COVID Christmas Carols
Liven up your singalong this year with some Christmas gallows humor!
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December 2020
FAKE NEWS | Hipster Mugged by Nondescript Person(s)
He struggled to describe the perpetrator, and was unable even to say if his assailant was male or female because he considers gender to be “a social construct.”
Tossing and Turning
In pursuit of a good night’s sleep, a man reckons with the tyranny of science.
Dear America, We’re Sick of Hearing About Race
The American obsession with race has become extremely unhealthy.
Malaysia’s COVID Reckoning
Earlier this year, Malaysia had a responsible government and responsible citizens, at least as far as COVID was concerned. Now, it has neither.
It’s Not Facebook’s Fault
If you see hatred and stupidity on social media, that’s because so many of us are hateful and stupid.
November 2020
Exploring the Malaysian Jungle With Someone Who Hates the Malaysian Jungle
So you want to explore the Malaysian jungle? Let me start by saying this is a terrible idea. Almost everything here will try to bite you, sting you, or suck your blood.
Are “Racist” and “Sexist” Still Insults?
When virtually everyone is “racist” and “sexist,” it seems, no one is.
The Artist of Japan’s Bloody Era
Tsukioka Yoshitoshi, Japan’s last great printmaker, captured the spirit of an age of carnage.
Shunga: Beyond “Edo Porn”
Shunga were highly erotic Japanese paintings and woodblock prints characterized by meticulously detailed genitalia, astonishing physical contortions, and occasional witty dialogue or commentary.
China’s Lost Tradition of Journalism
China once had a rich tradition of independent journalism. What’s happened to it?
The Mad Women in the Attic
Gothic literature is strewn with the tortured genius of women at the mercy of the restrictions placed on them by society — and their own minds.
The City & the City
Japanese filmmakers once used city settings to address the loneliness and futility of modern life. Now, they are becoming symbols of hope.
The Fire Sale of Ideas
Which ideas should Democrats salvage from the Trump train wreck?
October 2020
Into the Woods
Why do we relish horrifying tales where jealous mothers kill their children and little girls dance themselves to death? Because the darkness in stories helps us confront the darkness inside ourselves.
Shuten Dōji: Demon Lord, Hero of the Downtrodden
Why is a Japanese demon lord who devoured women also an underclass hero?
FICTION | Honor
Tales grow in the telling, they say, and so they do, and yours most of all, a tale that has grown to become legend.
At Nightmare’s Edge, Lifelike Dolls
Thousands of people collect hyperrealistic vinyl babies – but how do they sleep at night?
Packing the Supreme Court Could Destroy the US Legal System
The likely result of packing the court is a spiral into legal anarchy.
The World’s Election
What’s at stake in this election? The soul of a country that is also a symbol to the world; the fate of democracy itself.
Who’s the Second Most Powerful Person in China?
Trying to identify the second most powerful person in Xi Jinping’s China is a difficult task.
In Praise of Plum Blossoms
Lost and found over the centuries, the Guide to Capturing a Plum Blossom, one of the earliest printed art books in the world, is itself a small miracle.
The Institution of Debate is Broken. Can We Do Better?
RESOLVED: Retire the public debate.
September 2020
FAKE NEWS | Pompeo Vows Additional Sanctions Against “Wow-Way”
His statement has sown confusion amongst observers in Asia, as it is unclear which Chinese tech company he’s referring to.
FAKE NEWS | Mahathir Unveils Inspiring Party Platform Dedicated Solely To Making Him Prime Minister Again
“When I look at Malaysians today, I see their despair and frustration at not having me as their prime minister anymore.”
How Toxic Positivity Is Stifling Japan
Japan can be a place of repressed psyches where it’s difficult to express negative feelings.
Democrats, Let Trump Fill the Supreme Court Vacancy
If the Democrats cynically try to delay the confirmation process, it may cost them the election.
FICTION | Breaking You. Me.
It is midnight in Harajuku and the streets are still bustling. The boy meets the girl to get some crepes.
The Myth of the Perfect Hero
Heroes often lose some of their luster under close examination. But they don’t have to be perfect for us to admire them – or learn from them.
August 2020
Honest Hong Kong Journalist Visa Denial
Whilst we understand that it is the role of a journalist to offer opinions and critiques and to ask questions, your opinion pieces are unnecessarily opinionated, your critiques unnecessarily critical, and your questions unnecessarily inquisitive.
