Cuban Cigars for EVERYONE!

Cuban Cigars for EVERYONE! 

The Gist

In a HUGE departure from stated American foreign policy goals, the Obama administration said it will start the process of normalizing relations with our communist neighbor, Cuba. Cuba is currently one of five countries that the Unites States does not have relations with (the others are: Iran, North Korea, Bhutan, and Taiwan). The United States severed relations in January 1961. The back channeling that got us here was helped by the media-loved Pope Francis, pot-loving President Jose Mucia of Uruguay and the ever likable Canadians. The announcement is seen as an admittance by the United States that isolating a country diplomatically and economically simply does not work (fifty years later and a Castro still rules Cuba). The Cuban expatriate community reaction, which is primarily Republican, will probably be mixed. On the one hand, they will be able to send much needed American dollars back home with less problems. On the other hand they might see this move as an acceptance that Cuba will not return to the days when Havana was a capitalist haven (and a haven for organized crime: Lucky Luciano held his famous Havana Conference at the mafia run Hotel Nacional). Reaction on Capitol was, unsurprisingly, divided among party lines (Cuban-American Senators Cruz, Menendez and Rubio were quick to comment). More important than the enormous geopolitical implications of this announcement, is the fact that lawyers, frat guys and businessmen all over America may be able to smoke Cuban cigars once more (CNN broke down the Cuban embargo for us)…and now you know the gist. 

The Disaster in Bhopal, India

The Disaster in Bhopal, India

The Gist

December 3rd marked the 30th anniversary of the Union Carbide explosion in Bhopal, India that killed several thousand and affected hundreds of thousands more. The plant's owner, Union Carbide, still contends the accident was an act of sabotage by a disgruntled employee (not, as many others contend, by lax safety protocols). Photographer Raghu Rai took heart wrenching photos of Bhopal in the days after the disaster and recently returned to photograph the people of Bhopal. To this day, many survivors suffer serious ailments or have children with birth defects because of the initial exposure to the toxic gas (or later exposure to contaminated drinking water). The area also has an alarmingly high cancer rate. Although the Indian government brought criminal charges against Union Carbide and its then chairman Warren Anderson (who has since passed away), both refused to partake in any proceeding. Union Carbide (now owned by Dow Chemical) provided $470 million to victims (activist say this is only half of what experts say is necessary to rehabilitate survivors). An Indian court recently sent Dow Chemical a summons to explain why it’s wholly owned subsidiary has not taken responsibility for their part in the worst industrial accident in history. If, like many suspect, Dow Chemical ignores the summons, the thousands of activists and survivors will simply keep shouting until one can’t help but listen…and now you know the gist.

Eric Garner, Cattle, and Bill O'Reilly

Eric Garner, Cattle, and Bill O'Reilly

The Gist

Eric Garner died after he was put in a choke hold, banned by the NYPD since 1993, by police officer Daniel Pantaleo who believed Garner was selling black market cigarettes. Although the grand jury was able to see the video that caught the whole incident (where Garner is heard to say “I can’t breathe” numerous times), they still didn't think it appropriate to indict Pantaleo. In order to indict, 12 of the 23 jurors on the grand jury must find the evidence presented to them is both legally sufficient and provides reasonable cause to believe that the defendant has committed the crime. A grand jury is considered a tool for prosecutors, who can offer a certain version of a story and do not have to present evidence that could exonerate the perpetrator. Defenders of Pantaleo allege that he was not using the choke hold (which he testified to at the grand jury), but rather a technique taught at the police academy and, had Garner not suffered from asthma and heart disease, he would have survived the incident. Others, say the chokehold/appropriate-police-academy-taught-maneuver was grossly disproportionate considering Garner had his hands up, was outnumbered and did not threaten the police officers. The Atlantic wrote a fascinating story that asked readers the following:

“imagine that Eric Garner had been white….the police hassled Garner because he had a history of selling untaxed cigarettes….the kind of big-government intrusion that drives Tea Partiers nuts…[this case] bears some resemblance to that of Cliven Bundy, the…rancher who…prevented Bureau of Land Management agents from impounding his cattle after he refused to pay government grazing fees. Like Garner, Bundy was engaged in a form of commerce he believed the government should not tax… [he] resisted law enforcement’s efforts to punish him for it. For many conservatives, this made Bundy a hero….” 

