The Student Voice of Fordham Lincoln Center

The Observer

The Student Voice of Fordham Lincoln Center

The Observer

The Student Voice of Fordham Lincoln Center

The Observer

PATRICK RIZZI

PATRICK RIZZI, Staff Writer

Patrick Rizzi is a Fordham College at Lincoln Center senior. He is majoring in international studies and Spanish. Patrick generally writes for the opinions section on events of political and/or global significance.

All content by PATRICK RIZZI
flowers laid at a memorial to Sarah Everard in Sheffield

The Vigil of Sarah Everard

March 20, 2021
This past Saturday, hundreds of people congregated in a park to honor the life of Sarah Everard, 33, who was kidnapped and allegedly killed by an active police officer.
for an article about the biden american rescue plan, a photo of the capitol building

Biden’s American Rescue Plan Is Crucial for the Country’s Recovery

March 3, 2021
Congress must pass the American Rescue Plan to help control the pandemic, assist working families and work toward post-pandemic recovery.
Biden steps off of Marine One while saluting the soldiers

A Blueprint for Biden

December 18, 2020
He will face perhaps the most complex set of challenges faced by a president in modern history upon inauguration to the office.
voters standing in front of an early polling place near a red and blue sign that says  early voting site here

The Societal Benefits of Early Voting

October 28, 2020
While early voting may be politicized this year, it will be a useful instrument in any democracy long after this pandemic abates.
trump and biden each at a microphone, who engaged in a debate on Sept. 29

Everything That Went Wrong With the First Presidential Debate and How We Can Fix It

October 7, 2020
With the number of problems facing America at the moment, we need more and shorter sections in future presidential debates. Even more pressing is the inherent need to promote facts and the truth during presidential debates.
A doctor holding a needle with a vaccine

A Blueprint for Equitable Vaccine Distribution

September 16, 2020
It will take a truly global effort to end the pandemic, and not all countries will be able to participate as fully as others in such an effort.
Jesuit Refugee Service in Latin America

Latin America: The New Epicenter of COVID-19

July 8, 2020
As the novel coronavirus pandemic wanes in some previously hard-hit areas like New York City and New Orleans, Latin America is becoming the new epicenter of this deadly pandemic.
Spanish Minister of Home Affairs

The Post-COVID-19 Future of Europe

May 20, 2020
There will be many long-lingering effects of the COVID-19 crisis on the world, but one of the most impactful is the way it will influence international politics.
A chocolate production line remains motionless just days before Easter. The small business was forced to lay off half
of its factory employees this past month. Small business employees like these must be the priority of government relief.

Can the Global Economy Recover from COVID-19?

April 14, 2020
It will be a difficult balancing act supporting small businesses while protecting public safety, but governments around the world should focus on small business relief in their primary economic recovery packages to try to alleviate some of the unprecedented disruption from the coronavirus.
La Moneda Palace, the seat of the President of the Republic of Chile

Income Inequality Meets Climate Change: The Defining Global Issue of 2020?

February 11, 2020
While good governance should promote the social safety net, access to decent-paying jobs will be necessary to ensure financial stability in the long run of lower- and lower-middle-income individuals.
Since the rise of Viktor Orbán, a swell of nationalism has eroded democracy.

Hungary’s Democratic Decline Showcases Worrying Trends

January 22, 2020
Illiberalism is an increasingly prevalent political philosophy in much of the world today. Even the use of the term “illiberal democracy” is problematic, because democratic institutions begin to degrade if they become illiberal.
During the recent Hong Kong protests, the NBA had to choose between free speech and profit from Chinese contracts. Can you guess what they chose?

The Anatomy of Corporate Appeasement to China

November 13, 2019
The NBA wants to reach a larger audience in China due to the popularity of basketball in the country, but as a result, the league has been recently criticized for allegedly caving to China’s anti-democratic tendencies.
Senator Kamala Harris (left) and Mayor Pete Buttigieg (right) have both suffered in the polls as of late.

‘Summer Slumps’ Plague Buttigieg and Harris

October 2, 2019
Both Harris and Buttigieg started remarkably strong out of the gate during the winter and spring of 2019. Yet as the temperatures outside started to heat up, their campaign momentum started to cool down.
We can only hope that Venezuela will be influenced by the greater international community to a more peaceful, prosperous and democratic path forward in the near future.

No Easy Answers in Venezuela’s Humanitarian Nightmare

July 18, 2019
If Venezuela wants a chance at economic recovery, it will still have many difficult steps even after the incredibly hard task of restoring basic necessities.
Robby Mook visited Fordham University earlier this year.

Robby Mook and the Future of American Politics

April 30, 2019
Democrats are less than a year out from the heart of the 2020 primary election, and many left-leaning voters are somewhat confused about how we will get there. With an intimidating number of candidates in the field, and new ones seemingly announcing every day, the state of the primary already feels intimidating and exhausting.
A latte is going to have to happen to make him president.

