In early December of 2008, the California State legislature passed a measure that would attempt to decrease the level of man-made greenhouse gas emissions. Tied together with, and following California’s “landmark” Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006, the measure calls for a 15% reduction of
Voting Democracy Away, February 13, 2009 The Harvard Crimson Harvard University Sir— Your vague hint at Venezuela’s “lack of durable democratic institutions” is striking considering the context. It is, after all, democracy that gave rise to the autocratic regime run by Hugo Chávez. The majority of Venezuelans were seduced
When we hear the word “regulation,” most people immediately think of the government. After all, the government regulates nearly every industry that we rely on in our everyday lives, such as banking, aviation, education, medicine, and countless others. But in addition to government regulation, there are
New Pro-Life Group Splits Off, February 12, 2009 Columbia Spectator Columbia University Madam— Within your article, “New Pro-Life Group Splits Off,” an anti-abortion advocate rightly acknowledges that “When people think pro-life, people immediately think politics”. The reason for this is because the “pro-life” movement is not attempting to promote
Last week, a Wall Street Journal op-ed screamed “Arrest Michael Phelps!” and a sheriff in South Carolina threatened to prosecute the famed Olympic swimmer. Commentators across news and radio stations added their voices to the hysteria. The reason behind the calls for Mr. Phelps’s head?
Renowned geneticist Theodosius Dobzhansky once said, “Nothing in biology makes sense, except in the light of evolution.” Though remarkable advances have been made in the 36 years since he made this observation, it still rings true. In the 150 years following Charles Darwin’s publication of
Bernard Madoff's $50 billion hedge fund scam is being called "the biggest Ponzi scheme in history." Over the past ten years, Madoff scammed individual investors, hedge funds, and charities out of billions of dollars, embezzling money that was supposed to have been invested. When the
Would you like to improve your understanding of Objectivism, further develop your writing skills, and help introduce college students to the philosophy of Objectivism? If so, consider writing for The Undercurrent! Come to our blog information session on Sunday, February 15th to find out more. Maybe
Prof questions U.S.-Israel bond, February 3, 2009 The Eagle American University Sir— When a thug demands your wallet at the point of a gun you can either give him what he wants, run, or you can fight. You don’t debate. Force is the antitheses of rational discourse. Although Stephen
Since August, Zimbabwe has suffered from a cholera outbreak that to date has killed 3,000 people and infected nearly 60,000 more. In the Western world, cholera outbreaks are rare thanks to the implementation of proper sanitation standards, including water purification and sewage treatment. In fact,