opinion
Opinion pieces from the left, right, and everyone in between.
Lenin vs Stalin: Their Showdown Over the Birth of the USSR
The question of where Russia begins and ends—and who constitutes the Russian people—has preoccupied Russian thinkers for centuries. The collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 and the Russian aggression against Ukraine in 2014 turned these concerns into a big “Russian question” that constitutes a world problem: What should be the relation of the new Russian state to its former imperial possessions—now independent post-Soviet republics such as Georgia, Armenia and Ukraine—and to the Russian and Russian-speaking enclaves in those republics? How should mental maps of Russian ethnicity, culture and identity be reconciled with the political map of the Russian federation?
By Kristen Orkoshneli9 months ago in The Swamp
I Made My First $500 Online Without a Degree — Here’s the Step-by-Step Truth
I never thought I’d make real money online — until I did. Let me be clear: I’m not a digital nomad. I didn’t go viral on YouTube. I wasn’t “lucky.” A year ago, I was broke, confused, and running out of options.
By Zabih hijran9 months ago in The Swamp
“Behind the Stare: Unraveling the Steely Gaze of MAGA Women”
It’s a look that could freeze an open flame—the cold, wide-eyed stare of a MAGA woman. You’ve seen it in campaign rallies, in viral videos from school board meetings, maybe even across the Thanksgiving table. It’s more than a glare. It’s a quiet war cry. Unflinching, unsmiling, defiant. A visual manifesto from a faction of American women who have found both purpose and power within the populist pulse of Donald Trump’s movement.
By Awais ur rahman9 months ago in The Swamp
Air India Flight 171: The Mysterious Fuel Cutoff That Led to Disaster
1. A Catastrophe Minutes After Takeoff On June 12, 2025, Air India Flight 171—a Boeing 787‑8 Dreamliner—crash-landed into a residential hostel in Ahmedabad just 30 to 40 seconds after takeoff. The plane was en route from Ahmedabad to London Gatwick, carrying 230 passengers and 12 crew members. Of those aboard, 241 perished, and 19 were killed on the ground, with dozens more injured. Only one passenger survived, later identified as Vishwash Kumar Ramesh .
By Ikram Ullah9 months ago in The Swamp
Mahmoud Khalil Files $20 Million Claim Against Trump Administration for Wrongful Detention
Mahmoud Khalil, a prominent pro-Palestinian activist and Columbia University graduate student, has filed a $20 million administrative claim against the Trump administration for wrongful detention. Khalil, a green card holder, was held by ICE for over three months, alleging false arrest, malicious prosecution, and intentional infliction of emotional distress stemming from his activism.
By Kageno Hoshino9 months ago in The Swamp
The Epstein Files Fiasco:
Picture this: March 2025, the MAGA faithful, freshly into a new administration, are strutting out of the White House, practically skipping like kids in a candy store. Why, you ask? Because they’re clutching the Epstein Files like they just won the lottery. “Justice is coming!” they chant jubilantly, as if they were in a poorly scripted superhero movie. Attorney General, Pam Bondi, in a separate interview displaying a smirk that could rival the Cheshire Cat, declares to the cameras, “You’re gonna want to stay tuned, America. The truth is about to drop, and heads are going to roll, because the Epstein Files and reports are on my desk!"
By Meko James 9 months ago in The Swamp
Trump's Frustration with Putin and the Uncertain Future of the Russia-Ukraine War
The ongoing war in Ukraine continues to test the diplomatic resolve of world leaders, with recent developments highlighting growing frustration in the United States. President Donald Trump, who once vowed to end the war in Ukraine within 24 hours of taking office, now faces mounting obstacles in his attempts to broker peace. Despite multiple rounds of negotiations and increasing diplomatic engagement, a ceasefire remains elusive as Russia intensifies its military campaign against Ukraine.
By Ikram Ullah9 months ago in The Swamp
The Hopefuls: Gentrification and the Changing Face of Cities (and Even Some Small Towns)
In 1964, British sociologist Ruth Glass gave a name to a process reshaping urban life in ways both visible and invisible: gentrification. Writing in her book London: Aspects of Change, she described how working-class neighborhoods in London were being "invaded" by middle-class newcomers — both upper and lower — bringing with them rising rents, property speculation, and a cultural transformation that permanently altered the character of the communities they entered.
By Wade Wainio9 months ago in The Swamp
