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Let’s Go Brandon!

By Aleksey Bashtavenko Academic Composition Once upon a time, in the midst of the postmodern haze that had descended upon society, lived Don Smith, a frail and terminally ill octogenarian who bore an uncanny resemblance to Joe Biden in stature, eye color, gait, and even style of dress. […]

Macondo in Europe

By Aleksey Bashtavenko Academic Composition When one thinks of the setting of Gabriel Garcia Marquez’s “100 years of solitude”, Macondo, the first thing that comes to mind is a remote village in the tropics, far removed from the modern world and has been ruled by a military dictatorship […]

Herman Is Unlearning to Speak

By Aleksey Bashtavenko Academic Composition Herman’s life took another profound turn when he delved into the writings of Leslie Feinberg, guided by his transgender English professor. Immersed in Feinberg’s words, he gained a deep understanding of the struggles faced by gender-fluid individuals, and this knowledge opened his eyes […]

Ukraine: a Case Study in ATS anarchism

By Aleksey Bashtavenko Academic Composition Ukraine’s transition from a former member of the USSR with a command economy to a chaotic market economy has been a challenging and transformative journey. Under President Leonid Kravchuk’s leadership, Ukraine embarked on the path toward a market-oriented system. However, the 1990s proved […]

Calvinism in American Schools

By Aleksey Bashtavenko Academic Composition  Calvinism’s influence on the American education system is evident in various ways. The Calvinists believed in the moral duty to engage in productive activities, as they often quoted the phrase “idle mind is the devil’s playground” to defend their lifestyle choice. This ideology […]

Russia’s Autumn of the Patriarch

By Aleksey Bashtavenko Academic Composition Vladimir Putin’s long and controversial tenure as the President of Russia has sparked countless comparisons to the thought-provoking themes explored in Gabriel Garcia Marquez’s masterpiece, “Autumn of the Patriarch.” In this essay, we will delve into the remarkable similarities between Putin’s 24-year reign […]

Herman’s Silent Struggles

By Aleksey Bashtavenko Academic Composition  Herman gazed out of his bedroom window, his thoughts consumed by the conflicts that raged within him. His life had become a series of silent battles, waged within the depths of his mind. The weight of societal expectations, the dissonance between his own […]

Herman’s Thanksgiving Dinner

By Aleksey Bashtavenko Academic Composition Herman’s life began in a well-to-do family in Arlington, Virginia. His father, a successful lobbyist, and his mother, a devoted attorney, held strong beliefs about racial justice in America. Despite their privileged lifestyle, they were determined to ensure their son’s success. However, from […]

Herman meets Leslie Feinberg

By Aleksey Bashtavenko Academic Composition Herman’s life began in a well-to-do family in Arlington, Virginia. His father, a successful lobbyist, and his mother, a devoted attorney, held strong beliefs about racial justice in America. Despite their privileged lifestyle, they were determined to ensure their son’s success. However, from […]

Herman’s Metamorphosis

By Aleksey Bashtavenko Academic Composition Herman’s life began in a well-to-do family in Arlington, Virginia. His father, a successful lobbyist, and his mother, a devoted attorney, held strong beliefs about racial justice in America. Despite their privileged lifestyle, they were determined to ensure their son’s success. However, from […]

The tragedy of Herman at Brown University

By Aleksey Bashtavenko Academic Composition Herman’s life began in a well-to-do family in Arlington, Virginia. His father, a successful lobbyist, and his mother, a devoted attorney, held strong beliefs about racial justice in America. Despite their privileged lifestyle, they were determined to ensure their son’s success. However, from […]

What Japan’s technological progress tells us about our future

Aleksey Bashtavenko  Academic Composition Reflecting on Japan’s technological progress reveals significant social implications that warrant careful consideration. Japan’s aging population, with millions of elderly individuals dying alone, and the presence of specialized cleaning companies that handle their apartments after their passing, highlight the potential consequences of social isolation. […]

The difference between US and Brazil

By Aleksey Bashtavenko Academic Composition In his book “The Right to Heresy,” Stefan Zweig delves into an investigation of John Calvin’s establishment of a theocracy in Geneva. Zweig explores how Calvin propagated an austere way of life and imposed rigid religious restrictions, which came to define the Calvinist […]

Boomer discovers Rio

By Aleksey Bashtavenko Academic Composition   Once a typical American expat named Steven, now a resident of Brazil, found solace and a sense of belonging in the vibrant city of Rio de Janeiro. At the age of 65, Steven stood tall at 6’2″, his thin frame accentuated by […]

Angel at war with Holland

By Aleksey Bashtavenko Academic Composition   In the quaint town of Villa Perdida, nestled in the heart of Andalusia, there lived a man named Angel. It was the year 1590, during the height of the Eighty Years’ War between Spain and Holland. Angel found himself working as a […]

Angel at war with Napoleon

By Aleksey Bashtavenko Academic Composition In the quaint town of Villa Perdida, nestled in the heart of Andalusia, there lived a man named Angel. With his rotund figure, glasses perched on his nose, and a voice that carried the weight of centuries, Angel was a peculiar figure. He […]

The Protestant Ethic and Segregation in America

By Aleksey Bashtavenko Academic Composition Max Weber’s concept of the Protestant Ethic, particularly the Calvinist belief in predestination, provides a framework for understanding how Americans have historically embraced segregation and continue to experience voluntary separation along ethnic lines. While Weber’s analysis primarily focused on the spiritual and economic […]

In Search for Fool’s Gold

By Aleksey Bashtavenko Academic Composition  From Kindergarten to High School, America’s youngsters are taught that education is the key to success in life. The underlying explanation is simple and straight-forward. In order to land a high-paying job, you must be able to think critically and display a good […]

Why Taxation Should be Voluntary

By Aleksey Bashtavenko Academic Composition Republicans and Democrats disagree about the role that the government should play in providing social services. The former insists that it should be smaller and intervene less in the economy. In contradistinction, the latter maintains that the public interest would be better served […]