The Coup in Myanmar

February 1, 2021 marked the downfall of any democratic progress in Myanmar. The previously ruling military seized control of the country, arresting State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi and President U Win Myint, handing power to Min Aung Hlaing, the Commander in Chief of the military. Mass protests at this subversion of democratic progress have been met with violent tactics, including use of water cannons, rubber bullets and live ammunition, resulting in the deaths of many civilians. While in and of itself somewhat of an illusion, hopes of democratic progress have been dashed in Myanmar, illustrating yet another example of democratic backsliding and the growth of authoritarianism worldwide.

InternationalAaron LoderMay 11, 2021Spring 2021Comment

CPAC and the Future of Trumpism

A golden statue of Trump. Rampant conspiracies regarding voter fraud circulating. Potential candidates seeking to succeed Trump. As much as the Trump presidency seems like a fever dream in light of the perceived return to normalcy under Biden, the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) demonstrated that Trumpism, and perhaps Trump himself, will remain mainstays in American politics and have supplanted the traditional conservative establishment as the face of the Republican Party.

Domestic IssuesAaron LoderMarch 25, 2021Spring 2021Comment

Iowa was a Mess and it Needs to Be Fixed

“The Iowa caucuses have been nothing short of a disaster. Before they began, full results were expected by the end of the night. It has now been over one week since Iowa, and there is still no official winner...Initial problems began when the Shadow App, an application used to vote in certain precincts, crashed.”

Domestic IssuesAaron LoderNovember 19, 2020Comment

Kashmir: A Tale of Authoritarianism and Diplomatic Failure

Indian nationalism and its affect on tension with Kashmir and Pakistan.

InternationalAaron LoderFebruary 14, 2020InternationalComment

An Evolving Landscape: The Democratic Primary

Who will break away from the rest of the field?

Domestic IssuesAaron LoderFebruary 14, 2020Domestic IssuesComment