FUBU

by with No Comment CultureFeatured

Back in 1998, the most coveted and popular fashion brand was FUBU. FUBU, aka “For Us, By Us”, founded in 1992 by Daymond John, J. Alexander Martin, Keith Perrin and Carlton Brown, went from John (“Shark Tank” guy) mortgaging his home for $100,000, and using that as seed money to lead FUBU to peak revenues of $350 million in annual global sales.

FUBU hasn’t been a popular brand in years, and has only recently come up for air in that “Atlanta” episode; however, it’s still a profitable company. FUBU currently earns roughly $200 million a year – primarily from a global market, but still a shocker right?

If the common person knew those figures their response would probably be of laughter and stating something like, “that many people still buying FUBU.”

Why is that?

Regardless of its popularity, shouldn’t FUBU always be celebrated due to it truly being a major fashion company for us and by us? 

FUBU, led me to think about other Black organizations that are frequently questioned for various reasons. The two institutions that quickly came to mind were historically black colleges and universities aka HBCU’s and Black Greek Organizations. (I’ll expound on HBCU’s in another article.)

First, as a proud member of Kappa Alpha Psi, I want to wish all the January organizations a happy Founders Day. January is home to five of the nine predominantly Black Greek organizations.

January 5th – Kappa Alpha Psi

January 9th – Phi Beta Sigma

January 13th – Delta Sigma Theta

January 15th – Alpha Kappa Alpha

January 16th – Zeta Phi Beta

Alpha Phi Alpha, Omega Psi Phi, Iota Phi Theta, and Sigma Gamma Rho were founded throughout other months in the year.

FUBU was created to have a voice and influence in the fashion industry, an industry that historically did not want to include Black people during the planning and creation phase of fashion, only the (consumer) purchasing part was okay for Black people. Black Greek organizations were created under the same segregating circumstances.

With the focus on being a harbinger for young Black students during their undergraduate years, Black Greek organizations were founded due to being barred from entry by the White fraternities and sororities on their respective college campus.

Socially, they were also formed to keep intact the bond established during Black student collegiate years and post-graduation, thus the creation of alumni chapters.

Though institutional racism isn’t as obvious as it once was, social racism has yet to lose its touch. To date, there are still far too many people in very important positions that simply do not want the inclusion of Black people into their organizations.

While the FUBU brand isn’t a fashion choice of my liking, I will always support their clothing line for the purpose it seeks. Just as FUBU isn’t a brand choice for some, there’s legitimate indignation against Black Greek organizations due to the account of some of its members. Those individual members will never do enough to sully the history and purpose of Black Greek organizations, a history and purpose we all can wear proudly even without wearing the letters. 

Rich, White, and Male – The Perfect Recipe For Privilege

by with No Comment CultureFeaturedGen Z

By now, it feels like most everyone has seen the viral video of Covington Catholic High School student, Nick Sandmann’s encounter with elder of the Omaha Nation, Nathan Phillips at the Indigenous People’s March that took place in Washington D.C. Phillips sings and beats his drum as Sandmann (wearing a Make America Great Again hat, a well-known symbol of hatred) stands in an uncomfortably close proximity to him, staring him down and smirking tauntingly. The video was shared on social media and instantly sparked national conversation.

According to an article from The Washington Post, Nathan stated that he “felt threatened” by Sandmann and the group of teenage boys, some who were also wearing MAGA hats. As public outrage continued to increase, defense of Nick and his peers began to pour in as well. Some Twitter users — including Donald Trump — felt that the backlash was unfair.

However, other Twitter users were aware of the double standard that these defenses represent.

Donald Trump’s defense of Sandmann and his classmates is especially hypocritical, considering that he took out full page advertisements in all four of New York City’s major newspapers, calling for The Central Park 5 (a group of Black and Latino boys accused of rape and assault) to be given the death penalty. Even after they were exonerated by DNA evidence, Trump has refused to apologize. The difference between the boys at Covington High and The Central Park 5?

The boys at Covington High are White.

