Unpaid And Unhappy: The American Internship Crisis
The reality of the internship is one that has changed with time. What began as an opportunity to gain insight into a career has expanded into a prerequisite for employment in nearly all fields. But what also began as a paid, temporary job has evolved into an unpaid form of volunteer work. While paid internships […]
Minorities are Hurting GDP—But It’s Not Their Fault
I recently watched a video by Marginal Revolution University regarding the relationship between social trust and economic growth. It seems natural that a society in which trust is high would be more productive. When individuals believe that their peers are mostly trustworthy, they will feel more inclined to invest in human capital, open new businesses, […]
Towards Mindful Growth and Genuine Measurement
In 1968, Robert Kennedy made history with the bold statement that: “[the Gross Domestic Product] measures everything, in short, except that which makes life worthwhile. And it can tell us everything about America except why we are proud that we are Americans.” Over 40 years later, Kennedy’s words fall on still-deaf ears, as the GDP […]
Jamaica: Trying to be Better.
Flying over Jamaica is a little bit like watching advertisements for your dream vacation. The beauty is literally breathtaking. Yes, there are resorts. Yes, the water is spectacular. And yes, the food is phenomenal. But those are just perks. And unfairly, those perks aren’t available to most of the population. The beauty of Jamaica, though, […]
H&M: Fashion’s Human Rights Faux Pas
In the midst of a thick smog and blistering heat, they stand in huddled masses on overcrowded trucks. The young women, in groups of around 20 or 30, are on their way to a new day at work in the Kandal province, only a short trip from the heart of Phnom Penh. Noticeably in pain, […]
Portrait of an Occupier
We have all heard about them, the people who call themselves Occupiers. Some paint them as dirty, lazy, hippies who do not want to work. Others view them as average Americans rightfully upset at the state of America and American society. Are they really all homeless hippies? Or are they average Americans representing the 99 […]
The Myth of the Muslim Women: The False Narrative of Salvation
On November 17, 2001, Laura Bush made an appeal to the American people to support the war in Afghanistan. In her speech, no link was made between the military operation in Afghanistan and the September 11th attacks. Instead, she called upon the American people to support an operation that would encompass the salvation of Afghan […]
Bitter Sweets: The Problem of Child Labor in the Cocoa Industry
Ten-year-old Madi, whose family cannot afford to send him to school, spends his days hacking away at cocoa pods with a machete. Such conditions are common in the Ivory Coast’s farms where 43% of the world’s chocolate is produced. Although United States chocolate companies passed a protocol to get rid of “the worst forms of […]