Catalonia’s Struggle Continues

There are many places in the world that struggle with political strife for a long time now despite the many tech advancements we are now enjoying. It is such an irony that human beings still can’t reconcile many of their differences that end up in violence or even more violence. There really is no way out here without suffering many casualties. Freedom is often the cause that people are fighting for, which they can’t always get without bloodshed. Many countries in the Middle East suffered the same fate and are now but left in ashes and a picture of poverty and despair.

Even in Europe, a continent known for its power, affluence, and peace, conflict is still present and is a threat to the peace the region enjoys. Spain, for instance, faces the same problem faced by some countries that are politically oppressed and became battlegrounds of modern warfare. Catalonia has long since wanted to be independent of Spain but their pleas fell on deaf ears until now. European organizations appear to be at risk. Many protests escalate quickly and end up with street violence that disrupts the unity and stability enjoyed by most European nations.

The leader of Spain’s Catalonia region called Monday for help from European leaders in working out the region’s move to be independent.

The request comes a day after a violent crackdown by Spanish police trying to block Catalonians from voting on whether they wanted to separate from Spain.

Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont said he would file

The Circus That Is Politics

Politics never fail to keep us amused. The crazy antics of politicians is both entertaining and irritating to watch depending on which party you support. They say things you would not dare utter because you know that anything posted on the Internet stays forever. However, most politicians appear to forget this and often make a spectacle of themselves in the pursuit of their self-interests.

The United States became more divisive than ever with the unprecedented win of President Trump. Conservative Americans are thrilled with his win but it has become a nightmare for the rest. After all, America is a nation of migrants and many of its big cities are melting pots of different nationalities.

It’s a weird time to be a scientist, with the funding cutspolitical snubs, and colleagues going rogue. But when your scientific province actually is politics? The discombobulation goes up by an order of magnitude.

It’s a tricky balancing act. Having an entire field of researchers with their noses buried in arcane journals read only by their peers is a missed opportunity. But if those researchers dumb down their work, and tailor (or even skew) it to better suit what’s trending, or what CNN or Fox News will cover, that’s bad science. Then again, no science is even worse. No matter how political scientists are feeling about political science, they all agree on that.

(Via: https://www.wired.com/2017/03/topsy-turvy-world-political-science-trumps-america/)

It is safe to say many are not happy about the current political situation and are just as confused as …

Economics During Trump Era

Whether you like it or not, Donald Trump is the new U.S. president. It is hard to predict how the American economy will flourish under his leadership. As early as now, though, economists think that Trump’s take on immigration, budget, and trade do not make sense.

Soon dubbed as “Trumponomics”, the public was excited about his economic plans. But economists are worried and anxious since the changes he has in mind has a big impact on the country’s economy. CNBC shared this story.

American business economists think that President Donald Trump’s effort to restrict immigration is a bad idea.

And they think the current health insurance system should be replaced by one that gives consumers more choice and control, with tax credits to support the cost of insurance.

Those are the findings of a survey of some 285 economists released Monday by the National Association for Business Economics.

The group also thinks Trump’s proposal to scrap the North American Free Trade Agreement is a step in the wrong direction.

Roughly 7 in 10 of those surveyed said the U.S. should set up import barriers only “occasionally and tactically, when vital industries are threatened by unfair trade practices.” Another 27 percent said there should “never” be barriers to entry of imports to the U.S.

(Via: http://www.cnbc.com/2017/03/06/economists-think-trump-is-wrong-on-budget-trade-obamacare-and-immigration.html)

The economy is in a better shape now than it did eight years ago when former President Obama assumed office but Trump has even bolder plans to make America great again. He may have high hopes in repealing Obamacare …