China’s growing economic prosperity has incurred both admiration and suspicion. The People’s Republic marches into world history as the heir apparent to global supremacy. In light of China’s ubiquitous geopolitical influence, it seems ineluctable to interpret China’s current socio-political formation … Lire / Read
Kosovo: Reconsidering Independence
The news outlets have lately been busily covering the Serbian province of Kosovo and its unilateral declaration of independence. Implicitly pre-established images of Serbia—evoking war crimes, ethnic cleansing, and, most horribly, genocide—have been used by Western politicians to secure public … Lire / Read
Can the Poor be Insured Against Climate Change?
Moving into the XXI century, images of lives devastated by floods in Asia, droughts in Africa and cyclones in Central America are becoming increasingly familiar, reminding us of how vulnerable people in developing countries are to climate change. Considering the … Lire / Read
The Political Power of Writing
The written word has often been criticized as an asocial medium. However, recent actions of Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah are an example of the political power of writing and suggest that writing can be a salient and influential communicative medium. … Lire / Read
Stress and the Role of Alpha-Amylase
Stress contributes to the development of various physical and psychological illnesses. While the effects of cortisol on stress have been thoroughly studied, the role of the enzyme alpha-amylase has only recently been investigated. The latest research suggests that alpha-amylase is … Lire / Read
The Postmodern Wit of Zeke Moores
Postmodern wit parades around in a historicist coat of many colours. It toys mockingly with the original sin of believing you can be original as an artist. We find it in art’s reflexiveness toward its own history, its own objecthood, … Lire / Read
Fictions of Emergency
The poems included in Soleïman Adel Guémar’s recently published State of Emergency document the brutal political repression carried out by the Algerian government for over a decade. In them, we find voices of hope, of despair. The great strength of … Lire / Read
A Canadian Mandate for Armenia
The genocide in Darfur has been met with systematic dithering regarding humanitarian aid and the prevention of atrocities. Canada encountered similar problems almost a century ago regarding humanitarian and military assistance to Armenia. This article examines Canada’s failed mandate for … Lire / Read
Recycling the Battlefield
Biodegradable anti-personnel mines, recyclable explosives, reduced-led ammunitions and fuel-efficient military planes are some of the measures one of the world’s largest weapons manufacturers is taking to protect the environment in its list of social responsibilities. Experts are divided over the … Lire / Read
Lessons from Roadkill
Cycling my way across Alberta and gathering stories about the impacts of the development boom with a group called “To The Tar Sands,” I realized that it was our slow pace that gave us access to perspectives on the boom … Lire / Read