TableTable ofof ContentsContents Table of Contents 1
Part 1: Domestic Issues 3
Campaign Spending 5
Drones: Homeland Police Use 19
Healthcare in the United States 29
Social Networking 39
Unions47
Part 2: International Issues 55
Communism in Russia and China 57
Cuba 67
France 77
Paraguay 85
Syria 95
Bonus: How to Write Extemp Questions 105
Speaking Truth in Today’s Current Events 1 PartPart 1:1:
DomesticDomestic IssuesIssues
2 Gold Book 2012 CampaignCampaign SpendingSpending Jonah Ortiz
“We in America have the best politicians that money can buy.” -Will Rogers1 Aaron Sorkin’s award-winning drama series, “The West Wing,” portrayed the events of a fictitious Democratic Administration. In one episode, the Deputy White House Chief of Staff, Joshua Lyman, attempted to persuade the Vice President to come out in favor of campaign finance reform, saying that “Three-quarters of all soft money coming to the Democratic Party isn't coming from labor unions, it's coming from corporations. Over a hundred businesses gave both parties in excess of $125,000 in the last election. They gave to both parties! This isn't free speech or political values, Mr. Vice President. I don't know how we've done it, but we've legalized bribery.”2
While it is amusing that Hollywood would lecture politicians on excess amounts of money and corruption, the show did bring up some very credible points. As a matter of fact, the statistics presented in the dialogue were understatements of the extent of corporate donations.3 Back when the episode was first released in 1999, political spending wasn’t as near a high- profile issue as it is today and many in politics wished to continue to operate without regulation. When the show was aired, many disregarded the statistics as classic Hollywood over-dramatization. However, on May 22, 2012, when JP Morgan Chase was under legal investigation before the Senate Banking Committee due to the massive trading loss4 coupled
1 Rogers, Will. http :// www . willrogerstoday . com / will _ rogers _ quotes / quotes . cfm ? qID =4 2 1999-2007. “The West Wing.” Written by Aaron Sorkin. http :// www . westwingtranscripts . com / 3 Watson, Bruce. 13 March 2010. “The 10th Biggest Corporate Campaign Contributors in U.S. Politics.” Daily AOL Finance. http :// www . dailyfinance . com /2010/10/13/ the -10- biggest - corporate - campaign - contributors - in - u - s - politics / 4 Silver-Greenberg, Jessica, and Susanna Craig. 28 June 2012. “JPMorgan Trading Loss May Reach 9 Billion.” The New York Times. http :// dealbook . nytimes . com /2012/06/28/ jpmorgan - trading - loss - may - reach -9- billion /
Speaking Truth in Today’s Current Events 3 with numerous scandals, TV didn’t seem like idle drama. That’s because more than 1/3 of the committee, Republicans and Democrats, received nearly the maximum possible amount of donations from a contributor.5 Donations contributed by none other than JP Morgan.
In this article, I’ll be discussing the hotly contested issue of political campaign spending, first going over the history of the topic, then the current state of issues, thirdly the opposing views, and lastly the possible solutions.
History of Political Spending
Campaign finance refers to the collection of money by donations from businesses or individuals for the operation of running a campaign.6 Campaign finance reform deals with the regulation of political donations. Many, particularly among the left or among Conservative populists, believe that mass donations lead to corruption and, effectively, “buying of political seats.” Conversely, many Republicans or Libertarians believe that such regulation is a violation of one’s right to freedom of speech.7
Campaign finance first began as an issue in the United States in the 1830’s. Andrew Jackson, in his populist beliefs, believed that candidates receiving business donations corrupted the political process, often leaving candidates in “debt” or obligation to such organizations, thus influencing their votes. Money and politics were constantly intermingled due to the utter lack of regulation: Republicans led by Simon Cameron, a notably corrupt politician,8 threatened to sign anti-business regulation unless certain corporations donated to his campaign.
Matters were at their worst under the Grant Administration (As many matters were at the time). Grant was backed by wealthy Republicans who funded his campaign, with ¼ of all campaign donations coming from one individual. In 1975, in an attempt to curb corruption, Congress created the Federal Election Commission (FEC). The FEC consists of 6 members, and no party may contain more than 3 members at a time. The committee’s task is to enforce
5 22 May 2012. “Top Banking Panel Members Got JPMorgan Contributions.” The Wall Street Journal http :// blogs . marketwatch . com / election /2012/05/22/ top - banking - panel - members - got - j - p - morgan - contributions / 6 “Campaign Finance.” U.S. Legal Dictionary. http :// definitions . uslegal . com / c / campaign - finance / 7 2005. “Campaign Finance Reform.” American Heritage Dictionary. http :// dictionary . reference . com / browse / campaign + finance + reform 8 7 February 2012. “Cameron Fritchie are Luminaries of Era.” Lancaster Online. http :// lancasteronline . com / blogs / civilwar /2012/02/07/ cameron - fritchie - are - luminaries - of - era /
4 Gold Book 2012 and oversee federal election law. After the creation of the FEC, the modern debate on political spending began.