One does have to wonder why the grand jury decided decided not to indict when such polar opposites as Bill O’Reilly and Jon Stewart agree it should have…and now you know the gist.

Mustaches.

Mustaches.

The Gist

With November over, there should be a lot more clean-shaven men on the streets. Since 2004, the Australian charity Movember has both raised awareness of and millions for men’s health issues. Facial hair for men goes in and out of style, but for the majority of history it was seen as a sign that a boy was finally a man. In the Middle East, facial hair (or lack of facial hair) can even be a provocative political statement. CBS Sunday Morning recently did a piece on the World Beard and Mustache Championships, where one could see the Garibaldi (pictured), the English Mustache, the Dali Mustache, the Imperial Part Beard, the Amish beard, and the Fu Manchu, among others. Beards aside, the Movember organization has raised awareness on topics that are rarely talked about, not least because men don’t really like talking about their testicles and prostate (at least outside of a l0ckeroom). Over 8,000 men will be diagnosed with testicular cancer (which usually occurs in younger men) and over 230,000 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer (which usually happens in older men). Although statistically six million men suffer from depression in this country (depression peaks in men in their 20s and again in their 60s), the real figure is probably higher because depression, like anxiety, manifests itself differently in men than in women. To date, Movemeber has raised close to $200 million worldwide…and now you know the gist.

Ferguson happened and everybody is to blame.

Ferguson happened and everybody is to blame. 

The Gist

On August 9^th white Ferguson police officer, Darren Wilson, shot and killed unarmed 18 year old, African-American, Michael Brown. A grand jury, consisting of nine whites and three blacks, declined to indict (meaning that at least nine of the twelve people didn't think there was probable cause to try Wilson). Not surprisingly, the city of Ferguson (among others) was rocked by protests and looting (because the businesses were, of course, responsible for his death). Wilson has since resigned from the police force without a pension and the city has been left with millions of dollars worth of damages. As is the case with other major events in the US, we never ask the how and why; we simply KNOW that either Wilson is guilty or he is not. This is what we do know: African Americans in this country are disproportionately poor, incarcerated and living in single parent households. EVERYBODY is to blame for this: white Americans for preventing black Americans from advancing (blacks are disproportionately targeted for punishment in schools, profiled in job interviews, and many sentencing laws hurt minorities more than whites). Black Americans are to blame for using white Americans as the easy scapegoat for the endemic problems that pervade the community (white people didn't cause the high number of domestic violence incidents in the community or cause the large percentage of absentee fathers, for example). Until everyone understands their own part in America’s racial problems, (and yes, that includes every white, brown, black, red, yellow, and green person in this country, whether or not “my ancestors didn’t even have slaves!”), Ferguson’s will continue to occur…and now you know the gist.  

Obama, Reagan, the Bible and Immigration

Obama, Reagan, the Bible and Immigration

The Gist

President Obama’s recent executive order (allowed under ArticleII, Section 1 of the Constitution, it does not require Congressional approval to take effect) shields about 4 million people from deportation. In the past, executive orders have been used to desegregate the armed forces, bar racial discrimination in federal housing and hiring, and President Reagan used one to prohibit  the use of federal funds for advocating abortion. This particular executive order DOES NOT give recipients a pathway to citizenship, health insurance under Obamacare, or guarantee they can stay here permanently. The order WILL allow parents of U.S. citizens (giving a little credence to the notion of the “anchor baby”), who have lived in the US for at least five years, a reprieve from deportation for at least three years and allow them to work. It DOES NOT, like many on both sides hoped, streamline the legal immigration process, provide tools for immigrants already here to become more assimilated, or resolve the issue of the other 6 million or so undocumented immigrants. Under President Bush, the Congressional Budget Office stated that, “...over the past two decades, most efforts to estimate the fiscal impact of immigration in the United States have concluded that…tax revenues of all types generated by immigrants—both legal and unauthorized—exceed the cost of the services they use.” The very right leaning CATO Institute, commenting on illegal immigration, noted that several studies have shown immigration has a “positive impact...on native-born wages.” One group whose wages are adversely affected by illegal immigration are American citizens without high school degrees (in 2013 the nationwide high school graduation rate was 75%). The last major immigration reform took place in 1986 when President Reagan signed a sweeping immigration bill, giving many amnesty (during his 1984 presidential campaign he stated, "I believe in the idea of amnesty for those who have put down roots and lived here, even though sometime back they may have entered illegally.”). Interestingly, and provocatively, the President quoted the Book of Exodus when speaking of the undocumented among us, “we shall not oppress a stranger, for we know the heart of a stranger.”…and now you know the gist. 

