 36 years in prison. Upon hearing the verdict, outraged family members of the deceased demanded an appeal and a revision to the death sentence. Lee was initially accused of murder for his conduct as captain during the sinking of the Sewol ferry, where […]
From the Street to the Boutique
Mid-level clothing brands are reaching into the luxury market. Not all of them will succeed.
The Legacy of History: An Interview with Dr. Joseph Tulchin
In a world where technology has made travel much simpler, it is easy to live abroad and feel safe. Few Americans, however, have dared to reside in countries under military dictatorships. Fewer still have been in a state of siege even once, let alone five times. But Dr. Joseph Tulchin, a preeminent Latin Americanist, has: […]
Divestment: Efficacy and Impact
The fossil fuel divestment movement emerged at Swarthmore College in 2012. In three short years, divestment has evolved from a small campaign among student activists into a mainstream movement with commitments from universities to churches to the $860 million Rockefeller Brothers Fund. Currently, over $50 billion has been divested from fossil fuels. The movement urges […]
Diagnosing Culture Before Treating Disease: Challenges in Fighting Ebola in West Africa
As the Ebola epidemic becomes more widespread and deadly in West Africa, some of the flaws in the current containment strategies are more evident. While Western governments are directing billions of dollars in aid, those efforts often fail to take into account local attitudes and health behaviors. Increased sensitivity and understanding of West African cultures […]
The Plunging Price of Oil and the End of OPEC
Along the roadsides and off the highways of America, a quiet revolution is brewing. With over 60% of gas stations across the country offering prices lower than $3.00/gallon, Americans are paying less for gas now than they have in the past 4 years. The drop in prices would seem to come from nowhere; crude oil […]