The better response to Putin’s statement, however, would have been silence. I believe few Americans read Putin’s New York Times piece and accepted his portrayal of the United States as accurate. There was no need for McCain to escalate the situation in a tit-for-tat response article, especially after a diplomatic success, and at a time when cooperation between the two countries is critical.
Perhaps the best way to look at pornography and maintain a healthy sex life is to take it with a grain of salt — porn is not meant to be realistic or grounded, and should not be assumed to be so. Most importantly, however, is to be true to oneself — whether in a Google Chrome incognito window or not.
Indecision in the U.S. also sends a message to the Assad regime that it may do as it pleases. Although Obama and Kerry have unequivocally denounced the chemical weapons attacks, claiming the attacks should “shock the conscience of the world,” it is clear that many Americans are opposed to intervening in another Middle Eastern conflict. The U.S. cannot effectively deter the Syrian regime from using chemical weapons again when its own legislature is veering to block any move to demonstrate the executive branch’s disapproval via force. Threats of retaliation lose credibility every day they are debated.
The final reason the United States’ proposed plan will not put the civil war on a track for conclusion is that there is no internationally favored figure for Assad’s replacement. The political crisis resulting from Assad’s military removal at the time being could plunge Syria into more violence, as competition for power would emerge. Fearing this consequence, other nations that are siding with the rebels will refuse to intervene forcefully enough to alter the current stalemate until such a leader emerges, if at all. In this light, it is clear that the United States’ response will be less about aiding rebel forces towards victory, and more about reprimanding the Assad regime.
If you spend your time in college looking for the best four years of your life, you will not find them.
Paul’s argument — that no citizen should be subject to a drone strike without first being accused of a crime and without a proper trial — is in response to the prospect of drone strikes on U.S. soil exclusively. Paul contended that drone strikes on American soil give the government undue power. This concern should allow apply to American drone strikes abroad.
Because fraternities are so individualized, a mandatory initiation date not only damages fraternity tradition across the IFC but also damages the particular new member routines of each house.
Students often view requirement courses as obstacles to overcome rather than opportunities for introspection. A course on creativity, or a course that is explicitly designed to teach students how to be creative in their work, should fall into the latter category. But how can universities mandate teaching creativity without sacrificing the voluntary, liberating attitude that should accompany creativity-oriented courses?
Vulgarity in humor is nothing new. One might even call it cliché. Whether in Shakespearean plays, on Vaudeville stages or on Comedy Central, offensive humor is everywhere. While it is nearly impossible to define exactly what makes people laugh, blatant and/or intentional offensiveness is often so different from normal behavior that it comes off as funny. Creating laughter seems harmless enough, but disrespectful jokes, though intended to be humorous, are often vilified when their content involves especially taboo subjects.
In light of the 10-year anniversary of the American invasion of Iraq, proponents of “humanitarian intervention” by the United States in the Syrian civil war should think long and hard before encouraging the U.S. to step in.
