Category Archives: Corruption

The Political Mess in Brazil Following ‘Operation Car Wash’

By Christian Oliver It would surely be an understatement to deem Brazil’s political climate leading up to the October general election to be anything but dramatic and unpredictable. Presidential nominees have been stabbed, convicted for corruption, imprisoned, and have called for violent attacks on the opposition; all as a by-product of a corruption scandal biggerContinue reading “The Political Mess in Brazil Following ‘Operation Car Wash’”

The Paradise Papers: Central to Society

By Sarah Jasem The Paradise Papers are 13.4 million leaked documents spanning the period between 1950 to 2016, which reveal the extent to which the assets of corporations like Facebook, and wealthy public figures from the Queen to Harvey Weinstein, are held offshore where they can be unregulated and untaxed. Almost 7 million of theseContinue reading “The Paradise Papers: Central to Society”

Comparing ‘populist’ revolutions: Ukraine and Egypt

By Vladimir Ivlev “The ultimate difference between a truly radical emancipatory politics and populist politics is that the former is active, it imposes and enforces its vision, while populism is fundamentally re-active, the result of a reaction to a disturbing intruder.” – Slavoj Žižek, “First As Tragedy, Then As Farce” (2008) With the collapse ofContinue reading “Comparing ‘populist’ revolutions: Ukraine and Egypt”

The Fall of an Empire

By Daniel Atherton Comparing the demise of the European Union to the collapse of the Roman Empire. “A rising power on the peripheries in the North East, an overreliance on imported labour, a faltering economy, the rise of an inhumane enemy from the Levant, overexpansion, political instability, corruption within constituent members, the loss/lack of a uniting identity,Continue reading “The Fall of an Empire”

Russian Israelites, Are They Voting “Right”?

By Yury Polyakov  The voting patterns among the Russian-speaking people in Israel. Part 1. The Russian Speaking Israeli people have voted differently in all Israeli General Elections. The primary reason for several switches from one side to another was that the Russian speakers were vulnerable to propaganda. Not all Russian Speakers are ethnic Jews becauseContinue reading “Russian Israelites, Are They Voting “Right”?”

The Changing Character of Turkey – Death of Ataturk’s Republic?

By Roger Maul Autocracy, violence, terror, fear and oppression have enflamed modern day Turkey, as the secular and democratic values of the Kemalist Republic are ultimately discharged by a regime whose power has become seemingly irrepressible. And despite all the European outcry and protest toward Erdogan’s persistent flirtation with Ottoman nostalgia and his pursuit ofContinue reading “The Changing Character of Turkey – Death of Ataturk’s Republic?”

Fidel Castro’s Death, and What it Means to the Rest of the World

 By Jennifer Amspacher Fidel Castro was 90 years old when he died on November 25, 2016. He was frail and sickly, yet his death still came to the world as a shock. Fidel Castro was President of Cuba from December 2, 1976 to February 24, 2008, when he resigned and gave power to his brother,Continue reading “Fidel Castro’s Death, and What it Means to the Rest of the World”

Crisis in Venezuela: What’s Really Going On?

 By Emma Temple Perhaps not dominating, but infiltrating headline news for over a year now, is the political turmoil in Venezuela. The somewhat secondary reporting style regarding this crisis could perhaps be assigned to the fact that more ‘pressing’ matters concern the west at the moment; but you only need to obtain a few ofContinue reading “Crisis in Venezuela: What’s Really Going On?”