The Case for Hawaiian Sovereignty

The upside-down Hawaii state flag represents the Hawaiian sovereignty movement. The flag itself is meant to evoke the British, American, and Russian flags. An upside-down flag is an internationally-recognized sign of distress. I am from Hawaiʻi, but I am not of Hawaiʻi. I was born to two Jewish-Americans on the Hāmākua Coast, the East side …

A Brief History of Olympic Protests

African-American track and field gold medalist Jesse Owens saluting after winning the long jump at the 1936 Berlin Olympics. Silver medalist Luz Long is seen doing the Nazi salute. Bronze medalist Naoto Tajima stands to Owens' right, courtesy of the AP. The Olympics are monumental events. They represent global cooperation and friendly competition between nations. …

New England College Turns to George Orwell’s 1984 for Inspiration

Symbol of the English Socialists in 1984. Artist unknown. The administration at a small liberal arts college in New England has taken a page out of the famous dystopian novel 1984 by George Orwell. After the administration published a statement declaring themselves to be true 'Orwellians,' the small college implemented an ideology they are calling …

Influencer Factories

Influencer Wang Xizi live streaming from a clothing store, courtesy of Raffaele Huang for the Wall Street Journal In China, Indonesia, South Korea, and many other East Asian countries, a new e-commerce phenomenon is growing: influencer factories. Influencer factories, influencer farms, or influencer incubators are a new e-commerce model where hundreds of influencers film content …

Cultural Marxism in the Digital Era

An illustration of Max Horkheimer (top left), Theodore Adorno (bottom left), Walter Benjamin (bottom middle), Erich Fromm (top middle), Herbert Marcuse (bottom right), and Karl Marx (far right), courtesy of Reason Magazine. Many right-wing thinkers (Jordan Peterson), politicians (Ron DeSantis and Ted Cruz), and institutions (Foundation for Economic Education and the Heritage Foundation–a foundation to …

Freedom of Speech

What is free speech? When does free speech need to be curtailed? What does the 1st Amendment actually protect? When should the government step in to promote or prevent certain kinds of speech? Who is free speech for? What is the impact of free speech on today's society? What is the impact of limiting free …

The Environmental Effects of the Israel-Gaza Conflict

A digger moves rubble in Rafah, Gaza, courtesy of Said Khatib from AFP Every bomb, every plane, every tank, and every IDF soldier that is sent into Gaza has a deeply felt impact on Gaza. However, the environmental side of this conflict is often neglected due to the sheer loss of life and human tragedy. …