opinion
Opinion pieces from the left, right, and everyone in between.
Japan’s Takaichi Dissolves Parliament After Only Three Months in Office, Setting Up Snap Election. AI-Generated.
Japan’s political landscape has been thrown into uncertainty after Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi dissolved parliament just three months after taking office, calling a snap general election that few observers expected so soon. The dramatic move has sparked intense debate across Japan and abroad, with supporters calling it a necessary step to secure a mandate and critics warning of instability at a sensitive time for the country.
By Muhammad Hassanabout a month ago in The Swamp
Who Owns TikTok in the U.S. Now. AI-Generated.
TikTok is one of the most popular social media apps in the United States, especially among teens and young adults. With its short, addictive videos, it has changed how people consume content online. But when it comes to who actually owns TikTok in the U.S., the answer isn’t as simple as pointing to a single company. Recent political scrutiny, corporate restructuring, and legal maneuvering have made TikTok’s ownership a central issue in tech policy, national security debates, and business news.
By Muhammad Hassanabout a month ago in The Swamp
The Right’s Loud Romance With Violence and Fascism
For decades, American conservatives have warned about the “moral decline” of the United States. Sometimes those warnings sounded sincere. I remember the Terri Schiavo case, when many conservatives framed the removal of a feeding tube as a profound moral failure. You could argue some of that outrage was politically convenient, but it was at least plausible that many of the people involved genuinely believed life was sacred and violence, broadly defined as merely ending a human life (even out of medical mercy), was wrong.
By Wade Wainioabout a month ago in The Swamp
GM to Move Production of Buick SUV from China to the US. AI-Generated.
General Motors (GM), one of the world’s largest automakers, has announced plans to move production of its popular Buick SUV from China back to the United States. The decision is part of a broader strategy to consolidate manufacturing, respond to global market demands, and strengthen its domestic supply chain.
By Muhammad Hassanabout a month ago in The Swamp
Trump Backs Down Over Tariffs and Greenland.
Trump caused panic, worry, anger, and frustration when he threatened his European partners with tariffs because they would not support him in his plan to take over Greenland. Trump wanted to buy Greenland from Denmark, or he would use force, or so it seemed to take it. Trump threatened his opponents with 10% tariffs if they did not acquiesce to his Greenland adventure, or should that be misadventure? These were to start from 1 February and would rise to 25% if those nations that opposed him did not give in.
By Nicholas Bishopabout a month ago in The Swamp
Supreme Court Appears Likely to Allow Lisa Cook to Remain on Fed Board. AI-Generated.
The U.S. Supreme Court appears inclined to allow Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook to remain on the Fed’s board, signaling strong judicial support for the independence of the nation’s central bank. During recent proceedings, the justices expressed skepticism toward arguments that would expand presidential authority to remove Federal Reserve officials at will, a move that critics warn could politicize monetary policy and unsettle global financial markets.
By Muhammad Hassanabout a month ago in The Swamp
Grave Image Starmer.
According to Beth Rigby of Sky News, she has never seen the UK Prime Minister look so troubled. Sir Keir stood at the podium in the Downing Street Newsroom, delivering a message of a serious split in opinion between the UK and the US. Beth described the prime minister's face as grave. In her words, this press briefing by the prime minister is the most serious crisis in the so-called special relationship between the UK and the US in years.
By Nicholas Bishopabout a month ago in The Swamp
Listen Up, Democrats
Taking their Liberal stance in Hollywood is not bravery: it’s safe. Everyone takes the Liberal position in Hollywood. Are we in trouble today? You’re damn right. The media has brain-washed the general populous into believing the other side is automatically wrong or evil. We vote due to our values and belief systems. That’s true. However, being a good person is not who you vote for; it’s about what you do one on one. Are you the type of person who helps a friend or coworker or neighbor in need? If so, this makes you a good person. Voting Democrat does not automatically make you a great person.
By DJ Robbinsabout a month ago in The Swamp
Where Have The Opportunities Gone?
I’m a little jealous of my grandfather. He lived in a time where so few people could read or write that just being literate afforded him a civil servant job for life. The same job inherited by my father. But that same job was out of reach to me, despite not only being literate as well but, unlike my literal forefathers, also tech-literate with a bachelor’s degree. Even my father was confused why a position offered to him, through virtue of nepotism, wasn’t open to me. This anecdote is symptomatic of a downward trend; the loss of opportunities.
