opinion
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Panther Prowler • Jan. 24, 2020
Stop the problems in Iran
Carter Castillo Opinion Editor
On Jan. 3, 2020, President Donald Trump made one of the rashest foreign policy decisions since George W. Bush, and it could have been avoided if Trump consulted Congress like he is supposed to. The military strike that killed Iranian military general Qasem Soleimani, the right hand man to Iran’s leader Ali Khamenei, set off a heightened escalation between the United States and Iran, putting a strain on the already weak relationship between the US and the Middle East. Soleimani was iran’s highest ranking military official in charge of the entire Iranian military. He was an instrumental figure in the Iran-Iraq war. As the head of the Revolutionary Guards’ Quds force Soleimani’s group was labeled a foreign terrorist organization by the US government. US and Iranian officials have both noted Soleimani’s popularity within the military, marking him as a charismatic and tactical leader. This popularity only exasperates the tensions between the US and Iran. On top of Trump’s action against Iran, further concern
their hand selected team, rather it should be a collaborative effort with representatives from all sides of congress and the White House from all different backgrounds all representing different people. The magnitude of the conflict is another reason as to why such a rash decision should not be made, especially by one person. For many residing in the US, this conflict seems like another newsflash on a 24/7 news cycle. However, for the innocent people in Iran, Iraq, the Middle East, and those who have a connection to the middle east, this despair is a bleak reality of their lives. Watching another death in a place with recent history of constant conflict and intervention by foreign powers, where people who have no personal stake in the matter are able to gamble their lives away. We have become desensitized to all the death in our world, and sometimes we forget that every number shown under the word “deaths” is an individual with their own story and ambitions who lost their lives in a conflict they likely played no part in.
was raised by how the Democratic and Republican lawmakers reacted in the following intelligence briefings. Republican senator Rand Paul from Kentucky said that the hearing was an “insult to the constitution” because the power to declare war rests solely in the hands of congress. A rebuff of the White House from one of the presidents self declared die hard supporter can only mean that this conflict is not being handled well. Moreover, the categorization of the briefings by senators across the aisle as unorganized and secretive exemplifies the White House’s dangerous and uncautious handling of this entire situation. Trump’s decision to escalate tensions comes from no consultation from congress, and the White House has made it clear through their actions and words that they will not be asking for consent from congress any time soon. This is a major concern, as one of Congress’s major duties are to regulate a president’s foreign policy decisions. When millions of lives are potentially at stake, such drastic tasks should not be made by one person and
Emily Nagamoto/Prowler
Gervais gets blunt Adalia Luo Staff Writer
Emily Augustine Front Cover Editor
Tom Hanks’ face said it all. This year’s Golden Globe Awards featured a slew of controversial speeches, with the host, Ricky Gervais, mercilessly roasting the awards show in the opening monologue. As his fifth and final time hosting the Globes, Gervais has been praised immensely for his past runs. Historically charismatic, clever and funny as an awards show host, Gervais did not walk the classic, politely comedic line this time. Instead, he leaped over it with his opening monologue cutting jokes about everything from racist nomination snubs to the pedophilia in Hollywood that’s continued to come to light this year. “Let’s go out with a bang, and let’s have a laugh at your expense, shall we? Remember, these are just jokes. We’re all going to die soon, and there’s no sequel.” Acting as a sort of preface to the “offensive” jokes to come, Gervais’ monologue then proceeded to use his comedic background to make fun of the awards show itself. “You could binge watch the entire first season of ‘Afterlife’ instead of watching (the Golden Globes). That’s a show about a man who wants to kill himself because his wife dies of cancer, and it’s still more fun than this,” Gervais said. This joke does have some truth behind it since my experience of watching award shows like the Golden Globes is 90 percent fast-forwarding through the boring parts. However, entertainment is slowly but surely being integrated into these shows, so hopefully this issue will be resolved. Gervais continued by telling award winners in advance that they should not talk about politics in their speeches because they “know nothing about the real world. Most of you spent less time in school than Greta Thunberg so if you win, come up, accept your little award, thank your agent, and your God, and (back) off.” The blind idolization of celebrities by Americans have led to an onslaught of support for political candidates, causes, etc., endorsed by those in the entertainment industry by imperceptive fanatics. It is incredibly accurate that a significant amount of celebrities either do not know what the life of a common citizen is like, or have forgotten, and yet their politically-based comments, that are normally uninformed, significantly impact the opinions of large populations at a time. However, this is not to say that their influence in the media and wealth can be put towards a good, researched, or created cause. If there is a cause they want to fight for or advocate, let them do it. As celebrities, they can make a huge positive impact the same way they can make a negative one. If winners have a cause they are passionate about, they can make change by all means, and through the proper channels. However, the industry standard and expectation should definitively not be to preach one’s morals upon accepting an award. Thanking people and leaving the stage is an acceptable way to go about the process as well. The Golden Globe Awards are often shrouded in a bubble,but whether or not viewers or celebrities agreed or disagreed upon Gervais, his comments ignited an increased and much-needed dialogue regarding Hollywood culture as a whole. Gervais’ brutally honest monologue is the taste of truth that Hollywood needs.
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Emily Augu
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Emily Augu