The Current Situation
Campaign contributions, effectively, fall into two major categories: “soft” money and “hard” money. “Soft” money is money that is not subject to government regulations; this sort of money can be given to political parties, Political Action Committees (PACs), “Super Pacs,” or to local elections.9 “Hard” money refers to funds that are regulated and limited by law.10 The McCain-Feingold Act of 200211 heavily regulated the political scene. The law stated that individuals cannot donate more than $2500 to candidates and no more than $30,800 to a national party. PACs and other tax exempt organizations could donate up to $5000 to a candidate. The law also stipulated that corporations or unions could not donate to the process.12
However, the law did not regulate how much an individual could donate to “527 Organizations.” These organizations are non-profit, tax-exempt “PACs” that can spend and collect unlimited amounts of money on political issues. While they are not connected to a specific candidate, they can campaign on their behalf. Super PACs throughout 2012 have been a major theme of the election, with $171 million being spent in the election thus far.13 Super PACs are primarily funded by the elite, with over 80% of all donations coming from the top 3.7% of donors.14 Additionally, the law did not regulate “bundling,” a process where all the individuals and families of corporations merely “bundle” their money together, all reaching the maximum limit of donations. This effectively allows for corporations to donate, with more than 2000 bundlers in the 2000 election for President Bush’s campaign alone.15 Bundlers often receive thanks and honorary titles from the candidates they give money to, with the same historical problem of politicians being in obligation to large donors remaining.
9 2012. “Soft Money.” Random House Dictionary. http :// dictionary . reference . com / browse / soft + money 10 2009. “Hard Money.” Collins English Dictionary. http :// dictionary . reference . com / browse / hard + money 11 Library of Congress. http :// thomas . loc . gov / cgi - bin / bdquery / z ? d 107: H . R .2356: 12 2002. Contribution Limits. Federal Election Committee. http :// www . fec . gov / pages / brochures / fecfeca . shtml # Contribution _ Limits 13 2012. Outside Spending. Open Secrets. http :// www . opensecrets . org / outsidespending / index .php 14 Riley, Charles. 26 March 2012. “Super Pac Donors.” CNN. http :// money . cnn . com /2012/03/26/ news / economy / super - pac - donors / index .htm 15 Kilpatrick, David. The New York Times.
Speaking Truth in Today’s Current Events 5 On January 21, 2010, a landmark ruling emerged in Citizens United vs. the FEC in which the Supreme Court struck down many portions of the 2002 McCain-Feingold Act.16 The court, in a 5-4 decision, decided that on grounds of freedom of speech, the government cannot ban the donations from corporations or unions to organizations (political parties, campaigns) or restrict or limit the donations to independent organizations (Super PACs and other 527s). The ruling also repealed the ban on foreign donors. Republican Senator Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said that the decision “struck a blow for the 1st Amendment.”17 On the other hand, President Obama said that “[the ruling] gives the special interests and their lobbyists even more power in Washington - while undermining the influence of average Americans who make small contributions to support their preferred candidates.”18
Since the ruling, the Super PAC’s influence began to rise. In the Republican 2012 Primaries, Super PACs were a subject of controversy. After the South Carolina Primary, where Former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich scored a dramatic comeback victory,19 Governor Mitt Romney’s campaign and associated Super PAC launched a series of attack ads against the Speaker in Florida. In less than 10 days, the Romney Campaign and Romney’s Super PAC spent $15 million in ads alone, as opposed to $3 million spent by Gingrich. Of Romney’s 15 million dollars in ads, more than 93% of the funds were spent on negative attack ads.20 Governor Romney, in addition to winning decisively in Florida, since then, has won the Republican Primary, with no candidate even coming close with the amount of campaign funds.
Governor Romney’s campaign has been funded mainly by rich donors, with more than 75% of donations coming from donors who donate $2400 or more within the $2500 limit. Similarly, in his run, Speaker Gingrich received the backing of one rich donor, Sheldon Adelson.21 Adelson gave more than $16 million to the Gingrich Super-PAC, with Miriam
16 21 January 2010. “Campaign Finance Policy Recent Developments.” Journalist Resource. http :// journalistsresource . org / studies / government / politics / campaign - finance - policy - recent - developments / 17 Stohr, Greg. 21 January 2010. Bloomberg News. http :// www . bloomberg . com / apps / news ? pid = newsarchive & sid = aU . fsorJbt 3 E 18 21 January 2010. “Obama Criticizes Campaign Finance Ruling.” CNN. http :// politicalticker . blogs . cnn . com /2010/01/21/ obama - criticizes - campaign - finance - ruling / 19 Rutenberg, Jim. 22 January 2012. “South Carolina Republican Primary.” New York Times. http :// www . nytimes . com /2012/01/22/ us / politics / south - carolina - republican - primary . html ? pagewanted = all 20 Begala, Paul. 31 January 2012. “Money Changed Everything for Mitt Romney in Florida Primary.” Daily Beast. http :// www . thedailybeast . com / articles /2012/01/31/ money - changed - everything - for - mitt - romney - in - florida - primary .html
6 Gold Book 2012 Adelson adding an additional $5 million. Even when Gingrich’s campaign was floundering in the polls, it stayed afloat due to the donations of one family.
