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Political Polarization

From Arnold Carpet.  I  feel like politics is analogous to someone walking on a rope. Similar to how both sides get polarized and start pushing, the walker will lean one way and too much another and eventually fall. The polarization, by the way, is a mere indication that something isn't right and one side is responding by pushing traditional ways of life and the other is responding with a cry for urgent change. In America, however, there are three major players rather than two: the "crazy" left, the Democrats, and the Republicans.      This week, I listened to Noam Chomsky's podcast on "Free Will" and read a bit of  Brave New World  by Aldous Huxley .  Afterwards, I realized that in modern times, political polarization drives individuals to believe that politics is black and white, rather than a sea of different ideologies. It's almost inevitable with a two party system. Democrats do this and Republicans do this, but in reality, the...
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Institutional Complexity

 From Arnold Carpet. Proving something complex right is one of the hardest tasks.     This week, I analyzed the complexity of Oedipus: his virtues, his morals, the way he presents himself, etc. This led me to think about complexity in general and since I have been reading and watching a lot of politics, I will be applying it to politics. Take any heated issue today such as gun rights, taxes, etc. and break it down to its fundamentals. That is something many of us don't do. Yet so many of us feel so strongly about certain topics. We are so sure of our stance, yet we can't really explain what the topic is. Skepticism and humility are crucial in solving the hatred that stems out of politics today. Do real research. Do not simply cherry-pick, but read what doesn't agree with your stance. Then, and only then, can you have a true opinion. Radicalism borne from entertainment is unfortunately widespread.     Take a concept like democratic socialism. In the United S...

Giovanni Panini's Modern Rome

 Kamana here! Artist, musician (pianist and drummer), and poet. Dive in we shall👻 This is a painting by Giovanni Panini. It was painted with oil on canvas back in 1757 (with countless refurbishments over the years).       This painting holds a dear place in my heart because I grew up with it (well, actually a replica) in the living room back in Japan. Besides the nostalgia I get from merely looking at it, Modern Rome represents the the prominence of art, literature, and philosophy during the neoclassical era in Rome (after the Renaissance). The countless paintings within it are all real paints by the way; and not just that, the paintings are from all over time, but most originated from Italy like Villa Medici, Trevi Fountain, and Fontana Paola. Moreover, there are numerous sculptures in the painting that are, just like the paintings within Modern Rome, real sculptures, like Bernini's David, the Lion of the Villa de Medici, and Michelangelo's Moses. Stainville, ...

Shattered Education

      My name is Rami Kaser, the anger element of the Lighters. You don't need to know anything about me and I don't need to know anything about you. Today, I will be discussing the broken standards of schools in the United States. Read, and if you agree, spread this awareness and let's hope it falls in the right hands. To fuel the next generation's minds and encourage insightful and critical growth, some strategic funding must go into the educational system in the United States.       After listening to the  This American Life's  "Three Mile" podcast, I was exposed to some personal stories from individuals who were impacted by the seriously falling standards at their school. This led me to pull up a quick chart (from an old blog of mine) showing the average spending per student in school districts (according to county). The funding per student across the United States is disturbingly imbalanced. How can we expect to heal broken communities l...

The Crucial Power of the Motif

 Bonjour. My name is Mr. L'maive. I'm from Western France. You will rarely find me writing on this blog, but I reassure that when I do, it will be quite interesting. Today, I will be delving into the power of the motif. Let's begin. Motifs tie a story together. Similar to themes, which construct the general morals of the story, motifs emphasize different symbols that hold a place in the artist's heart.       A motif is a reoccurring idea that helps establish the artist's work and emphasize his/her beliefs, concerns, predictions, etc. The reason motifs are widely utilized by successful artists (like philosopher Sophocles, rapper Kendrick Lamar, and writer Toni Morrison) is because motifs are representative of life itself. As a person develops, different experiences and teachings shape who he/she is, but there is always a consistent idea that, no matter how much the person develops, holds true. It ages like fine wine because it's a truth of life.    ...

A Reflection on Meursault

Greetings, I'm Rosaline. You may know me as the wife of the Lighters' founder, Arnold. However, I reassure you that I am much more than that. I'm a writer, dentist, and an athlete. Today, I will be discussing Meursault's character from The Stranger  by Albert Camus.    When I was first reading  The Stranger  by Albert Camus, I assumed that Meursault was a bad person with no real set of morals. I was inclined to believe this because Meursault didn't shed a tear at his mother's funeral, helped Raymond, an abusive hypocrite, and showed very little emotional consideration for his acquittance, Marie.      My initial assumption was heightened after Meursault shot the Arab man. Despite the complexity of the feud between Raymond and the "Arabs", Meursault took the liberty to choose a side and fight on it. Therefore, I took Meursault as a racist and possibly misogynistic man (due to his care-free treatment of Marie).     As I read on, howeve...

The Boy Who Cried "Wolf"

Hi, I'm James Carmen Daniels, but you can call me Jimmy! Or not, since this isn't a dialogue. Anywho, I will be talking about childhood stories and lying. Enjoy (or don't, I don't really care).       As a child, my mom always read me a handful of stories before bed, like  Little Red Riding Hood  and  Beauty and the Beast.  But the one that I always looked forward to was  The Boy Who Cried "Wolf".  I liked the story because of its surprising (and rather unpleasant) ending. It wasn't this "happily ever-after" ending; it was a shocking one.      As I grew older, I began to question the true moral of the story. So, it's clear that the boy continues to cry "Wolf" for the fun of it, despite the reaction being fairly predictable. But the moral is a bit blurred. It can't be "don't lie" because it obviously worked the first time. Therefore, an appropriate moral of the story would be "don't overuse the same lie; be ...