Ukraine, Russia and the West

Ukraine, Russia and the West 

The Gist

Ukraine (it's Ukraine, not THE Ukraine) is in the midst of civil war that was triggered after the overthrow of the corrupt, but democratically elected, Viktor Yanukovych. Yanukovych was pro-Russian (he is a native Russian speaker) and rejected a plan that would have integrated Ukraine into Europe (which would have made Russia’s President Vladimir Putin very testy). The eastern part of the country is still under the control of Russian-backed rebels (called Russian separatists and freedom fighters by some) and the Crimean peninsula is now nominally part of Russia proper. None of this should have come as a surprise, however, since divisions between the Ukrainian majority west and the Russian majority east have been tense since independence in 1991. The notion that Russia would simply give up and happily become part of the capitalistic West has always been questioned by experts. Ethnic Russians make up a substantial minority in Ukraine and Kazakhstan; Belarus and Moldova are pretty much de facto members of the Russian Federation. The rapid expansion of both the European Union and NATO is seen as the overall reason for Russia’s support of Ukrainian separatists, its invasion of Georgia, and its threats against the Baltic States. Ukrainian officials have steadfastly refused to talk to the Russian-backed rebels. However, with at least 4,317 people killed and 9,921 wounded since April, that steadfastness will probably waiver…and now you know the gist.

Tinder and Tinderallas

Tinder and Tinderallas    

The Gist

Any single twenty-something in the country has heard of, or is on, the phone app Tinder (we don’t actually know how many people are on Tinder, because they refuse to release actual numbers). Tinder is the easy, if just a little shallow, way to meet new people. Unlike eHarmony or Match, it doesn't care what your favorite color is, what book you are currently reading, or where you want to be in ten years. Your Facebook profile and your location (your roster of potential dates, sex partners, or friends is determined by how close you live near them) is all it needs to create your profile. People can then judge you by your looks and swipe your picture right (if they think you are worthy) or left (if they think you aren’t worth a hill of beans). Tinder’s success can be attributed to its 27 year old Beverly Hills born and bred founders: Sean Rad, Justin Mateen (both members of Beverly Hills' affluent Iranian Jewish community) and Jonathon Badeen. They used their background as party promoters to both promote Tinder and attract the attractive and popular to the app. Although most agree that Tinder’s goal is not create long lasting relationships, there is hope: Sean Rad met his girlfriend Alexa Dell (yes, as in THE Dells) on Tinder over a year ago (employees call her the original Tinderalla). Tinder is also very VERY lucrative: IAC (owner of The Princeton Review and Match.com) paid $500 million to buy another 10 percent stake in Tinder…and now you know the gist.

North Dakota and the American Oil Boom

North Dakota and the American Oil Boom   

The Gist

For the first time in over thirty years the United States is producing enough oil and gas for export. Oil production is at an all-time high and has created 169,000 jobs nationwide, growing at a rate ten times that of overall employment. The United States is one of the few countries in the world that has the technology, know-how, and equipment (it has 60% of the world’s supply of drilling rigs) to use fracking to exploit its oil reserves. Property laws in the United States, which give property owners rights over what is beneath their land, create an incentive to drill. North Dakota sits on top of the largest contiguous oil field in the Lower 48. This has created unprecedented opportunities for the people of North Dakota (not to mention the thousands of mostly men who have arrived in the state since the boom). The growth has caused significant problems…of course. It really is like the Wild West: majority male, rampant prostitution, and increasing crime. Life can be brutal in the oilfields of North Dakota, but the possibility of striking it rich is so high that people keep taking the risk…and now you know the gist.  

