The Edward Snowden leaks unleashed a firestorm of controversy and debate over the extent of NSA spying. With an increasing number of young, Internet-savvy Americans praising Snowden’s actions, the controversy reveals a significant generational gap regarding online rights. Many people in Washington argue that collecting data is necessary for anti-terrorism efforts and national security, but […]
Author: Priom Islam
I really have a passion for studying foreign affairs and global events. I read up on historical events and like to study current trends like globalization, but sometimes I think my interests are a rarity in teenagers these days. I don't know yet if this interest is the field I will pursue in my undergrad and graduate studies, but I will definitely look into it. Aside from that, I like to hang out with my friends. I read books often, but I need it to interest me in the first few pages; otherwise I drop it.
Strategy Beyond Mere Charity
International development aid for underdeveloped countries has traditionally been looked upon as a form of charity by Western nations, including the United States. The idea of giving to poor African or Latin American countries is one that resonates in the minds of most Americans. The results of aid, however, have been terrible. Development aid has […]
A DIfferent Kind of Tyranny
Economic inequality has been at the forefront of American politics for several election cycles. The middle class dwindles, while the wealthiest further enrich themselves. We constantly hear statistics that say most of the economic gains made since the recession have been vacuumed up by the richest 1 percent. Considering that median incomes have barely risen […]
Malala’s Promise: A Young Pakistani Fights for Education
In a short period of time, Malala Yousafzai has become a household name across the world. In 2012, at sixteen years old, Malala was shot by the Taliban in the Swat Valley of Pakistan for her outspoken activism on children’s education, particularly for young girls. Remaining in critical condition for days, she was eventually moved […]
Economic Growth In Africa: The Unheard Success Story
Perhaps rapid development of Asian countries and the simultaneous downturn in Europe and the United States overshadows growth rates in Africa, which are projected to be the fastest growing over the next decade. However, growth has spread throughout Africa, and while poverty and corruption are still rampant, millions of people are doing better economically speaking […]
North Korea’s “Soft Landing”
Reports that North Korea has been conducting successful nuclear tests have recently rattled the Western world. Of course, this is an international security issue, and one that the United States should remain on alert. However, North Korea’s nuclear capability is simply a deterrent, used to ensure the Kim regime of its survival in a world, […]
United Nations Vote Recognizes Palestinian Statehood
The United Nations General Assembly overwhelmingly voted to recognize Palestine as a non-member observer state on November 30. Out of the 193 member states of the GA, 138 voted in favor of Palestine, with 41 abstentions and 9 votes against the measure, including the United States and Israel. What is perhaps most surprising about the […]
Insurgency in West Africa
Few would have guessed that, after the global community’s most successful intervention in Libya of this century, chaos would have resulted in Mali. The toppling of Gadhafi in Libya created an intense exodus of violent and armed gangs from a country that, at one time, they could run freely. Some are part of organized militias […]
Uproar in the Middle East After the Release of Anti-Muslim Film
Four Americans were killed, including U.S. Ambassador to Libya Christopher Stevens, when the American consulate in Benghazi, Libya was attacked in a premeditated and calculated assault on September 11, 2012. Initially shrouded in mystery, details have been unearthed in the week following the attack. Libyan President el-Megarif has declared that the attack was in fact […]
