politics
When Scorched Earth Meets Oil Reserves
Despite the brevity of Iraq’s August 1990 invasion of Kuwait and the resulting war to regain Kuwaiti sovereignty, the seven-month conflict left a tragic mark on peoples’ lives and affected Kuwait’s natural environment significantly. While oil had been used as a weapon of economics or intangible coercion in previous wars, Iraqi forces used oil as [...]
Dear Emotions: Vote for me! Sincerely, the Politicians
For those of us in the U.S., the fervor of the election season has only recently passed. From untold truths to outright lies, the political dialogue of our country is at its most heated. Those of us with an interest in the fate of our nation avidly watch the debates and tune into the news [...]
Precarious Preparations: The Advent of Affordable Care
Arguably the most important and polarizing policy issue of the Obama administration’s first term, The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) and the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010 – known together as the Affordable Care Act (ACA) – will define the president’s time in office for the next four years. The [...]
Obama’s second term: Where the US stands on science policy
To mark the beginning of his second term as America’s President, The Triple Helix Online will be writing about the future of Barack Obama’s science policy. Through the rest of January, our staff writers will explore issues spanning healthcare reform, drug policy, and energy independence. Shortly after he took office in early 2009, Mr. Obama [...]
The Impact of Voting Theory on Democratic Choice
The Disadvantage of a Single-Choice System The famed democratic system of Athens was based off of a simple binary vote. Participants placed their rock in a jar to indicate political preference, and the candidate with the most rocks in his respective jar was declared victor. Although participation was limited to free, white, land-owning men, historians [...]
Dental Therapists: A Step in the Right Direction or a Step Too Far?
The US Surgeon General’s 2000 Report “On Oral Health” was a wake-up call for America. Over one half of children are suffering from tooth decay, and twenty-two percent of adults have reported experiencing oral-facial pain in the last six months. However, the most staggering statistic is the inequity within oral health-care; for every one American [...]
Psychology, Propaganda, and the Chinese Cultural Revolution
Editor’s Note: This article is a revised version of “Chinese Cultural Revolution: Facing History and Shaping Today“. What we know as propaganda uses a constructed language on media to implant ideas in the minds of individuals. It creates public trends on how susceptible we are to authorities at the individual level. Unfortunately, the human tendency [...]
Chinese Cultural Revolution: Facing History and Shaping Today
Editor’s Note: A revised version of this article has been posted on “Psychology, Propaganda, and the Chinese Cultural Revolution“. What we know as propaganda uses a constructed language on media to implant ideas in the minds of individuals. It creates public trends on how susceptible we are to authorities at the individual level. Unfortunately, the [...]
Medicare: “Generational Divide” and the Future
In April of this year, Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI) of the House Budget Committee released a proposal for the 2012 federal budget. While Ryan’s budget would reduce spending by $5.8 trillion over the next ten years, Republican leaders backed down from the proposal in May, mainly because it included a controversial plan to completely overhaul [...]
Muslim Brotherhood: A Different Breed of Islamists
In theory, Americans and their government unreservedly support democratic movements. In practice, however, they worry about democratic alternatives to long-standing dictatorships. Sure, America is pro-democracy; but US interests come first. And while Arab dictators are certainly corrupt and oppressive, they do maintain regional stability. Along these lines, Western coverage of the latest resistance to Arab [...]
Chile vs. Haiti: Political Economy and Earthquake Preparedness
In the first two months of this year the world experienced two devastating earthquakes: one in Haiti and one in Chile, begging a comparison between the two incidents. Haiti, of course, was a worldwide sensation. In the month or two following the earthquake nearly every fundraiser and charity seemed to be providing relief to Haiti [...]
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