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Political Review

Caleb Johnston

Senior
Economics

Minor in Strategy.
Recently biked across the United States. Is on the tail-end of a quarter-life crisis.

More from this author
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April 2024

Crisis in Haiti

By Caleb Johnston
August 28, 2024 03:09 PM
Just over six years ago, I arrived in Santiago, Chile, expecting to serve the Chilean people for the balance of my mission. That I did, but I was presented with a welcome surprise on the ride from the airport to our mission president’s home. The two missionaries who picked me up told me that there were tons of Haitians in Santiago, and many missionaries learned Haitian Creole to be able to teach them. Curious and eager to learn, I soon found myself studying and teaching in Creole. I found Haitians to be a delightful, kind-hearted, and God-fearing people.
3 Min Read
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March 2024

Give to All, Effectively

By Caleb Johnston
March 07, 2024 02:52 PM
As a church, service is a key tenet of what we believe and practice. After all, pure religion is to “visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction” [1]. Beyond that, Americans are a generous people. We ranked third most generous in the world in 2022, giving just over $499 billion [5]. Giving, whether of time or money, is good, and it generally makes us feel good. Yet I’m sure many of us have felt ambivalence of one sort or another while giving. Recently, I participated in a stake food-packing activity—with three one-hour shifts, they cut off the work about 20 minutes into our shift to save some work for the next shift. Was this type of service really helping anyone?
3 Min Read
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February 2024

Demystifying Gas Prices

By Caleb Johnston
February 13, 2024 05:00 PM
With ongoing conflict in Russia and increased turmoil in the Middle East, I’d expect gas prices to be higher than normal. On top of that, Joe Biden’s presidency has been characterized by inflation. Given those facts, I was surprised by the precipitous gas price drop in Utah late last year. When I was in Seattle recently and saw prices over $4.00, I was even more confused. Prices in Utah had fallen to under $3, and currently average $2.72; what made Seattle so different [1]? Responding to my shock, my dad explained the recent enactment of a new gasoline tax in the state. Knowing my hometown, the lack of recoil shouldn’t be surprising; Seattle-ites, being more environmentally-conscious, didn’t really care.
3 Min Read
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December 2023

The Fake Hustle

By Caleb Johnston
February 12, 2024 01:26 PM
The job seemed like a great fit. A passionate individual who wanted to work in supply chain management, I was hoping for an internship with a little more sparkle than a warehouse position. The job description asked for “game-changers” and gave me optimism—I thought I could be one of those game-changers. I interviewed, and I came with intensity, telling my interviewer I wanted to innovate. He responded by painting a picture of how he saw me, as someone who liked to have free rein in a work environment. That depiction of me was inaccurate, and I thought, “Had I lied to paint that picture?” No matter my internal qualms, I got the job. I found a culture of work in which people were passionate or at least acted like it. I, on the other hand, struggled to latch onto that passion; at the end of the day, our company was a middleman for ecommerce companies, especially supplement brands. How did I get into this job for which I was a poor fit?
5 Min Read
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November 2023

Patience is a Virtue

By Caleb Johnston
February 12, 2024 08:55 AM
When foreigners think of American society and politics, they most admire our technology, military, entertainment, and universities [1]. When thinking of American people, others might describe us as proud, independent, hard-working, and diverse. Americans, to my surprise, rank highly in one highly-desired trait: patience. In fact, ScienceFocus ranked us as the third most patient country in the world behind Sweden and the Netherlands. That ranking was based on our willingness to put off more consumerist desires [2]. Patience is a virtue, and it even seems to characterize our foreign policy from the past. We’ve been willing to engage in wars without immediate results based on core values such as freedom and democracy. Around 2015, President Obama embraced “strategic patience.” [9] As of late, we’ve strayed from such patience, wanting quicker results from our military investments abroad. Unfortunately, the past two administrations hastily ended engagements in the Middle East, hurting our country’s image and ushering in disorder. Against the backdrop of worse alternatives, the United States should choose to be patient with our involvement in foreign conflicts.
4 Min Read
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October 2023

Is Fear About Artificial Intelligence Justified?

By Caleb Johnston
February 09, 2024 01:22 PM
An aspiring dentist, I wanted to know if my career would still be viable further down the road or if the profession would become obsolete due to advancing technology. A quick Google search indicated that “Our visitors have voted that there is a small chance this occupation will be replaced.” [1] Feeling somewhat assured, the irony of the situation struck me soon afterwards: I had just asked a machine if a machine would replace my job.
4 Min Read
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