Category / Miscellaneous
-
The Machine That Won’t Quit: Why Even Google Isn’t Enough to End Chinese Censorship
A few weeks ago, Google stunned the world by announcing that it would consider withdrawing from China completely as an Internet server. For a number of reasons, Google’s statement was a shocker. For years, the company has steadily and firmly maintained that it would not back out of the Chinese market, one of its largest…
-
The Danger of Deficit
Against the grim backdrop of American families trimming expenses and consumers delaying spending, the White House has released the budget for 2011. The plan features no surprises in its allocations—$1.48 trillion for national defense and social security—but in keeping with the Obama administration’s goal to stimulate economic growth, the 2011 proposal did come to a…
-
A War of Words?
When President George W. Bush first declared the War on Terror, he famously promised the American people “boots on the ground” to decisively bring those responsible for terrorism to justice. Yet in a January 5, 2009 interview with Foreign Policy, General David Petraeus, Commander of U.S. Central Command, stated that the United States “cannot kill…
-
The Belly of the Beast: Chapter 2
[EDITOR’S NOTE: The following is the second chapter in what I can only hope is a fiction piece written by [REDACTED]. It is bizarre, enlightening, and makes me want to cry on the inside a little. The first chapter may be found here.] We arrived at the convention center around noon. Jeff drove; Colin rode…
-
The Toyota Recalls
One of the most prominent automobile manufacturers in the world is now faced with a major obstacle that stands to damage it irreparably. Many experts assert that the current crisis Toyota faces as a result of severe safety shortcomings will be the most arduous challenge the company has had to deal with since its birth.…
-
Around the World
Of Journeys and Apathy Recently, there was a story in the news of an Afghan teenager who fled his troubled homeland eight years ago to seek asylum in London. His extraordinary modern-day odyssey saw him travel illegally in a truck through Moscow, Eastern Europe and Paris en route to his final destination. The fairytale wasn’t…
-
The Belly of the Beast: Chapter 1
[EDITOR’S NOTE: Just before winter break began, Mr. [REDACTED] informed me that he had an outstanding story in the works, but remained coy, refusing to tell me any details. Eight days ago, after two months had gone by without hearing anything from him about this story, I sent him an e-mail telling him that…