Altogether, the deregulation of campaigns and the rise of Super PACs have made campaigning much more expensive. Businessweek projected the cost of the 2012 election to exceed $6 billion.22 In 2010, the average “price” of winning a house seat was more than $1.4 million.23 The average price of a Senate seat was nearly $9 million. All told, the 2010 midterm election featured more than 3500 PACs and $406.8 million donations from PACs to congressional candidates and over $444 million raised by national parties, not even including money raised by candidates or PACs of candidates or donated by individuals to candidates.24 With each passing election, politics become more expensive.
Opposing Views
Now that we have an understanding of the issue, let’s take a look at the views of both sides. Democrats and Republicans are split on the issue itself, with more populist and progressive individuals taking up the cause of finance reform and with the more free-market and Libertarian side of the spectrum advocating deregulation. While Democrats mainly occupy the former and Republicans the latter, it should be noted that left-leaning organizations like the ACLU are for deregulation in the name of free speech, and republicans like Rick Perry and Newt Gingrich are for regulation for the benefit of democracy.
On one hand, many call for the deregulation of the political process. John Sample in his book The Fallacy of Campaign Finance Reform25 states that negative ads in fact keep the public more informed and that limiting donations hurts newcomer candidates, leading to a strengthening of the establishment. The conservative think tank The Heritage Foundation came out in support of the Citizens United ruling, stating that the ruling “restored parts of the
21 29 March 2012. “Sheldon Adelson, Gingrich Super Pac.” Huffington Post. http :// www . huffingtonpost . com /2012/03/29/ sheldon - adelson - gingrich - super - pac _ n _1387131. html 22 29 September 2011. “Why the 2012 Election Will Cost 6 Billion.” Businessweek. http :// www . businessweek . com / magazine / why - the -2012- election - will - cost -6- billion -09292011. html 23 2010. Vital Stats. Campaign Finance Institute. http :// www . cfinst . org / data / pdf / VitalStats _ t 1. pdf 24 2010. Vital Stats. Campaign Finance Instituite. http :// www . cfinst . org / data / pdf / VitalStats _ t 13. pdf 25 Sample, John. The Fallacy of Campaign Finance Reform. http :// www . cato . org / store / books / fallacy - campaign - finance - reform - hardback
Speaking Truth in Today’s Current Events 7 1st Amendment.”26 Additionally, the ACLU filed an amicus brief, highlighting their reasons why the First Amendment protects unrestricted donations.27
The basic arguments in favor of deregulating are as follows:
A. Allowing for more donations leads to more advertising. Even if it’s negative campaigning, a more vigorous discussion helps enlighten the political process and increases voter turnout. It will also expose flawed candidates.
B. The First Amendment protects the freedom of individuals to donate. Corporations and unions are comprised of people, and since they are people, they deserve the rights of people. This means that the government has no constitutional authority to tell someone how to express himself politically, what candidate to endorse, or how to spend his own money.
C. There is no proof that donations leave a politician in obligation to give political favors. For example, many on Wall Street who donated to President Obama’s campaign during the financial crisis in 2008 did not receive any “political favors” and in turn are now in support of Governor Romney.28
D. Lastly, campaign finance reform does not even solve the problems of excess political spending. Robert Levy of the Cato Institute points out that there is nothing keeping a rich billionaire from spending his own money on his own ads endorsing another candidate.29 In essence, while this individual would not gain the benefits of a Super PAC with the money being donated or the tax-exempt status, there is still nothing that prevents an individual from creating his own TV ads, independent of the campaign and on behalf of the candidate. While it would be expensive, it would certainly be legal.
