Category: Columnists

The Party of Trump

Greg Wagner

On July 19, 2016 presumptive Republican nominee Donald J. Trump seized control of the Grand Old Party. His fringe populism was expected to dictate the party’s ebb and flow for the remainder of the general election, but the party’s long-term destiny would still be in the hands of the Republican establishment. Although wary of a Trumpian overthrow, the logic within the establishment class went something like this: give Trump his desired treasure, reign in his frivolities, and puppeteer him as a vehicle for driving a conservative agenda. Trump won his…

It’s Time for Labour to Pick a Side on Brexit

Truman Stephens

The Labour Party has watched Prime Minister Theresa May get kicked around by European Chief Negotiator for Brexit Michel Barnier and her own fraying Cabinet since June of this year. While the party welcomed its leader, Jeremy Corbyn, as a conquering hero at its annual party conference in Brighton in late September for his surprise general election gains, May’s prize for forming a coalition government was the public chance for Conservatives to negotiate Brexit. The Labour Party stayed in the shadows during these negotiations, and their position on Brexit is…

My Take on Roger Stone

Jacob Floam

If my only exposure to American politics was through the hyper-politicized society of New York City, and I assumed the rest of the nation was just like it, I would come to the conclusion that the country is a sort of pseudo-socialist state, where anyone slightly right of center, let alone Donald Trump, could never become president. However, that isn’t the reality we face as a nation. Pseudo-socialistic political culture represents the two coastal bubbles that liberal America lives in, but the big stickler is the near 3,000 miles and…

Conservative Provocation and the Assault on Free Speech

Greg Wagner

Free speech is a cornerstone of our democracy, and a college education must herald free speech by exposing students to new ideas that challenge their own convictions. A few weeks ago, a “Free Speech Week” was cancelled at Berkley University amidst logistical confusion. The event, organized by a young Conservative student group, was headlined by conservative provocateurs Milo Yiannopoulos, Ann Coulter, and Steve Bannon. Despite the event falling apart, protests ensued, highlighting the polarization of political views on campus and a burgeoning movement against provocation disguised as free speech.    …

The First 100 Days of the War on Media

Erin Clifford

  Last Saturday, the world acknowledged that it was Donald Trump’s first 100 days as President. While Fox media reports his first 100 Days in a celebratory manner, applause should be reserved for the fact that Trump has managed to avert major geopolitical crises. President Trump chose to celebrate this benchmark of ‘success’ surrounded  by a crowd of sycophantic supporters at a campaign rally in Pennsylvania. While Trump revealed that he thought the presidency would be “easier”, he chooses to go back to the people that elected him by throwing…

A Conservative Media Reckoning

Will Kerwick

When allegations arose from a New York Times investigation that Bill O’Reilly had sexually harassed women for years while working for Fox News, the reaction was swift and decisive. In a matter of days, more than twenty national advertisers had pulled their programming from The O’Reilly Factor, throwing O’Reilly’s future at the network into doubt and sending shockwaves through a company that, only months before, had ousted its former chief executive on similar charges. Since then, O’Reilly’s been fired. The firing comes as the capstone to a tumultuous period at…

The Case Against Legalizing Marijuana

Paul Ingrassia

A general trend within recent years has been that around this time a new poll comes out suggesting more Americans than ever to be in favor of legalizing marijuana for recreational use. This year was no different: according to a recent CBS poll, sixty-one percent of the public now believes cannabis should be legalized, up by five percentage points from last year. In addition, nearly 9 out of 10 Americans feel medicinal marijuana should be made legal, with higher reported figures among younger generations. These changing attitudes have brought about…

Theresa May and the Promise of National Stability

Greg Wagner

On April 19, the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Theresa May, sparked an unexpected political firestorm; she asked members of Parliament to trigger a snap-general election for June 8, 2017. This news came as a shock to members of Parliament, politicos, media, and the public alike. When asked before whether she planned on announcing a general election to diffuse political gridlock over Brexit negotiations, Prime Minister May told the public, on multiple occasions, she would not consider the option. However, amidst political “game playing,” which she warned would destroy…