Jesus would not approve of capitalism and our blind worship of billionaires
Throughout history, the Bible has been used to justify all kinds of movements and ideologies — from the Crusades, to anti-oppressive liberation theology, to the abominable Westboro Baptist Church and its fierce opposition to homosexuality and reproductive rights.
The Bible contains such a wide array of ideas that it can be invoked to advocate for drastically different belief systems. It essentially serves as a Rorschach test that people project their beliefs onto.
That’s why Christians run the gamut all the way from Trump-loving quasi-fascists to radical lefties.
And, as anyone who has actually read the entire Bible may have noticed…
From the White House to Wall Street, these sites are inextricably tied to slavery’s roots in the US
Content warning: Explicit racism and discussions of slavery.
Since the 1600s, slavery has been an integral part of US history. Many of the beloved founding fathers we idolize today were slaveowners. For centuries, the institution of slavery formed part of the bedrock of the US economy.
And to this day, some of our most iconic landmarks are structures that were created by slaves.
We shouldn’t erase that history from our collective memory. Instead, we need to be honest about the more ignoble aspects of our country’s past. And that requires acknowledging the vestiges of slavery that are still among us.
…
From Guam to West Papua to Gilgit-Baltistan, these places are seeking national liberation
Co-written with Stephen Amorino
In 1977, a man named Kevin Baugh declared an “independent micronation” of 1.28 acres in Dayton, Nevada. He called it the Republic of Mollossia, and it’s a de facto dictatorship because it has at most one or two residents.
This may go down in history as the most inane attempt to declare independent nationhood. But unlike Mr. Baugh’s self-declared state, there are many real movements for national sovereignty that involve millions of people.
In this article, I will only include current or former members of the Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization (UNPO). The UNPO was formed…
From New Jersey to Taiwan to Russia, amusement parks aren’t always amusing
When most people visit an amusement park, they expect a thrilling day of hedonistic fun filled with adrenaline and cotton candy. Others look forward to a mellow, relaxing time with family or friends.
But no one anticipates that their carefree day off will turn fatal.
Most people trust that all safety regulations will be followed to a tee, and therefore that rides will be completely safe. They don’t expect attractions to spontaneously burst into flames, fall apart, or randomly explode.
Yet that’s precisely what has happened at dozens of theme parks for as long as they’ve existed throughout the past…
The history of menstrual leave in Japan, Korea, and other countries
In April, a CEO of a major South Korean airline was fined for refusing period leave to his employees. He complained that they hadn’t “provided proof of their menstruation.”
The court that indicted him rightly said that requiring proof of menstruation would “infringe upon privacy and human rights.” He was rather fortunate to get off with a mere $1,800 fine — in South Korea, employers who deny to grant menstrual leave can face up to two years in prison.
But you might be wondering — what is menstrual leave?
Well, it’s exactly what it sounds like — women (and perhaps…
We’ve all been lied to about Edmund Hillary’s achievement
Co-written with Stephen Amorino
In 1953, Edmund Hillary accomplished the remarkable feat of reaching the peak of Mount Everest, the tallest mountain in the world.
Within hours after his descent, he was heralded around the world — he was honored by the Queen of England, whose coronation happened to coincide with the expedition. Immediately when he reached the bottom of the mountain, he received news that he had been declared Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire. That’s how he became Sir Edmund Hillary.
His face and name were even emblazoned on each and every 5-dollar note of…
From the Hajj in Mecca to Stalin’s funeral, crowds can be deadlier than you think
In April, at an Orthodox Jewish festival in Israel, 45 religious pilgrims died and over 150 were injured. And since many survivors are still hospitalized and in critical condition, nobody even knows what the final death toll will be.
Their cause of death, you ask? It wasn’t an attack. No malicious acts were involved. There was no fire or natural disaster.
Rather, it was something much more mundane, yet equally deadly — it was a human stampede, more accurately known as a “human crush.” …
Consent matters around alcohol consumption too
Throughout the pandemic, I’ve sorely missed a lot of life’s previous pleasures. Hanging out with friends. Traveling. Going to concerts.
But one common occurrence I certainly haven’t missed is being coerced by strangers to drink more alcohol at social events.
In the pre-Covid era, it would happen to me pretty frequently. I’d be at a social event, nonchalantly having a great time, when some bozo (usually a man) would start interrogating me about why I don’t have a drink in my hand.
Then they’d burst into a tirade, trying to harass me into submission (sometimes while simultaneously hitting on me)…
From nose waxing to teeth filing, these trends are physically and psychologically dangerous
I have to confess — I’ve never used TikTok before. Like a typical curmudgeonly and out-of-touch millennial, I’ve refused to download the app. I’ve only been exposed to its noxious content through YouTube, and occasionally Instagram.
But even through my minimal exposure, I’ve still managed to notice some extremely disturbing trends.
Not surprisingly, many of those trends are related to beauty. I say “not surprisingly” because beauty is at the core of TikTok’s business model.
TikTok has been revealed to use a “beauty algorithm” that employs AI-based technology to promote content featuring conventionally attractive faces and bodies. (How AI can…
Is it a healthy practice or a form of cannibalism?
In a classic episode of “Keeping Up With the Kardashians,” Kim plays a jarring prank on her family. She serves them each a slice of bright red mystery meat for dinner — but she only tells them it’s a human placenta once it’s already in their digestive systems.
Understandably, they’re pissed.
But she justifies the cruel joke as revenge for an incident earlier in the episode when they harshly judged her for expressing interest in eating her own placenta.
Come 2015, Kim Kardashian had indulged that long-held wish — she ate her own placenta after giving birth to her second…
