In The News

Accelerationism Inspires White Supremacism: Vox

Zack Beauchamp December 1, 2019
Due to their own failures and insecurities, white supremacists emphasize otherness, resenting minorities and trends toward greater equality. While some of the most extreme have views that overlap with the alt-right movement, they express impatience and embrace an ideology of accelerationism, which “rests on the idea that Western governments are irreparably corrupt,” explains Zack Beauchamp. The...

Breaking Movie Boundaries: Wall Street Journal

Joe Flint October 30, 2019
The Hollywood movie “Green Book” has enjoyed a surprising box-office success in China, showing that superhero and action films aren’t the only content that do well with Chinese audiences. Over the past decade, Hollywood has embraced the fast-growing demand of the Chinese market. However, there are still sensitivities over how US films are edited for presentation and approval by China’s censors....

Brexit Is a Cultural Revolution: Atlantic

Yascha Mounk October 27, 2019
Boris Johnson’s Brexit withdrawal agreement, similar to one proposed by former Prime Minister Theresa May, won approval in the House of Commons. Members of parliament who feared Britain would lose influence with May’s plan have higher expectations for a similar plan proposed by Boris Johnson. “The next weeks still hold a lot of uncertainty; from new elections to a no-deal Brexit, all options...

Drinking Habits Change Worldwide: Financial Times

Michael Skapinker August 13, 2019
Businesses and societies depend on economic growth for jobs, investment and savings. Globalization – including the flow of images of personal behavior, cultural diversity and emphasis on healthy lifestyles – may be pushing the alcohol industry into decline with as much as half the world reporting not drinking at all for religious, cultural or economic reasons in 2018. Drinking alcohol starts...

Burqas Banned in Some Dutch Buildings: DutchNews

August 1, 2019
The Netherlands joins France and Belgium in imposing a ban on wearing garments that cover the face, including burqas, niqabs and ski masks, in public buildings and transport. Denmark, Germany, Spain and Italy impose partial bans. In the Netherlands, “The ban has been 13 years in the making and dates back to the time Geert Wilders’ anti-Islam PVV party propped up a minority government formed by...

Protests’ Comeback in the Arab World: Economist

April 9, 2019
Recent protests in Algeria and Sudan have brought popular images of the so-called 2011 Arab Spring back to the fore – yet with a stark difference. As an article for the Economist observes, “The wars and chaos that followed the Arab spring have cooled the ardour of activists and their regional patrons …. [and] autocrats have sharpened their tools of repression in order to quash protests at home...

Cheat, Bribe, Lie – US College Admissions Scam: CNN

Eric Levenson March 14, 2019
A college admissions operation involving fraud, conspiracy and racketeering thrived on the allure of American cultural icons –sports, charitable giving, shortcuts and elite universities as the starting point to a life of success. The ringleader pled guilty, and US federal prosecutors have charged 50 defendants associated with the organization known as the Key – including high-profile parents,...