'We're seeing that global conversation play out in real time'
Opinion, comment and editorials of the day


'Hollywood doesn't need tariffs. It needs investment'
Felipe Patterson at Newsweek
Trump's tariffs "won't revive the film industry, they'll hasten its downfall," says Felipe Patterson. Hollywood "isn't just an American enterprise anymore." It's an "intricate, interdependent ecosystem that thrives on global exchange — financially, creatively, and logistically." A "100% tax on foreign-made films wouldn't just be economically shortsighted — it would undercut the very collaborative spirit that's kept Hollywood relevant." If the "goal is to rejuvenate American filmmaking, there's a better way forward." In "short: build the industry and incentivize it."
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'What Netflix's "Adolescence" misses about girl-centered violence prevention'
Ann Muno at the Chicago Tribune
Netflix's "Adolescence" joins a "growing trend of true crime entertainment obsessing over perpetrators while rendering victims nearly invisible," says Ann Muno. The "series misses half the story — the murdered girl's." By "neglecting her perspective, it fails to shine a light on the prevention work that could have saved her life." Our "culture's fascination with male violence consistently overshadows the experiences of female victims and their families." We "exhaustively analyze killers while treating victims as plot devices."
'It's time for America to walk away completely from Ukraine-Russia'
Anthony J. Constantini at The American Conservative
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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has "put himself in an impossible situation: Accepting the loss of about 20% of Ukraine's territory would effectively end his political career," says Anthony J. Constantini. Trump is "not responsible for Zelenskyy having put himself in such a difficult political position." It is "abundantly clear that neither side is interested in truly ending the war." It's "time to walk away entirely so long as Russia and Ukraine remain unable to compromise and articulate a mutually acceptable vision."
'How the rich and powerful destroyed free speech'
Eric Reinhart at The Nation
Billionaires have "turned appeals to free speech into a tool for consolidating power, masking their expanding control over politics," says Eric Reinhart. They have "slowly bought control" of a "broad array of key civic institutions" like news media and elite universities. Free speech is "often framed as a universal good and an inalienable democratic right." But "concepts do not simply exist." We "must look past debates about what free speech means and instead examine what free speech discourse currently does."
Justin Klawans has worked as a staff writer at The Week since 2022. He began his career covering local news before joining Newsweek as a breaking news reporter, where he wrote about politics, national and global affairs, business, crime, sports, film, television and other news. Justin has also freelanced for outlets including Collider and United Press International.
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