Latest Stories

Most recently published stories in The Swamp.

Utilitarian Standpoint: Issues Where I Stand Neutral
Hey Guys, Today I want to talk about neutrality, and the top ten social issues that I stand neutral on. I wrote something similar where I listed top ten things which people are irrationally sensitive about. It was not accepted because it was too broad and not specific enough. So bear with me while I make the list, short and simple. Welcome to another post in the us series where I talk about subjective matters aiming towards an objective solution. It is a story that affects all of us.
By Heeta Joshi8 years ago in The Swamp
Grass-Fed vs. Grain-Fed
Humanity’s food chain is a significant contributor to our planet’s cycle of life. Consumption of animals, as well as plants, ensures that humanity can continue to grow. However, many practices come into question on the methods used to utilize animals for the benefit of humanity. Is it necessary to treat animals in specific ways if—let’s say—we used animals for food? Many of us believe it is necessary to treat them well to gain the maximum nourishment possible from animals we consume. Our society’s agricultural industry must rear and finish animals in as close to a natural environment as possible to assure society of healthier foods.
By Felix Martinez8 years ago in The Swamp
Why Trump Loves Putin
Blackmail has often been cited, sometimes along with gratitude for the help Russia gave him in the 2016 election, as the reason Trump so adheres to Putin, as seen again in the Helsinki press conference today.
By Paul Levinson8 years ago in The Swamp
Protecting the Next Generation: School Shootings
The Problem As of May, there were 23 school shootings in 2018 alone. That amounts to about one school shooting per week. There have been nearly 200 since the year 2000. How is it that something so preventable cannot be solved?
By Dillon Staples8 years ago in The Swamp
Why Illegal Immigrants Should Not Be Illegal
While many people are avid believers that illegal immigrants should remain illegal, a whopping 72 percent of Americans believe that all immigrants should be able to stay following proper documentation. Many people seem to think that when fellow Americans support illegal immigrants, it is some type of betrayal against America. Not true.
By The Darkest Sunrise8 years ago in The Swamp
Playing Football?
In recent years, especially since the election of Jeremy Corbyn first in 2015 after Labour's disastrous defeat in the general election and then again in September 2016 after a coup—this time with a larger majority—the Labour party has been accused of having a disease, that’s rotting the party to the core. The disease? Anti-Semitism. Many have claimed that the party has seen a huge increase in anti-semitism, although is this really true? In reality, it would seem that the issue of anti-semitism is nothing more than a political smear campaign which has become the deciding factor in the ever-widening Labour party split. It would be wrong to deny that anti-semitism doesn’t exist, but what is clear to me is that anti-semitism is being used by the right wing of the Labour party to wedge the newly elected leader out of office. The evidence is overwhelming. How could the Labour party be anti-semitic when a Jewish man led them for four long years and then into the 2015 general election? What we the electorate must realize is that political party leaders, in the words of Boris Johnson, are taking us for ‘mutton-headed’ idiots. They are using serious problems within society as a form of political football. Is this really what British politics has come to? These constant attacks towards the Labour party, and more accurately towards the Labour leader from other politicians, including ones from the Labour party itself, are undermining British democracy. This upsets me because at such an important time in British history, can we really afford to take our eye off the ball?
By Lucas Jackson8 years ago in The Swamp
The Serpents That Shape the World
On the evening of September 26, 1960, the unknown senator from Massachusetts John F. Kennedy faced off against incumbent Vice President Richard Nixon, in what was the United States’ first televised debate. The role of the media in shaping politics can be seen in America’s political history, media in television and radio and political campaigns to come, as evidenced in the electioneering of the 1960 presidential debate—the first televised encounter between candidates in American history. When Nixon took to the podium his form was morose, scant and sickly from recent hospitalization; Kennedy calmly took his place with confidence and poise. According to a census taken thereafter those who listened to the debate on the radio thought Nixon had won, a sharp comparison to the estimated 74 million of the majority of Americans who now owned a television set. The new medium had set the stage for a realized public recognition for how political events could be swayed, dependent on the media to shape how political figures are to be viewed by the nation. On November 12, 1960, four days after winning the election by the skin of his teeth, Kennedy was quoted as saying that “it was the TV more than anything else that turned the tide." With the rising force of television the mainstream media caught wind of just how explosive the Kennedy-Nixon debate was with the populace. Major broadcasting networks’ ratings rocketed sky-high, television sets were sold to every family on the block—America had plunged into the twilight zone like a TV show on mute; waiting, watching and listening on bated breath for the next ‘life-altering’ thing to come out of that tiny box in the living room. There was no doubt that television carried great power in its potential. "With the nation watching," a 1979 task force report noted, "The Nixon-Kennedy debates made televised encounters between candidates the hottest thing in electioneering since the campaign button." The media had dug its talons of razor wire into Kennedy’s public image, cataclysmically enabling the potential for television to double in size and scope. This event is the genesis of the next-generation public game, the next-level playing field of politicians and journalists: this is the theory of ‘media politics.’
