In dueling editorials, two sets of Crimson editors opined today on the federal crack-down on unpaid internships. I’m with the pro-payment crowd, but I think that both the sides made the same conceptual error by assuming that this is a straightforward case of equality versus opportunity. The majority view was that, even though stricter regulation “might result in fewer internship ... Read More
No — that would be a tasteless joke. But they do perform a lot of work for free! As The New York Times explains in a piece that should have been, in retrospect, pretty obvious: Growth of Unpaid Internships May Be Illegal, Officials Say “If you’re a for-profit employer or you want to pursue an internship with a for-profit employer, there aren’t going ... Read More
The Obama administration environmental agenda reemerged on Thursday with the announcement of additional restrictions on strip mining, new fuel efficiency standards for cars, and expanded offshore drilling. These measures may have some merit, but a solution to America’s energy problems will require more comprehensive reform that reduces carbon emissions, eliminates dependence on foreign energy, minimizes economic impact, and is politically ... Read More
NPR News has an excellent article up this week on the persistence of rape and sexual violence on college campuses. In honor of Women’s Week and “Feminist Coming Out Day” here at Harvard, I thought I’d make a few comments: There’s a common assumption about men who commit sexual assault on a college campus: That they made a one-time, bad ... Read More
Yesterday, President Drew Faust sent out another one of her overly lengthy and strangely timed emails to the Harvard community, this one ironically entitled, “Diversity and Excellence at Harvard”. She sums up the sad history of faculty diversity at Harvard in 900 words, presenting the following dismal statistics: Approximately 17 percent of Harvard’s ladder faculty are minorities, an all-time high, ... Read More
Google’s court case in Italy is a big deal. As everyone is saying, if Google can be held accountable for the content it syndicates on its site, that would change the way that information flows through the internet forever. It could close the whole thing down. I thought I’d take this opportunity to throw out some loosely connected ideas on ... Read More
Valerie Jarrett wowed the JFK Jr. Forum tonight. More than a few told me that it was their favorite Forum of the year, no small feat in a year of big names: Newt Gingrich, David Axelrod, and Nancy Pelosi. But, it’s not all about political stardom. The senior adviser to the President charmed us with class and smooth talked our ... Read More
Harvard Thinks Big was billed as an “important” event. Its Facebook page was ebullient. Expectations were high. “A dream team of 10 Harvard professors will each talk for 10 minutes about the 1 thing they’re most passionate about…Inspired by TED Talks (Ted.com) and motivated by what makes Harvard great — amazing professors, cutting-edge research, and breakthrough ideas…” But somehow this doesn’t go far enough. As ... Read More
Check out Jon Yip’s post, “The Asian Ceiling” for a review of a Kara Miller’s Boston Globe editorial about Asian discrimination in the college admission process. Asians are the new Jews, Miller explains: In a country built on individual liberty and promise, that feels deeply unfair. If a teenager spends much time studying, excels at an instrument or sport, and ... Read More
Producers Alicia Sams and Amy Rice on filming their HBO documentary "By The People: The Election of Barack Obama"
Faith-based initiatives face tough political realities
American anti-opium efforts in Afghanistan Afghanistan’s war-devastated economy has one booming sector - the country produces 90 percent of the world’s opium. Money from this trade funds insurgents and terrorists, and encourages corrupt government officials to undermine security and the rule of law. Nevertheless, for decades U.S. policy towards Afghanistan failed to acknowledge the impact of opium. But in a ... Read More