Midland, Saudi America

Midland, Saudi America   

The Gist

The Midland/Odessa area of west Texas is booming. The oil boom that the United States is experiencing is brought to you courtesy of something called fracking. Fracking (hydraulic fracturing) is the use of high-pressure water and chemicals underground to break up shale rock and release the oil and gas trapped inside. The process is expensive and raises the ire of environmental groups. Although the price of oil continues to fall, the oil boom that has made Midland the “Dubai of Texas” is not likely to end any time soon. Midland has the lowest unemployment rate in the country and the population is growing at 4.6% per year (the overall Texas rate is 1.6%). Plans are being made to build the tallest building between Los Angeles and Houston. All this growth is creating an inflated housing market more like DC than a city of 150,000 and stretching the city’s infrastructure to the brink. However, city officials know that the boom might quickly become a bust when oil prices come down. Longtime residents remember ‘Black Friday’ (October 14, 1983) when the largest bank in the region collapsed after oil priced bottomed out, starting a domino effect that transformed a once booming Midland into a ghost town…and now you know the gist.  

Girls really do run the world....

Girls really do run the world....  

The Gist

Being famous for doing or being absolutely nothing is not new (think the Gabore sisters and, of course, the Kardashians). However, the speed by which ‘Alex from Target’ has become a household phrase took many by surprise. So quick, in fact, that the PR firm Breakr took credit for it (until they had to admit it wasn't them at all; they just wanted a piece of the action). The picture of Alex LaBeouf, a sixteen year old from the Dallas area, was originally posted to Twitter on November 2^nd. Within six hours, he had 100,000 Twitter followers. The number is now more near one million and he has been interviewed by the likes of Ellen DeGeneres, among others. Since we live in a world where teenage girls can make stars of boys they find attractive, we shouldn't be surprised that we also live in a world where people feel the need to send Alex death threats. The Twitter star is now working with John Shahidi, CEO of selfie app Shots, to harness his new found fame…and now you know the gist. 

Ebola Update

Ebola Update  

The Gist

It has been reported that the last person being treated for Ebola in the United States has been released. Although, some are still being monitored to make sure they don’t have the disease, the United States seems to be Ebola-free. Of the staggering NINE people who contracted the disease (the United States is home to 316,100,000 people) ONE died of the disease. Close to 5,000 people have died in West Africa in the past six months. Aid is coming in, but for many it is too little, too late…and now you know the gist. 

Is hearing all that it's cracked up to be?

Is hearing all that it's cracked up to be?  

The Gist

A great video of a mom and son (pictured) dancing has been making the rounds as of late. The son/dancer is Mark Villaver, who has been a backup dancer for Taylor Swift and Ariana Grande. What makes the video great is the fact that his mom can not only dance better than the son, she can’t hear the music. Breakthroughs, such as cochlear implants, have allowed many to hear again (or for the first time). Many Americans don’t realize that a debate has been raging in the deaf community over how much they are willing to give up of the culture and community they have created. Protests erupted at the nation’s premier deaf college, Gallaudet University, in 2006 when it was announced that Jane Fernandes would be taking over as president of the school. Students were outraged that a person who was not fluent in American Sign Language was being placed at the helm of a deaf university; her offer was later withdrawn. Many people who cannot hear (referred to as Deaf people, with a capital “D”) feel like a distinct people group with their own cultural norms, proud history and traditions. One only has to see this video (minute 2:20) of a little boy hearing for the first time to see the joy that can be experienced when one is able to hear for the first time. However, that doesn't necessarily mean it’s the right decision for everyone. A quote from a Deaf person in a British newspaper is telling, “I actually feel bad for hearing people,” he says. “I wish that more people could experience the power and peace of utter silence.”….and now you know the gist. 

