By Meraj Abedin
It is most unsettling to hear people speak of how morally guided the “war on terror” is. Perhaps the greatest ill America suffers in the post-September 11 era is the loss of reason-one of the key aspects of western civilization.More often than not, we hear right-wing commentators rant on and on about the great evils… Continue reading The mirage of morality
An emergent voice is speaking out against personal and systemic racism in an effort to promote cultural awareness in Calgary. Slant magazine, a collective, student-run initiative, is the newest addition to the struggle against ignorance. On Thu., Nov. 8, Slant celebrated the launch of their first issue at the Hop and Brew, featuring readings from… Continue reading A new Slant in the battle against racism
“You’re all falling for their government’s propaganda. It’s not the sanctions that are responsible for the Iraqis’ suffering, it’s only their own government.” An individual stated this to me on Aug. 9, 2000, the day that I, along with a group of other Calgarians, protested outside the Canadian Federal building, demanding our government to call… Continue reading Paying the price for the sins of Saddam
Late last summer, several massive explosions rocked Russia, killing over 300 innocent civilians while they slept. While no one claimed responsibility for the atrocity, Russian President Boris Yeltsin and his Prime Minister Vladimir Putin placed the blame squarely on "Chechen terrorists." Chechnya, a tiny landlocked nation of less than one million people located in the… Continue reading Chechnya presentation examines war
By Daniel Krut
Media is increasingly under threat from governments and corporations, was the message delivered at the Media and Democracy forum held last Saturday at the Hillhurst-Sunnyside Community Hall. The forum, hosted by Arusha and Friends of the Herald, consisted of activists, journalists and professors from Calgary discussing the direction that media, specifically newspapers, is heading. The… Continue reading Media and democracy
Hearing about how an opener cold-calls a whale, remembering to always ABC and never pitch the bitch, was part of the attitude that set the tone of The Boiler Room. Written and directed by Ben Younger, Boiler Room sees Seth Davis (Giovanni Ribisi), enter the New York brokerage firm JT Marlin and succumb to its… Continue reading Boiler Room doesn’t make you sweat
Alan Rock’s backing of new graphic warnings on cigarette packages raises the issue of whether images speak louder than words. The idea is that if slapping a warning label across 60 per cent of a cigarette pack doesn’t shock people into realizing that smoking can harm or kill you, then slapping a picture of these… Continue reading A little hypocrisy with your tar?
By Brian Low
Dressed in his military fatigues, flowing beard and stogie in his mouth, you may be surprised Fidel Castro ever practiced a profession other than Cuba’s dictator… unless you knew he was a lawyer. Man, this guy just can’t stay away from jobs where he profits from the misfortune of others.A few days ago, "el Commandant"… Continue reading Dual-purpose freedom
By Mary Chan
Ladies and Gentlemen of the class of 19999, B.C.:Wear a loin cloth. If I could offer you one tip for the future, it would be to wear a loin cloth. The long-term effects of outer coverings have been proven by previous generations, whereas the rest of my advice has no basis whatsoever, they are simply… Continue reading Everyone is free…
It is sobering to think anyone can be sent to jail for six years, have his family blacklisted, and be told he can never come back to his home country. It is even more sobering when the crime is simply speaking out for the human rights we take for granted in Canada.On Fri., May 28,… Continue reading Remembering the nightmare