Brexit, the British exit from the European Union, has dominated its fair share of headlines in recent years. The process of leaving the EU - and its customs union - will force the United Kingdom to renegotiate policies relating to nearly every aspect of its existence. Included among the troubling consequences of Brexit is the … Continue reading Brexit’s Border Problem
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By Manon Steel and Walter Hanley Since the 1980s, many governments have been selling off their assets in order to minimize their deficits, increase their cash reserves, and reduce the scope of the government oversight. In other words, they have been engaging in a campaign of privatization. The concept of privatization is based in the … Continue reading Privatization and Hyperrationalization
On June 26, 2017 the Supreme Court of the United States agreed to hear arguments over President Trump’s executive orders barring the entrance of individuals from 6-7 majority muslim nations (the second executive order removed Iraq from the list of included nations) and the indefinite suspension of the U.S. refugee program. Until the official arguments … Continue reading What’s Really at Stake in the Battle Over the Travel Ban
The date was September 14th, 2001. Rep. Barbara Lee (D-CA) was delivering a one-and-a-half minute speech on the US House of Representatives floor in an attempt to persuade at least some of her colleagues to vote against authorizing the use of force in Afghanistan. Quoting a member of the clergy to whom she had listened … Continue reading Authorizing Military Force: The Mistakes of 2001 and Remedies for the Future
In 1996, Congress passed the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Act (PRWOA), commonly known as welfare reform. PRWOA was designed to alter the structure of welfare to shift it from a program designed for long-term assistance to one designed for short-term help. This was in response to decades of criticisms of the program by conservatives … Continue reading Destroying an Entitlement
Last Friday, Amazon announced its plans to acquire Whole Foods for $13.4 billion. This was the latest in a series of acquisitions by the company, which now owns Twitch, a video game streaming service; Zappos, an online apparel retailer; and Diapers.com, an online retailer for childcare essentials. This latest acquisition represents another milestone in Amazon’s … Continue reading Break Up Amazon
President Trump has proven in the short 140 days of his presidency that his “America First” ideology is nothing but dangerous isolation. While the president has struggled in carrying out many of his more specific goals and promises (tax reform, repealing and replacing Obamacare, infrastructure, building a wall) this one broad belief in self-imposed American … Continue reading America’s Abandonment of its Role Abroad
The state of Michigan is home to Motown, a world-class baseball team, America’s largest ski jump - and thousands of extremely dangerous abandoned mine shafts. As the mining industry began leaving Michigan’s Upper Peninsula in the mid-twentieth century, few steps were taken to ensure the safety of existing structures. Today, there are over 700 abandoned … Continue reading Shuttered for Years, Mines in the Upper Peninsula Remain Hazardous
The way we understand human trafficking is fundamentally flawed. It’s informed by the media we consume daily, from news broadcasts to blockbuster films. Our understanding of trafficking is a reflection of our culture: a culture that prioritizes women’s “purity” and white bodies. These narratives have led to the creation of bad policy. The people who … Continue reading Promoting T Visas: A New Approach for Helping Survivors of Human Trafficking
“They’re stealing our jobs” has been the rallying cry of the working class against immigration for decades now. Many displaced industrial workers feel as though illegal immigration has severely reduced their abilities to find jobs and provide for their families. These beliefs are supported by politicians who support and advocate for more stringent immigration policy, … Continue reading “THEY’RE NOT STEALING OUR JOBS”: The Working Class, Neoliberalism, and Immigration
Roosevelt @ Michigan State University 