As soon as the curtains pulled back and the set pieces rolled in, I was amazed by the level of detail that went into the set. The smoky cigarettes that nearly every performer totes around the stage add another layer of sensory detail that brings you physically into the world the show is recreating.
This past week, the Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to Narges Mohammadi, an Iranian women’s rights advocate and human rights activist. Mohammadi has been an outspoken critic of the Iranian government’s record on human rights — particularly those of women — and has sacrificed her freedom to fight for the freedom of others. She receives the Prize from prison, where she is incarcerated for her activism.
In ignoring the racial identity of MENA people, we are effectively ignoring their stories, voices, culture, value, humanity, vast contributions to American society and all that they have endured at the expense of white supremacy.
“The Memory Police” by Yoko Ogawa takes the thread of forgetting and spins it into a poignant novel about memory—the story eloquently captures the reality of moving forward, continuing forward, which isn’t always rainbows and butterflies.
The case of Israel raises some interesting questions about the role of popular opposition in the government's workings. Typically, we understand democratic governments — representative democracies, to be more specific — to be machines that enable the will of the citizens. When the public does not support a particular law, or at least when there is a majority opposition, proposals are, in effect, non-starters.
It's impossible not to notice that Asian countries outside China are stuck in a precarious position. Their allegiance will ultimately decide the outcome of this growing Cold War between the U.S. and China, and it is their choices that will mute tensions.
The interesting thing about fascism and socialism, despite being ideologically antithetical, is that since they're both a response to the failures of capitalism.