Nick and his classmates that attended the Indigenous People’s March wearing MAGA hats and making racist gestures have been made out to be victims of persecution. Defenders say that the general public is being too hard on them because they are just children. However, when Black children are murdered by the police, they don’t receive this type of empathy. When 12-year-old Tamir Rice was shot and killed within seconds of police arrival at the park that he was sitting in, he was blamed for his death and repeatedly referred to as a man, a reminder that victimhood and youthful innocence are often denied to Black children. This is similar to the murder of 18-year-old Michael Brown, who at the time of his death was no more than a couple of years older than Sandmann, who is a junior in high school. After being shot and killed in Ferguson, Missouri, many did not perceive Brown to be a victim or anyone’s child. Michael Brown was blamed for his death for a variety of factors, including his height, weight, and an allegedly checkered past that led the New York Times to refer to him as “no angel.” Michael Brown, unlike Nick Sandmann, was not given the chance to make a television appearance and tell his side of the story. He, like Tamir Rice, was denied humanity even in death. Childhood is something that Black children are routinely stripped of, yet it is given to white children in abundance.

White male privilege allows Nick Sandmann to antagonize a Native American man and be given the chance to do a segment on the Today Show. His wealth — another form of privilege — is what allowed his family to hire a PR team to spin the story. White male privilege is what allows him and his peers to be defended due to their youth, meanwhile, Black children are told they deserve bullets, and Brown children much younger than them are separated from their parents, then locked in cages while being told they deserve to be there. The second chances, forgiveness, patience, and protection that White males like Sandmann, along with Brock Turner and Brett Kavanaugh are often given, are not provided to children of color. White children often have racist behavior written off as nothing more than a “youthful indiscretion”, while Black and Brown children are often jailed or killed for actual mistakes made during our youth. We as a society must continue pushing back, demanding accountability, and working to dismantle the system of white supremacy that allows such privilege to exist. As long as white privilege continues to be upheld in this country, White boys like Nick Sandmann will continue to escape facing consequences for their actions, and we will continue to suffer as a result.

The Embarrassment in Adrien Broner

by with One Comment FeaturedSports

Last year, we wrote an article about Adrien Broner entitled They Want Some Rice and Chicken. If you’re shaking your head, you should be, those were comments Broner made in reference to his Mexican opponent, Jesse Vargas. 

Similar to Broner’s last fight against Manny Pacquiao (Pacman), Vargas whooped his ass as well. And instead of Broner taking his defeat like a good sportsman and simply asking for a rematch, he resulted to racism and bigotry. Unacceptable. 

Boxing is a unique sport. Similar to tennis, it’s you and only you competing. Unlike team sports, such as football, soccer, or basketball, there’s no one to lean on or no strategies that will cover up your mistakes or weaknesses. So when you lose, you lose. In Boxing, the judges often render horrendous decisions that has everyone shaking their heads wondering how much they got paid to fix the fight.  

But in regard to Broner’s recent fight against Pacman, I don’t think anyone under the sun would argue with Pacman’s decisive win. Pacman landed more punches, he was much more active, and he controlled the fight. 

“I controlled the fight. He was missing. I hit him clean more times. I beat him!” No, you didn’t, not even close.

The arrogance and delusion of his imaginary victories are getting old. No clear racist comments like in past post-game interviews, but enough is enough. When it’s not blatant racism, it’s disrespect, it’s nonstop delusional comments about his performance, and Mayweather-like arrogance without the “0” to the right of his win column.

As the interview went on, Jim Gray asked him about recent fights not going the way he wanted. Broner responded, “I’m 3-3-1 in my last seven but I’ll be 7-0 against you.” At this point, none of us should be surprised. But since he’s not winning (anymore), when will promoters stop booking his Pey-Per-View fights? The embarrassment in Adrien Broner is hard to watch, so much that many have refused to continue to order his fights or even watch them if made available.

The embarrassment rests with those in his community, he’s probably too self-centered to personally be embarrassed, which is another problem in itself.

The Unknown Heroes of Rojava

by with No Comment FeaturedGen ZGlobal

When people think of war, they imagine the US Marine Corps or the British Royal Air Force. These are the men who receive our gratitude and respect. There are many men and women; however, that seem to go unnoticed. In 2014, The Islamic State declared their “Caliphate” inside of a Mosque in the city of Mosul, Iraq. The videos posted by the Islamic State horrified many people across the world striking fear into their hearts. There were some men and women who couldn’t sit idly and let the Islamic State continue their brutal oppression, so these everyday people, many of whom had zero military experience, left for Rojava (Western Kurdistan) to fight alongside US-backed YPG and YPJ forces. 