Honest Princeton Donation Solicitation
Thanks for your generous donation! Should an angry student mob form to vilify you for failing to meet some future standard of moral purity, Princeton will disavow all association with you.
Antiracism is Racist
By encouraging everyone to see the world through a racial lens and discriminating against people on the basis of skin color, the ideology of antiracism is inherently racist.
In Defense of Elitism
It’s time to reclaim the term “elitism,” to recognize that it’s not a pejorative but an expression of our highest aspirations.
China’s Third Way
Will China be able to sustain its spectacular economic growth with an increasingly autocratic regime? If so, it may mark the end of the liberal order, and the rise of authoritarian capitalism.
Peking Man and Chinese Superiority
How a long-lost fossil became a symbol of Chinese supremacy.
The Rule-Bender
Sri Thanonchai, Thailand’s most popular trickster, is known for his amoral cunning.
July 2020
The Man Who Trusted Too Much
There are some dictators to whom one must concede a certain Mephistophelian dignity. Najib isn’t one of them. Look at his ridiculous face – he doesn’t even inspire fear.
The Last Infidels of Hindu Kush
Persecuted by Muslims for centuries and squeezed by the forces of assimilation and modernity, the Kalasha are on the verge of extinction.
Broad Stripes and Bright Stars
A queer, interracial couple visits Middle America for the 4th of July.
Prostitute Priestesses
Often idealized, temple prostitutes were little more than sex slaves. Rather than them, women should emulate the goddesses they served.
The Needless (and Dangerous) Mystification of China
Westerners have a habit of making China seem more mysterious than it actually is, and dressing up their vapid or commonplace ideas in an aura of Chinese mystique.
Lessons From Another Dictatorship
Since the passing of the new security law, Hong Kong is arguably now a dictatorship. Malaysia has been a dictatorship for over 50 years. Here’s a guide to living under the new normal.
The Dying Art of Civic Discourse
How our refusal to listen to each other is destroying us.
June 2020
The Chinese Case Against China
China is the biggest oppressor of Chinese people today. Those who claim to care about them should oppose it.
The Mob Enters the Newsroom
The New York Times’ reversal on Senator Tom Cotton’s op-ed is a betrayal of its journalistic responsibilities.
Big Boss Is Watching You
As more employees work from home, employers turn to invasive tech to monitor them.
The Apocalyptic Imperative
The COVID-19 crisis drives home the need to rethink our tepid response to climate change.
Divinity in the Mundane
Kept at home by quarantines, we grow numb to our lives, our surroundings, and the unfolding tragedy of the pandemic. But regaining our sense of wonder can help us feel again.
Ed Simon on Wonder in the Time of Coronavirus
Writer Ed Simon discusses the role wonder can play in helping us appreciate the depth of the tragedy as well as the beauty around us.
The Performativity of Protest: A Cynic’s Guide
Who do we protest for when we’re protesting?
The Controversial Legacy of Charlie Chan
The aphorism-spouting Chinese detective played by a succession of white men in yellow-face continues to both delight and offend.
Demilitarizing Security: Between Orcs and Hobbits
Most security issues aren’t military. Why do we act like they are?
Nowhere to Run
Stuck at home because of the coronavirus, maybe we’ll be forced to face our demons – and overcome them.
May 2020
Democrats Rediscover Due Process. About Time.
The allegations against Joe Biden might be forcing Democrats to recognize their previous position on sexual misconduct was indefensible.
Red Lines for China
To check China’s abuses, other countries will have to draw a line in the sand – and punish Beijing if it crosses it.
Tablighi Superspreaders in Pakistan
An Islamic missionary movement is spreading COVID-19 across Pakistan, and the authorities are afraid to stop it.
FICTION | The Tunnel
She was going to bring it in and get us all sick, and a quarantine with secret hook-ups is not a quarantine at all.
Kings of New York
Even as New York struggles to contain the coronavirus, Governor Cuomo and Mayor de Blasio continue to feud. New Yorkers aren’t shy about picking a side.
The Culture Factor in COVID-19
Cultural differences may explain why some countries handle the coronavirus better than others.
The Moral Foundations of Anti-Lockdown Anger
Moral Foundations Theory explains the conservative backlash against the COVID-19 lockdown.
