PEP ISSUE
JUN 30 2021
M A G A Z I N E / W O R L D
FOR YOUTH
005
E D I T I O N
POLITICS/ECONOMICS/ PHILOSOPHY
message from our FOUNDER
We live in a gendered world, and I grew up in a gendered household. When I was young, I liked to paint. I would go out and buy construction paper, and take the okra from my fridge and cut it into tiny pieces, dip it in paint and make polka dots for my parents. It would have been fine if I was a girl, but since I was a boy, the conversations usually began with - “Nice, but polka dots are a girls-only thing.” At the beginning of quarantine, as I saw the wave of social reform around me, I realized that I too needed to fight for what's right; and when I began this war, I knew I was not fighting alone. PEP Magazine began as a way for me to change the social fabric and way of thinking. It was a part of my war against the gendered norms of society because when I became interested in the social sciences, I never saw someone like me in this field. I never saw a queer individual take action and become a guiding force. I never saw a POC come upfront and speak out publicly. Sure, there were a few here and there, but not enough to make me feel that I belonged, not enough so I could see myself working in this area. PEP is the first ever social sciences magazine that is gender androgynous. This means that there is no longer pink for girls and blue for boys, but instead a rainbow for everyone. We are also a racially representative magazine that includes POC in every single issue, and we help POC students see themselves in the social sciences. However, representation for just POC and the LGBTQ+ community is not enough. It is important that this representation reaches people regardless of their ability. Thus, we provide our magazine in the 6 official UN languages, and also provide audiobooks. So far, we have reached 100,000 readers through school partnerships and are expanding day by day. More than anything, PEP is my way of saying, “who cares what society thinks?” I am a queer person of color who is interested in the social sciences, and guess what? My cover page is filled with polka dots.
new partner
AFRICAN UNION WATCH
PEP magazine is proud to announce its partnership with the African Union Watch, The organization will be giving PEP magazine the opportunity to distribute the content across the African Union member states and will be reaching an audience of 60,000 students. The AU Watch monitors the deliberations, decisions, activities and performance of the AU and AU Member States by the standard of the Constitutive Act and the standards of the legal instruments of its various institutions. It challenges and holds to account the AU and States Parties to the Constitutive Act to live up to the standards and ideals they have set for themselves. The AU watch works with the African Union, AUMS, other CSOs, international organizations, local, regional and international media, local people to understand the key issues which affect their lives and to ensure their voices are heard locally, nationally and internationally. Our work is underpinned by our understanding of these issues and their importance in building lasting peace.
our directors
Trisha Murali Director of Editing
Divyanjali Raskonda Director of Sponsors
Veronica Hester Director of Philosophy
Anikait Chakroborty Director of Editing
Hiba Laziri Director of Economics
Nathan Kim Director of Philosophy
Mishal Khan Director of Internal Affairs
Elliot Liu Director of Economics
Jussa Kudherezera Director of Outreach
TNETNOC FO ELBA
CAPITALISM - GOOD OR BAD?
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by Janki Salokhe
HOW THE GLASS CEILING PHILOSOPHY HAS BEEN APPLICABLE TO AMERICAN SOCIETY by Mishal Khan
AMERICA’S MINIMUM WAGE EPIDEMIC by Samiyah Siddiqui
CONTROVERSIES SURROUNDING COVID19 UNEMPLOYMENT RELIEF PROGRAMS by Mishal Khan
IDOLIZATION OF POLITICIANS IN AMERICAN SOCIETY by Aimal Naveed
TEXAS SENATE PASSES BILL REMOVING THE TEACHING REQUIREMENT OF THE KKK by Hafsah Amjad
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PHILOSOPHY
Capitalism - Good or Bad? by: Janki Salokhe What is Capitalism?
Capitalism is an economic and political system in which a country's trade and industry are controlled by private owners for profit, rather than by the state. In simple words, capitalism is a system where people are on their own - each man for themselves. The most basic form of capitalism is called “Laissez-Faire Capitalism” more commonly known as a “free market”. In this form of capitalism, there are no restrictions, people can invest, sell, and price products however they choose. However, this form of capitalism would quickly fail with no one to keep companies in check so most governments have a mixed capitalistic society with regulations. Some are mixed with socialism while others are mixed with communism.