The basic philosophy behind such ideas is that of pragmatic liberty. In essence, it’s the notion that because you have freedom of speech, the government shouldn’t be allowed to limit your
26 Sparkovsky, Hans. 21 January 2010. “Divided Court Strikes Down Campaign Money Restrict.” The Washington Times. http :// www . washingtontimes . com / news /2010/ jan /21/ divided - court - strikes - down - campaign - money - restrict /? page =2 27 21 January 2010. “Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission.” American Civil Liberties Union. http :// www . aclu . org / free - speech / citizens - united - v - federal - election - commission 28 27 June 2012. “Wall Street Switches Allegiances to Romney Financial Advisor Magazine.” Occupy Feeds. http :// www . occupyfeeds . org / wall - street - switches - allegiances - to - romney - financial - advisor - magazine .html 29 Levy, Robert. 28 January 2010. “Campaign Finance Reform: A Libertarian Primer.” Cato Institute. http :// www . cato . org / publications / commentary / campaign - finance - reform - libertarian - primer
8 Gold Book 2012 actions with your money. While this may hurt the political process, the “market” will sort the problems out, leaving the strongest candidate with the most money with the win. The idea is the essence of George Washington’s quotation that “it will be found an unjust and an unwise jealousy to deprive a man of his natural liberty on the supposition that he may abuse it.”30
On the other hand, there is a completely different point of view on the other side of the debate. There is much support for reform. For instance, a Washington Post Poll released after the Citizens United ruling revealed that 80% of Americans opposed the ruling.31 Supporters cite a lack of equality where a “rich few” can propel an otherwise forgettable candidate to the center of the political scene while financially struggling candidates, despite their platform, never even meet the eyes of the voters. It’s no small coincidence that the nominees from both parties since 1988 have been the candidates with the largest amount of donations. The corruption this leads to can be seen in specific instances:
Altria Tobacco spends more than $10 million a year on lobbying alone, with nearly $25 million spent in the past 20 years during political campaigns to block anti-tobacco laws. Candidates from both sides of the aisle receive donations, even candidates from states without major tobacco industries receive donations, and consequently few tobacco laws have been brought to the table.32
CitiGroup, a financial service institution, was hardly interested in politics until the 2008 election. While they gave little to nothing in the primary, when the financial crisis of 2008 hit in the fall and CitiGroup was facing bankruptcy, they donated millions of dollars to both campaigns, on a 55-45 percentage ratio to President Obama and Senator McCain.33
Subsequently, they, along with JP Morgan, Goldman Sachs and countless other financial institutions that gave millions to both sides during the campaign, received government bailouts that saved their businesses.34 Many of these businesses had no interest in political
30 Washington, George. Brainy Quote http :// www . brainyquote . com / quotes / quotes / g / georgewash 118082. html 31 10 February 2010. Washington Post. http :// www . washingtonpost . com / wp - srv / politics / polls / postpoll _021010. html 32 13 October 2010. “The 10 Biggest Corporate Campaign Contributors in U.S. Politics.” Daily Finance. http :// www . dailyfinance . com /2010/10/13/ the -10- biggest - corporate - campaign - contributors - in - u - s - politics / 33 2010. Open Secrets. http :// www . opensecrets . org / overview / topcontribs .php 34 13 October 2010. “The 10 Biggest Corporate Campaign Contributors in U.S. Politics.” Daily Finance. http :// www . dailyfinance . com /2010/10/13/ the -10- biggest - corporate - campaign - contributors - in - u - s - politics /
Speaking Truth in Today’s Current Events 9 involvement with few donations in the past, but they suddenly began donating after the crisis hit. This led to many calling for campaign finance reform, as the goal of political donations is to help the candidate one supports, not to gain favors on both sides of the aisle.
Similarly, in 2009, after a school shooting, the Lautenberg Gun Law was proposed to limit access to dangerous firearms. The law was expected to pass as both sides of the spectrum agreed with the law. However, when the NRA backed the candidacies of various Senate members, the vote switched: 32 of the 34 NRA backed candidates voted against the bill.35 In the past 20 years alone, the NRA has spent nearly $75 million on backing various political candidacies, and the results show: Despite popular support of such laws, little to no gun control legislation has passed in Congress in the past 2 decades.36
The basic counter arguments presented by advocates of reform to the arguments presented above are:
1. More donations and more negative ads hurt voter turnout and turn the political scene into a contest of insults. For example, in the GOP primary, where negative ads were frequent, turnout was at all time record lows.37
2. The First Amendment does not give people the right to donate unrestricted amounts of money. Justice John Paul Stevens in his dissenting opinion on Citizens United said that “the Court’s ruling threatens to undermine the integrity of elected institutions across the Nation.”38 The argument is that “money isn’t speech.” Free speech means that you can endorse and vote for whomever you want. A CEO can just as easily speak on behalf of a candidate as someone without money. However, someone without money cannot as easily fund the candidate he supports, giving him the electoral edge, as a CEO can, thus creating a heavy bias towards candidates backed by the rich rather than the candidates backed by the people. Additionally, the 1st Amendment does not apply to foreign donations.
