“War is peace; Freedom is Slavery; Ignorance is Strength.” With this oxymoronic yet powerful slogan, Ingsoc in George Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-Four demonstrates its omnipotent capability of thought manipulation by which the meaning of words follows nothing but its will. Thankfully, people today are not forced to accept contradictions embodied by one Party but can choose […]
Author: Michael Qian
Colors of Gay Politics
High-pitched voices, feminine appearance, good fashion tastes… Among the many stereotypical beliefs regarding gay men, them being a group of solid Democrats is one appearing less in sketches and stand-up comedies but equally prevalent. My friends’ enchanting revelations about some conservative guy’s sexual orientation often result in astounded bursts of “He’s gay? But he’s a […]
Infrastructure Mania Gone Wrong
Where can you find the lengthiest bridge? The most extensive high-speed railway network? The longest metro system? If there were a list of Guinness World Records exclusively on transportation, China’s name would probably dominate most of its rankings. Having spent trillions of dollars on railways, highways, and waterways, the Chinese government loves to brand the […]