Latest Stories
Most recently published stories in The Swamp.
Conditioned to Cocoon
When I was six, I told my sister I wanted to buy a castle in Europe and have a summer home on the beach. She told me that I needed to get a high paying job. “I’ll just become a singer, an actor, and a model!” She told me that should cover it. That was in the late 1990s, a time when people didn’t carry an unlimited supply of media in their pocket.
By Josh Contreras8 years ago in The Swamp
Political Sex Scandals That Nobody Will Forget
They say that power is the ultimate aphrodisiac—so perhaps that's why so many politicians have had sex scandals throughout their careers. Politics can be sexy, and it's almost inevitable that the power they wield will end up having them act out some vices.
By Ossiana Tepfenhart8 years ago in The Swamp
'Add Trump Ruin An X-Mas Song' Trends on Twitter
Christmas is around the corner and all over social media as well and while Christmas is in the air, so are politics as people react to nearly everything to do with President Donald Trump. In recent weeks, there was the passage of the tax bill, the seeming end of Net Neutrality, and various other notable and, at times, meme-worthy moments from President Trump and the ongoing investigation of his Presidential campaign ties to Russia.
By Sean Patrick8 years ago in The Swamp
Canada Has a Major Bread Scandal. Top Story - December 2017.
Canada is currently experiencing a major bread scandal. I know that may sound absurd and slightly dramatic, but hear me out; recent revelations have exposed collusion amongst the country’s supermarket giants that have cost Canadians millions. At the centre of the scandal is Canadian grocery giant Loblaw and one of its subsidiaries, George Weston, which reportedly engaged in price-fixing between 2001 and 2015 on brands such as Dempster’s, Wonder, Villagio, Weston, Stonemill, and D’Italiano. Statistics Canada, cited by CBC, noted that during this timeframe, the consumer price index on bread products in Canada rose 96 percent, compared to an 45 percent for all other foods. Loblaw says they fired all involved employees and turned themselves in to the Competition Bureau in 2015, but in being the first to come forward and cooperating with the bureau, are immune from criminal charges. This is convenient given that price-fixing can be met with punishment as severe as $25 million in fines and 14 years in prison.
By Logan Carmichael8 years ago in The Swamp
Against All Odds
Throughout history it has been proven that where there is acute poverty there is corruption in governments. Where there is corruption in governments there is only a perpetuating vicious cycle of economic depravation within that society. In recognizing this fact, it is a beginning to fuel the resources that are needed for solving man's afflictions that are the cause of the most acute crisis of the 21st century.
By Dr. Williams8 years ago in The Swamp
'Revolutionary Keywords for a New Left' by Ian Parker
Revolutionary Keywords for a New Left (Zero Books, 2017) is an atypical dictionary where one can find 50 relevant keywords for left politics. Already in 1975, the British marxist Raymond Williams published Keywords: A Vocabulary of Culture and Society. In doing so, he highlighted the importance of language to build a system of thought for the left. In the last essay that works as a conclusion for the book, Ian Parker revises the trajectory of different keywords for the left dividing it in three periods; before the 1917 Russian Revolution, from 1917 to 1967, and from 1967 to 2017. By using as support material Raymond William's book, this catalogue allows us to observe the evolution of the political vocabulary and compare both, how the use of words changes throughout the years and which words enter and disappear from the lexicon. Parker takes over the immense endeavour of updating and renewing that vocabulary, modernising it within the present social framework. The task is gigantic and Parker, who is well aware of that, warns in the introduction of the numerous perils of an self-centred academia isolated in a marble tower, ignoring the real world while debating and discussing aimlessly, and how political activists are generally reluctant to use terms from an academic background for being considered too intellectual and not relevant in the practical field.
By Guillermo Fernandez8 years ago in The Swamp
Who Is Still Supporting the GOP?
If you have been watching the news, then you know about the recent events in the world of national politics. The special election of Alabama, the US decision of recognizing Israel, and Congress' determination of passing its controversial tax bill. All of these events surely have people thinking one thing: How is the GOP still here?
By Sierra George8 years ago in The Swamp
Best Nonfiction Books About the Republican Party
Right now, there seems to be an identity crisis going on in the American political scene. The Democratic Party has become famous for being liberal, and the Republican Party has become known for being the party of Trump, bigotry, and sexism.
By Mackenzie Z. Kennedy8 years ago in The Swamp
The Dire State of British Politics
As a 16 year old, I do not yet have the right to vote; my voice cannot be heard and neither can the voices of over 1.5 million other 16-17 year olds. For now, we must make our voices heard in other ways. If these 1.5 million people had the vote available to them, this ‘coalition of chaos’ that is currently in power may not have had to have formed, putting the country in a far better position for the forthcoming Brexit negotiations. As a matter of fact, if these 16-17 year olds had access to the vote in the referendum, then the result may have differed from the one we see today.
By Thomas Ralph8 years ago in The Swamp
Why the UN is Touring the US
How do we make it better? This is a rant, an opinion, a talking point and a life on the edge. Here it is... My life has been one up and down, mostly down, after another. I can't seem to get to a place of any comfort. Whether it be for my mind or for my broken body. This isn't the land of opportunity anymore. No, this is not a level playing field.
By jessica young8 years ago in The Swamp
