Politics
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The Latest from Oslo
The death toll as of this writing is 91. According to The Guardian’s live coverage, “Norwegian foreign minister Jonas Gahr Støre has said some of those killed on Utøya probably died from drowning as well as from gunshot wounds.” In…
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Violence in Oslo
As is the case in any developing story, details are sketchy and limited right now, but here’s the basics in what’s happened in Oslo, Norway today. 16 are reported dead as a result of an explosion and a shooting. Police…
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On SlutWalks
“This fall will mark the 20th anniversary of Anita Hill’s testimony before Congress about the sexual harassment she experienced while working for Clarence Thomas. Though Hill offered only her own narrative about the behavior she witnessed, her story helped other…
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Open Knowledge vs. US Government
Aaron Swartz, former Demand Progress Executive Director, political activist and Cambridge Web Entrepreneur, was arrested for illegally downloading over 4 million articles from the nonprofit subscription-based internet archive, JSTOR. Swartz’s activism is directed towards the “free flow of information,” and…
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Shopping Culture Evolution
Apparently, consumerism is just a contextual framework away from being considered a symbol of democracy. And, it’s not only considered a “cornerstone of democracy,” by some people, but a “civic obligation in American society.” Giuliani was big into this idea…
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The Limits of NGOs
Internationally, labor unions have a weaker presence. Making up for this slack are the non-governmental organizations that support health initiatives, women’s rights and ebb environmental degradation, etc. The presence of NGOs internationally, even with a history of positive consequences, have…
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British Hacking Scandal Roundup
Perhaps the most surprising thing about the British phone hacking scandal is the lack of coverage in the US press. Among the US newspapers, the NY Times is the only one I can find which has done significant reporting on…
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Gay Marriage for America
Love and the pursuit of happiness were the impetus for Andrew Sullivan’s move from the UK to America. He wrote a beautiful essay for Newsweek on the benefits of gay marriage for straight America. With our “inalienable human rights” being…
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Phone-Hacking Scandal’s Latest
With more unraveling of the Murdoch/phone-hacking scandal, the consequences and reverberations of the case have grown extensive and increasingly grave. The latest development came to light this morning when Sean Hoare, a former employee of the News of the World,…
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On Missing War
“Everyone tells you that you did what you had to do, and I just hate that comment because I didn’t have to do any of it. I didn’t have to join the Army; I didn’t have to become airborne infantry.…
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Phone Hacking and Its Here, There and Everywhere Influences
News International’s phone hacking scandal has regenerated all over the web as the scandal continues to unfold, tracing back the hacking and subsequent bribery that’s been happening for years–more and more articles appear detailing the latest happenings in Parliament. With…
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The Rumpus Interview With Mansoura Ez Eldin
T-shirts, hats, mugs, flags, wristbands, posters, stickers, mock license plates: When I was in Cairo in March, almost every street corner seemed to offer a vendor selling January 25 Revolution souvenirs.