The 30th South East Asian Games (SEA Games) hosted by the Philippines in 2019 have caused social cleavages to resurface at a time when the host nation should be presenting a united front. Trouble …
Mayor of Manila: A Portrait of Populism as Performativity
Last September, I started a new job in Manila City. Despite having lived right next to it for all of my adult life, spending most of my waking hours in a new city – the country’s capital – has taken …
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Hong Kong Protests by Max Tewksbury
Throughout history, democracies have worked and fallen. Venezuela and North Korea are examples of this. Great Britain gained control of Hong Kong on January 25, 1841, and maintained Hong Kong until …
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Beyond the Yellow and Red Politics of the Philippines
In the Philippine Politics, you either belong to a “Dilaw” [Yellow] camp or to a DDS [Diehard Duterte Supporter] camp. “Dilaw” is the disparaging term for the critics of the country’s leading …
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South Africa’s Democracy is facing a Quarter-Life Crisis and the ANC is at fault
"We once more look to the ANC to provide leadership in creating the circumstances for our people to enjoy and exercise the democratic rights for which we all fought so bravely and with so much …
Are we fighting Drugs or Democracy?
Since 2016, Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte’s war on drugs has claimed the lives of over 20,000 people attracting global attention. In reality these killings have very little to do with cracking …
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The New Populism of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky
To the detriment of democracy, populism has returned in force with a new face in many countries of the world, and Ukraine is no exception. (Freedom House 2018) The election of Volodymyr Zelensky to …
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MATA: A Brighter Future Costs Money
The Memphis Area Transit Authority (MATA) is the public transportation provided in Memphis, Tennessee. The system was founded in 1975 to help serve the Greater Mid-south. September 25, 2019, Jim …
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