It is believed, around a thousand western volunteers have joined their ranks, many of whom have since lost their lives. These men and women live and die for the sake of humanity without anyone knowing their names. An IT technician named Jac Holmes from Bournemouth, UK had joined them. He quickly became infamous for his drive and skill. He carried out many operations and helped liberate the de-facto capital of the Islamic State, Raqqa. On October 23, 2017, Jac lost his life, he stepped on an IED left behind by the Islamic State. Nobody knows his name, not even most British people. He had fought bravely and with honor yet receives zero recognition for his selfless acts.

Why are his actions deemed less honorable than those in the military? He died fighting against the Islamic State and should be honored as a hero. When Trump wants to withdraw from Syria it disgusts me, it is a blatant betrayal to our loyal Kurdish allies and to all western volunteers. Jac had given his life to bring peace to Rojava; however, this peace is threatened by Turkey’s looming invasion. The best way to honor these unknown heroes is by rejecting Trump’s rash decision and demanding we stay and protect our Kurdish partners.  

Brexit: The Predictable Divorce?

by with 2 Comments FeaturedGlobal

Back in December 1992, Swiss voters refused to join the EU, and many lamented that Switzerland was going to be an island in the centre of Europe, soon isolated and helpless. Again rejected in 2001 and 2014, potential membership stayed pending until 2016, when it was officially cancelled. Last year, the world witnessed Great Britain choosing to cut loose from the EU. The Swiss were not surprised. 

If there is one thing Brexit is teaching us, it is that no economic and political breakup can happen without hurting. Not a day passes without stories of torn families, aborted career hopes and abandoned plans. The consequences are devastating and heartbreaking, even though Brexit supporters keep repeating there was no other way out. When the relationship loses its balance, it is time for a divorce.

When it had the choice, Switzerland refused to commit to the EU, despite going on several dates along the years, securing beneficial treaties while refusing the downsides of an exclusive marriage. Those who predicted the continental island was going to regret it had to admit they predicted wrongly. Too afraid of losing their identity, the Swiss preferred to wait and see whether they had really missed the boat to their honeymoon. 

The UK refusing to adopt the common currency, the Euro, was undoubtedly a strong move and a very symbolic one. While many countries struggled to counter the effects of the introduction of the Euro, the UK proudly kept their Queen’s portrait in their wallet. The power of the Swiss franc was definitely an argument against the bond.

Similarities can be seen between the USA and the UK in terms of what is at stake, and although the reactions and suggested solutions differ, the idea of sacrificing one’s happiness for the common good is hard to handle for those who think that being patriotic means being separated. The 2017 Catalonia debacle is yet another example of the rise of political and ideological divorces.

A crucial element to its uniqueness, Switzerland’s protective attitude towards its independence dictated the refusals, even when the dowry seemed attractive. Today, many people feel relieved they get to be the shoulder on which to cry instead of the estranged other. They feel sorry for the UK, but cannot help but thinking “We knew it was going to happen.” 

Similar Read: God Save the Queen: The Demise of a Regime

God Save the Queen: The Demise of a Regime

by with 3 Comments FeaturedGlobal

Our future at a standstill yet again. Brits really are living in a really tedious and overdrawn episode of Black Mirror. Instead of riding the crest of the wave of Brexit, we are very much drowning in its turbulence, our surf board bashing us in the face as it flails behind us. And yet I’m still trying to decide how I feel about it all, including Theresa May’s leadership. After all, she has had to steer a ship she didn’t want to be built in the first place.

Just a reminder as to why Britons are in despair over Brexit. If and how we leave the EU will determine the fate of the UK’s economy. Whilst countries such as Norway thrive outside the EU, the UK has built an economy based on an open market. Without absolutely any viable plan even being proposed for how we can make Brexit a success, the next 10 years is likely to be grim. Whilst our politics isn’t anywhere near as parody worthy as that occurring in the USA, the sting of our losses is continually being felt. 

Even with us being in limbo, we have already felt the impact of Brexit in the U.K. The pound is worth less than the Euro for the first time that I can remember. House prices have stagnated in London. The economy is predicted to shrink and foreign investment have either avoided us or pulled out. As an advisor to our National Health Service (NHS), I personally worry about maintaining our free accessible public healthcare system. The level of healthcare that is available free of charge in the UK is astounding. Cutting edge cures for cancer that would otherwise require life savings, pediatric spinal surgery, no qualms emergency treatment, HIV medicines, all available on the NHS. To see this potentially privatised resulting in denied equal access to thousands would perhaps be one of the greatest travesties to come out of Brexit.