By Andy Reed8 years ago in The Swamp
The Rise of 20th Century Fascism
To acolytes of Fascist ideology, the First World War served to reiterate their deep-seated belief that Liberal Democracy was essentially antiquated. They believed a heavily nationalistic, autocratic form of authoritarianism was required to transmogrify Europe; redefining the traditional constructs of social order in the process. Michael Mann in his book ‘Fascists’ discusses the rise of right wing authoritarianism through his IEMP model, this model refers to the means and distributions of social power; Ideological, Economic, Military and Political. I will be drawing upon the Mann’s IEMP model to coherently discuss the role that fear of the revolutionary left played in the proliferation of Fascism during the 20th century.
By T.P Schofield8 years ago in The Swamp
What Is "The Left"
"The Left." We hear it constantly from conservative pundits and editorialists, most often trying to get rise from the democratic party. I find that nobody on the right actually knows that that means. To those who believe they know what it means on the right, you probably have little conception of what socialism actually is, much less the broad term "the left." While the Democratic Party is the most leftist major party in the United States, it is not by any means a portion of "the left," although some moderate leftists are in the party. The broad definition of "the left" as perpetuated by conservatives is an authoritarian system and the soviet-form socialism that resulted in another imperialist state. While people think that socialism is inherently authoritarian, it is not. Socialism, as a principle merely refers to the absence of private property (i.e. property used by an employer's employee for use for the purpose of profit). It states that the employment of such a system will result in mass unemployment, mass poverty, hunger, mass homelessness, and overproduction.
By Thomas Sebacher8 years ago in The Swamp
Has Political Correctness Gone Too Far?
‘Political Correctness’ is in itself conceptually illusive; and has transmogrified from its 1920’s German Marxist Roots. It’s abstract character and vast encompassment has left the phrase open to manipulation; with certain societal groups commandeering the ‘PC’ label for opportunistic motive. On the face of it; a code of ethics seeking to avoid offense and disbenefit to certain societal groups seems harmless, moral and almost altruistic. The reality however is more complex than that. Whilst the tenets of Political Correctness may be to preserve the feelings of others, the reality is that we’ve now switched off from the important topics altogether. Those who are prone to a conspiracy theory or two may even conclude that our avoidance of these ethical and moral dilemmas may play right into the establishment’s hands?
By T.P Schofield8 years ago in The Swamp
How to Deal with the Fear or Anger of Donald Trump's Presidency
I saw a post the other day on social media, where someone who I know to be generally kind-hearted voiced that they had become so disheartened with the mentality of Trump supporters that they had been asking how to proceed with compassion. The post, in general, made me terribly sad, but I responded, despite an enormous amount of reservation in sharing thoughts on this because peace is usually not met well in a state of such turbulence. It can be difficult for either side to empathize with each other, and I speak from the side that does not support Trump, nor his actions, but I also speak with a message of compassion for all those who have become disheartened, angry, or fearful.
By L Stone8 years ago in The Swamp
2073
When thinking of the future, we expect flying cars and cured illnesses and world peace and no racism. The future is supposed to be better for all of us and it is supposed to be a better society than what we have now. But in 2073, everything is worse. By the looks of it, it seems that we went back in time when it comes to social classes. Only this time around, blacks are on top. Finally, my race is on top and is in the spotlight and is finally going to end racism, right? No. In fact, racism was at a stop for a short period of time. Everyone had a small sense of peace until my people decided that it was the time that we were on top. And we made just that happen. A group of rebels assassinated the president and took over the three branches of government. New laws were made, people were hurt but it was all for a good cause they said.
By scherasade lewis8 years ago in The Swamp