Schultz 2020: Tall Order, Grande Problem

February 19, 2019
Former Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz shocked the U.S. political world with his recently expressed interest in running for president in 2020 as a “centrist Independent.” He argues that the two-party system is irreparably broken, pointing to both the damage Trump has caused to the country while in office as well as his fear that the Democratic Party may be moving too far to the left.
2020 Vision

2020 Vision

February 6, 2019
While we are much too early in the process to accurately predict how primaries will go, we can point to some interesting analysis as to how this already-crowded primary will proceed.
One in ten TSA workers called in sick on Jan. 12 2019.

Is The Wall Really the Hill Republicans Want to Die On?

January 23, 2019
The government shutdown began at midnight on Dec. 22, 2018. Sadly, there is no end in sight of the partisan trench warfare that got us here.
Bob Perez, chairman of the Democratic National Committee, must have been utterly whelmed by midterm election results.

What Democrats Can Learn from the Midterms

November 18, 2018
But where does the party go from here, and is the Democratic Party still on the right track to take back the White House in 2020? The two-word answer to these crucial questions: It’s complicated.
Those interested in understanding the effects of the midterm elections should look to  my home state, Virginia (VIA WIKIMEDIA COMMONS).

Where is Ground Zero for a Possible Blue Wave?

November 7, 2018

If the Democrats are to retain control of the House of Representatives and the Senate on Nov. 6, they will have to appeal to diverse constituencies all over the country. Voting habits of individual congressional...

Bolsonaro promises an end  to crime in Brazil, and Brazilians may be ready to welcome it by any means necessary (JANINE MORAES/CHAMBER OF DEPUTIES OF BRAZIL VIA WIKIMEDIA COMMONS)

Brazil Presidential Elections Reactionary, Concerning

October 10, 2018
With his divisive style and general lack of details to his campaign platform, Bolsonaro has sometimes been considered the Latin American version of Donald Trump.
Bob Perez, chairman of the Democratic National Committee, must have been utterly whelmed by midterm election results.

Will a Decentralized Midterm Strategy Work for Democrats?

September 26, 2018
With candidates that run the gamut from centrists like Conor Lamb in Pennsylvania to card-carrying Democratic Socialists of America members like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, the ideological gap between any two Democratic candidates can sometimes be massive.
With round-the-clock appearances on cable television and enough conflicting legal theories given on such programs to make a seasoned political analyst’s head spin, it’s unclear how much Giuliani thinks before he speaks. (DonkeyHotey VIA FLICKR)

How Rudy Giuliani Deceives the American People

September 12, 2018
With round-the-clock appearances on cable television and enough conflicting legal theories given on such programs to make a seasoned political analyst’s head spin, it’s unclear how much Giuliani thinks before he speaks.
The U.S. must make strides to keep Bashar al-Assad in check.

Syria: The Global Conflict of Our Time

May 9, 2018
What can the United States do to improve the appalling situation in Syria today?
Though Trumps trade platform is based in winning, Americans win with a more careful approach. (Gage Skidmore VIA FLICKR)

Free Trade and Equitable Trade Are Not Mutually Exclusive

April 18, 2018
According to Trump, not only do we need to “win” at trade, but other countries need to “lose” to project a psychological image of toughness and strength. This mentality could not be further from the truth.
Sean Hannity is often criticized for his alleged pro-Trump bias. (GAGE SKIDMORE VIA FLICKR)

President Trump and Fox News: A Dangerous Love Story

March 14, 2018
In many ways, Fox’s biased and sometime scorched-earth coverage helped us ease into the divisive and often surreal political era Americans live in today.
Steve Bannon has had an unexpectedly high impact on establishment Republicans.

Bannon Fodder

February 15, 2018
Despite the constant scandals and embarrassments from the Trump White House, Steve Bannon is the largest existential threat to the GOP as it is known today.
Phil Murphy (D-NJ) won the gubernatorial election this past November. (COURTESY OF WIKIPEDIA COMMONS)

Make the Democrats Win Again

December 9, 2017
After a bruising defeat in the 2016 presidential election to the most unpopular presidential candidate potentially ever, the Democratic Party is now faced with the arduous task of rebranding and rebuilding itself from the bottom up.
North Korea has been ruled since its inception in 1948 by the Kim dynasty, beginning with Kim Il-sung, whose likeness is depicted in this statue. (ROMAN HARAK VIA FLICKR)

The Smart, Global and Diplomatic Way to Deal with North Korea

November 16, 2017

The United States has recently been in a war of words with North Korea over increasingly erratic behavior from the rogue nation’s leader, Kim Jong-un, and the nation’s desire to create a nuclear weapon...

The United States Senate is working on repealing and replacing Obamacare, but it has been a difficult process. (PIERRE METIVIER VIA FLICKR)

How to Improve the Affordable Care Act

October 26, 2017

If one were to step into a time machine and venture back to the United States Congress of two, three or four decades ago, they would find a drastically different political climate on all issues. However,...

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