Extra money for the NHS was one of many broken promises from the Brexit campaign we are still reeling from. If I had to name one positive from the campaign of lies that had been masqueraded on the side of an iconic red London bus, it would have to be what we have learned with hindsight. We have learned that it is easy to dupe even the cynical, supposedly educated British public. That pandering to xenophobia unites voters from both ends of the class spectrum. That we have strict advertising rules for multivitamins yet absolutely no safeguards to protect us from reckless, misleading claims from politicians. Even more astoundingly, that Jeremy Corbin, (leader of the main opposing party) also backed to leave the EU and no one has batted an eyelid.

As much as I shouldn’t, I can’t help but feel saddened by our lost status in the world. I’m not one to depict the UK as Royal Britannia on her chariot gracing her commonwealth subjects whilst eating scones with clotted cream and earl grey tea. However, I already miss the comfort in knowing that our politics were generally going to be somewhat centred. The time when we could roll our eyes, tut and say ‘ah, the rest of the world. What are they like?!’ I’ll say it, I miss our politics being dull. And now we take centre stage in our own slapstick amateur hour in political leadership. The chariot is now on fire and being led by blind horses hurtling towards the sea.

Currently, we are at another crossroads with a second referendum to stay/leave, early general election, no deal exit or renegotiation all on the cards. Unusually we are in a position where it is better to look back at what’s happened rather than attempting to look forward. As a young Brit living in London, it’s difficult to decide how I feel. Is this karma for the British Empire? Should we be aspiring to be like Norway/Switzerland? Have the experts got it all wrong? Or perhaps this a sinking ship and we just need to evolve into fish people to survive. And with the above being said, no Theresa. You have not done a good job.

Similar Read: The Predictable Divorce

They Love to Hate Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez

by with 2 Comments Diversity & InclusionFeaturedPolitics

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is a 29-year-old Hispanic woman from the Bronx. Despite being outspent 18-1, she defeated 10-term Democrat Joe Crowley in a New York Congressional primary before going on to win 78% of the vote in the general election. By doing so, she became the youngest woman ever to be elected to Congress. She’s everything the average Congressman is not… young, a minority, and an outspoken woman not afraid to speak her mind and ruffle a few feathers.

So yeah, Republicans love to hate her. And (top) Democrats, well… let’s just say they haven’t necessarily had her back and embraced her with love since she was thrust into the political spotlight. Nancy Pelosi downplayed her monumental upset over Crowley. FORMER Democratic Senator Claire McCaskill called her, “a bright shiny new object.” In the same interview, McCaskill went on to say, “I’m not sure what she’s done yet to generate that kind of enthusiasm.”

Politico recently reported that nearly 20 Democratic lawmakers, off the record, are fearful of her influence and her ability to overpower more established Democrats. And such fear probably makes sense considering she represents change, energy, and a new way of doing things and addressing issues. Off the record (again), a Democratic lawmaker said, “She needs to decide: Does she want to be an effective legislator or just continue being a Twitter star… There’s a difference between being an activist and a lawmaker in Congress.” This is probably worth an entirely different article, but why can’t she be an activist and a lawmaker? Why can’t she be both?

Shortly after that Politico news broke, Ocasio-Cortez responded by tweeting to her 2.2 million followers…

“To quote Alan Moore: “None of you understand. I’m not locked up in here with YOU. You’re locked up in here with ME.” ?

Basically, zero F’s given. Don’t forget the emoji.

Any criticism she’s doled out to the party is likely deserved. While many might not agree with her politics, her passion to create change should be admired by all who believe Washington is broken. Democrats shouldn’t shun her. By doing so they’re sending a few signals to millions of fairly new and inspired voters, many of whom are millennials, which could doom them and their party…

1 They think she is an anomaly and hundreds if not thousands of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s can’t pop up and take their seat like she took Joe Crowley’s… and 2 While they talk a good game about the importance of change, the moment it starts to threaten their position of power and the system which preserves said power, all bets are off.

Ocasio-Cortez is getting enough hate from the right side of the aisle, the left better embrace her. Because she’s genuine, her following is growing, and whether they like her or not… she’s going to be here a very long, long time. 

