All tagged Politics
Throughout human history, tyranny is always a constant threat that rears its ugly head from Hitler and the Nazis to Mussolini and his Brownshirts, to the plethora of dictators of the Roman Empire that fill the history books. With how often a dictator rises, it's good to know the warning signs of a dictatorship rising and what the average citizen in any country can do to prevent them from ever reaching power.
While humans desire to control the perception of their legacies, history offers examples where external factors change their legacies unpredictably. One example is Herbert Hoover – the 31st President of the United States (1929 - 1933). Before the Great Depression, he was an American hero for his efforts of feeding war-torn Europe during the late 1910s and as the Commerce Secretary during the 1920s. However, President Hoover’s failed response to the Depression overshadows his legacy. To understand Hoover’s success and failure, we must thoroughly examine his life.
Have you ever wondered whether our personality traits play a significant role in shaping our political beliefs? Could it be that conservatives are more organized and reliable, while liberals are more intellectually curious and receptive to new experiences? And when it comes to sociability, empathy, or emotional stability, which side of the political spectrum tends to score higher? These intriguing questions invite us to explore the fascinating relationship between personality traits and political orientation.
Nigeria is a multicultural nation, with a diverse population of over 200 million people from 300 different ethnic groups, who speak 520 languages and practice various religions. This diversity has played a significant role in Nigeria's politics as it has brought about both positive and negative impacts. The cultural diversity of Nigeria has the potential to unite citizens and allow diverse experiences to be shared, but it can also lead to competition for resources and power between groups and often result in conflict.
In 2022, the Philippines saw the rise of Bongbong Marcos to the Philippine presidency years after his father, infamous dictator Ferdinand Marcos, was ousted from power by the EDSA People’s Power revolution in 1986. So how is it that yet another Marcos has ascended to office yet again in the Philippines, not a full lifetime after their family’s exile by popular revolution? Why has the myth of a Philippine Golden Age under Ferdinand Marcos, rife with recorded human rights abuses, persisted to this day to help propel Bongbong Marcos to the highest levels of government? It is decades of extensive historical revisionism and a complex disinformation network with roots in the administration of former president Rodrigo Duterte that have placed the Marcos family back into the presidential office.
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.
Tax policy is complicated. Tax reform? Even more.
How decades of purging turned a politically diverse, revolutionary movement into North Korea.