Mean Girls, an Embassy Takeover and US-Iran Relations

Mean Girls, an Embassy Takeover and US-Iran Relations

The Gist

This past November 4^th marked the 35^th anniversary of the takeover of the American embassy in Tehran by Iranian students, which caused the severing of diplomatic relations between the two countries. But why did the students (called militants by some) decide to partake in one of the most flagrant breaches of diplomatic protocol and international law? Stephen Kinzer, in a fascinating book All the Shah’s Men, chronicles the CIA-backed coup of Iran’s democratically elected Prime Minister (the book has all the makings of a good movie: monarch on the  run, communism v. capitalism, oil executives with politicians in their back pocket…) After the return of the Shah to his throne, he became a staunch ally of the West and the United States in turn humored his insatiable appetite for American weaponry (in fact, Iran was the only country allowed to purchase the advanced F14 Tomcat fighter jet) and turned a blind eye to his human rights abuses. Corruption, a widening gap between rich and poor, and a perceived loss of traditional local culture all led to the overthrow of the Shah. It should be pointed out that, although it’s called the Islamic Revolution, those who rebelled were socialists, liberals, communists, free market advocates AS WELL as religious conservatives (the conservatives just won out in the free for all afterward). The students claimed that they wanted to make sure the United States didn't interfere the way they did in 1953 (interestingly, President Carter openly stated he would be happy to deal with the new government in Tehran). In the thirty five years since, Iranian backed terrorists killed hundreds of Marines in Beirut, American navy officers shot down an Iranian civilian airliner killing hundreds and the two have pretty much been partaking in name calling reminiscent of catty (but popular) middle school girls….and now you know the gist. 

Voter ID Laws, Texas, and US History Class

Voter ID Laws, Texas, and US History Class  

The Gist

The ramifications, if any, of Texas Senate Bill 14 (colloquially referred to as the Voter ID Law) will be felt when Texans go to the polls tomorrow. SB14, passed in 2011, requires a person to show a government-issued identification before voting, which includes Texas driver licenses, Texas concealed handgun licenses, and United State Passports. The bill was struck down by U.S. District Court Judge Nelva Gonzales Ramos-an Obama appointee-in October, but the Supreme Court ordered it temporarily reinstated for the November elections. Proponents of the bill, overwhelmingly Republican, argue that they are merely combating voter fraud, not trying to disenfranchise the poor or minorities (it should be noted that not all conservatives support voter ID laws: Reagan-appointed conservative judge, Richard Posner, wrote a scathing article against the laws). Opponents of the bill, overwhelmingly Democratic, point to the fact that voter fraud is extremely rare, and that requiring a certain form of ID (which is not free) is tantamount to a poll tax. Early voting in counties with large minority populations has been lower in Texas this time around, but no one will know the full extent (if any) until after November 4^th. You need an ID for less important activities including getting into a nightclub, boarding a plane and buying alcohol. However, none of the above mentioned are protected constitutional rights (which, for anyone who took US History in high school knows, includes voting). To quote the right of center Economist: “Ultimately, and regardless of its effect, Texas's law restricts the right to vote. This is troubling, even if the choices at the polls inspire Texans to stay at home anyway.” ...and now you know the gist. 

Mayor Annise Parker and Sermons

Mayor Annise Parker and Sermons 

The Gist

Annise Parker, mayor of Houston and the first openly gay person to lead a major American city, has been in the national spotlight as of late. This past May, the city of Houston passed the Houston Equal Rights Ordinance (HERO) which bans discrimination based on sexual orientation, gender identity, sex, race, color, ethnicity, national origin, age, religion, disability, pregnancy and genetic information, and family, marital or military status. Conservative groups in Houston then launched a petition drive that would put a repeal of the ordinance on the November ballot. They were able to obtain close to 50,000 signatures, but the City of Houston threw them out because the majority of the signatures were found to be defective. The City was then sued, with parties arguing that they were unaware of the rules pertaining to obtaining signatures.  As part of a routine discovery request, lawyers for the city asked for sermons that mentioned the following: the Houston Equal Rights Ordinance, the Petition, Mayor Annise Parker, homosexuality, or gender identity. The point was to see what, if anything, the pastors told their parishioners about how to obtain signatures and what the city rules were on obtaining these signatures (since the argument on the other side was that they didn’t actually know the rules).  Although broad discovery requests are the norm in any litigation, Mayor Parker (who was not told of the subpoenas until after they were sent) conceded that they may have asked for too much. The subpoenas have since been narrowed to simply communications on the HERO petition process….and now you know the gist.     