I’m Tired of “Wokeness”

by with One Comment CultureFeaturedGen Z

Wokeness. You’ve heard of this term. If you are a member of the Black community, you most likely have come across this term through everyday vernacular and if you are a student of color in college, this word has been thrown around in almost any conversation regarding equality rights and progress for underrepresented individuals in depreciated communities. Wokeness is a mental state coined by people of color declaring knowledge upon the current marginalization of Blacks, women, Latinx, LGBT+, poor, and working-class groups. What may have started out as genuinely powerful philosophy has transformed into a popular term. One that has enforced a mentality that progress is only through performative wokeness rather than different intellectual, conversational, and communal spheres.

I’m tired of “wokeness”. Because those who have used it have used it solely to advance their own purposes. We regurgitate the same information. We select individuals and praise them to push their agenda of “wokeness” that services individualistic people in the group. In the Black community specifically, social justice warriors tend to service straight BLack men the most. Their prerogatives seek to validate and confirm old information. Although this information is important and should be supported. Communities of color specifically Black communities have evolved into popularism and elitism online. Social Justice Warriors are influenced by who follows them as well as their audience. Black culture sells. And social movements are sometimes the sole proprietors of mass profit. If not “woke” individuals are benefitting from social enterprise, they benefit from popularism.

We thrive off popularism – especially within the college atmosphere. Where social media likes, retweets, and reblogs dictate and reinforce our success and popularity. As fluid and beneficial social media pages can be i.e. sparking movements like Black Lives Matter, pushing for clemency against wrongly indicted women, and exposing sexual offenders for the world to see, online popularity and social media effects are detracting from real-life conversations, progress and success that would be exhibited in college culture today, all masked in the ideology of wokeness.

However, wokeness has been tested time and time again in the real infringement and harm of certain populations. When media influencers that we love say something against the most popular rhetoric, when we disagree within a marginalized community there is an urge to cast out these people and continue a paradigm of “wokeness”. It’s a hierarchal approach that detracts and limits our conversations on how to fix certain aspects within Black communities. It makes popularism and what is most agreed upon the agenda of engagement instead of encouraging difficult conversations within educational institutions. I am not advocating for limiting knowledge on the difficulties that minority and certain populations go through. Instead, I am advocating for the humanization of these groups. That they are victims of systemic oppressions but also that they can be limiting to their approach of engaging different dialogue across lines. And until we eliminate performative wokeness, we cannot grow our community affairs, detracting from our philosophy of growth and progress.

Surviving R. Kelly… You Knew And Said Nothing?

by with 4 Comments CultureFeatured

Surviving R. Kelly aired last week. A 6-part documentary that shook the country and had everyone talking. The details shared in the documentary were tragic, infuriating, and triggering from many victims of sexual abuse… physical, sexual, and mental abuse, isolationism, starving, total control, and complete brainwashing. Whether the documentary was good is up for debate, but it did allow these victims and survivors to tell their story, and that is and should be the most important takeaway. 

Let’s assume everyone has heard of his predatory and sexual abuse allegations over the years. But when he surprisingly beat his case, and released instant classics like Ignition (Remix) and Step in the Name of Love, many of us let go of the allegations in favor of his music catalog, which inevitably continued to fund his sickness. That’s a hard truth, because while the outrage from seeing the documentary is genuine, it’s 10-20 years too late, and because of it dozens if not hundreds of more young girls were likely abused. 

Black children, Black young women, deserve better… from society, and specifically everyone who was in contact with Robert Kelly and witnessed his behavior… from his managers, assistants, producers, label-mates, other artists, Sparkle, close friends, many of these girls parents who thought their daughter was the next Whitney Houston and despite knowing Robert’s past believed he could help their daughter reach stardom, everyone of-age who witnessed such behavior at parties and decided not to speak up, and so on… over 30 years, that list is long.

Numerous people in the documentary mentioned seeing or knowing of him visiting Kenwood High School as a grown man. You were cool with that? You knew he had a bed in the middle of his studio and witnessed young girls constantly around him and at the studio, some as young as 12-years-old, and you were cool with that? Yes, clearly you were because you continued to let it happen. Shame on you and your lack of morals and courage. 

Robert Kelly directly and indirectly fed and supported a lot of people through his ingenious music ability, and unfortunately, that was more important to them than the safety and protection of these girls. Even Sparkle, who witnessed his activity over decades including the slave-like treatment of his ex-wife Andrea Kelly, thought it was a good idea to introduce her niece to him in hopes of her making it big. Epic fail; she ended up being one of the victims filmed on the infamous sex-tape, excuse me child pornography, that was leaked and seen by millions.

