Deadly Drone Strike in Afghanistan Lead From False Promises

In early September, a U.S. drone struck a pine nut harvesting area in Afghanistan, killing 30 civilians and injuring 40 others after a letter was sent guaranteeing the people that their toughest laboring season would improve.

Image retrieved from Reuters.

Right before the pine-nut harvest season started in Afghanistan, the governor of the country's eastern Nangarhar province received a letter guaranteeing the people that they were going to recruit 200 laborers and children to help them pluck the dry fruit during the harvest. This letter came from villagers in the Wazir Tangi area and the purpose of it was to help protect the laborers from getting caught in between U.S.-backed Afghan forces and Islamic State fighters controlled by the jihadists.

Hours after the laborers worked in the fields, a drone struck the site, ruining their days of work and killing and injuring plenty of civilians. This violence shocked the locals because of how confident they were in the promises proposed by the letter. They participated in protests, carrying dead bodies to the provincial capital, Jalalabad, the day following the attack in hopes of the U.S. regretting their actions.

Although this drone strike destroyed harvesting and killed innocent lives, that was not the initial intention of the strike by the United States. The U.S. had the intention of destroying the hideouts of Islamic State fighters, not ruining pine-nut harvesting season.

This attack has not only increased the number of civilian casualties in Afghanistan, but has only added to the number of air strikes that the country has suffered from in the past, according to the U.N. Assistance Mission in Afghanistan.


Related Article:
Deadly Afghan Drone Strike

Facebook Faces Antitrust Investigation

One of the world's most used social media accounts, Facebook, faces an antitrust investigation by attorney generals from eight states, including the District of Columbia, according to Attorney General Letitia James.

Image retrieved from CNN Business.

The beauty of Facebook is that anyone and everyone can use it for free. You are able to download the app, post pictures, interact with people, develop a following, and engage in other's lives all behind a phone screen. The negative side of this is that even though Facebook is a free platform, the users are technically paying the site with their private information. Facebook has the right to use anyone's personal information and do whatever they want with it. In my opinion, the fact that Facebook practically owns my private information is a very scary thought.

In the last few years, Facebook and other popular search engines and social media platforms have faced legal issues when it comes to their advertising and privacy policies. The main point of this investigation is to dive deep into Facebook's impact on advertising prices, data, and consumer policy.

The eight states that are fighting against Facebook are Colorado, Florida, Iowa, Nebraska, North Carolina, Ohio, and Tennessee. The states have met with the Justice Department antitrust chief Makan Delrahim to discuss Big Tech in the beginning of this investigation. Other than Facebook, Google is receiving threats from the public on its privacy laws as well.

Many big tech companies are turning into monopolies instead of just staying as commonly used search engines or entertaining social media platforms. Time will tell what will happen to Facebook and other technology-based companies and how they will handle the antitrust investigations. With the opportunity to change its laws or risk big fines, Facebook users could go from friending each other to never using the site again.


Related Articles:
Facebook Antitrust
Google and Facebook

Significance of the U.S. Supreme Court

The Supreme Court is the most powerful judicial body on Earth, having nine justices: one Chief Justice and eight Associate Justices. Every outcome in a Supreme Court case is based on the 200-year-old Constitution and is able to rule any case as unconstitutional or not with the power resting on public faith. The justices solve national problems and is deliberate about reaching their decisions in private.

Image retrieved from the Washington Post.

The Court receives about 7,000 cases a year, but only about 100 of them get accepted. Most of the cases are submitted as a writ of certiorari, a file that is asking the Court permission to overlook the case. Each case is heard in the public, with lawyers on each side of the case given 30 minutes to make their arguments before the Court. Every justice can ask questions during the oral argument, acting like a conversation. Arguing before nine justices is difficult because each one has their own ideas. The lawyer has to find a way to present their ideas to appeal to nine different people, who most likely have different perspectives on most topics. 

Once the argument is presented before the Court, the justices gather in a conference room to vote on the case. If the justices decide to take the case, one of the justices on the majority side has to write an opinion explaining the legal reasons for the decision. Other than the majority opinion, any justice can write a separate opinion, either dissenting or concurring with the result. All of the opinion drafts are sent to all nine justices and revised for up to months at a time. Eventually, the revised opinions are sent to the press to notify the public of the action that has taken place. 

Overall, the Supreme Court plays a very significant role in the judicial system today. The workings of the Court have impacted history and will remain essential for the justice system in the future.


Related Videos:
Supreme Court Part 1
Supreme Court Part 2

Mastering the Art of Conversation and Why It Will Change Your Life

Imagine your sitting in a job interview and your new boss starts to have a conversation with you after the interview is over. Would you know how to talk? Would you maintain your professionalism? Would your responses be memorable?

People all across the world struggle with understanding the impact of conversation. Whether you are in the workplace, school, or even online, communication is everywhere. If failing to follow the proper procedures in conversation, it could make or break a business deal, result in an argument, end up in extremely awkward silence, etc. Here are some ways that everyone, even communication experts, can benefit from mastering the art of conversation.

Image retrieved from Getty Images.

1. Know Your Audience
In order to treat the person you are speaking to effectively and efficiently, you must get to know them. It is much easier to speak to someone once you know a few basic facts about them, cultural norms, and what they expect from you as a friend or colleague. You must give respect in order to receive respect.

2. Practice Nonverbal Communication
Majority of what someone says is interpreted through their physical cues, not through words. Crossing your arms, rolling your eyes, looking bored, slouching, all contribute to poor communication. Would you ever hire someone that seemed uninterested during the entire interview? Practice maintaining eye contact, smiling, and good posture the next time you are talking to someone.

3. Ask for Honest Feedback
Recite and answer interview questions, practice presenting in front of your friends, pretend like you are doing the real deal. Ask your friends, family, and strangers their honest opinion. Getting constructive criticism will only help you improve having conversation in your day to day life.

4. Be a Listener
In order to speak correctly, you need to listen correctly. A conversation will go no where if all you did was listen to yourself talk. You need to understand the other person's point of view, problems, and ideas. Being a good listener will result in stronger relationships as well.

5. Be Memorable
Talk to people in meaningful ways. Be passionate about the topic, idea, or product you are trying to pitch. When you want to talk to someone, show that you are making them a priority in your life. Practicing this skill will leave people coming back to you and will only make you a stronger communicator.


Mastering these steps will result in clear and effective communication. Explicit communication only makes strong communicators. The next time your new boss starts a conversation with you, understand what he's saying, practice nonverbal skills, listen, and make it memorable. Go after a good conversation like a million dollars. It may sound hard, but you could make millions overnight.



Related Articles:
More Real Talk, More Real Money
Ways to Improve Your Communication Skills