World Affairs

Should the US apologize to Hiroshima survivors when President Obama visits next week?

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Owatonna, MN Correspondent– “War is hell.” Famous words from General William T. Sherman during the Civil War. People die and are injured by acts of war. Innocent people in many cases. All because their leaders’ egos get in the way of peaceful coexistence.

In the case of the Hiroshima survivors, why must they be singled out for apologies other than the fact that the president of the country responsible for their fates happens to drop by for a visit? Do world leaders apologize to every group of people their country has wronged wherever the leaders’ travels take them? Continue reading →

Donald Trump has proposed a tariff on goods imported from China. Would this ultimately hurt or help the American economy?

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Myrtle Beach, SC, Orlando, FL January 22, 2016

Owatonna, MN Correspondent-On the surface, the United States government imposing a tariff on a country that doesn’t play fair when it comes to trade, like China, sounds like a good thing to do. We stand up to a cheater, exert our sovereign rights, and possibly add tax revenue to the balance sheet. A tariff would prevent China from artificially cutting their prices on their exports, thereby gaining market share at the expense of US producers or producers from other countries. Continue reading →

In light of the recent terrorist attacks in Paris, is it time to refocus our immigration debate to those coming from countries with known terrorist ties?

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Myrtle Beach, SC, Orlando, FL November 25, 2015

Sheffield, Jamaica Correspondent-“Why do bad things happen to good people?” In light of the recent attack in Paris by terrorists, that question comes to the fore. Simply put, bad things happen to good people because of ‘unexpected occurrences.’  This attack could have been made in any other country, with the same devastating effect. Regardless of the location, 130 lives were claimed (according to Sky News), leaving relatives and friends behind to suffer. Since unforeseen occurrences befall us all, it’s our Government’s responsibility to refocus immigration debates to ensure an event, such as the attack in Paris, never re-surfaces. Continue reading →

Would greater censorship of social media and the internet be effective in combating terrorism?

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Myrtle Beach, SC, Orlando, FL December 7, 2015

Prescott Valley, AZ Correspondent-Combatting terrorism involves many strategies, particularly since the insidious and rapid advances of terrorism over the last year. With the recent San Bernardino attacks, it is obvious that the persons involved in the massacre were active in a number of social media and internet interactions. Continue reading →

Should There Be Regulation On Artificial Intelligence To Prevent a “Rise Of The Machines”?

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Myrtle Beach, SC, Orlando, FL August 27, 2015

Gastonia, NC Correspondent-Hawking, Musk and Gates are really smart guys, and while I’m tempted to give them credit for foresight here and get behind efforts to “pre-regulate” artificial intelligence before Skynet comes on line and starts wiping us all out, I simply can’t bring myself to buy into their doomsday scenario.   The human brain is an insanely complex web of neurons, dendrites and other components my one year of college biology doesn’t allow me to recall clearly.  The most powerful computer on Earth can’t do 1/1000th of what a human brain can do.  It may be able to calculate Pi to tremendous length, beat us at chess, calculate the proper trajectory for a spacecraft to land on Mars or tell traffic lights in what sequence to operate to keep the cars flowing, but it’s actually very limited. Continue reading →

In The Light Of Cecil, The Protected Lion In Zimbabwe, Being Shot And Killed By The American Dentist Walter Palmer, Do Laws Need To Change Regarding Trophy Hunting Or Hunting For Sport?

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Myrtle Beach, SC, Orlando, FL August 11, 2015

Gastonia, NC Correspondent- The arguments in favor of continuing trophy hunting always come back to the fact that hunters support the societies where they hunt by buying permits, hiring guides and spending money on food, lodging and incidentals. Continue reading →

The Department Of Justice Recently Announced A Major Investigation Into FIFA, Should The Department Of Justice Use Resources To Investigate Criminal Activities That Are More Relevant?

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Myrtle Beach, SC, Orlando, FL June 8, 2015  

Asheville, NC Correspondent-The most recent round of Department of Justice investigations may be the first time many Americans ever think about the International Federation of association Football (FIFA). Yet, these serious allegations should be of serious concern to Americans. The business of international soccer affects Americans in three key ways.  Continue reading →

Are The Nuclear Negotiations With Iran A Waste Of Time? Is Iran Still Going To Get The Bomb?

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Myrtle Beach, SC, Orlando, FL April 9, 2015 

Raleigh, NC Correspondent-One of the biggest news of the last few weeks was the proposed implementation of a nuclear deal with Iran.  In 2002, some Iranian dissident groups alerted international community that Iran was secretly developing nuclear program. Although Iranian authorities insisted that the program was intended for peaceful purposes, there were well-grounded suspicions that the country was and is on its way to build military nuclear capacities. As sources revealed, Iran had built two powerful nuclear facilities in the country which were not declared to the United Nations’ supervisory agency International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). Continue reading →

2014 Symposium: Is it time to re-think a space program?

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Raleigh: Since the times of Cold War when the U.S.A. and the U.S.S.R. have engaged into fierce military and non-military competition, the development of space programs was crucial for both of these countries. Consequently, both countries (and later some other countries) have devoted significant financial and human resources to developing space programs. For the United States, the Apollo landing has proved to be a crowning moment and since then, the country has allocated a lot of money for its space program. For example, federal budget granted to NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) totaled 526.18 billion dollars in the period from 1958 to 2011. Most recently, NASA has requested 17.5 billion dollars from the federal budget for its 2015 program which will be largely devoted to major astrophysics and planetary exploration programs. Continue reading →