They all deserve to go to jail. 

In a society where criminal injustice and institutional racism is evident at every corner, we must ask ourselves… if these girls were White, would Robert still be abusing girls today? Would he be a free man and up to last year still booking shows and writing music for other mainstream artists? 

Robert Kelly is apparently not doing too well financially. And movements of protest to stop his shows and digital streams are finally beginning to gain traction. 

While many are frustrated and searching for answers, some, on the other hand, are blaming the victims, giving excuses, and attempting to justify Robert Kelly’s nearly 30-year run of abusing minors. These girls weren’t fast nor were they chasing stardom and therefore deserved such abuse. They were taken advantage of by a predator and a lot of adults willingly let it happen. That simple. There are Robert Kelly’s all around us. If you know one, if you see one, or if you know a victim who might be in a similar situation, speak up and try to assist. There is no amount of money or friendship strong enough to allow the abuse of a minor.

The Delicate Art of Compromise

by with 4 Comments FeaturedGlobalPolitics

There are numerous parallels between the USA and Switzerland, a small country niched in the centre of the European continent. Both rely on federalism, both had to fight to gain or preserve their independence, and both have a huge number of weapons in circulation among the civil population. However, this is pretty much all there is to compare. Over the last couple of years, it has become obvious there is one characteristic these two nations do not share, and this is the art of compromise.

If Swiss citizens are allowed to keep their armed service rifle at home, it is strictly forbidden to own matching ammunition. Permits are delivered according to strict rules and security checks. Over the last 18 years, there have been very few mass shootings, resulting in less than 20 victims. However, army weapons tend to be used in suicides and when killing happens within the family or private circle. Swiss citizens rely very little on weapons when it comes to their own protection, but rather on private alarm systems and quick police intervention.

This peaceful approach to safety and crime is probably best mirrored in the political system and traditions of Switzerland. The seven members of the Conseil Fédéral (Federal Council) are elected by their party and each year, one of them is elected President. The major parties are usually represented according to a stable blend of political affiliation hence ensuring a balanced government. The Chambers are similarly constituted. Whereas the American campaign for presidency showcases the traditional battle between Republicans and Democrats, the Swiss live and swear by compromise. This is a very Swiss thing to disagree but go with the flow anyway. It does not mean each Swiss citizen is happy with the way things are, it is more a matter of submission to the supreme authority, the People, who regularly vote despite an obvious cultural, linguistic and social discrepancy.

Far from perfect, this system nevertheless allows people with different origins, languages, creeds and traditions to live quite peacefully together. Looking at what is happening to Switzerland’s neighbour France with the Yellow Vests Movement, or to the USA since the shutdown, it is only fair to wish they could function with compromise as well. This requires strong egos to back down and minor voices to rise, so they can meet halfway.

But the question remains, is it what powerful leaders are after? From the outside, it seems like the shutdown has nothing to do with the people, but embodies the personal and selfish victory –or defeat—one man will meet. Decisions need to be made, and what is at stake is not whether or not one man is right, but the wellbeing of thousands of people. Compared to the hundreds of migrants pouring into Europe, fleeing armed conflicts, famine and hopelessness, the USA cannot be fearing an invasion. As a nation of immigrants, who settled in the immensity of a country that already belonged to its Native peoples, the USA have a duty never to forget how they became to be.

Borders, walls, fences, and limits have probably always existed and today can still be admired as the stone ghosts of their builders’ will to protect themselves: the Great Wall of China, Hadrien’s Wall, Berlin’s Wall, or their ideological counterparts, the Iron Curtain, the Swiss Röstigraben* among others. Some know there is already a wall between the USA and Mexico, as depicted by the American writer T.C. Boyle in his 1995 novel “América”, the Tortilla Curtain rises between those who dream of a better future and those who seclude themselves in their gated communities to avoid contact with the invader. As the novel shows, the enemy is not always the stranger, and evil can grow its roots among the “rightful” ones.

No system, no regime, no government has ever been labeled perfect, but as the time comes, people can make a difference. As with children fighting over a toy, waiting for politicians to reach a compromise requires patience and understanding. But meanwhile, it requires people who work to receive the salary they deserve too. And this is why the art of compromise works in Switzerland: no one is left without a benefit. 

*Imaginary line separating French-speaking and German-speaking parts of Switzerland, alluding to a typical dish made of grated potatoes.