Are Anti-Lockdown Protests Legal?
Can freedom of assembly be circumscribed during an outbreak?
April 2020
Men We Hate
When we come to understand villains like Harvey Weinstein and Roman Polanski, can we still hate them?
Allegory in the Time of Coronavirus
Starved of meaning in this time of idleness and isolation, we struggle to create it.
Ordinarily Extraordinary
The writer and teacher Léonie Gilmour is overshadowed by her more famous relatives: her partner, the poet Yone Noguchi, her son, the sculptor Isamu Noguchi, and her daughter, the dancer Ailes Gilmour. Yet her life was no less remarkable.
Debunking the Secular Case for Religion
Is religion useful even if you don’t believe gods exist?
The Consolations of Music
During this crisis, many turn to music for solace. What’s the best music to get us through these trying times?
Why Are Chinese Politicians’ Speeches so Boring?
Oratory is one of a politician’s most potent tools. Why do China’s leaders use it so ineptly?
Your Odds of Dying From COVID-19 Depend on How Polluted Your Air Is
Air pollution makes the coronavirus deadlier.
The Real Risks of Exotic Meat
Are some animals inherently more dangerous to eat than others?
March 2020
Japanese Culture Isn’t Designed to Handle a Pandemic
Japan’s lassitude in the face of COVID-19 stems from its national character.
In Search of Harajuku Style
Harajuku style now lives in the imaginations of foreigners more than in real-life Japan.
Malaysia’s King Should Explain His Decision
The king’s decision to appoint the man with apparently less parliamentary support prime minister was controversial. In the absence of an explanation, suspicions will fester.
The Cutthroat Truffle Industry
Theft, counterfeiting, kidnapping, poisoning – all manner of skullduggery is involved when it comes to one of the world’s most expensive foods.
The Parasite and the Awards Host
Parasite is itself parasitic: a foreign film that weaseled its way into the single most prestigious academy in the industry only to attack that very institution and everything it stands for.
FICTION | BETA
“Are you alive?” he asks me. What is alive? I say. He can’t answer me.
Quarantining God
To prevent outbreaks we must demand that even religious rituals meet basic standards of health and safety.
How to Write a Campaign Slogan
To beat Trump, the Democrats will have to come up with better campaign slogans. Here’s how.
What’s ASEAN Good For?
If the ASEAN truly wants to become a power to contend with, it will have to make fundamental changes to its modus operandi.
February 2020
Is Mahathir Powerless Now?
Malaysia’s political mastermind seems to have lost control of everything.
War Is Peace: The Symbiosis Between Islamists and Neo-Nazis
Islamists and neo-Nazis are fighting each other, but their shared goal is to destroy the liberal order.
Democracy Backstabbed: A Malaysian Whodunit
Democracy has been backstabbed and lies in intensive care, but who did it?
A Pashtun Rights Movement Rises; Pakistan Tries to Strangle It
The recent arrest of civil rights activist Manzoor Pashteen is a blow to democracy in Pakistan.
To See How Coronavirus Outbreak Might Play Out, Look at This Virtual Plague
The Corrupted Blood incident of 2005 offers disturbing insights into how the coronavirus crisis might unfold.
The Coronavirus and the Crisis of Responsibility
The Chinese Communist Party’s shirking of responsibility at every level shows why it’s unfit to lead.
Why China’s School System Is Superior to America’s
The Chinese school system holds its students to a higher standard.
January 2020
FAKE NEWS | Nothing to Worry About, Says Wuhan Official From Inside Biohazard Suit
“You can all go about your lives as normal. Everything is fine.”
Singapore Welcomes Hong Kong Expats!
Like Hong Kong, Singapore used to be a British colony. Unlike Hong Kong, it has no pesky tradition of relative liberty since that was crushed out of it long ago.
Laugh in Translation
The weirdness of Japanese comedy reflects uniquely Japanese neuroses.
The Mezcal Invasion
Once derided as rotgut, tequila’s smoky, artisanal cousin is coming to a trendy bar near you.
The Idiomatic Life
Mastery of chengyu, four-character idioms, is considered a mark of erudition in China. Yet, often chengyu confuse as much as they enlighten.
No, Rape and Sexual Harassment Aren’t “About Power”
It’s time we put this myth to rest.