GABY RUSLI WRITES — “You can turn her into a prostitute and take the money she earns for as long as she lives,” said the old man. “Or, if there’s no man who wants to be with her, you can chop her up into bits and sell her flesh at the…
Full Article BEAUTY IS A WOUND (2002) BY EKA KURNIAWAN – A TRAGIC STORY OF INDONESIA’S EARLY YEARS
TOM PLATE WRITES — Power is not always angelic. When the power to do something exists, it often gathers like a storm, ready to be unleashed. Power is also agnostic; it can be used for evil as well as for good. One thing is for certain. Without concentrations of power, not…
Full Article POWER GAME: UKRAINE’S FATE WILL BE SHAPED BY DECISIONS FROM RUSSIA, CHINA AND AMERICA
GABY RUSLI WRITES – Faith teaches us that all men are created equal, yet we choose to enslave one another. European empires have colonized almost every country globally, and while colonialism has been linked to progress, it has left nations scarred and changed. For Indonesia, the foreign occupation has inspired a romantic…
Full Article BOOK REVIEW: THIS EARTH OF MANKIND (1996) BY PRAMOEDYA ANATA TOER – THE AWAKENING OF A NATION ENSLAVED IN ITS OWN LAND
ALEC FARMER WRITES – Cultures are founded upon the ancient practice of spoken histories. It was the task of great storytellers to keep the narratives of their people alive and pass them on to future generations. While these stories may have been told by their respective cultures for hundreds of…
Full Article BOOK REVIEW: MANASCHI (2021) – PASSING ON CULTURE AND HISTORY THROUGH STORYTELLING
CLINICAL PROFESSOR TOM PLATE WRITES — I look back in anger. There’s no other way emotionally to cope with the sense that, ever since the exit of the Clinton administration two decades ago, relations with China have gone from “the good and the bad” to mostly bad. It’s not that…
Full Article CHINA-US RELATIONS: MUDDLING THROUGH IS BETTER THAN BLOWING IT UP
ANDREA PLATE WRITES – The outpouring of grief that followed the death this week of actor Dwayne Hickman at age 87, star of the smash 1959-1963 CBS TV series “The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis,” came as no surprise. Yes, he was just an actor in a role: a clean-cut,…
Full Article RIP DOBIE, LMU ’56: CELEBRATING A TV ICON
ANGELINE KEK WRITES — There is a truth about the human experience that helps those of us who have embraced its lessons to walk around with an easier spring in our steps — the understanding that we are products of our pasts. Every thought, every choice, every path chosen big…
Full Article BOOK REVIEW: LIES WE BURY (2021) BY ELLE MARR
ELLA KELLEHER WRITES — The violent protests which erupted in major cities across Kazakhstan, fueled by the people’s fury over high gas prices, has grown into a monumental anti-corruption movement with the hopes of changing the country’s direction. The Kazakh people are reportedly fed up with the country’s immense wealth, owed…
Full Article KAZAKHSTAN: “THE REVOLUTION HAS STARTED” – A COUNTRY IN REBELLION AGAINST POVERTY AND CORRUPTION
TOM PLATE WRITES — Do dead sculptures tell no tales? Perhaps they still do. Recently the Pillar of Shame statue in Hong Kong, long displayed, was removed from the University of Hong Kong campus by the powers that be. The sculpture had shaped the famous Tiananmen Square incident in terms…
Full Article US-CHINA RELATIONS: CRUMBLING US HAS NO BUSINESS TELLING OTHERS WHAT TO DO WITH THEIR STATUES
BRIANNA HIRAMI WRITES — Historians often skip over the pain that war leaves on the countless hearts of those who have lost their loved ones to senseless violence. Whether it is a soldier caught on the battlefield, a parent praying for their drafted child, or a refugee actively escaping a…
Full Article BOOK REVIEW: THE WAITING (2021) BY KEUM SUK GENDRY-KIM
ELLA KELLEHER WRITES — Not every love affair has to target a person; a lucky few who travel the world get to experience falling deeply in love with a country in its entirety. Appreciating both the city life and the tranquility of the countryside requires dedication and a pleasant open-mindedness. David…
Full Article BOOK REVIEW: KANAZAWA (2022) BY DAVID JOINER – A LITERARY LOVE LETTER TO THE JAPANESE COUNTRYSIDE
TOM PLATE WRITES — Can it be that fresh air is being permitted to enter the closed casket of American foreign affairs thinking? The other day, a critique of U.S. policy toward China flat-lined on my computer screen that raised my hopes: it amounted to a reasoned plea for exactly…
Full Article US-CHINA RELATIONS: ALL HOPE IS NOT LOST DESPITE THE TENSIONS AND TEPID VIRTUAL SUMMIT
BRIANNA HIRAMI WRITES — The reality of losing a loved one is one of the most devastating feelings in the world. Even if they just pass away peacefully in their sleep, it’s a difficult and heartbreaking realization that they simply cease to exist. Now, imagine your loved one being murdered,…
Full Article BOOK REVIEW: LEMON – A NOVEL
MOON CHUNG-IN WRITES — Since South Korean President Moon Jae-in asked the international community to support formally declaring the end of the Korean War during his speech at the UN General Assembly on Sept. 21, the issue has been at the forefront of the government’s diplomatic efforts as Moon’s presidency…
Full Article KOREAN PENINSULA: RESPONDING TO SKEPTICISM ABOUT AN END-OF-WAR DECLARATION
BADER ZAINAL WRITES — Like many countries around the world, Japan has suffered significant negative impacts to its tourism industry during the COVID-19 pandemic, but signs of travel restrictions easing bring hope for recovery. The beauty and mystique of Japan have long enticed visitors from international locales, with tourism soaring…
Full Article JAPAN: WILL GLOBAL TRAVELERS GET TO SEE THE CHERRY BLOSSOMS THIS YEAR?
KAMRAN ALISHOV WRITES — The latest, most mutated strain of coronavirus, known as the Omicron, now casts a shadow over Asia’s gradual reopening. According to research, this new version has a higher infection rate, posing a threat to nations around the world. Officials in South Africa first reported Omicron (B.1.1.529)…
Full Article OMICRON OBSTACLES: JUST IN TIME FOR THE HOLIDAYS