Mexico's 43 Disappeared Students

Mexico's 43 Disappeared Students

The Gist

This week, the New Yorker published a piece chronicling the disappearance (and probable death) of forty-three students in Iguala, Guerrero. The forty-three students, all in their late teens and early twenties, were training to be teachers and were heading to Mexico City. No one really knows why they were abducted. Reasons run the gamut: they angered the mayor of Iguala’s wife (pictured; her family runs the local drug gang), they were an example to other leftist groups to keep their mouths shut, etc. Whatever the reason, the disappearance has galvanized Mexico and sparked protests all over the country, leading the resignation of the governor (especially after it was realized the mayor and his wife had fled).The fact that peaceful protests have led to some sort of political change would be considered impossible twenty years ago. This upheaval comes at a time when the once murder capital of the world, Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua, has seen an economic resurgence. American companies Delphi and Honeywell, as well as various Chinese companies, have expanded their operations. The State Department has even downgraded their warning for the border city: you just have to be careful, rather than staying completely away. The optimistic view is that the Mexican people, finally fed up with their lackluster politicians, are slowly creating a more peaceful and robust Mexico….and now you know the gist.

    

Conan, Condi, and Albright

Conan, Condi, and Albright

The Gist

In a hilarious convergence of Hollywood and Washington, former Secretary of State Madeline Albright and late night talk show host Conan O’Brien have engaged in a friendly Twitter war. O’Brien tweeted that his Halloween costume would be a “slutty Madeline Albright” to which Albright replied, “I'm considering going as hunky Conan O'Brien - but that might be too far fetched." Madeline Albright was America’s first female secretary of state, appointed by President Bill Clinton in 1997. Previously, she had served as American ambassador to the United Nations. Her father, Josef Korbel, was a professor of International Relations at the University of Denver. While there, Korbel’s favorite student was a former music major: Condoleezza Rice (the second female secretary of state). One of the more fascinating parts of Albright’s life was the fact that she didn't know she was Jewish until she was almost 60. Needless to say, O’Brien should have thought twice before getting into it with a woman who stood firm against Cuba’s Fidel Castro and North Korea’s Kim Jong-Il….and now you know the gist.   

Soccer, Suárez, and Biting

Soccer , Suárez, and Biting

The Gist

This week, it was reported that FC Barcelona/Uruguay national team player Luis Suárez was seeking help for his biting “problem.” During the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, he bit Italy defender Giorgio Chiellini’s ear and banned from playing for four months (sparking some pretty creative GIFs). Interestingly, Chiellini said he thought the punishment was excessive. Officials, however, said they took Suárez’s other biting incidents into account; he bit PSV Eindhoven's Otman Bakkal in 2010, and Chelsea's Branislav Ivanovic in 2013. So it should come as a relief to opposing players that he has admitted he has a problem. His biting “impulse” has not made him any less popular among club owners. During his suspension, he left Liverpool for Barcelona for a reported $120 million contract, making him one of the highest paid soccer players in the world. It should be noted, that Suárez is not the Beautiful Games’ most infamous biter: in 2001, Sevilla striker Francisco Gallardo bit his teammate Jose Antonio Reyes … in the scrotum.

WASPS, Watergate, and Bradlee

WASPS, Watergate, and Bradlee

The Gist

                                                                                   
Yesterday, Benjamin "Ben" 
Crowninshield Bradlee died of natural causes in his Washington, D.C. home. He was best known for his roles in publishing the Pentagon Papers and breaking the Watergate scandal in the early 1970s while executive editor of the Washington Post. His career coincided with what scholars have called the “WASP Ascendancy” (think the men in Matt Damon’s The Good Shepherd). The men who were part of this phenomenon had impeccable lineage, Ivy League educations, lived in upper class enclaves such as the Main Line in Philadelphia, and counted as their de facto leader President John F. Kennedy (even though he was Roman Catholic and Irish). Bradlee’s decision to publish the “Pentagon Papers” (that showed the Johnson administration was lying about American involvement in Vietnam) led to the landmark New York Times Co. v. United States Supreme court decision that said the newspaper’s first amendment rights trumped the government’s national security concerns. Under him, the Washington Post was at the forefront of reporting on the Watergate Scandal. He would later be immortalized by Jason Robards in the Oscar-winning All the President’s Men, starring Dustin Hoffman (pictured with Bradlee) and Robert Redford. He is survived by four children and his wife, former Washington Post society reporter Sally Quinn (who Secretary of State Henry Kissinger famously said felt like he wanted to commit suicide after being interview by her)....and now you know the gist. 