35 11 February 2009. CBS News. http :// www . cbsnews . com /2100-201_162-44724. html 36 “NRA Endorsements, Campaign Spending.” Washington Post. http :// www . washingtonpost . com / wp - srv / special / nation / guns / nra - endorsements - campaign - spending / 37 31 March 2012. “Primary Turnout Could Signal Trouble for GOP.” The New York Times. http :// www . nytimes . com /2012/03/31/ us / politics / primary - turnout - could - signal - trouble - for - gop . html ? pagewanted = all 38 US Supreme Court Syllabus, http :// www . supremecourt . gov / opinions /09 pdf /08-205. pdf
10 Gold Book 2012 3. Donations do leave politicians the obligation of political favors. Proof enough are all the examples presented above. Essentially, a person is more inclined to vote a certain way if that means an easier reelection.
4. Nothing can legally stop individuals from launching their own campaigns. What reform does, however, is make such individuals use their own money and their own personal efforts rather than just writing a tax exempt check. Additionally, it decreases the pooling of funds for concentrated ad campaigns and doesn’t carry the weight of an ad run by a specific candidate.
The underlying philosophy for campaign finance reform is that of “Idealistic Liberty”—the idea that by limiting the freedom of individuals or organizations, one receives the benefit of a free election where the group has equal liberty with everyone’s voice carrying an equal weight. It’s the idea of popular sovereignty and democracy, in that every vote has value and every citizen has value and that the rich elite cannot drown out the voice of the people with endless cash for attack ads.
What’s next?
So now that we have a grasp of both sides’ views, what’s the answer? What are the solutions available to the issue of political spending?
1. One answer would be to have no regulation, taking the government out of it entirely. This keeps candidates responsible for their own ads rather than the awkwardly constructed Super PAC system, and it gives equality in the sense that everyone has the equal right to donate what they wish. While there may be moments of corruption, the idea is that in the long run, the “free market” will sort it out.
2. Public Campaigns.39 Most democracies such as the United Kingdom and Germany have publically funded campaigns. This means every candidate has an equal amount of money and no unfair advantage. This is currently optional for anyone running for president in the US and is mandatory in Arizona. While the reports in Arizona are positive, this would create an immense financial burden and would tackle some tough legal issues if it were compulsory to tax payers.
39 http :// www . publicampaign . org / about /
Speaking Truth in Today’s Current Events 11 3. Another idea, originally presented by Theodore Roosevelt, is to have anonymous donations. If all donations were anonymous, even if they were unlimited, it would prevent politicians from feeling obligated to pay political favors. However, this would not prevent a candidate from spending excessive amounts of money on attack ads.
4. “Democracy Dollars.”40 In this proposal, every citizen would have 100 democracy dollars as part of taxation. They could donate this money to whichever candidate they want and to any number of candidates. This would create “voting with dollars,” where every person’s donations are equal to their vote, preserving democracy. However, this proposal could unfairly target the poor who may not have means of receiving dollars due to a lack of permanent residency/tax status, and this heavy regulation would come as a shock to the American public
5. The final major proposal would be to abolish super PACs. While campaigns could still launch attack ads, they would only receive $2500 at most and only from individuals who are U.S. citizens. This would end Super PAC ad campaigns, and it would significantly curb special interest involvement. However, one would still run the problems of corporate bundling, which would no doubt require further legislation/limitation of the amounts you can donate. Furthermore, this would come as a direct challenge to the Citizen United ruling and would probably cause another legal battle.
Political spending has been an issue throughout America’s history, and it’s still an issue without a solution. There are many valid points from both sides of the debate, and there are many unanswered questions: Do we value liberty in its literal sense or in its spirit? Do we value equality or freedom highest? Is money the same as speech? Are corporations people? What does America cherish most: its free-market principles or its belief in popular sovereignty? Should democracy have a price tag, or does the government need to step out of the way? Did the Supreme Court uphold the First Amendment, or did we just legalize bribery?
40 27 January 2012. Wall Street Journal. http :// online . wsj . com / article / SB 20001424052748703906204575027021768240904. html
12 Gold Book 2012 Key Terms
Bundling
Campaign Finance
Campaign Finance Reform
Citizens United v. the FEC
Democracy Dollars
Federal Election Committee (FEC)
First Amendment
Freedom of Speech
Hard Money
McCain-Feingold Act
Negative Ad
Political Action Committee
Public Campaigns
Soft Money
Super PACs
Sample Extemp Questions
Can the rise of Super PACs be reverted?
Will Romney’s financial advantage give him the edge in the November election?
In a period of economic downturn, why is this the most expensive election in history?
Speaking Truth in Today’s Current Events 13 Questions For Thought
Is money the same as speech? Should corporations be treated differently in regards to political spending as other organizations? Does the First Amendment protect people’s right to contribute, or was the “Citizens United” ruling wrong?
Are negative ads beneficial to the political process? How much do they influence voters? Is it wrong that in one of America’s worst fiscal years, the election is the most expensive to date? Or does that fact that we invest a lot into our elections show that we care about democracy?
Policy Proposals
Completely repeal McCain Feingold and other campaign finance laws, keep the government out of political spending entirely.
