Throughout human history violent forms of entertainment have existed alongside refined ones. In Ancient Rome, for example, when modern mediums of entertainment such as Television, video games, etc did not exist, gladiator fights were a popular pass-time. This prompted Saint Augustine to note that not only did people liked violence as passive spectators, but it…
The Case for Health Care Reform in the United States
1. What social contract for healthcare exists today? What should it be? 2. Our system (US) is based on public/private collaboration. What are the attributes of a well-functioning system? 3. What are the principles and values that should guide health care policy? Medicare and Medicaid are two prominent healthcare programs that come under the purview…
The changing roles of men and women in families in Britain over the past half century
For much of the long history of human civilization women and men evolved to assume different roles within the family and larger society. But in most societies, women were made to take a subordinate social and domestic role to men. This situation has gradually changed in the last fifty years and there is more equality…
Prison-Industrial Complex in the United States
Response to Glenn Loury’s “A Nation of Jailers” and Michelle Alexander’s “How the War on Drugs Gave Birth to a Permanent American Underclass” The mainstream media’s presentation of social realities within the United States had always been contested by a minority of writers, who have endeavored to offer an alternative point of view. Glenn Loury…
The Role of the Professional Code of Ethics in addressing IT Security Threats
Late last century, we saw the rapid rise of Information Technology, replacing erstwhile manufacturing based industrial societies into knowledge based ones. With this transformation came attendant risks and threats to security of information. This aspect of the new digital age has invoked much debate and concern among stakeholders. Some IT companies have come up with…
Summary of The Populist Addiction by David Brooks
Noted New York Times columnist David Brooks makes a scathing criticism of the notion of populism in American political culture today. The crux of his argument is that populist politics divides the country when what is actually required is unity. He criticizes the leadership of both the Democratic Party as well as the Republican Party…
No Child Left Behind and its effects on city school districts
At the time of its enactment in 2001, the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) had elicited mixed responses from different quarters of American polity. Some were hopeful that it would prove to be a reformist move whose effects would be benign to all children, while others were skeptical of its merits and suspicious of…
The importance of patriotism (aiguozhuyi) for Chinese intellectuals: A study w.r.t. Confucian values, historical events and the idea of ‘national humiliation’
It is a widely acknowledged fact that Chinese society and its prevailing culture are closely linked to its unique conception of terms such as ‘nation’ and ‘patriotism’. Contributing to this uniqueness is the fact that Imperial China of the last five centuries had evaded attempts by European Imperial powers to fully colonize it. Barring the…
Will the “free market” in China encourage the growth of democracy?
That China continues to be a communist state with no meaningful democratic practices in place is a cause of concern for the international community. The Communist Party follows a traditional process of selecting members for its leadership positions. Such being the case, it is impossible for people from lower socio-economic backgrounds to make it to…
Brief Analysis: Joe Turner’s Come and Gone by August Wilson
Jeo Turner’s Come and Gone is one of the most memorable plays written by playwright August Wilson. It is one instalment in The Pittsburgh Cycle series, which documents the lives and struggles of black Americans in early 20th century America. Set in the time of the Jazz Age, the book’s heroes are former slaves who…