By Conor Matthewsabout a month ago in The Swamp
“After the End: One Man’s Journey to Rebuild Humanity”
The film begins with a man named Ash, who lives in the middle of a forest. He is a biologist and, due to his research, has been living far away from the city in the wilderness. One day, during his research, he is bitten by a venomous snake in the forest. He panics immediately, and at that moment his phone falls to the ground. Now he cannot call anyone for help. He tries to extract the venom himself and even cuts his own hand, but it has no effect. Even when he goes home and tries to cut his hand again, it is too late. The venom has already started spreading through his body, and he begins experiencing strange hallucinations. He remains in this state for several days. One day, some scientists arrive to take him away. He is somewhat conscious. He is alive, but his body has no strength. He musters the courage to try to call out to them, but no sound comes out. The scientists, assuming he is not there, leave. The scene cuts to a few days later. The cut on his hand has expelled most of the venom, and the small amount that had reached his brain is now healing. He only experiences mild hallucinations. Upon regaining consciousness, he immediately decides to go to a city hospital. He cleans his car and sets off toward the city. However, he notices something strange: there are no cars on the roads. When he reaches the city, there is no activity. He does not see a single living person. All the buildings are empty. Seeing this, he panics. A pandemic has broken out here. This pandemic is so deadly that it wipes out the entire population in just a few days. Being a biologist, Ash understands that because he had been isolated from the population for several days, the disease could not infect him, and he survived. Now the entire population has been wiped out — there is no government, no authority, and no owner of anything. Ash immediately thinks of his parents. Driving home, he sees that his parents have been dead for several days, and their bodies are in a terrible state of decay. Yet, he gathers courage and digs a grave outside his house to bury them. After that, he surveys the entire city, but there are no other survivors. Thinking this through, he decides to travel to another city and plans to go to Las Vegas. Taking some essential supplies and a gun, he sets off. However, the bridge to Las Vegas is sealed. He becomes very angry and chooses a longer route instead. When he finally reaches Las Vegas, everyone there has also died. Malls, large hotels, casinos — all are empty. Exhausted, he goes into a hotel. He spends the night there, enjoying expensive things because now everything is free for him. He does not expect to meet anyone else, but the next night he encounters two people. They, too, have survived the disease. The girl tells a sorrowful story, saying she watched her family die over a video call and now has no hope left to live. The man also wants to die, as living in such a lonely world seems impossible for him. That night, they stay with Ash, but by morning, he senses danger in their intentions. The man has a gun and wants to make the deaths of all three of them easy. But Ash wants to live, so he gets up and leaves. Behind him, he hears gunshots — the two have committed suicide. This event breaks Ash even more. Now, he realizes that he is completely alone in the world. Driving at high speed, he returns home. On the way, a dog crosses in front of his car. The dog is also completely alone, just like Ash. He takes the dog with him, finding a new reason to live. Ash begins a new life. He starts reading survival books. There is no shortage of food or drink, and there is no need to earn money anymore. He works every day and roams the town, hoping to find another survivor, but each day he returns disappointed. One day, while standing by a window drinking tea with his dog, it suddenly starts barking. He realizes that there is someone nearby. Smoke rises from a distant house, suggesting the presence of a human. He immediately takes his car and heads toward the house. Fortunately, there is a girl there. She is scared upon seeing Ash, but he reassures her that he means no harm and that he is also alone, searching for other survivors. Hearing this, the girl allows him into her house. Her name is Emma. Through their conversation, it becomes clear that nearly a year has passed since the pandemic, and neither Ash nor Emma has seen any other survivors in all that time. They are very happy to have found another human, as being alone has been extremely difficult, and they were on the verge of depression.
By Filmon Ke Raaz | Movie Mysteries Explainedabout a month ago in The Swamp
“Escape from Siberia: A Journey of Courage and Survival”
At the beginning of the story, we see a prison in Siberia, where many German soldiers are lined up. In fact, after the end of World War II, Russia captured a large number of German soldiers and forced them to work day and night in coal mines. Although the security of this prison was quite low, no one ever tried to escape from it. The reason was that the prison was surrounded by nothing but endless snow, and it was located about 14,000 kilometers away from any human settlement. So even if a prisoner managed to escape from this prison, his death in the freezing cold of Siberia was certain. This prison was built in the middle of snow stretching thousands of kilometers in every direction, which is why no prisoner could even imagine escaping from here. However, among these prisoners, there was one man who was extremely intelligent and wanted to escape from this prison to return to his wife and daughter. This prisoner’s name was Clemens Feirl. He had been sentenced to 25 years in this prison, and Clemens did not want half of his life to pass inside these prison walls. Clemens wanted to escape from this prison at any cost. Fortunately, one day Clemens got a chance to escape, and he fled the prison by hiding inside a freight train carrying coal. When he came out of the prison and saw the stars in the open sky, he felt overwhelmed with happiness. But this happiness was short-lived. After traveling some distance, the freight train was stopped. When Clemens looked outside, he saw a Russian soldier standing in front of him with a gun aimed at him. Unfortunately, Clemens was caught, and for the crime of escaping, he was locked inside an open-air cell. The cold was extreme, and the rain during the night worsened Clemens’s condition. He was not kept in that cell for a few hours, but for a full two days. After two full days, the next morning, the prison warden came to him and took him out of the cell, but did not torture him. He only said, “Your companions are waiting for you impatiently.” When Clemens reached his fellow prisoners, they were waiting for him with sticks and clubs in their hands. They were extremely angry with Clemens because, due to his escape attempt, all of them had been kept hungry for the past two days. Now Clemens understood why the warden had said that his companions were waiting for him. As soon as the other prisoners saw Clemens, they attacked him and beat him very badly. During this beating, Clemens was injured so severely that he had to be admitted to the prison hospital. The doctor of this prison was also a German prisoner. When Clemens regained consciousness, he said to the doctor, “I want to escape from this prison once again, and I need your help.” The doctor was astonished by Clemens’s courage. Even after enduring so much suffering, he was still not ready to give up. The doctor explained to him that escaping alive from this prison was impossible, and even if he did escape, he would die in the freezing cold outside. But the truth was that even if he did not escape, his death was still certain. The coal mines where they worked had extremely high levels of carbon, which entered their bodies through the air and caused deadly diseases like cancer. That is why the doctor said to Clemens, “You must try to escape from this prison one last time.”
By Filmon Ke Raaz | Movie Mysteries Explainedabout a month ago in The Swamp