Abolish Super PACs. Continue to decrease the amount one can donate, end corporate and/or foreign donations.
Follow Arizona’s lead and create national and compulsory public campaigns.
Enact “Democracy Dollars” and/or anonymous donations.
Further Reading
For a view in favor of deregulating political spending, read John Sample’s The Fallacy of Campaign Finance Reform http :// www . cato . org / store / books / fallacy - campaign - finance - reform - hardback
For legal arguments in favor of the “Citizens United” ruling, read Justice Kennedy’s majority opinion. http :// www . supremecourt . gov / opinions /09 pdf /08-205. pdf
For legal arguments in favor of overturning the “Citizens United” ruling, read Justice Stevens’ dissenting opinion http :// www . supremecourt . gov / opinions /09 pdf /08-205. pdf
Lawrence Lessig, “Republic Lost: How money corrupts congress-and a plan to stop it” http :// republic . lessig . org /
14 Gold Book 2012 For educational entertainment to spark interest and explain political spending and various other domestic, economic and foreign policy issues, watch Aaron Sorkin’s award winning show “The West Wing” starring Martin Sheen. http :// www . imdb . com / title / tt 0200276/
Speaking Truth in Today’s Current Events 15 Drones:Drones: HomelandHomeland PolicePolice UseUse RJ Martin
“…flying over our homes, farms, ranches and businesses and spying on us while we conduct our everyday lives is not an example of protecting our rights. It is an example of violating them.” – Senator Rand Paul “Those who give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety.” – Benjamin Franklin "The means of defense against foreign danger have always been the instruments of tyranny at home." – James Madison “Our drone looks like a flying garbage can, and it sounds like a weed whacker. This thing is very, very noisy. It wouldn’t allow you to sneak up on anybody.” – Sgt. Andrew Cohen, Miami-Dade Police Department In September 2011, American Special Forces assassinated the American-born terrorist Anwar al-Awlaki in Yemen. But this was no ordinary strike – al-Awlaki was killed by an unmanned drone, controlled not by an on-board pilot but by an inanimate computer, with actual military personnel miles away from the action. In one of the first prominent incidents involving a drone outside of a military warzone, America became aware of a new, futuristic type of military technology.
However, with this new technology came concerns that the very same type of drones could one day come to America, armed not with heat-seeking missiles but with surveillance cameras and microphones. Despite this fear, solutions exist that could simultaneously preserve this new technology and also protect American privacy rights for the future.
16 Gold Book 2012 The Facts
Officially known as Unmanned Ariel Vehicles (UAV), drones are flown primarily by their onboard computer systems, which receive input from ground-based technicians.41 While increasingly popular overseas in the War on Terror,42 drones are no longer confined to foreign locations but now have a considerable presence here on American soil. In the words of reporter Lorenzo Bicchierai,
We like to think of the drone war as something far away, fought in the deserts of Yemen or the mountains of Afghanistan. But we now know it’s closer than we thought. There are 64 drone bases on American soil. That includes 12 locations housing Predator and Reaper unmanned aerial vehicles, which can be armed.43
Not only have drones come to America, but they have come en masse. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has predicted there will be over 30,000 drones available for U.S. based use (not just foreign intelligence gathering) by the year 2020.44 For the first time since the Civil War, military technology (and by extension, military personnel) will be actively deployed to the American homeland. But for what purpose?
Unmanned aircraft have been characterized as being popular for tasks too “dull, dirty, or dangerous” for traditional aircraft.45 Because of their small size and precise control, drones are capable of performing tasks such as working in tight airspaces that would be unfeasible for larger helicopters or other light aircraft. Such would also include tedious mountainside rescues or reaching stranded hikers where landing a traditional aircraft would not be possible.46 There have even been some instances in which drones have been used to patrol
41 http :// www . theuav . com / 42 Bergen, Peter. 3 July 2012. “Drones Decimating Taliban in Pakistan.” CNN News. http :// www . cnn . com /2012/07/03/ opinion / bergen - drones - taliban - pakistan / index .html 43 Franceschi-Bicchierai, Lorenzo. 13 June 2012. “Revealed: 64 Drone Bases on American Soil.” Wired.com. http :// www . wired . com / dangerroom /2012/06/64- drone - bases - on - us - soil / 44 Waterman, Shaun. 7 February 2012. “Drones Over US get OK by Congress.” The Washington Times. http :// www . washingtontimes . com / news /2012/ feb /7/ coming - to - a - sky - near - you / 45 Irvine, Dean. 16 February 2012. “Doing Military’s Dangerous, Dull and Dirty Work.” CNN News. http :// edition . cnn . com /2012/02/15/ business / singapore - airshow - drones / index .html 46 Feldman, Charles. 15 May 2012. “FAA To Ease Rules For Police Agencies To Fly Unmanned Drones.” CBS Los Angeles. http :// losangeles . cbslocal . com /2012/05/15/ faa - to - ease - rules - for - police - agencies - to - fly - unmanned - drones /
