Latest Stories
Most recently published stories in The Swamp.
What Would Captain America Do?
Each of you, for himself or herself, by himself or herself, and on his or her own responsibility, must speak. It is a solemn and weighty responsibility, and not lightly to be flung aside at the bullying of pulpit, press, government, or politician. Each must decide for himself or herself alone what is right and what is wrong, which course is patriotic, and which isn’t. You cannot shirk this and be a man. To decide it against your convictions is to be an unqualified and inexcusable traitor. It is traitorous both against yourself and your country. Let men label you as they may, if you alone of all the nation decide one way, and that way be the right way by your convictions of the right, you have done your duty by yourself and by your country, hold up your head for you have nothing to be ashamed of. It doesn’t matter what the press says. It doesn’t matter what the politicians or the mobs say. It doesn’t matter if the whole country decides that something wrong is something right. Republics are founded on one principle above all else: The requirement that we stand up for what we believe in. no matter the odds or consequences. When the mob and the press and the whole world tell you to move. Your job is to plant yourself like a tree beside the river of truth and tell the whole world: “No, you move."
By James Howell8 years ago in The Swamp
How to Establish a Health Care Rights Protest
Health care is a hot topic in this time period. We have to start mobilizing health care protests. As in, we do not want them to put in the pre-existing condition clause again, which is flat out denying people coverage if they have so much as a yeast infection. The state of healthcare in the United States is appalling. I’m lucky I live in California. I have fabulous doctors whose orders I follow well. I’ve been alive for 37 years and out of the hospital since 1991.
By Iria Vasquez-Paez8 years ago in The Swamp
Trump's Sexism and Misogyny
Donald Trump's sexism and misogyny is well documented. His attitude toward women is that they are less than him. He believes he's entitled to use women, comment on women's bodies, demean women from his platform as President of the United States, and abuse women using the legal system or his own physical strength.
By Ben Kharakh8 years ago in The Swamp
Television: Is It a Force for Good, Politically?
Television: Is It a "Force" for Good Politically? I know that not every person in the world has a television, but a very large proportion of the population sees televisions programs several times a week. In most “materially developed” countries, the average person watches TV for several hours every day. This average tends to be increased due to the aged and infirm viewing for more hours than active working adults. Often, the motivation for watching is boredom and weariness. Just sitting in front of the TV takes less effort than finding and reading a book. Much of the printed media is devoted to telling people about television and the people who earn a living from it. Television has become the dominant media form in most materially-developed nations, but is this a good thing? The internet challenges this dominance by its availability to so many inputs and because it offers a semblance of interaction between viewer and the input provider. The money made from TV advertising enables those proving programs to distort the “market” in such things as sports and entertainment. They are able to pay far higher fees to sports clubs and to individual actors as compared to smaller clubs and theatres who rely on ticket sales only.
By Peter Rose8 years ago in The Swamp
Where the Heart Is
In a perfect world, everyone is equal, everyone is worth the time to invest in and show kindness towards. However, in spite of this vision, the application of such a notion in daily life proves arduous—especially when it makes people uncomfortable. As the hourglass of our lives rapidly moves through the sieve of “now,” each moment beckons minor decisions, which are seemingly innocuous. Nevertheless, these decisions are the ones that produce the big picture of our lives. To be effectively kind, we must ritualistically participate in the art of introspection handling each moment with grace and foresight. Metaphorically, each grain of sand in the hourglass of our lives builds on the other. Every frown, smile, and nod is a choice we make, as it slips through the bottleneck of present to past collected together as our individual stories. By all means then, are we not the sum of our attributes in their most diminutive occurrences?
By Sam Sapien8 years ago in The Swamp
Sharks on the Brink
Most people wouldn't think of sharks unless reminded by Shark Week on Discovery Channel or reading the rare news of a shark attack. People are scared of sharks and often want to put them out of their mind—especially when vacationing on beaches—but they risk extinction if we don't think of them. Recently, more people have become aware of the shark finning industry and realizing the repercussions that this practice has had on the global populations of sharks.
By Cameron Ellis8 years ago in The Swamp
Review of 'The Americans' 6.2
I thought The Americans 6.2 was rather pro forma, even lackluster, until the very end, which was...brutal. That's the latest chapter in the eduction of Paige. The brains of an American general all over her mother's face. And Paige doesn't know the worst of it. The coming attractions confirm that the general didn't take his own life. Elizabeth pulled the trigger.
By Paul Levinson8 years ago in The Swamp
Brexit and Cambridge Analytica Could Cost Scotland Independence
Distrust of Politicians Hardens Attitudes Hardly anyone under 60 trusts politicians or the mainstream media anymore, thus leaving them open to populist manipulation—for example using the techniques used by Cambridge Analytica, with its top Tory dominated board, in the EU referendum to confirm their biases and make them impervious to argument.
By Axel P Kulit8 years ago in The Swamp
The State of the Welfare State
The UK welfare system has a lot of problems at the moment. The reasons behind those problems differ depending on one’s political outlook, but there are issues that need addressing whatever your views. It’s worth looking back at the history of welfare in the UK, in order to understand how we have arrived at this point. First, we need to define “the welfare state.” In general terms it is:
By Katy Preen8 years ago in The Swamp
Why Gun Control Is a Fraud
One of my best friends taught me how to load a shotgun about a month back. He placed the giant, heavy firearm in my hands and guided me through each step, placing my fingers on the safety, the trigger, and the belt. Once he walked me through the motions a few times, he stepped back and let me try it myself. I placed the bullet into the shotgun and cocked it. Each time I did it correctly, he would smile at me and say, "Now, you have a loaded firearm."
By something wilde8 years ago in The Swamp
