Iran’s Uranium Enrichment: What Threat does it Pose?

Iran’s Uranium Enrichment: What Threat does it Pose?

Keelan Jacques
International Affairs

Since Mahsa Amini’s death on September 16, protests in Iran have escalated, bringing increased attention to the Iranian government and the state of democracy in Iran. Meanwhile, Iran has continued to conduct a process called uranium enrichment, which involves the enrichment of uranium to higher levels of purity. This process is necessary for the development of nuclear energy and nuclear weapons. Western leaders and leaders in the Middle East have expressed widespread concern that this process represents a move by Iran toward nuclear armament. However, Iran has denied claims that the process is an act of nuclear proliferation, stating that the uranium enrichment process is being conducted for the sole purpose of the development of nuclear energy. Recent progress on this process shows Iran enriching uranium up to 60%, a significant rise on previous enrichment of up to 20% in 2015, but what does this mean for global security, and why are Western leaders and their allies worried by this development?

Patriotism vs. Nationalism and Why it Matters

Patriotism vs. Nationalism and Why it Matters

Joshua Tran
Political Theory

According to a study from Brown and Stanford universities, the United States is polarizing faster than other developed democracies and is arguably more divided today than at any time in the past 40 years (Boxwell et al., 2021; DeSilver, 2022). Our view of the word patriotism has likewise become increasingly contentious. Though traditionally understood as affection for one’s country, many now mistake patriotism for its darker counterpart, nationalism, and vice versa; this can be attributed to the rhetoric of both major political parties. However, before we can understand the importance of, and difference between, patriotism and nationalism, we must examine their etymology.

Growthism is suffocating our Earth; Degrowth can be a solution.

Growthism is suffocating our Earth; Degrowth can be a solution.

Lewis Saint Victor II
Economics

What exactly is Growthism? It is a necessity for growth to occur endlessly. Growthism is the base of current economic conditions and the vital concept of the dominant worldview. The principal philosophy and force of this era are distinctly economic. The values that determine our standing today are capitalistic-defined concepts of growth, profit, and attaining the utmost efficiency. Without ends or limits, growth seems like the standard inevitable order.

Paradise Lost - The Damage Done by the Tourism Industry in Hawai'i

Paradise Lost - The Damage Done by the Tourism Industry in Hawai'i

Drew Pagaduan
Macroeconomic Policy

For decades, people from the mainland U.S. and abroad have seen Hawai’i as an island paradise of beautiful beaches, local generosity, and stunning vistas. This has led to a massive tourist industry across almost all of the Hawaiian Islands which sees millions of visitors every year flock to its shores to pour money into pursuing their island fantasies. However, this vision of Hawai’i has a dark undercurrent — decades of colonialism and resource extraction have resulted in economic, ecological, and cultural damage done to the people and land of Hawai’i. Despite claims of promoting the well-being and way of life of the Hawaiian people, the tourism industry largely functions to extract the value of the land and labor of the people.

“5 signs you have ADHD”: The danger of misinformation on TikTok

“5 signs you have ADHD”: The danger of misinformation on TikTok

Giada Bassoli
Current Events

Social media have become one of the major sources of communication and information worldwide, with trillions of bytes of information being exchanged every second online. While trending topics on social media tend to change according to several factors, such as country or age, health-related content has recently been trending all over the world, across all ages on all major social media platforms (i.e. Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok).

A Seat at the Table

A Seat at the Table

Cerine Benayoune
Politics

If someone were to walk up to you today and tell you that electric shocks are being used on the disabled, you would perhaps think you had accidentally teleported back to the 1500s. Yet that is the reality we are living in currently. The Judge Rotenberg Center (JRC) is a behavioral school for children and adults with severe disabilities. It has been under scrutiny for decades due to its questionable methods, namely for its blatant and severe abuse of its students. The rap sheet is a mile long, with some cases even resulting in death. There was a 12-year-old who had the skin on his feet completely removed, a 22-year-old who died from a seizure after having his head locked between the legs of a staff member and being forced to put on a white noise helmet, children who were strapped down and shocked repeatedly for ‘offenses’ like stimming, crying, not waking up fast enough – the list goes on.

Budgeting: How to be Successful at it

Budgeting: How to be Successful at it

Diani Alvarenga
Personal Finance

One of the most important things in life is learning to be organized when it comes to handling money. Having a budgeting plan is essential because it may help you prepare for emergencies, avoid being in debt, or be able to make important purchases. However, telling people to budget can be easier said than done. Budgeting can become difficult to achieve because it can be quite a challenge. Sometimes, people have no financial motivation, and this causes them to be irresponsible with their money. To be successful in budgeting, you need to think about ways you can prevent yourself from struggling financially.

Inflation as a Result of Inflation

Inflation as a Result of Inflation

Caleb Smith
Economics

Global inflation rates over the past year have been higher than they have been since 2012; similarly, inflation percentages in the United States (US), the United Kingdom (UK), and the European Union (EU) since the start of the second quarter have been staggering. In the US, the UK, and the EU, the primary driver of the recent Consumer Price Index (CPI) elevation, in the US, and the Harmonized Index of Consumer Prices (HICP) in Europe, is the rising cost of energy and consumer commodities. The rising cost of consumer commodities, especially food, housing, and petroleum products has struck the world into a tumultuous spiral, causing the cost of living to rise to a level not seen since the 1980s, resulting in the global experience of all three types of inflation. Typically, only one form of inflation is seen; however, this reversion to a 1980s economy is the result of many factors and is relatively uncommon. This spiral has fueled riots and protests across Europe, causing protestors and legislators alike to demand monetary reform.

Printing Over Problems

Printing Over Problems

Rhys Donnelly
Economics

In the United States, central banks and governments play a key role in the health of the nation. These institutions have been working in conjunction for many years to determine monetary and fiscal policy in an attempt to grow economies and mitigate inflation and unemployment. However, after the gold standard was abandoned in 1933, and the US moved to a floating currency, everything changed. Under the gold standard, the currency had to be tied to physical gold where it could be exchanged but now, countries like the US have a floating currency where the value of the dollar “floats” with its demand in the global currency markets. This has given banks and governments a lot more freedom with interest rates and policy and has made way for the longest-running bull market in history. However, this has allowed those entities to manipulate markets and push large underlying problems further down the road by embracing new macroeconomic theories, such as modern monetary theory. Unfortunately, since these new theories have never been battle-tested over a long period of time, the economic condition of countries that have embraced these new theories has yet to be fully seen.

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