Unfortunately, life in our modern world comes with it’s own set of difficulties. We all struggle to provide for our own, do the “right thing”, survive (maybe even thrive), and we all have our own answers when it comes down to how. In these United States, we take most of our cues from the Western European, protestant, Eurocentric mindset that spawned and formed the foundations of this country. It is difficult to avoid being an Ethnocentrist, and most Americans don’t. The sad fact of the…

With all of my options excluding human social interaction expended, it all comes down to this: the final Cultural Portfolio entry for Arabic, the interview. Weighing my options, I landed on an old classmate of mine from community college; Avan. Avan is originally from Iran, and has been here in the United States for the last seven years. He is a good student, he is short, he is polite, and he is a Muslim. Although he considers himself to be quite well adjusted to his daily routine…

It has been the subject of much debate lately, and has crept into the public consciousness slowly over the last few years: Robots and war. What are the implications of using robotics and unmanned vehicles (both on the ground and in the air) in combat situations overseas? What are the recent developments in the technology, legality and reactions of those directly affected? These are the questions Al-Jazeera’s attempts to answer in another edition of FaultLines The Pentagon has long been…