Extreme Speech and the American Civil Liberties Union

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The alt-right and white nationalist rallies of August 2017 in Charlottesville, Virginia brought about a period of reflection and self-examination for much of the nation. The citizens of Charlottesville were faced with the ugly aftertaste of brawls and a fatal vehicular attack. Politicians were faced with the need to address a president who seemed unable to unequivocally condemn white nationalist protesters. Americans were confronted with an ugly ideology, emboldened, rearing its head in public. But one of the biggest episodes of soul-searching, and one of the most overlooked, happened within the American Civil Liberties Union.

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The Flint Water Crisis as a Means of Self-Promotion

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In 2014, the city of Flint, Michigan started using the Flint River as its main source of water. The pipes, however, contaminated the water with lead. This caused a national outcry. The governor declared a state of emergency and health officials told residents to stop drinking, bathing in, or in any way using the contaminated water. Instead, Water Resource Centers distributed bottled water to the residents until they received individual water filters. As of today, the pipes are still not fixed. On the other hand, lead levels in the water are below the Environmental Protection Agency’s “action level” of 15 parts per billion and the pipes are in the process of being repaired. According to several studies, the water is now safe.

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Sweden's Shift Right

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Since Brexit’s success in June of 2016, European political commentary has focused on the decline of moderate “establishment” parties and the emergence of right-wing populism as a powerful new force. In the last two years, elections in several countries, including Germany, Austria, Poland reinforced this narrative, with far-right parties gaining ground and some governments modifying their policies to appease nationalist voters  Last Sunday, Europe’s political transformation seems to have continued.

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Buying a Conscience

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There is little doubt that the marketing team at Nike was giddy when they came up with the new advertising campaign, which would achieve two objectives with one ad.

Objective #1: Be controversial. Nothing generates buzz, the essence of advertising, quite like controversy. In the blink of an eye, they have garnered more exposure from the resulting news coverage than from actual ad placement. By that score, the marketers certainly earned their paychecks.  

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The Approaching Appointment of Brett Kavanaugh

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As smoke clears from the fiery battleground that was the Brett Kavanaugh confirmation hearings, the Supreme Court nominee stands solid for appointment. After fending off intense questioning during the last two 13-hour-long days of the hearings, the image Kavanaugh’s supporters have presented of an experienced and erudite jurist prevailed over that of a far-right Trump puppet. In one of the most controversial and heated Supreme Court nomination processes that has ever occurred, Kavanaugh managed to dodge vilifying challenges and present himself as an independent judge, loyal to the Constitution, destined for the Court with the help of a Republican-controlled Senate.

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Where to Begin: Thoughts on a Publication Going Forward

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My goals as Editor-in-Chief of the Alexander Hamilton Institute’s student-run publication Enquiry are to nurture student authors and to publish exceptional writing on political, economic, and cultural issues from differing voices. I want staff writers and guest writers from “paleo to progressive” to describe the world from a perspective that is uncommon, significant, well reasoned, and profound. Their power will come from their ability to look at important issues cogently and dispassionately, relying not only on current modes of thinking, but also on their unique views. At Enquiry, as our mission statement attests, “you will find no shouting matches, no sloganeering. The goal is to elevate the discussion, not to end it. Here, no debates are over and settled, and no ideas are safe from criticism.” We take all who want to enter the realm of ideas and conversation as welcome guests. 

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