Capitalism was founded on 6 important ideals - private property, selfinterest, competition, a market mechanism, freedom to choose, and limited role of the government. Private property - property owned by private properties, essentially everything other than the government. This allows people to own things like land & stocks. Self-interest - the ability to act on one's own needs and desires. This allows for the invention of many different products as well as allows people to create whatever they want without pressure. Competition, which maximizes social welfare and is the most obvious part of capitalism seen by everyone. Market Mechanism - a way in which companies determine prices based on trends seen between buyers and sellers. This allows companies to see how they can make the most profit. Freedom to choose, which allows consumers to try different things as well as for companies to change their methods. Limited Government role, in capitalism the government works to protect people's rights and keep companies in check.
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PHILOSOPHY Most importantly capitalism functions on a motive to make a profit.
Advantages? Capitalism is efficient since the whole idea is to maximize profit. Companies often choose the fastest way to get things done which allows for supply to meet demand. Additionally, capitalism breeds innovation since people are going after profit they find solutions to modern-day problems. Another pro is that economic freedom leads to political freedom, if the government was in charge it could lead to a powerful state and that power could be used in the wrong way. Having the people in charge helps ensure that the government won't extend its limits.
Detriments? The most prevalent cons seen in capitalism are Monopoly power. A monopoly is when a specific person in a company is the only person selling a specific product, this means they can charge however much they want since there is no competition. Capitalism also creates a system where social benefit is ignored. Since capitalism drives on the ideal of each man for themselves it creates community where people only work to benefit themselves.
World Analysis? Capitalism creates a materialistic society since so many people are trying to profit off of the same things. Additionally, since companies want to make the most profit they turn to cheap labor in countries like China and Bangladesh. The workers in these places are quite literally chained to their desks and forced to work long hours without food or water. There is no way to escape and the risk of injury in these places is high. However at the end of the day, there are no better alternatives, so even with its negatives capitalism isn't going anywhere.
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PHILOSOPHY
How the Glass Ceiling Philosophy Has Been Applicable to American Society by: Mishal Khan
When American women were granted voting rights in 1920, the public was automatically put under the impression that al l gender inequalities had been diminished. However, the frequent creation of misogynistic laws, stereotypes, and workplace environments in our country that followed proved otherwise. The philosophical theory of “The Glass Ceiling”, has continued to exist beyond the publication of the 19th amendment, surfacing countless struggles for women throughout World War 2, The Great Depression, and up until the present.
The name of the Glass Ceiling Theory was derived from the idea that an unspoken rule or limit in all workplaces dictates that women can only rise up to a certain ranking in contrast to their male counterparts who complete the same quality work, yet attain higher positions. This theory was first introduced by Marilyn Loden during a panel discussion regarding the role of women within the workforce during 1987. After listening to both male and female panelists critique the average woman’s ability to carry themselves in a professional setting, Loden responded with the argument that the whole reason why most American women were unsuccessful in achieving leading roles within large corporations was because “The Glass Ceiling” present within all American workplaces prevented women from being taken seriously regardless of their skill sets. Loden made references to several personal
PHILOSOPHY experiences including her boss telling her to smile more often, an HR professional claiming that promoting women lowers the importance of high positions, and a promotion that was stolen by her male co-worker simply because her boss deduced that her co-worker needed the money more. These experiences with blatant misogyny and discrimination are not limited to Loden’s life, but rather, are a result of America’s long history of normalizing harassment within workplaces, unequal pay between genders, and stereotyping women as the less capable gender.
