Staunch law-and-order types argue that the evidence doesn’t support indictments, and that the system is working as it should. But is it? Or does the lack of police indictments stem from the cozy relationship of the local police and prosecutors?
Perhaps what the American public and media wants more than honesty is some attempt at authenticity. But if Trump can relate to the “average American” by receiving a “small loan” of $1 million from his father to get his business off the ground, what does the word “authentic” even mean?
The day after his first inauguration, President Obama vowed that the military prison at Guantanamo Bay would be closed within a year. Seven years later, and with less than a year left before Obama leaves office, Guantanamo threatens to become a major broken promise of his presidency. Why?
Considering that Americans have never elected a socialist president—or even come close—is it really possible Bernie Sanders could become America’s first socialist president? And is Sanders even really a socialist?
Can only two political parties truly encompass the diverse array of backgrounds, political opinions, and belief systems of America’s citizens? If we define a healthy democracy as a politically engaged citizenry with high voter turnout, the answer appears to be a resounding no.
For the last 35 years, public universities in the US have undergone a transformation into a new breed of institution, one that is characterized by byzantine bureaucratic structures and boards of trustees composed of business elites. Our nominally “non-profit” public colleges are starting to look and behave like corporations.
What is happening? Have U.S. employers suddenly collectively agreed to pay all workers a living wage? Are we taking Sweden’s cue and shortening our workday to six hours? Are federal and state governments passing reams of legislation to ensure safe working and health conditions for all employees? Not so much.
In a recent NakedLaw blog post, I wrote that the state of Texas was ignoring historical facts by downplaying the role of slavery as the primary cause of the American Civil War. That blog incited a rash of commentary, almost all of it taking me to task for ignoring the real cause of the war. In response, I thought I might discuss the nature of historical fact and the processes that guide our acceptance or rejection of it.
The United Nations (UN) was created to promote law and diplomacy over aggressive warfare. There has not been another global conflict of the size and scale of WWII since. And yet, as the UN celebrates its’ 70th birthday, we still live in a world of war, where millions continue to suffer and die in places like Syria, Iraq, and Ukraine. Has the UN failed in its primary function?
When author Harper Lee, in To Kill A Mockingbird, had Atticus Finch argue that courts “are the great levelers, and it’s in the courts that all men are created equal,” she was describing an idealized world we have still not realized.