IndependentPress

History does not often repeat but it does tend to rhyme. On February 28, the United States and Israel launched an attack against Iran. In response, Iran has retaliated with large scale attacks against US bases and infrastructure in the region and has also made it extremely difficult for cargo ships to transit the Strait of Hormuz.   The Strait of Hormuz is a critical waterway in the Middle East in which 20% of the world’s oil and gas passes through in addition to other products like helium used in the manufacturing of semiconductors and fertilizer used in the production of agricultural products. Iran’s closing of the strait has had major implications for not only the United States but also for the rest of the world. Many political and economic pundits are assessing the long-term implications of this conflict. However, we can use history as a guide to foresee not only the effects this conflict could have on the economy but also the effects this conflict could have on the politi...

The year is 2009, Tim Tebow leads the Florida Gators to their second national championship in three years, Kentucky men’s basketball becomes the first program to reach 2 thousand wins, and Ed O’Bannon files a lawsuit against the NCAA . For context, O’Bannon was a former power forward and college basketball star for the UCLA Bruins, helping lead the team to a national championship in 1995.   O’Bannon brought a lawsuit against the NCAA after noticing the use of his likeness in EA Sports’ NCAA Basketball 09 video game. He argued that the video game used his name, image, and likeness (NIL) without obtaining his consent or providing him compensation. The case, O’Bannon v. NCAA, would become a prominent topic in college athletics for years as many waited for a decision. In 2015, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals issued the final decision on the case, and to the surprise of many, it ruled in favor of O’Bannon. The appellate court held that the NCAA’s restrictions on certain student-a...

  We inhabit a historical moment defined not by progress, but by a "pervasive atmosphere" that blogger and writer Mark Fisher famously termed Capitalist Realism in his 2009 book of the same name. It is the widespread realization that not only is capitalism the only viable political and economic system, but also that it is impossible even to imagine a coherent alternative to it. This is the "suffocating" cultural logic of our time—a state where we are no longer able to imagine a future that is not even a slightly different version of the present.   This internal colonization is what philosopher, theorist, and Catholic theologian Byung-Chul Han identifies as the violence of positivity. Unlike the "disciplinary society" of the past, which functioned through "No" and "Shalt Not," the modern "achievement society" functions through the imperative of "Yes." We are no longer subjects of a sovereign power, but "en...

  In an information economy, expertise is one of the most valuable resources we have to bridge gaps in knowledge and share insights in areas where data may be incomplete, inaccurate, or incomprehensible. From science to politics, experts often weigh in on new developments in science and technology or advise on public policy with their own specialized knowledge. Experts are responsible for helping to shape public opinion and the influential decisions made by our elected officials. However, in recent years, the rise of phenomena such as “alternative facts,” echo chambers and a general decline of public trust in government institutions have impacted how people view public authorities and expert opinion, making it more difficult to come to a consensus on certain issues.   Experts have historically been considered credible if they possess notable credentials (e.g. academic degrees, certifications, professional/specialized training, etc.), a well-established body of published...