essays


	The Game Changer WikiLeaks is a game changer. Whether you are an ardent supporter of the enigmatic organization, or are calling for the head of its leader, Julian Assange, or your feelings lie somewhere in between, you cannot deny that the organization’s methods and activities have changed government interactions, media practices, corporate behavior, and instilled a sense of empowerment for the less powerful. The very existence of WikiLeaks and its fellow activists and organizations fundamentally alters the parameters of international affairs.
	A Visit to the Doctor: Now that's Real Change In 2003, Newsweek published an article in which I was featured, on the plight of young and uninsured Americans trying to make it through life without the benefit of parental health insurance coverage. At the time, I had been uninsured for five years, and was nursing an on-and-off again stomach disorder. It wasn’t until two years later, and a short, stay in a California hospital, that I was finally cured of my stomach ailment. It took time, but I did finally pay off the resulting medical bills.
	Guerrillero Heroico: A Review of Che At a party before the New York City screening of Che, director Steven Soderbergh said the reason he stretched Che to 257 minutes was because there was just too much story to tell about the revolutionary in a mere two hours. Later, at the same party, I asked a seasoned journalist and avid film viewer (who had just seen Che)his reaction to the film. While he enjoyed the film on the whole, to him it seemed that the jungle scenes were repetitive, ultimately making the film too long. Having now seen the full four and a half-hour film I can attest that, while their opinions are disparate, both Soderbergh and the journalist are right.
	The Rise of China's Human Flesh Search Engine One of the many reasons Beijing was awarded the 2008 Olympic Games was that, it was hoped, a massive influx of international visitors—journalists in tow—would help push the central government to lessen restrictions on China’s own domestic media. One dramatic outcome would have been a lasting breach in the Great Firewall of China, the country’s highly advanced internet censorship apparatus.
	A Specter Stirs in Illinois ... and Elsewhere At this point, a solid prediction on the outcome of or even of the implications of the current sit-down strike in Chicago is futile, but a few thoughts and hypotheses never hurt anyone.
	Whither the Left Now? Prior to the presidential election, a dear friend of mine asked, “How do you keep from being disappointed or heart broken when it doesn’t go the way you know is truly right?” The question, heartfelt, cuts right to the core of what it means to be on the far Left of the American political spectrum. The simple answer is: it’s not easy.
	Learning from History? George Santayana’s famous dictum that those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it is a lesson drummed into the heads of historians, politicians, and students of politics and international affairs. While the ethos of such a warning is well-intended it becomes problematic when put into practice.
	The Dearth of Imagination in American Foreign Policy A Critical View of Dominant IR Thinking and Policy; A Call to Action
	A Letter to Leftists on (Not) Voting for Obama Many of you are considering voting for Barack Obama on November 4. Before you do, I urge you to think again and consider your Leftist principles.
	Frugal Treasure Hunters Furnish Apt Sarah and I have been living in New York for two years now, albeit in university housing. As such, we had no need for the goods of everyday American living—standard furnishings like bed, dresser and microwave were provided. And since cramped dormitories hinder the collection of stuff, moving into our new one bedroom apartment in Astoria felt like a move from rags to riches. With hardwood floors, an actual stove, and a hallway separating the bedroom from the living room, our new digs is a veritable mansion.

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