Opinions
DEI policies work best when they are designed to include everyone and are backed by evidence
As the U.S. becomes increasingly polarized, diversity, equity and inclusion – also known as DEI – efforts have been touted as a way to bridge social divides and promote a sense of belonging for everyone, especially for those who have been traditionally excluded or marginalized. But in recent years, a backlash has set… Read
Is ‘Africa’ a racial slur and should the continent be renamed?
Should African people be called black – or is the categorizing of people by skin color a racist practice? How about Africa? Is the name of the continent a racial slur because it was chosen by European exploiters and based on the weather rather than the people – and should… Read
Far-right state win shakes Germany's fragile coalition
German state elections that dealt a heavy blow to the parties in Chancellor Olaf Scholz's government and historic wins for two anti-establishment parties are likely to aggravate instability in an already fractious ruling coalition. With only a year to go before a national election in Europe's largest economy, Sunday's results… Read
An unseen problem with the Electoral College – it tells bad guys where to target their efforts
Over the past four years, Congress and state governments have worked hard to prevent the aftermath of the 2024 election from descending into the chaos and threats to democracy that occurred around the 2020 U.S. presidential election. A new federal law cleaned up ambiguities that could allow for election subversion.… Read
How U.S. military planning has shifted away from fighting terrorism to readying for conflict with China and Russia
U.S. President Joe Biden’s recent approval of a major shift in U.S. nuclear weapons strategy highlights the attention the country’s national security officials are paying to Chinese ambitions for influence in the world. As changes emerge in the types of threats facing the U.S., the American military adjusts its strategic… Read
No, the world isn’t heading toward a new Cold War – it’s closer to the grinding world order collapse of the 1930s
The past decade and a half has seen upheaval across the globe. The 2008 financial crisis and its fallout, the COVID-19 pandemic and major regional conflicts in Sudan, the Middle East, Ukraine and elsewhere have left residual uncertainty. Added to this is a tense, growing rivalry between the U.S. and… Read
Treating Nord Stream blasts as a whodunit misses the point – and plays into Russia’s plan to distract and divide
In the two years since saboteurs planted explosives on Nord Stream 1 and 2 – gas pipelines that spanned the Baltic Sea to connect Russia to Germany – the finger of suspicion has fallen on a succession of possible culprits. Immediately after the Sept 26, 2022, blast, many Western experts… Read
America’s Iran policy is a failure − piecemeal deterrence and sanctions can go only so far
The escalating conflict between Israel and Iran in recent months is frequently explained as another extension of Israel’s war on Hamas in Gaza. After all, Hamas enjoys a close relationship with Iran, and both share the goal of eliminating the Jewish state. But there’s more to it than that. As… Read
Los Angeles is in a 4-year sprint to deliver a car-free 2028 Olympics
With the Olympic torch extinguished in Paris, all eyes are turning to Los Angeles for the 2028 Olympics. The host city has promised that the next Summer Games will be “car-free.” For people who know Los Angeles, this seems overly optimistic. The car remains king in LA, despite growing public… Read
Complicated app settings are a threat to user privacy
Default privacy settings in popular mobile apps seem like a convenience, allowing you to use a single setting to control the level of privacy – who can see which actions you take – across all of the app’s functions. But default privacy settings are also a potential risk to your… Read
