Opinion

Cartoon: My dog: Slide

Op-ed: China’s climate commitments are ambitious but unlikely to be realized

This past year, I have been a member of the 2020-21 Education for Public Inquiry and International Citizenship curriculum that is focused on China and its role in the international system. Through this class, I have been able to explore my interest in international politics, energy policy and economic development.

Democracy in The Daily: Fascist? Populist? Neither.

Fascism is characterized by uber-nationalism, anti-democratic ideals, the use of violence as both a means and an end and skepticism toward capitalism. Trump checks the first two boxes and dabbles in the third. But to assert that he is suspicious of capitalism would be a grotesque fallacy. 

NASA’s latest Mars rover illuminates the perseverance of the human spirit

Aside from the impressive discoveries made by these robots as they examine extraterrestrial rocks, what is also significant is the sheer amount of dedication shown by the creators of these robots — some of the greatest scientific minds in the country who want to explore places that we, as humans, cannot go ourselves. 

The Strike Zone: 'The Social Dilemma' and fascism

"Dialectic of Enlightenment" was published after the Nazi propaganda machine fully infiltrated German society and offers a unique perspective on the roles of mass media and fascism. Similarly, Netflix’s recent documentary "The Social Dilemma" (2020) analyzes how social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter promote the spread of misleading, hyperpartisan information.

Comfort Cartoons: Roller coaster ride 'Lilo & Stitch'

“Lilo & Stitch” has always been focused on family, whether it be broken or whole, and how we can find connections and purposes that matter. The franchise’s earnestness has made it both famous and a generational touchstone. For people who grew up with the film (and its subsequent show), Stitch is just about the cutest plush animal you can get at The Walt Disney World Resort.

Op-ed: China is not the existential threat to US national security that many may think

This narrative, pushed by both Democrats and Republicans, has wrongly conflated China as a hegemonic challenger with China as a national security threat. Although China’s increasing influence does inherently challenge the U.S.’s position as the global hegemon, it is not the existential national security threat it’s often made out to be, but instead a responsible stakeholder in the current global system.

Building Blocks: Modern fault lines

It has been almost 70 years since the Supreme Court made its precedent-setting decision to desegregate schools in the landmark Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka case. While our nation has made immense progress from our former legal structures that openly endorsed blatantly segregated schools, we still have a long way to go. Approximately 6% of students currently in the American public education system are enrolled in gifted programs. The aforementioned group of students is overwhelmingly composed of white and Asian students, while many incredibly intelligent Black and Hispanic students are left without the same chances for academic advancement. For example, in New York City, almost three-fourths of students in gifted programs are white or Asian, despite the fact that Black and Hispanic students make up 65% of the school system.

Editorial: Lessons from a year of crisis

With every day that goes by, it seems less likely that we will ever “return to normal” — any post-pandemic world will be radically different than the one we left behind a year ago. So as we reflect on all that we’ve lost in the past year, we should also take a moment to think about what kind of new “normal” we want to create for the years ahead.

The case for continuing open-book testing post-pandemic

The beauty of these open-book tests is their unorthodox approach to a worthwhile objective — rather than testing a student’s ability to regurgitate information, these exams measure an individual’s ability to apply said information. As a result, students are compelled to understand the material to a much fuller extent than they would on a test based on solely  the recollection of information.

A call for open dialogue about impostor syndrome during the pandemic

Due to the pandemic, students no longer share the collective experience of grappling with academic challenges alongside their peers, whether it be in the classroom or in study groups. At a competitive university, the diminution or absence of community ties this year may intensify feelings of inadequacy and a lack of belonging.

The Honeymoon Period: President Joe Manchin

It has become increasingly clear in the first 50 days of his presidency that Joe Biden may not even be the most important “Joe” in Washington. West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin, who has consistently inhabited the vanishing political center, has had and will continue to have the final say over what President Biden can get through Congress. 

Cartoon: Legendary feats of strength

Editorial: To change TUPD, Tufts' words must be followed by action

Tufts' workstream report fails to offer guidance on the status of arming TUPD officers, only recommending the creation of a new working group to revisit the issue. Pushing this off to yet another working group represents an excessive delay, as every day that goes by with armed officers present on campus brings risk of violent escalation in TUPD-student interactions. In light of this, it matters that Tufts take swifter action to create a gun-free campus, and, hopefully, engage in a broader reevaluation of what service TUPD should actually provide.

Op-ed: Thoughts on justice

“Justice” is subject to interpretation; it is subjective, a double-edged sword. One’s justice can become another’s oppression. In order to reverse centuries of institutionalized and systemic racism and discrimination in this country, I would instead suggest “diversity” and “tolerance” as concepts to discuss, pursue and implement.  

Democracy in The Daily: Democratize elections

Two pieces of legislation needed to maintain U.S. democracy face grim fates in the Senate: the For the People Act (H.R.1) and the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act. 

Cartoon: My dog: This is fun

Op-ed: Transformative technology: China’s leap into the future

The extent to which the Chinese state controls the growth of domestic private technology has direct effects on the norms, practices and ethics of global data privacy, surveillance and intellectual property regulations. It is our responsibility to become informed about the dynamics of Chinese technological growth in order to better respond to the evolution of the global techno-ethical infrastructure during our lifetimes. 

Comfort Cartoons: Neo-noir and gothic 'Batman: The Animated Series'

Following the episodic adventures of Batman, Robin and Batgirl, the series takes on a darker tone that feels inspired by both Tim Burton’s two Batman films and the ‘70s and '80s comic books. Those interpretations are seen in every detail: Gotham City’s skies are dark even during the day, the buildings are tall and gothic and gangsters sneak around in alleys and side streets.

The Strike Zone: US, China and Taiwan

The United States has pledged to defend Taiwan for moral reasons, as the U.S. sees itself as a standard-bearer for democracy worldwide. However, the U.S. government often fails to walk the proverbial walk when it places human rights-based ultimatums on other countries, and it has a history of neglecting democracy when it benefits America economically.