In political science studies, it is not often that one reads of American Imperialism. The term imperialism is almost exclusively associated with colonial exploits of major European powers such as Britain, France and Germany in the West; and China and Japan in the East. Although a late joiner of the imperial club, the United States…
Tag: United States
Do workers no longer need a trade union as management takes care of their needs and views?
Modern management theory and practice pay scant attention to the value or relevance of trade unions. It is believed by modern managers that the Human Resource Management department is sufficiently equipped to address employee concerns and grievances that no other form of representation is needed. But empirical evidence does not support this assertion. If anything,…
Farid Esack’s concept of the “clash of fundamentalisms”
In the reading titled In Search of Progressive Islam Beyond 9/11, author Farid Esack makes several valid observations. At the outset, he admits that the word ‘progressive’ is very hard to define due to elements of subjectivity and scope. In the wake of the September 11, 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center and other…
Challenges for the gay rights movement in America
The United States of America is renowned for the rights and freedoms that it endows upon its citizens. But what is not well recognized is the fact that such rights and privileges are seldom offered the citizens on a platter. Behind every progressive legislative achievement is a long and hard struggle, usually led by the…
Forest Fire Management in Southwestern United States
Wildfires are a naturally occurring phenomena, especially in geographic locations that witness severe summers. The Southwestern United States is a vast swathe of land that has a dry and hot climate for most of the year. Ever since European settlers began to inhabit this region, wildfires have been recorded in this area. Though these fires…
The Mormon religion between the 1820s and 1840s
Mormonism is a new religion that emerged in early 19th century United States and has its roots in the Judeo-Christian tradition. Officially called the Church of Jesus-Christ of Latter-day Saints, the religion is founded on a disillusionment with existing denominations of Christianity. Joseph Smith is credited as the founder of the religion and it was…
Review of ‘Assata: An Autobiography’
Assata Shakur was an important figure during and after the civil rights movement. Being an African American woman, she was disadvantaged both in terms of race and gender. Hence her social activism served a two-fold purpose. But her association with the militant wings of the civil rights movement, such as the Black Panther Party and…
Is the rape simulator video game good or bad for democracy?
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…
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…