During World War 2, thousands of men had to leave their families behind and join the war effort. This left a mind-boggling number of open job positions, and it became increasingly difficult to fill them all as people left for the war at a rapid pace. As a result, companies ended up begging women to apply for jobs as hundreds of businesses were on the verge of perishing. Due to this, it is commonly believed that World War 2 was a time of great empowerment for American women. Still, what people fail to acknowledge is that these companies only intended to hire women temporarily as replacements for men working on the homefront. Many women forsaked education in the hopes of sustaining their household through work, only to see the Glass Ceiling theory in action, as they were gradually removed from the positions they worked so hard to attain upon the end of the war. According to the article published by Striking Women, “Most employers managed to circumvent the issue of equal pay, and women’s pay remained on average 53% of the pay of the men they replaced.” While not all women were fired, those who were able to maintain their positions were paid significantly less than the men working in the same professions. Without fear of any consequences, companies managed to evade any laws concerning equal pay; this further reveals how little the American government prioritized the income and professional success of women. Moreover, jobs which women were permitted to keep were i
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PHILOSOPHY nherently labeled as ‘women’s jobs’. This term was specifically used when referring to jobs that were known to not require a great level of skills or education. Due to this stereotype, women’s employment rates increased during the Great Depression because they were expected to fulfill roles that no one else wanted to take. Throughout The Great Depression, married women were heavily discouraged from working respectable jobs because it threatened the positions of males in society. According to the article, "Underpaid, But Employed: How the Great Depression Affected Working Women." by Jessica Pearce, an American journalist named Norman Cousins stated, “There are approximately 10,000,000 people out of work in the United States today. Simply fire the women, who shouldn't be working anyway, and hire the men”. What people like Norman Cousins failed to acknowledge is that women’s employment rates increased because they worked the jobs that were fundamentally believed to be ‘women’s work’. Furthermore, it’s clear that firing all women would not have been sufficient in gaining men jobs since the need for income and employment was not enough of a motivation for men to see these as respectable jobs.
Overall, both the mass firing of women during World War 2 and the tendency of women to fill up jobs not requiring higher education during the Great Depression are only two of the many instances in which the Glass Ceiling has hindered women from advancing professionally. Even in the present day, there are still many circumstances under which people are not presented with the same proffesional opportunities due to their sex, race, etc. This has created wage gaps between separate groups of people and divided the American community as a whole, creating a dangerous social structure that heavily challenges our country’s values of unity in the long run.
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ECONOMICS
America’s Minimum Wage Epidemic
by: Samiyah Siddiqui
People working full time minimum wage jobs can’t afford rent anywhere in the United States, the National Low Income Housing Coalition has found in a recent study. This report is just one of the many findings that points to the vulnerabilities of the American lower class in their inability to survive on the bare minimum -- especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. Perhaps it is better put as -- the government’s inability to provide for their people; expanding stimulus coverage, raising the minimum wage, and a whole host of other remedies that have yet to be fully enforced.
It’s not just that the minimum wage (determined by Congress) is struggling now during the pandemic to help support workers and their families - it’s struggled to keep up throughout recent history. In fact, the last time Congress amended the minimum wage was May 2007 -- when it changed to $7.25 an hour on July 24, 2009. The US legislative body has never let the federal minimum wage go on unchanged for this long before, marking the longest period in history without an increase. Inflation of currency erodes the buying power when minimum wage remains unchanged for any stretch of time. According to the Economic Policy Institute and the Fair Labor Standards Act as well as its amendments, the federal minimum wage is today now worth 17% less than it was 10 years ago - and 31% less than in 1968 (shown in the associated graphic).
It’s not just the minimum wage itself that has caused workers to struggle greatly but the grueling working conditions as well. Employers and employees may disagree, but one thing is infinitely clear: no amount of
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ECONOMICS money can fairly compensate for the hell that those in the food and service industries endure (the bulk of minimum wage occupations).
To illustrate this very point, nine employees at a Burger King in Lincoln, Nebraska left simultaneously -- “We all quit, sorry for the inconvenience”, the sign read. Employees leaving all at once points to an alarming, yet long-existing trend in minimum wage jobs: being undervalued and disrespected. One of the workers who quit at Burger King, Kylee Johnson, put it plainly: “We became essential, and then we weren’t treated as essential by upper management.” Johnson and others report that a worker was allegedly hospitalized with dehydration, and put to work under “borderline sweatshop conditions” for over eight hours without breaks. The impact of the reopenings of business after business in the United States amid a largely vaccinated population has had scores of workers leaving, finally expressing their anger and rightful resentment against the very managers that claim to care for them in company statements. Workers’ concerns are often pushed aside until it’s time for publicity, so many feel that enough is enough - and rightfully so.
During the COVID-19 crisis, workers in the service industry feel especially disregarded, not being seen as human beings providing much-needed labor for the economy. Instead, the management as well as society as a whole continues to take these workers for granted. Even prior to the pandemic, jokes about working at McDonald’s being seen as a sign of academic failure ran amuck or being a dropout working at any fast-food joint was mocked constantly.
