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Reader question: What is an “entrenched issue”? As in, for example, “The current refugee crisis adds a new layer to an entrenched issue.” My comments: Are we talking about the refugee crisis in Europe? Any way, describing the refugee crisis as an entrenched issue means that it’s a persisting problem, a problem that’s been there for a long time and is probably not going to completely go away any time soon. In other words, it is a difficult problem to solve. All you have to do is to get back to the root of the word “entrenched” to get the hang of it. Yes, “trench” is the root word I’m referring to. A trench, you see, is a long narrow hole dug in the ground. Soldiers, for example, dig trenches for protection. Entrenched, yes, as in entrenched interests, means it’s deep-rooted and well established and therefore hard to remove. Let me give you a few examples. Poverty is an entrenched problem worldwide. Even though the world has enough food to feed its people, many still go hungry and fail to put a roof over their head. It is, partially, responsibly for the refugee crisis in Europe and elsewhere. Inequality is an entrenched problem. Even though it is easily explained and more or less accepted that all men are created equal, many still (feel compelled to) kowtow to authority and women continue to draw a smaller paycheck than their male counterpart doing the same work. | 