The Kurds

The Kurds

The Gist

With ISIS in the news, the plight of the Kurds (and the not-real-country of Kurdistan) has come to forefront…again. The Kurds, until recently, have simply had a century’s long streak of bad luck. It doesn’t help that the four countries they live in are as follows: Iran (currently under western sanctions and accused of wanting to obtain nuclear weapons), Iraq (no explanation necessary), Syria (in the midst of a civil war) and Turkey (who has worked against an independent Kurdistan since the founding of modern day Turkey in the 1920s). After the end of the World War I, when the Ottoman Empire’s Middle Eastern empire was being divided up, the Allied victors overlooked the Kurds. Since the time, they have been one of the largest stateless people in the world. Since the first Persian Gulf War, the Kurds of Iraq have enjoyed a certain level of autonomy (after then President Saddam Hussein gassed them, the international community thought it might be a good idea). Will the Kurds get their own country, especially after they have been at the forefront in the battle against ISIS? Probably not. They are not economically self-sufficient, the United States is not keen on breaking up the federal Republic of Iraq, and an independent Kurdistan would strengthen Iran and embolden Turkish Kurds (something that the United States sees as detrimental to American interests in the region)...and now you now the gist. 

The Clooneys and Art

The Clooneys and Art

The Gist

Ever since respected, multilingual attorney Amal Clooney née Alamuddin married Oscar winner George Clooney, her work has made news. It was reported that her honeymoon is now over and the British barrister has gone back to work helping the Greek government recover the Elgin Marbles (also known as the Parthenon Marbles) which have been in the possession of the British Museum since 1816. At first glance it may seem a simple argument: the Marbles were obtained by the then British ambassador to the Ottoman Empire under what many believe were dubious circumstances (all of the Ambassador’s “permissions” from the Sultan’s government have been lost). However, some argue that the return of the Marbles would set a very VERY bad precedent that would cause museums all around the world to lose their collections. Other famous artifacts that have caused similar rows have been the bust of Nefriti in the Neues Museum in Berlin, the Cyrus Cylinder and the Rosetta Stone, both in the British Museum. Greece, Ethiopia and Peru have all been successful in repatriating art in the past. However, none of the repatriations have been as high profile as the Elgin Marbles. As the centerpiece of the British Museums Greek collection, it is unlikely that Mrs. Clooney’s high profile will be enough to bring the marbles back to Athens...and now you know the gist.

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The Iranian Elite

The Iranian Elite

The Gist

The Iranian Revolution of 1979, led by Ayatollah Khomeini, turned America’s strongest ally in the Middle East to its biggest adversary. There are three basic reasons for the Revolution: 1) the rapid westernization of the country, 2) an overheated economy that finally reached its breaking point and 3) the wide income gap between the rich and poor. The last ‘grievance’ has actually gotten worse since the Revolution. Recently, the Huffington Post (among others) wrote about a popular Instagram account that chronicled the life of Tehran’s moneyed elite (which has apparently been unaffected by worldwide sanctions on the Islamic Republic). Matt Lauer of the Today Show also highlighted the “other side” of Iran. The elite is peppered with many clerics who have become very rich since the Revolution (so much so that Forbes had them on their cover a few years back). In fact, many saw the election of laymen Mahmoud Ahmadinejad as a signal to the establishment that the people were tired of their shenanigans. A counter Instagram account featuring the less glamourous lives of the masses, show the vast differences between the ‘haves’ and the ‘have nots’ in Iran. Many believe these economic inequalities, not discontent over the lack of personal freedoms, is what will be the catalyst for change in the country formerly known as Persia…and now you know the gist.

Passing

"Passing"

The Gist:

A book entitled “A Chosen Exile," came out this week. The book deals with African Americans who “passed” for white and all of the problems and benefits that came along with it. Throughout the course of American history, people of color have (with varying degrees of success) tried to pass as white in order to escape racial discrimination. Famous stories of people “passing” abound: the first black president of Georgetown University (from 1873-1882), Patrick Francis Healy (pictured), passed for white until the day he died. One of the first cases dealing with the constitutionality of restrictive housing covenants was brought by a Michigan man who, because he looked white, was able to buy a home in an all-white Detroit neighborhood (his lawyer: future Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall). It is an interesting topic, since it brings up what it means to be black, white, purple or green. In fact, stories still come up from time to time dealing with actors "you didn't know were black"…and now you know the gist.