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(04/07/16 9:30pm)
During his time as Secretary of State under President James Monroe in the early 19th century, John Quincy Adams famously stated “Americans should not go abroad to slay dragons they do not understand in the name of spreading democracy.” This worldview, expressed by Adams almost 200 years ago is still pertinent today. The 2016 presidential election has rekindled the debate over what America’s role in the world should be. Should the U.S. continue dominating every aspect of international politics and security? Can the U.S. continue subsidizing the security of its allies? Are nation-building projects by the West feasible and is an aggressively militant foreign policy in America’s interests? Even peripherally examining history and current affairs reveals that moving forward, Washington can be best served by a policy of restraint. The U.S. should focus on clearly defined and narrow foreign policy goals and national security objectives rather than solving all of the world’s problems.
(02/24/16 11:45pm)
The race for the 2016 Republican presidential nomination is reaching a fever pitch with March looming right around the corner. Donald Trump won the Nevada caucus two days ago and leads the GOP primary delegate count, although establishment support is beginning to coalesce around Marco Rubio. Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush has dropped out while Sen. Ted Cruz is still in the race. The candidates’ vague policies on a whole range of issues have warranted criticism on many fronts. Republican foreign policy stances in particular have revealed the candidates’ delusional world views and national security stances. Specifically, the GOP presidential candidates advocate for the repetition of uninformed, jingoistic and unilateral national security and Middle East policies that have failed in the past and sowed the seeds of present day instability.
(02/10/16 11:40pm)
The current Republican presidential race features two first-term senators running for the most powerful office in the world. Are they really prepared for the position of commander in chief? Both Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio are highly intelligent people, but they have not had to make a single consequential decision from an executive position. Moreover, their time in office has been short and without significant accomplishments. The same 2008 GOP concerns over then Barack Obama’s lack of executive experience and lack of time spent in Washington cultivating relationships apply to both Rubio and Cruz. Both candidates’ non-existent executive experience and short history of holding office means they would have a difficult time bringing people together and would most certainly struggle in the White House.
(01/28/16 12:47am)
On Tuesday night, during a rally in Iowa, Republican presidential hopeful Donald Trump announced that he would not be attending tonight’s Fox News debate. He invoked his contentious relationship with Fox News and Fox anchor Megyn Kelly, who he has called a “lightweight,” untalented, and unprofessional. He lashed out at Fox News for unfair treatment, his primary reason for skipping the debate. Trump’s bypassing of the debate is unprecedented, as he currently leads the large Republican field. Facing Trump’s allegations head on, Fox has actively defended Kelly.
(01/13/16 11:35pm)
On January 2, self-proclaimed “militiamen” took over the federally-owned Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in Oregon. The cause of this federal property takeover can be traced back to the imprisonment of two cattlemen for arson, father and son — Dwight Hammond, Jr., 73, and his son Steve, 46.
(11/04/15 12:00am)
Dartmouth is a liberal arts college, yet some students approach it as if it were a vocational school. Only by freeing yourself from the fallacy of the “practical major” can you truly take advantage of Dartmouth’s amazing liberal arts curriculum and undergraduate teaching. Your major is not intended to make you an expert in your field or prepare you for a specific career. Rather, a Dartmouth education is intended to teach you how to think critically, write with clarity, lead others and succeed in any career.
(10/20/15 11:15pm)
Democratic presidential candidate and former Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley summed up the differences between Republican and Democratic party rhetoric when he concluded the Oct. 13 debate, saying “on this stage, you didn’t hear anyone denigrate women, you didn’t hear anyone make racist comments about new immigrants, you didn’t hear anyone speak ill of anyone because of their religious belief.”
(10/06/15 10:30pm)
To say that Syria’s civil war has been absolutely brutal is an understatement. With a death toll of over 250,000 people in addition to a refugee crisis, the Syrian civil war has devastated the region and fueled instability. The U.S. has explored ways to provide aid to the Free Syrian Army in its fight against Bashar al-Assad’s regime, but various factors, including the presence of the Islamic State, also known as ISIS or ISIL, have complicated American involvement and the F.S.A.’s ability to fight. The Islamic State’s presence in the country has made a terrible situation even worse — the terrorist group is murdering people of all faiths in cold blood and enslaving women and Westerners. The Islamic State’s defeat would be a positive step in resolving the civil war and refugee crisis in Syria.
(09/21/15 10:58pm)
This past Sunday night marked the 67th Primetime Emmy Awards. Dartmouth was well represented, with David Benioff ’92 winning an award for co-producing “Game of Thrones” and Mindy Kaling ’01 presenting an award. I, like many passionate television fans, tuned in and was rooting for my favorite actors, actresses and television series. “Mad Men” — the magnificently produced 1960s period drama starring Jon Hamm as a mysterious Madison Avenue advertising executive with a dark past — concluded its seventh and final season in May 2015. I will not spoil the ending for those who are still binge watching the show on Netflix, but the series as a whole is arguably the greatest written television drama of all time. It is a shame that Jon Hamm had not won an Emmy prior to this year for his role as Don Draper, as he has been long deserving of critical recognition for his performance and his talents. Unfortunately, the methodology by which Emmys are awarded can be seriously flawed, oftentimes focusing on mass appeal and novelty rather than sophistication and artistry.
(05/19/15 10:41pm)
The recent death sentence for Chechen Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev has rekindled debate over whether Islam is compatible with the West. Tsarnaev and his now-deceased brother, Tamerlan, exploded pressure-cooker bombs at the finish line of the 2013 Boston Marathon, killing three people and injuring 264. According to the Anti-Defamation League, they were inspired in part by Al Qaeda leader Anwar al-Awlaki after watching his sermons online.
(05/05/15 10:52pm)
On April 19 in Baltimore, a 25-year-old African-American man named Freddie Gray died as a result of spine and neck injuries he sustained while being arrested and transported in a police vehicle a week earlier. Details eventually came out implicating six police officers in police brutality, including giving Gray a “rough ride” — that is, placing him on his stomach in the back of a police vehicle while handcuffed and throwing him around by driving erratically. Since then, both peaceful and violent protests have occurred.