It’s day seven of the government shutdown, and issues have yet to be settled. Still worse, many fear that the government shutdown is an ominous precursor to the eventual budget ceiling debate. Economists fear that not raising the debt ceiling, meaning that the United States defaults on its loans, would be cataclysmic, and the recession…
fil·i·bus·ter n. 1. a. The use of obstructionist tactics, especially prolonged speechmaking, for the purpose of delaying legislative action. b. An instance of the use of this delaying tactic. In an interesting publicity stunt this last week, freshman Texas senator Ted Cruz (R.), gave a 21 hour, 19 minute speech in protest of a…
My name is Gage Degerness, and I hail from Mahnomen, Minnesota. I am currently a sophomore majoring in both Political Science and Economics. I draw my political beliefs from the small town I grew up in, my family, and from the inspiring work of Dr. Ron Paul. Growing up, my mother stressed the value of…
Time is running out for Congress and the White House to agree on a budget policy or the government will surpass the debt limit and shutdown. It’s Déjà vu all over again, but with a distasteful additive. Representative Ted Cruz is leading the Republican charge to advance budget policy but defund the Affordable Care Act…
Iran’s new president, Hassan Rouhani, has given hope to the world that Iran will cooperate with the global community to remove any “reasonable concerns” over the Iranian nuclear program. However, as moderate and cooperative as he seems, the world has been watching—to no avail—for a handshake between Rouhani and Obama at the United Nations General…
View the counterpoint here. Well, we are back at square one again, again. This fall, Congress must decide whether or not to raise the debt ceiling, allowing the United States to borrow more money to meet our financial obligations while also increasing the national debt. The debt limit is always a divisive issue whenever it…
View the counterpoint here. Consider the current political system. Anyone not cynical about the lack of willingness within Congress to work together and work constructively to solve problems has not seen the news in years. The current attitude toward politics is disappointment, quickly approaching anger. To gain a full appreciation of just how destructive politics…
The rest of the world could only watch in horror this week as members of the radical Islamist al-Shabaab militant group killed and wounded hundreds of people last weekend. The horrifying massacre brought forward ghosts past mass shootings and acts of terrorism, both of which Americans have had to witness in spades the last few…
For many Minnesotans, the acronym BWCA brings back memories of time spent reconnecting with nature in one of the United States’ most beautiful places. The Boundary Waters Canoe Area is a wilderness area with restricted mining, logging, and motorized access and managed by the Superior National Forest, created in 1978. Avid campers, hikers, and adventurers…
I suspect you are already tired of hearing about Syria. The future path is blurry – even to our president. Assad will still be in power. How many has he killed without chemical weapons? Who is using the chemical weapons? It sounds to me like the real problem is whoever is issuing the orders in…