Simon's Blog

After landing in Hanoi, I took a taxi to my hotel through traffic that never seemed to quit. Scooters and cars wove through the streets in a chaotic yet synchronized melody. When I asked a local for advice on crossing the street, he suggested raising my hand to signal drivers. I tried observing this technique, but it appeared to have little effect. Ultimately, I realized the only way through the madness is to breathe, keep walking, and trust you'll reach the other side.   The scale of the country surprised me. Exploring Northern Vietnam, I encountered rolling hills, green valleys, and more buffalo than I could count. The local communities there are quite dependent on tourism, and I was frequently approached by vendors during my two-day stay. While it was initially difficult to find meals beyond the standard chicken or pork dishes, a bit of exploring and some help from Google led me to several healthy alternatives. I even found the occasional Bánh Mì shop serving tofu and vegetable...

In a remote village lived a girl called Pretty Maid Ibronka. Though she was the most beautiful girl in the valley, she had no sweetheart. While her sisters sewed, surrounded by admirers, Ibronka sat alone. One night, in a fit of loneliness, she cried out, "If only I had a lover! I wouldn't care if he were the devil himself." After midnight, the door swung open. A handsome stranger entered, smiling at the company before sitting beside Ibronka. He was charming, yet when Ibronka dropped her bobbin and reached to retrieve it, her fingers brushed something hard and cleft. Startled, she pulled back, but the man calmly scooped up the tool and returned it with a smile. Dismissing her fear as a mistake, she allowed him to embrace her when he left. Troubled the next morning, Ibronka sought the village wise woman. "To find the truth," the woman advised, "attach a spool of thread to his cloak as he leaves. Follow it."  That night, Ibronka followed the silver tra...

The concept of Universal Basic Income (UBI) may seem like a modern invention, but its roots stretch back to 1795. At that time, Thomas Paine proposed a “national fund” to pay every adult—rich and poor alike—the sum of £10 annually until the age of 50. Paine argued that the Earth is common property; therefore, anyone "dispossessed by the system of property ownership" is entitled to compensation. This historical perspective is echoed by Dr. Neil Howard, a researcher at the University of Bath. Howard suggests that UBI provides a necessary safety net, agreeing with Paine that the redistribution of privatized resources is inherently just. “The wealth of humanity belongs to all of us,” Howard argues. “It has been appropriated by the few, which leads others to struggle unnecessarily.” In his essay Agrarian Justice, Paine outlined concrete reforms to abolish poverty, including a "Universal Social Insurance System" (USIS) that provided old-age pensions and disability suppor...

For centuries, we have lived under an illusion. We struggle to see through a social construct created long ago regarding the relationship between men and women—a narrative rooted in the teachings of figures like Martin Luther, who claimed "women should stay at home and look after the affairs of the house," and John Calvin, who echoed that a "woman's place is in the home." Most Protestant traditions upheld these restrictions, barring women from leadership. But where did this bias begin, and why do we continue to cling to it? Unsurprisingly, these ideas stem from ancient religious texts and, more importantly, men’s narrow interpretations of them. Traditional interpretations of verses like Genesis 3:16, which suggests a husband shall have "dominion" over his wife, or 1 Timothy 2:12, which commands women to "remain quiet" in church, have codified a specific worldview. Colossians 3:18 further instructs wives to "submit" to their husban...

The Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) is an American professional basketball league currently consisting of 12 teams. Founded in 1996 as the counterpart to the National Basketball Association (NBA), it remains the only league to ever receive the NBA's full backing. However, the league struggled to compete with the men’s game for viewership. Due to lower public interest, attendance and broadcast ratings consistently lagged, leading to significant financial hurdles. Over the last two decades, the NBA has subsidized the WNBA with over $10 million annually to maintain its solvency, as individual teams frequently faced yearly losses of $1 million to $2 million. A primary point of contention and public discourse has been the stark income inequality within the sport. High-profile players like Brittney Griner, Breanna Stewart, and Maya Moore have been vocal advocates for pay equity. Under the 2008 six-year Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), the salary cap for an enti...

I support neither the US intervention in Venezuela nor the military posturing against Iran. While both actions may be legally defended under Article 2 of the US Constitution and Article 51 of the UN Charter, they ultimately continue a historical pattern of interventionism that primarily benefits those with wealth and power. The UN Charter also explicitly commits the organization to "employ international machinery for the promotion of the economic and social advancement of all peoples." This is reinforced by the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), where Goal 1 to "end poverty in all its forms everywhere." Within the Charter, poverty is treated not merely as a humanitarian concern, but as a fundamental security issue. The document’s core logic is clear: lasting world peace is impossible as long as populations live in economic instability and "want." If safety, security, and stability are truly the priorities, I would be more inclined to support such...

My mother’s favorite birds have always been parrots and hummingbirds. Since her childhood, she has been fascinated by them—particularly the hummingbird, whose speed and agility seem to defy the very laws of physics. During our last conversation, she encouraged me to explore the "crazy uniqueness" of these creatures. I promised her I would dive into their magic, though I warned her that any attempt to truly capture their brilliance would likely fall short. As I began my research, I discovered a creation myth from the Hopi and Zuni tribes. The story follows a brother and sister struggling through a period of drought and famine. To entertain his sister, the brother carves a bird out of wood; when the girl tosses the carving into the air, it springs to life as a hummingbird. The bird then flies to the God of Fertility to beg for rain. Its request is granted, the rains return, and the crops begin to flourish once again. On a biological level, hummingbirds are marvels of efficien...

Across the globe, a growing movement is seeking alternative forms of governance to sustain communities economically, politically, and socially. Many feel we have become submissive to—and dependent on—governments, corporations, and institutions, effectively surrendering the autonomy we once embraced. Today, we work longer hours while seeing fewer of the fruits of our labor; instead, much of our effort is diverted to increasing the wealth of a small minority. In many ways, we have become beholden to a system that prioritizes capital over human well-being. To address this, we must either fundamentally modify the current system or design an entirely new one. A concept gaining significant traction is the Solidarity Economy (SE). The SE refers to a range of economic activities that prioritize social profitability over financial gain. At its heart, this model emphasizes participatory governance and collective decision-making, empowering communities to transform themselves from the ground up...