Is Politics Broken?

It's a fair question, and CNN took it on tonight. Republicans and Democrats have come to a stalemate on so many issues that even politicians are beginning to question the very structure of America's main legislative body. Bill Maher thinks that our system is broken. Indiana Senator Bayh stated simply, "the people's business is not getting done," and the media flocked to his statement like geese.

But he just said what we already know: partisanship has halted all attempts at compromise and actual reform in Washington. Why do we praise politicians for stating the obvious?

But as for the main question of this blog, does this period in American politics indicate the need for a fundamental change in the way that legislation gets passed? I dont think so. The problem isnt the system. It's the parties and the inevitable consequence of groupthink. The alliance of similar views seems to lead to a paradox where even those who agree are divided by refusal to compromise over relatively minute details. So the bigger question is who needs to bear the brunt of failure in this stalemate, the system or the individual. I choose to go with the variable that been in place for over 200 years.

We Are The World 25 For Haiti Video

Conincidently, I was checking the top viral videos for this week and the We Are The World 25 For Haiti Video was number 1 with 1,402,365 views and 1,959 blog posts. WHEWWW! Sak Pase!

"What ifs" - Thoughts on Haiti Relief

I was reading a NY Times article about how the education system in Haiti has been completely devastated due to last month's earthquake. I was glad to see the Times covering a really specific long-term effect of the quake. While most of the U.S. is aware of the international effort to help with the day-to-day needs of Haitians, few realize the long-term consequences of such a disaster. If we consider that higher education is really one of the only ways to achieve any kind of mobility in Haiti, then as a result of the quake an entire generation of aspiring students have another huge obstacle in escaping poverty. It is unfathomable.

But then I started thinking about the "what ifs." What if colleges all around the world could step forward and help with the one thing they know best? What if the rebuilding of Haiti's education system was the priority instead of something to be left by the wayside. What if schools like Trinity, Wesleyan, and Yale (and colleges of equal caliber in other countries) created education programs in Haiti for both its students and for Haitians? Wouldn't that be an amazing way to aid Haiti's recovery. There have been nationwide relief efforts done by college students including Trinity already. But what I have in mind is not just about raising money. I want a long term plan that is not just about recovery, but about the progress of a nation. So that the next time disaster strikes, the government may have more of the means necessary to help its people. But these are just the ramblings of an international studies student too idealistic for her own good.

Sunday Pundits Bore Me

I just finished watching all the Sunday morning pundit shows or as I call them, The Sunday Funnies. You all know their names: This Week, The Chris Matthews Show, Meet the Press...blah, blah, blah. I keep hearing the same names, the same talk, the same advice to the Commander-In Chief. Either it's becoming redundant or I am just tired of listening. Maybe they are right. Maybe even politically conscientious people are just tired of listening, but not just to Obama. But to the news people too. I certainly feel a little impatient. Most days all I can stomach is Jon Stewart. How sad is that.

Trinity: The Iron Bubble

Recently, I have been thinking about the iron bubble we all live in also known as Trinity College. It is really starting to upset me how students seem to alienate themselves from the Hartford community. Whenever people talk about going to the store or needing to travel off campus, I always sense this weird apprehension as if there is some boogy monster waiting to steal their teddy. It's like they separate Trinity in their mind from Hartford and move it into a world of "otherness." It's insane. Trinity is a part of Hartford and we cant keep avoiding it or worse, fearing it. We spend a ridiculous amount of money on tuition to live in a city for four years and yet so many people seem to want nothing to do with it. Being from New York, I guess I am missing some crucial detail in my understanding. But even students at NYU and Columbia dont shy away from exploring the City just because there's crime, or because it's a new environment. In summary, I am a little disappointed I guess. The Admission department has tricked yet another student into believing its biggest lie: "Trinity has great community relations"....HA!

GOT IT!....Maybe

My previous post got me thinking about Youtube. The "Hitler Responds to Ipad Video" got over 2 millions views and has been posted on hundreds of blogs. This has some interesting implications for the online community and the public sphere at large. I have so many ideas and it's completely painless to blog about them. Perhaps I will follow Youtube for class. Maybe I will just check out what the top videos are each week or each day (viral videos) and analyze them. See where that leads me. What do you all think?

Hilarious Video! Enjoy.

Hitler Responds to the IPad - Watch more funny videos here

I found this hilarious spoof about the Ipad and it reminded me of Dr. Bronner's post a couple of days ago.