It really won't: Brutus is a commanding figure in the Public Theater’s Free Shakespeare in the Park production of “Julius Caesar.” The wily Mark Antony also looms large. But the most fearsome character in the show isn’t standing on stage — not even in the person of a Donald Trump-like Caesar — but instead storming …
The Undemocratic, Procrustean Experiment Strikes Again
As Nick Park points out in his letter to Ireland's Foreign Minister about the EU's actions about Christian refugees from Eritrea: We are alarmed at report recently from contacts in Brussels that the EU is in the process of signing Compact Agreements with third countries which will mean that members states can send back asylum …
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That Crazy Concept of Central American Economic Development…
...just might be facilitated by the policies of the Trump administration: Meanwhile, suspension of U.S. participation in the Trans-Pacific Partnership is potentially good news for El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras, offering temporary relief from enhanced global competition with the most competitive products and markets in Asia. Although important from a strategic U.S. perspective in Asia …
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The "Favourite Period" for Feminism was also the Favourite Period for Pentecostal Women Ministers
An interesting observation from Camille Paglia on her "favourite period" for feminism: My favorite period in feminism has always been the 1920s and 1930s, when American women energized by winning the vote gained worldwide prominence for their professional achievements. My early role models, Amelia Earhart and Katharine Hepburn, were fierce individualists and competitors who liked …
Ending a Ban on Communists in Government is an Improvement in Some Places
Like California: Lawmakers narrowly approved the bill to repeal part of a law enacted during the Red Scare of the 1940s and '50s when fear that communists were trying to infiltrate and overthrow the U.S. government was rampant. The bill now goes to the Senate. To tell the truth, a real Communist would be an …
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Advice to Graduates: Consider the Brusilov Option
It's that time of year when most people who graduate from anything actually do it. And graduation brings up more the most important issue: where do I go from here? Really, if you've waited until graduation to answer that question, you're in serious trouble. If you're reading this long before graduation, perhaps it will save …
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Harvard's Music Curriculum Changes: Another Attempt to Sidetrack the Asians?
Harvard tries to shake things up in its music curriculum: University curricular reform doesn’t typical ignite fiery internet controversy. But last month, when The Harvard Crimson reported on the adoption of a new undergraduate curriculum at Harvard, the classical music corner of the internet—composers, performers, theorists, musicologists – briefly erupted in intense discussion. The college’s …
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Erdogan: Touching the Sultan's Garment is Still a Big Deal
In the wake his victory, Turkey's President Recep Erdogan does something distinctly Ottoman: As he stood before the tomb of Selim I, Erdogan gazed upon the caliph’s caftan and gently touched it. Would the garment become his, and more importantly, would he inherit the powers of the conquering Turkish caliph? This custom, which finds application …
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Xi and Trump "Getting to Know" Meeting a Good Idea
The Chinese present an interesting take on the upcoming meeting at Mar-a-Lago: Susan Thornton, acting assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific affairs, said this was a chance for the two leaders to get to know one another. "We want them to establish a good working relationship, so they can, in times of …
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Obsession with "Principles" Spreads Across the Aisle
It's not just the Republicans any more, as is obvious in the current Democrat plans to filibuster Neil Gorsuch: "Not only is the base there, but the politics of the moment demand it. Democrats are looking for members to take a stand," said Democratic strategist Jim Manley, a former top aide to Harry Reid, who …
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