The Conversation

Why tyranny could be the inevitable outcome of democracy

Written by Lawrence Torcello, Associate Professor of Philosophy, Rochester Institute of Technology

At the dawn of democracy, Plato foresaw an unfortunate end.vangelis aragiannis/Shutterstock.com

Plato, one of the earliest thinkers and writers about democracy, predicted that letting people govern themselves would eventually lead the masses to support the rule of tyrants.

When I tell my college-level philosophy students that in about 380 B.C. he...

30 years after the Berlin Wall came down, East and West Germany are still divided

Written by Nathan Stoltzfus, Dorothy and Jonathan Rintels Professor of Holocaust Studies, Florida State University

The Berlin Wall in October 1988.360b/Shutterstock.com

Thirty years ago, on November 9, with a sense of momentous events palpable in Berlin’s famous air, East Germans began streaming through the Berlin Wall, two-stroke East German cars putt-putted past major symbols of capitalism like the KaDeWe department store, and it appeared that the...

How the US military has embraced growing religious diversity

Written by Ronit Y. Stahl, Assistant Professor of History, University of California, Berkeley

Vice President Mike Pence joins military officers and a chaplain on Aug. 23, 2019 in a prayer for two Army men who died during operations in Afghanistan.AP Photo/Cliff Owen

In 1919, Lee Levinger buried four soldiers in France. The responsibility to preside over a funeral was not unusual for military chaplains. But during World War I, most Americans...

GI Bill opened doors to college for many vets, but politicians created a separate one for blacks

Written by Joseph Thompson, Assistant Professor of History, Mississippi State University

Black servicemen from WWII faced limited options and denial as they sought GI benefits after the war.National Archives

When President Franklin Roosevelt signed the GI Bill into law on June 22, 1944, it laid the foundation for benefits that would help generations of veterans achieve social mobility.

Formally known as the Servicemen’s...

Trump's charity woes are uncommon, if not unprecedented, and could get more costly

Written by Philip Hackney, Associate Professor of Law, University of Pittsburgh

Eight charities will get the Trump Foundation's remaining assets. Dennis Van Tine/MediaPunch/IPX via AP

The Donald J. Trump Foundation is now defunct, and the state of New York has ordered the president to give US$2 million to a group of nonprofits out of his own pocket as restitution for breaking the law by misusing charitable funds.

I’m an e...

Senators' silence suggests they may be taking their impeachment trial duty seriously

Written by Lynne H. Rambo, Professor of Law, Texas A&M University

Sen. Susan Collins is among the senators who have chosen to stay quiet about impeachment so far.AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite

Several Republican senators have taken a “vow of silence” on the impeachment inquiry in the House of Representatives.

Maine Senator Susan Collins has described her position this way: “I am very likely to be a...

The battle between NBC and CBS to be the first to film a Berlin Wall tunnel escape

Written by Mike Conway, Associate Professor of Journalism, Indiana University

NBC Berlin correspondent Piers Anderton inside the tunnel during the network's 1962 escape project.Special Collections & University Archives, University of Maryland, Author provided

When the Berlin Wall was completed in August 1961, East German residents immediately tried to figure out ways to circumvent the barrier and escape into West Berlin.

B...

E-bikes are coming to federally owned trails: 4 questions answered

Written by John Freemuth, Cecil D. Andrus Endowed Chair for Environment and Public Lands and University Distinguished Professor, Boise State University

A cyclist in San Bernadino National Forest, where e-bikes were previously banned.AP/Brian Melley

Editor’s note: In August, Interior Secretary David Bernhardt announced an order stating that electric bicycles will be allowed on all trails on federally owned land where normal bikes can ride. The move has led to some confusion and controversy,...

Apple, Disney and Netflix's streaming battle isn't winner-take-all

Written by Amanda Lotz, Professor of Media Studies, Queensland University of Technology

Apple TV Plus has focused on recruiting big names for its shows. AP Photo/Tony Avelar

With the recent launch of Apple TV Plus and the imminent arrival of Disney Plus, the video landscape has never looked so competitive.

These services join a crowded marketplace of subscription streaming services that includes Netflix, Hulu and Amazon Prime Video...

WTF? Slurs offend young adults more than swearing

Written by Benjamin Bergen, Professor of Cognitive Science; Director of the Language and Cognition Lab, University of California San Diego

Lizzo's hit songs include a lot of profanity.Photo by Brent N. Clarke/Invision/AP)

In 1972, the comedian George Carlin performed a comedy routine in which he listed the seven words you couldn’t say on television. He opined that profanity related to sexual activities, body parts and bodily functions wasn’t inherently good or bad. All...