Politics
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Jus Soli
The United States is one of only 30 or so countries to have jus soli—Latin for “right of soil”—better known as birthright citizenship, in which anyone born in the territory automatically has a right to citizenship or nationality. Countries in dark blue offer unconditional or near-unconditional birthright citizenship; the clear majority are in the Western… Continue reading
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Over 70% of Greenhouse Gas Emissions Comes from 100 Companies
While we should all do our part to reduce pollution and greenhouse gas emissions, a recent study reported in the Guardian finds that such efforts will frankly be worthless so long as a handful of powerful private entities account for the vast majority of climate change-causing pollution. The Carbon Majors Report (pdf) “pinpoints how a relatively small set of… Continue reading
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America’s Role in the Migrant Crisis
As the Honduran migrant caravan makes its way through Mexico towards the United States–prompting widespread public acrimony and various threats by the administration–it is important to keep in mind the historical context fueling this seemingly sudden exodus. As Jericho explains: Continue reading
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The Three Richest Americans Hold More Wealth Than Bottom 50 Percent
Using data from Forbes’ annual ranking of the 400 richest Americans, the Institute for Policy Studies, a left-leaning D.C. think tank, published a report last fall finding incredible wealth disparities in the United States. As Forbes reported: Most dramatically, it found that the country’s three richest individuals—Bill Gates, Warren Buffett and Jeff Bezos—collectively hold more wealth than the bottom 50% of the… Continue reading
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America’s Surprisingly Bipartisan Love of Foreign Aid
Fun fact: in these hyper-partisan times (to say the least), there is one area that continues to receive surprisingly bipartisan support: foreign aid. Despite the efforts of our isolationist administration to slash the foreign aid budget by a third, the GOP-controlled Congress maintained the budget from last year at $35 billion—the largest in absolute terms… Continue reading
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The Largest Economies in the World
The largest economies in the world as of 2017, according to the World Bank. Each slice represents the total economic output—a.k.a. nominal GDP— of a country in 2017, the latest year for which complete and reliable data are available. The color corresponds to geographic location. Continue reading
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The Anniversary of the U.S. Pledge of Allegiance
On this day in 1892, the United States Pledge of Allegiance was first used in public schools to coincide with the opening of the World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago, which celebrated the 400th anniversary of Columbus’ landing and America’s emergence as a world power. While originally composed by Captain George Thatcher Balch of the Union… Continue reading
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The Courageous Voters of Afghanistan
In the face of threats of violence by the Taliban, ordinary Afghans are risking life and limb to cast their votes in upcoming elections. However flawed, ineffectual, and corrupt the system may be, for most of the country’s beleaguered citizens–who have endured decades of successive warfare, strife, and theocracy–it is the least bad option available–and… Continue reading
About Me
Humanist | Bibliophile | Writer | Wiki Editor | World Citizen | Esquire (J.D. / LL.M.)