The discussions revolving around the U.S.’s (and others’) role in aiding refugees has generated heated discussions. Arguments of American values and national security have dominated debates. However, one topic has strangely eluded public discourse – the role refugees play in defeating ISIS. What Does ISIS Want? First off, in order to properly combat an enemy, one must understand the objectives of said enemy. ISIS, for example, is not like other terrorist groups. They principally aim to create...

The United States follows a very familiar formula when it comes to gun violence: mass shooting, outrage, do nothing, repeat. This cycle has a few root causes that contribute to the status quo. For one, talks of effective gun laws get muddled in partisan rhetoric and overly-simplified (or outright false) data. Secondly, research on gun control has been conflicting and complicated at best, and virtually banned at worst. Both of these factors prevent meaningful discussion that can lead to better ...

Mivr / shutterstock.com The Indian economy has been sluggish as of late. Corresponding to an underwhelming growth rate, the rupee has also lost substantial strength in the global market. In fact, the rupee has fallen to over 60 to the U.S. dollar - the lowest it has ever been. A few factors contribute to this weakening. First and most obvious, the weak Indian economy and unstable political atmosphere created uneasiness in the currency markets, essentially devaluing the currency. A stronger and...

Remaining well hidden from the public eye, human trafficking is, in fact, a problem in the United States. Sex-slavery and severe labor exploitation, what can be considered modern-day slavery, requires addressing. According to the Coalition to Abolish Slavery and Trafficking (CAST), between 15,000 and 17,500 people are trafficked in the U.S. every year. Commercial sexual exploitation may occur via street prostitution, massage parlors, and brothels, while labor may involve agriculture, hospitalit...

Photo: endchildpoverty.co.uk One of the biggest, yet neglected, concerns facing the nation deals with child poverty. According to a 2012 UNICEF report, roughly 23.1 percent of children in the United States live in poverty. To put this in perspective, only Romania has a higher percentage among economically advanced countries (~25.5 percent): UNICEF The problem is systemic and branches into other areas of a child's life, and even into their adulthood. The education of a child, for instance, gre...

Credit: dailymail.co.uk I, along with many others, did not have to go into work on November 14. Actually, we could not go into work. The 24 hour Train strikes spread all across Europe from 22:00 to 22:00 (10pm - 10pm). They were in response to the European austerity measures taking place in Spain, Portugal, Italy, and Greece. Subsequently, strikes occurred in those four countries as well as Belgium, Germany, France, the UK, some eastern EU states. Luckily for me, I have not seen riots or dange...

Credit: Europeword.com A wide array of topics has surfaced throughout this election, most of which will arise again during the debates. However, one particular topic has received very little public attention. The Eurozone crisis is still significant despite media coverage, which is now laser focused on the U.S. election. The crisis affects all countries using the Euro currency, remains a crucial topic within the global economy, and the consequences of which can significantly impact US recovery....

Credit: NPR With the talk of political conventions fresh in the air, some might wonder about their relevance in modern day politics. Before the extensive primary election season, political conventions served to officially nominate a party's candidate. While the conventions still do this, they may have garnered another objective since the invention of television. Depending on their quality, political conventions influence and attract millions of undecided voters. In a tight election, these selec...

Voters in Minnesota line up in July to vote in primary elections and on a ballot referendum instituting a voter ID state constitutional amendment. Credit: blog.heritage.org Recently, talks of voter fraud emerged from the political spectrum. Supplementing the rhetoric, a few studies regarding the issue attempted to set the matter straight. Comprehensive studies done by NYU's Brennan Center of Justice and News21 found that voter fraud rarely occurs for a multitude of reasons. News21 investigated...