Welcome to the Zeitgeist, the NYU Politics Society’s undergraduate opinion publication dedicated to providing a platform for students to learn about and engage with politics and current events.
On November 9, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and other European leaders gathered at the Berlin Wall memorial with roses to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the wall’s fall. On what is usually a day of celebration, Merkel cautioned: “The values on which Europe is founded — freedom, democracy, equality, the rule of law, human rights — they are anything but self-evident and they have to be revitalized and defended time and time again.” German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier’s remarks reflected her cautionary words: “Liberal democracy is being challenged and questioned.”
The tide of public opinion has finally turned against Big Tech. After years of amassing a globalized oligopoly and unfettered dominance over cyberspace, the behemoth technology companies seem poised to be subjected to the strictest regulatory scrutiny since the dot-com bubble burst in 2000-2001.
It is undeniable that paid maternity leave has a multitude of positive health benefits for both the mother and child. Of the 195 countries recognized today, 187 have paid maternity leave and 90 have paid paternity leave.
At the start of the 20th Century, China and India were in the same economic positions: both nations have their own share of troubles trying to boost their respective national GDPs whilst trying to build a more robust system of accountability for their banks. The majority of banks in both nations are largely owned by the state.
TikTok, a video creating and sharing app, has the potential to be a national security threat. The lip-syncing and comedy app is owned by ByteDance, a Chinese internet technology company that has recently been under scrutiny for data collection.
This past July, in a move aimed at placating Washington’s concerns about growing Iranian influence, Iraqi Prime Minister Abdul-Mahdi issued a decree ordered all Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) militia, which are trained and funded by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), Iran’s elite military force, to be fully integrated within the national armed forces by the end of the month.
Elizabeth Warren has been steadily surging in the polls over the last few months, gaining 19 points between September and May according to a Monmouth University poll. On October 8, she emerged as the top Democratic frontrunner with a support rate of 26.6%, surpassing Joe Biden’s 26.4%. Her growing popularity turned her into a target in the fourth Democratic debate on October 15 where she quickly became the most attacked candidate on the stage.
After the 2018 midterm election, Beto O’Rourke was a rising star in the Democratic party, but the Texas native’s career has since fizzled out. I write this as someone who still supports Beto O’Rourke, but also as someone who is choosing to be realistic.
“The Nobel Peace Prize is a powerful message. A durable peace is not a single achievement, but an environment, a process and a commitment.” - Mohamed El-Baradei
In July of this year, Ursula von der Leyen became the first woman nominated to the presidency of the European Commission. On November 1st, she and all her newly-confirmed commissioners were to officially take office and become the new European Commission.
