Politics

EMEM ELEMENT | Democracy Promotion from a Pseudo-American Democracy

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Trump is determined to restore democracy in Venezuela. Mantras of egalitarianism and humanitarianism flood the American discourse surrounding the Venezuelan crisis. Promises of the restoration of democracy and socio-economic development for the Venezuelan people are allegedly at the forefront of Trump’s concern—but simultaneously, the Trump administration continues to issue threats of a military intervention.     

The Trump administration’s illusory rhetoric surrounding democracy promotion should be taken with a grain of salt. Donald Trump, the most despotic president in our country’s history, wants to promote democracy abroad, albeit at gunpoint. The conundrum is twofold: First, why does the Trump Administration believe military intervention is key to promoting democracy?

Life

EMEM ELEMENT | Why “Happiness” May be Making Us Unhappy

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According to the World Happiness Report, Denmark, after Norway took the crown, is listed as the second happiest place in the world. Hearing this, it is easy for one to flee to the Nordic countries in hopes of getting a taste of what this “happiness” feels like. What are the Nordic — specifically Danish — people so happy about? What makes them happy? But more so — what does happiness even mean?

Culture

EMEM ELEMENT | Why Twitter Is Gold

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There is no question that, at an increasingly fast rate, technology and media have advanced significantly. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Internet, iMessage, text messaging, and other various forms of communication can now all reside on a single smartphone. Gone are the days when one would wait months for a letter. Waiting three days to respond to someone’s text would blow the world up in flames. Amidst the forever expanding technology and media, an interesting phenomenon has come before us, that phenomenon being… social media.

Life

EMEM ELEMENT | The Illusion of Time

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So, if time is really money, this hangs on the notion that time must indeed be real. Which then, arguably, hangs on the notion that money is inherently real as well. If money is indeed real, then money has the ability to function as an authentic, tangible, and pragmatic function to our overall well being. 4:08 am and I am contemplating these socially constructed elements that are seemingly the epoch of human existence. Time.

Politics

EMEM ELEMENT | Psyche and the Presidency

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There is something to be said about people-watching; something to be said about sitting in Olin Library staring out at the people playing Frisbee in the Arts Quad, or perhaps walking down Ho Plaza figuring out how to dodge the quarter card mania properly (NOT me though, I love all of your quarter cards… STAY #woke). From an outsider looking in it’s interesting to ponder, even for a millisecond, the thought processes that encapsulate another person’s mind. As humans, we love to analyze, we love to group, we love to categorize. It’s a basic human process that we do consistently—consciously, or even subconsciously. Through analyzation, the basis of our human psyche strives to delve into the psyche of others for clarity, confirmation, and/or understanding.