The Hidden Cost of Shrimp: Forced Labor in Thailand’s Fishing Industry

Imagine a pirate boat, surrounded by miles of unending water. Exhausted, scared people trapped aboard that floating prison, forced to work up to twenty-four hours nonstop for little or often no pay. They are living in inhumane conditions only on rice, parts of fish that no one else would touch, and unclean, unhealthy water. They … Read more

Responsibility to Protect in the Wake of the Paris Attacks

On Friday November 13, 2015, France experienced a sequence of horrific terrorist attacks, for which the Islamic State claimed responsibility; nonetheless, the attacks have also been linked to Syria. In our reaction to the events on Friday, it is important to remember all of the positive efforts that France has engaged in to aid the … Read more

The Migrant Crisis: A Test of European Coherence?

By Alexandra Esmel Europe is facing one of its largest refugee crisis since the end of the Second Word War. Violent conflicts in the Middle East (mostly from Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan) and in Sub-Saharan Africa (mostly from Eritrea, Somalia) have generated the flight of thousands of men, women and children from war zones, persecutions and/or extreme … Read more

Does Iran’s Ballistic Missile Test Detonate the Nuclear Deal?

On October 10 Iran successfully test launched a new precision-guided ballistic missile. On Wednesday, Britain, France, the United States, and Germany addressed a letter to the United Nations Security Council’s Iran Sanctions Committee claiming that the test violated a Security Council resolution prohibiting Iran from nuclear capable missile testing. In the wake of this allegation, and … Read more

A comparison of maternity rights across the world

On October 6, 2015, Washington D.C. councilmembers introduced the Universal Paid Leave Act of 2015, which guarantees 16-week of paid family leave for any employed D.C resident.  The legislative process could take months, but if passed, the law would allow both full-time and part-time D.C. employees to take time off to tend to a newborn, … Read more

25 Dead, 1 Apology, No Clear Answers: Has the U.S. Committed a War Crime?

Fires burn in the MSF emergency trauma hospital in Kunduz, Afghanistan, after it was hit and partially destroyed by aerial attacks on October 3, 2015. In the wake of the Taliban’s takeover over the Afghan city of Kunduz last week, United States and Afghan military forces have waged a fight to reclaim control of the … Read more

5 Reasons the Iran Deal Doesn’t Matter to You

**This article originally appeared at Treasure Fleet on August 20, 2015 and has been reproduced with the author’s permission.** by Tyler Rauert A little disclosure up front: I am a strong supporter of President Obama’s proposed deal on Iran’s nuclear program.  The Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), as the agreement is officially known among policy … Read more

VW Under Fire: Legal fallout of the emissions sensor deception

Volkswagen (VW) has faced hurdles in the company’s almost 78-year history. As a company formed under infamous Nazi leader Adolph Hitler’s vision and direction, reformation was in order for the car to ultimately live up to its name as the “people’s car.” However, after World War II ended, the company did succeed in creating well-built, … Read more

There is Water on Mars, Now What?

On September 28, 2015, a huge announcement was made by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA): there is evidence of water on Mars. And not just standing water, but flowing, salty water; water that could possibly support life. This announcement could launch a completely new set of theories in the search for extraterrestrial life. … Read more

The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Slavery

If “idle hands are the devil’s workshop,” and if our own hands are not idle when we use machines and other property to do our work for us, then does the resulting prosperity guarantee our salvation? Though the title of this blog is not an entirely fair play on Max Weber’s, The Protestant Ethic and … Read more