Race and education on October 24, 2018What are the core duties of a government? This debate is as old as the idea of nation-states itself. If a government must prioritise economic growth with equity, is “racial balancing” in public colleges and universities essential? It is self-evident that parity in higher education opportunities for all citizens is imperative for any country to […]
Goodbye blue skies? on October 18, 2018Around eight decades ago, the celebrated nuclear scientist Enrico Fermi while dining with friends mused aloud “where is everybody?” He was of course referring to the curious absence of alien life from humanity’s radar. Scientifically speaking, odds are low that our planet could be singular in spawning intelligent life given how young the solar system […]
Social justice for some on October 11, 2018The recently concluded confirmation process of new US Supreme Court judge, Justice Brett Kavanaugh, may go down in American history as the day centrist politics died. Shall we call it the Donald Trump effect? The danger of charismatic leaders like the current US president tacking to extreme positions on either side of the political spectrum […]
Globalism is patriotism on October 1, 2018US President Donald’s Trump’s chest-thumping speech at the United Nations (UN) General Assembly’s annual meeting in late September is all the proof you need that history books are absent from his bedside reading list. In his speech, he put friends and foes alike to the sword in spelling out his administration’s my-way-or-the-highway manifesto. Which entailed […]
Nike boycott is nonsensical on September 14, 2018Once upon a time not so long ago, crass consumerism was all advertising stood for in America. It eagerly sowed a “buy, buy, buy” culture with a bottomless pit and delivered skyrocketing credit card debt to middle-class families. Today, however, the sporting giant Nike’s new campaign celebrating 30 years, of its iconic slogan ‘just do […]
Land reforms or land grab? on August 27, 2018US President Donald Trump’s latest foreign policy gaffe on social media has again highlighted South Africa’s controversial land reforms program. His late-August tweet accusing the South African government of “seizing” white Afrikaner land and the “mass killing of farmers” followed an announcement by President Cyril Ramaphosa that parliament had voted to pursue constitutional changes detailing […]
Boris and the burqah on August 10, 2018Former British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson’s recent opinion piece in the Daily Telegraph, comparing burqah–clad Muslim women in Europe to “letterboxes” and “bank robbers” made me laugh out loud. No stranger to controversy, Johnson is example par excellence of the “mansplainer” — a misogynist who believes that determining socio-cultural norms are a male privilege. Johnson […]
A deeper shade of discrimination on August 1, 2018Enraged Arab-Israeli politician Zoheir Bahloul quit the Israeli parliament on July 28 in a symbolic protest against a new “basic law” that gives special rights to Jews. He condemned the law as “racist” and “destructive” against the Arab minority in Israel; who account for nearly 20 percent of the population. Ten days after his resignation, […]
Enhanced public surveillance: the devil in disguise or a much-needed tool? on July 6, 2018In a major victory for digital rights activists, the US Supreme Court in late June barred law enforcement agencies from obtaining location data from cell phone carriers without proper warrants to link suspects to crimes. By not bringing traditional surveillance methods into the mix, the court acknowledged both, the leap in convenience that modern telecommunication […]
Trump says no to human rights on June 25, 2018US President Donald Trump’s decision to pull out of the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) has reinforced global opinion that the current leader of the free world sees little value in dialogue, unless it advances his country’s geopolitical interests. Trump seems to relish the role of the backyard bully as a badge of honour, while […]