The jokes, the devaluing of customers, the lack of fair monetary compensation in a timely manner, all of it stems from the bigger issues of classism and elitism. When the middle and upper classes benefit largely from the very same services that these minimum wage workers provide, yet they taunt them for providing it, the hypocrisy bleeds through. It’s our legislators but our peers as well who contribute to the vast epidemic of not only COVID affecting our economy, but the suffering of those who help make our bustling economy possible in the first place
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ECONOMICS
Controversies Surrounding Covid-19 Unemployment Relief Programs
by: Mishal Khan
The sudden spread of the coronavirus within America beginning in February 2020 has pushed millions of Americans out of work and left hundreds of businesses in financial crisis or complete bankruptcy. According to the U.S. Department of Labor Statistics, employment during February 2021 in America decreased by over 8 million from the employment rates recorded in February 2020. Moreover, minimum wage workers, immigrants, and Americans with lower levels of education have been affected the most, often getting laid-off or having to look for new employment opportunities due to employers closing down their businesses. In response, congress passed The Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act, better known as the CARES act, leading to former President Trump’s decision to officially sign the act on March 27th, 2020. This act offered over two-hundred billion dollars worth of
ECONOMICS unemployment insurance benefits through the following programs: Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation(PUC), Pandemic Unemployment Assistance(PUA), and Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation(PEUC). All three of these programs gave weekly financial supplements to Americans eligible for unemployment benefits, specifically aimed towards citizens unemployed for pandemic related reasons. The purpose of having three programs was to give people who did not meet eligibility for benefits in some programs, an opportunity to gain support from a different program as each program has varying guidelines.
While these financial programs may seem extremely generous from the government’s side as they are essentially giving “free” money to those who have lost their jobs, the CARES act is facing a lot of negative responses as well. One reason being that many American citizens are earning enough not to fall under the poverty line, yet still earning less than the self-sustainability line. Unfortunately, a large number of people who fall under this category continue not to receive the same unemployment benefits as gig workers or those who were laid off, already jobless, self-employed, etc. Due to this, underpaid workers who’ve had their meagre wages lowered even more due to the economic crash from the pandemic, were unable to receive financial support from the government despite struggling to make ends meet for basic necessities.A specific example of this can be seen in the graph shown. While Current Population Surveys recorded in 2019 show that Americans in positions such as cashiers, custodians, and other low-wage jobs were paid approximately $17 an hour, the graph shows that benefits given by unemployment insurance programs are generally over 20 percent greater than the wages earned by people who’ve worked underpaid jobs throughout this pandemic. With the cost of living becoming increasingly higher after another surge of inflation in the economy, the lack of reasonable wages for labor workers in larger corporations has led to a whole other issue revolving around unemployment benefits: temporary laid-off employees’ refusal to return back to business.
According to NBC News, available jobs have increased from a whopping 1 million between March and April 2021 as 9.3 million available jobs were recorded in April 2021. Despite the vast amount of opportunities, businesses
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ECONOMICS are struggling to fill in open positions. A variety of economic factors including domestic circumstances, the increase in the amount of self-employed Americans, and public health concerns may be causing the widespread resistance against returning back to the workforce. Even so, many political figures and businesses have been quick to point fingers at the weekly unemployment benefits offered by CARES. The whole reason why work being done by low-wage workers who’ve remained in their positions has become extremely valuable during the pandemic is because less people are willing to work minimum wage jobs when they can get similar, if not higher financial compensation through unemployment programs.
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POLITICS
Idolization of Politicians in American Society by Aimal Naveed
Whether it be your local mayor or the president himself, politicians are everywhere we look, embedded so deeply within our society that the average citizen would not stop to think twice about them. They’re accepted by the majority as superior beings, individuals who have power over us as they reside over their area of focus. And for that they are idolized, but at what cost?
We upsell their value way too much. Politicians exist merely to serve us. They are place holders in our ancient democratic system whom we trust to make the minor, and sometimes major, decisions for us. Despite their fancy titles and loftier status, however, they are still just people. Why are their lives given more importance than ours? And why is it that we treat them like celebrities?
