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Stephen L. Carter
For Stephen L. Carter's latest contributions to The Japan Times, see below:
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Jun 14, 2023
How Trump’s indictment compares to other Espionage Act cases
The former president"s defenders are right that his federal indictment is unusual, but his behavior helps distinguish it from most of the precedents.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Apr 20, 2023
Fox-Dominion settlement shows the costs of pandering to the crowd
In the rush to show whose side you’re on, it’s gotten too easy to trample on the facts when reporting news, such as with Fox"s 2020 election coverage.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Jan 25, 2023
‘Woke’ is a political term with a long and complicated history
The idea of wokeism has been used by both Black and White Americans to fight injustice since the early 1900s.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Dec 22, 2021
Yes, vote-buying is illegal. But why?
A public promise of cash payments to a large number of voters isnu2019t illegal; a private promise of money is.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Aug 12, 2021
Does Scarlett Johansson have a case against Disney?
The movie star claims that Disney breached her contract when it released "Black Widowu201d simultaneously in movie theaters and on the Disney+ streaming service.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Aug 6, 2021
In defense of ‘misinformation’
The sight of powerful politicians and business leaders joining in a campaign to chase misinformation from public debate conjures up vicious images of ideological overreach.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Jul 9, 2021
A book you remember, a Kindle you forget
When reading on a digital device, the fear is that the loss of mental effort will lead to a loss in overall thoughtfulness.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
May 3, 2021
The trust gap between winning and losing sides in elections
A gap between the winning and losing sidesu2019 willingness to accept the outcome of a presidential contest is nothing new.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Nov 3, 2020
What are the odds of a disputed U.S. election? Pretty high.
Whatever goes wrong u2014 and chances are something will u2014 we will likely be having an argument over the vote count.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Nov 2, 2020
Democracy dies when Facebook and Twitter define the truth
Democrats and Republicans alike missed the point on Wednesday when members of the Senate Commerce Committee had their last chance before the election to grill the CEOs of Facebook, Twitter, and Google. With the GOP on the hunt for partisan bias and the Democrats urging greater efforts to reduce misinformation, both sides ignored some fundamental principles of democracy.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Sep 26, 2020
How COVID-19 is killing good manners
With social distancing now part of everyday life, simple actions like shaking hands may be consigned to history.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Jul 21, 2020
What’s in a name? NFL team’s decision should make us ask
The fight over naming u2014 whether it's a sports team or a country music band u2014 is really a fight about power.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Mar 24, 2020
The ethics of shopping in a pandemic
We have to make choices about what to take, leave and ask others to get for us.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Mar 17, 2020
Classrooms become the latest COVID-19 casualty
Online learning u2014 a wonderful workaround during a contagion u2014 is an educational experiment in a world where teachers are no longer considered authority figures.
COMMENTARY / World
Feb 1, 2020
Could robots whip up the perfect pizza?
The smartest people in the world are working hard to automate the much-loved meal.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Dec 31, 2019
Fifteen predictions for the new year
The U.S. presidential election will end in a tie and other educated guesses.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Dec 10, 2019
Stop with the gifting and just give
The most wonderful time of the year has developed an irritating verbal tic.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Nov 4, 2019
U.S. baseball fans are too old, too white and too few
One thrilling World Series can't make the sport's viewership problems go away.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Sep 14, 2019
A long history of resisting self-service
Attempts to ban self-checkout are in line with previous controversies over ATMs and self-serve gas.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Aug 13, 2019
Greenland's rapid melting is a hugely underplayed story
It's officially time to panic u2014 or at least pay more attention.

Longform

A statue of "Dragon Ball" character Goku stands outside the offices of Bandai Namco in Tokyo. The figure is now as recognizable as such characters as Mickey Mouse and Spider-Man.
Akira Toriyama's gift to the world