Speaking Truth in Today’s Current Events 17 borders47 and assist in the drug war.48 As an added benefit, drones can accomplish these sometimes risky missions without endangering an on-board pilot; the “pilot,” instead, is safely protected in a government control room, often miles away from the action.49
However, for the good this type of aircraft can accomplish, there is also a much darker side to what they are capable of performing. The advantages of a pilot-less, computer-controlled aircraft that make it adept at tracking escaped criminals, for example, also make it very effective at tracking ordinary American citizens. In fact, the Air Force has trained its pilots by first teaching them how to track the cars of ordinary American civilians going about their everyday lives.50 For many, the rapid proliferation of drone surveillance has raised fears of an Orwellian “1984”-type society, where every home is monitored by government cameras and every public place is infiltrated with listening bugs. In a very similar way, drones are capable of fulfilling these objectives by carrying advanced definition cameras, thermal imaging devices, and potentially even listening devices.51 Unfortunately, many believe the rapid development of drone technology may have outpaced the development of appropriate legal safeguards to prevent this new technology from infringing upon the property and privacy rights of American citizens.52
The Problems
The Electronic Privacy Information Center explains, “Drones present a unique threat to privacy.” This unique threat is now capable of “peering inside high-level windows” or even “through solid barriers, such as fences, trees, and even high walls.”53 A memorandum released by the secretary of the Air Force states that drones will be sent over the skies “to collect
47 Rozemberg, Hernan. 6 July 2012. “Use of Surveillance Drones for Patrolling the Border Raises Questions of Privacy, Stakes.” 89.3 KPCC Southern California Public Radio. http :// www . scpr . org / news /2012/07/06/33122/ use - surveillance - drones - patrolling - border - raises - q / 48 Barry, Tom. 17 January 2012. “Drone Proliferation: Other Chapters and Other Challenges.” Cato Unbound. http :// www . cato - unbound . org /2012/01/17/ tom - barry / drone - proliferation - other - chapters - and - other - challenges / 49 “Advantages of UAS.” Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Systems Association. http :// www . uavs . org /advantages 50 Mazzetti, Mark. 6 July 2012. “The Drone Zone.” The New York Times. http :// www . nytimes . com /2012/07/08/ magazine / the - drone - zone . html ? _ r =1& pagewanted = all 51 Vijayan, Jaikumar. “Lawmakers Question FAA on Privacy Protection Around Drone Use.” PC World Magazine. http :// www . pcworld . com / article /254182/ lawmakers _ question _ faa _ on _ privacy _ protections _ around _ drone _ use .html 52 Cortright, David. 23 January 2012. “When Drones Warfare Comes Home.” Cato Institute. http :// www . cato - unbound . org /2012/01/23/ david - cortright / when - drone - warfare - comes - home / 53 Healy, Gene. 21 May 2012. “Drones Pose a Threat to Americans’ Privacy.” The Washington Examiner. http :// washingtonexaminer . com / article /637826
18 Gold Book 2012 information about U.S. persons.”54 Furthermore, this information may be used or distributed whenever the “recipient is reasonably perceived to have a specific, lawful governmental function” in obtaining the information.55 The lack of legal safeguards is obvious, and the danger apparent.
The Air Force itself admitted in an April 2012 intelligence brief that imagery gathered “incidentally” may be retained and studied by government personnel. Aside from this solitary restraint, however, the government currently faces no limits regarding what information may be obtained.
As a result, people on both sides of the aisle harbor fears of rampant privacy violations by unmanned aerial vehicles. The left-leaning American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) warned that unlimited drone patrolling would create “a surveillance society in which our every move is monitored, tracked, recorded and scrutinized by the authorities.”56 In the same report, the organization also said the presence of drones in the sky “threatens to eradicate existing practical limits on aerial monitoring and allow for pervasive surveillance, police fishing expeditions, and abusive use of these tools in a way that could eventually eliminate the privacy Americans have traditionally enjoyed in their movements and activities.”57 But individuals on the right also question the historical precedent of drone surveillance.
The conservative legal scholar Andrew Napolitano wrote, “I once asked…what Thomas Jefferson would have done if…King George III had sent drones to peer inside the bedroom windows of Monticello. I suspect Jefferson and his household would have trained their muskets on the drones and taken them down.”58 While certainly not advocating literal violence, Mr. Napolitano raises an important point: our Founders could scarcely have imagined having a government that watches every move its citizens make. Additionally, the American public as a whole has expressed concern about the use of drones in the homeland.