They aren’t singers whose concerts we go to. They aren’t bands whose posters we hang on our walls. They aren’t actors whose work we admire and enjoy watching. They aren’t athletes whose games we look forward to.
They are public servants.
Everyone has seen those banners or flags people have on their front lawns advocating for a certain candidate. Particularly during the 2020 election, a stark contrast in political values was present between team Biden and team Trump -- it reached the point where you were judged by mere strangers based on who you were supporting.
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POLITICS But here is where a line is drawn. There is a big difference between agreeing with a politician’s political vision and devoting your entire life to them. It's like selling your soul to the devil, the way some politico have citizens wrapped around their fingers.
There has to be a limit established amongst American citizens as a whole in terms of the favor they show for politicians.
Let’s take a look at a particular tragedy that took place not so long ago, an event that will forever leave a lasting imprint in America: the storming of the U.S. Capitol building.
It was a Wednesday in the early days of 2021 when a large group of proTrump supporters protested againt Biden’s victory and rioted on the Capitol, leaving four people dead and several others injured. This came shortly after Trump himself urged his followers to fight against the “unfair” counting of votes.
These riots are a perfect example of the dangers politicians pose when they have an overly devoted campaign. Despite the utterly chaotic nature of trespassing upon political landmarks and threatening governmental figures, the rioters did it all without reverence for the consequences that would arise. People present within campaigns formed solely for one politician often end up carrying out dirty work, idolizing a person who otherwise would not even bother to acknowledge their presence.
This is precisely why we need to realign our morals to fit the role that is to be played by politicians. Presidents, legislators, mayors, governors, no matter how large or small a scale they are placed on, it is our duty as citizens to ensure that we do not devote our day to day actions based on every trifling word that comes out of their mouths.
The idolization of politicians in American society is a concept that has been around for ages, but as times change, these ideologies must follow suit.
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POLITICS
Texas Senate Passes Bill Removing the Teaching Requirement of the Ku Klux Klan by Hafsah Amjad
The recent passing of the Senate Bill 3 in Texas has raised a major controversy among the nation as the State Senate has declared the removal of the requirement for public school teachers to educate their students about the notorious Ku Klux Klan. The Senate Bill 3 made its way through the Republican - dominated Senate and passed 18 4 on Friday and is to become an official law this coming September. Along with the removal of the Ku Klux Klan, the Texas Senate also decided to remove other significant historical topics such as Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech, Susan B. Anthony's writings about the women's suffragist movement, and Native American history. This bill was seen as a recent follow up of House Bill 3979. The House Bill states that major civic documents revolving around major groups of people and their accomplishments should be taught amongst all public schools. It also clearly mentions that the “history of white supremacy” must be taught to students while highly emphasizing the numerous ways in which the white supremacists were morally wrong. With all of these points present in the House Bill, the Senate decided to remove them.
Bryan Hughes, a Republican State Senate, made a statement to Bloomberg Law explaining his belief of how a specific reading list of documents such as these don’t belong in law. He claimed that this would allow for teachers to not feel forced to discuss these “widely debated and currently controversial issues of public policy or social affairs.”
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POLITICS This newly created bill made by the Texas Senate now needs to be considered by the House. It’s currently being put on hold as a large group of House Members made their way to D.C. in order to protest a new voting bill that they deemed restrictive. With no news of when they plan to return, the people can only wait and see what is to come. Meanwhile, other states are currently debating or signing bills that are related to the limitations of certain teaching topics that they believe are connected to “critical race theory,”the academic study of racism’s pervasive impact. Among these government officials, the governor of Tennessee signed a bill banning the teaching of critical race theory in schools. Along with him, the governor of Georgia, Brian Kemp, mailed a letter to the state education board members emphasizing the need to “take immediate steps to ensure that Critical Race Theory and its dangerous ideology do not take root in our state standards or curriculum.”
On the other hand, The National Education Association and the National Council for the Social Studies along with thousands of citizens among the nation oppose these legislations that are clearly limiting what topics can be brought to attention within the walls of a classroom. Lawrence Paska, an executive director of the Council, made a statement saying that limitations created by the legislation “creates a very chilling atmosphere of distrust, educators not being able to be the professionals they are not only hired to be but are trained to be.”
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PEP Magazine Issue 005
