Op-Eds
Op-Eds
The hypocrisy of tolerance and free speech
A few weeks ago, Yale University’s Intercultural Affairs Committee sent an email to students reminding them to be culturally sensitive in selecting their Halloween costumes. The president’s action was an attempt to be conscious of the well-being of all Yale students and stemmed from the diversity of that university’s campus, a trait Yale and UR […]
Op-Eds
We deserve better debates
No, we’re not watching Lincoln-Douglas. That much should be apparent by now, whether you’re a Republican watching the Democrats’ debates, a Democrat watching the Republican debates or a Green Party holdover skimming channels. The debates, as they currently stand, are the debates that Kafka would’ve written. Questions have no bearing on answers, candidates speak in […]
Op-Eds
Assad is not guiltless in Islamic State’s growth
The Islamic State (IS) developed out of corruption from the Iraqi and Syrian governments in their oppression of Sunni civilians. In Syria, the development of both IS and the Syrian rebels now fighting against Assad is largely a result of the Syria government’s oppression. Nearby countries, however, are also to blame. For example, Turkey allowed […]
Op-Eds
The state of the Republican Party
On Oct. 28, the Republican Party finally nominated Rep. Paul Ryan to be the Speaker of the House. This came after Rep. John Boehner’s resignation from the position in September, following pressures from numerous political factions within the party. It took Paul Ryan quite some time to acknowledge that he is the best man for […]
Op-Eds
Seeking serendipity: A hacker’s revelations in the face of frienship
I am usually the kind of guy who likes to have everything planned out, especially when I’m traveling somewhere: I need to know what I’m going to do, who I am going to meet, at what time and so on. On a recent weekend, I had no such plan. I just knew I was going […]
Op-Eds
Fight the patriarchy, with pockets
Last week, I purchased a new pair of jeans through the magical world of online shopping. Now, jeans are a very complex piece of clothing that have to fit perfectly in all the right places. Purchasing jeans without trying them on runs the high risk of staring at your behind for approximately seven-and-a-half minutes and […]
Op-Eds
Seeking refuge: With Syrians displaced en masse, we need to uphold our virtues
It’s a testament to our arguably valid cynicism about national politics that so many core American axioms have become occasion to roll our eyes. It’s torture to hear politicians use the rhetoric of “the city on a hill,” “the land of opportunity” and “the nation of immigrants,” not because these creeds are false—they’re not—but because […]
Op-Eds
Avoiding ticket mayhem
There were hundreds. They shuffled around the first floor of Wilson Commons, starting from the Common Market, snaking through the Ruth Merrill Center and back to Rocky’s Sub Shop. The students waited for hours, inching along as the line moved forward. Their reward: a chance to score tickets to see millenials’ favorite “science guy,” Bill […]
Op-Eds
Iran deal: Critics’ claims fall flat upon further inspection
In a surprising twist to the recent narrative of the U.S. and other powers’ deal with Iran to limit the latter’s nuclear weapons program, the head of a major anti-deal lobbying group, Americans United Against Nuclear Iran, resigned after reading the controversial deal and deciding that it was, in fact, worth honoring. Indeed, if more […]
Op-Eds
Iran deal: Negotiated from weakness, deal is destructive
Diplomacy can be amazing when done correctly. It’s a testament to the unwavering ideal of peace that the United States is even trying to make a deal with a country like Iran, which has been as violently unhelpful to its own cause as one could be. Though the clear goal of the Iran deal is […]