54 23 April 2012. “Air Force Instruction 14-104.” PDF file. Pg. 12. http :// www . fas . org / irp / doddir / usaf / afi 14-104. pdf 55 23 April 2012 “Air Force Instruction 14-104.” PDF file. Pg. 11. http :// www . fas . org / irp / doddir / usaf / afi 14-104. pdf 56 Lowy, Joan. 19 June 2012. “Talk of Drones Patrolling U.S. Skies Spawns Anxiety.” Associated Press / The Washington Times. http :// www . washingtontimes . com / news /2012/ jun /19/ talk - drones - patrolling - us - skies - spawns - anxiety / 57 December 2011. “Protecting Privacy From Aerial Surveillance: Recommendations for Government Use of Drone Aircraft.” American Civil Liberties Union. PDF file. Pg. 1. http :// www . aclu . org / files / assets / protectingprivacyfromaerialsurveillance .pdf 58 Napolitano, Andrew P. 7 June 2012. “Where is the Outrage?” Foxnews.com Opinion. http :// www . foxnews . com / opinion /2012/06/07/ where - is - outrage /
Speaking Truth in Today’s Current Events 19 A recent study has indicated that over 80% of Americans support the use of drones for special purposes, such as capturing escaped criminals. However, when it comes to every day issues, the public was much more concerned with the impact of drones upon their privacy. For example, only 23% reported they would support the use of drones in identifying and tracking speeders on the road. The study reported: “Privacy issues cropped up time and time again in the study. A documented two out of every three Americans voiced some amount of worry, with 42 percent rating their level of concern as high.” Patrick Murray, director of the New Jersey based Monmouth University Polling Institute, said of the study, “Americans clearly support using drone technology in special circumstances, but they are a bit leery of more routine use by local law enforcement agencies.”59
Concerns have also been raised by the agencies employing the services of drones. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has used drones for multiple purposes, in some cases to spy on cattle ranchers in Iowa and Nebraska. According to a letter from EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson, the “EPA would use such flights in appropriate instances to protect people and the environment from violations of the Clean Water Act.”60 From an official EPA brief, the purpose of developing an extensive drone network is “to provide a continuous environmental monitoring capability.”61 In other words, drones are now being used to enforce environmental legislation by watching the actions of private citizens on their private land. While preventing environmental pollution is a noble goal, some limits are necessary to prevent such surveillance from becoming excessive.
Because of the sensitive information drones may acquire, there is danger that the information may fall into the wrong hands. While drone control is intended to be only in the hands of the government, recent research has indicated drone computer control systems lack safeguards to prevent individual hackers from gaining control of the plane. Whereas traditional aircraft are controlled primarily by a human pilot, unmanned aircraft such as drones are guided by
59 14 June 2012. “Study: Americans Support ‘Some’ Domestic Drones, Strongly Against Use By Local Police.” CBS DC News. http :// washington . cbslocal . com /2012/06/14/ study - americans - support - some - domestic - drones - strongly - against - use - by - local - police / 60 Nimmo, Kurt. 4 June 2012. “EPA Using Drones to Spy on Cattle Ranchers in Nebraska and Iowa.” Infowars.com. http :// www . infowars . com / epa - using - drones - to - spy - on - cattle - ranchers - in - nebraska - and - iowa / 61 Landscape Characterization and Change Detection Methods Development Research (2005-2007). United States Environmental Protection Agency. http :// cfpub . epa . gov / si / si _ public _ record _ report . cfm ? dirEntryId =11068
20 Gold Book 2012 computers. Hacking into the computers has become very possible, potentially turning drones into private aircraft or even lethal missiles.
Commandeering a drone is surprisingly simple – hackers need only a $1000 spoofer to send the drone a signal that is stronger than the signal of its primary satellite. With only a small amount of luck, the spoofer will then become the primary signal-giver, and then hackers of even moderate skill may obtain control of a drone via their personal computers. In the words of project leader Professor Todd Humphreys, “In five or ten years you have 30,000 drones in the airspace. Each one of these could be a potential missile used against us.”62 To prevent such a situation, steps should be taken to encrypt drones’ onboard computer systems to prevent them from being hijacked. In addition, drones should be limited in the images they may acquire to ensure that a drone falling into the wrong hands would not compromise one’s rights.
The Legality
The legal basis for unwarranted aerial surveillance is shaky at best. Opponents of drone surveillance focus primarily upon the 4th Amendment of the Bill of Rights, which states:
The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause…and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.63
Many believe the drone program threatens these rights by searching private property without consent.
In the 2001 case Kyllo v U.S., Oregon police (without a search warrant) used thermal imaging to view a suspect’s house and determine whether or not his garage contained heat lamps used for growing marijuana. Although the police never physically entered the house without a warrant, the Supreme Court ruled that such surveillance was still an unconstitutional violation of privacy. In the majority opinion, Justice Antonin Scalia wrote,
62 DesMarais, Christina. 1 July 2012. “Drones: Another Target for Hackers.” PC World Magazine. http :// www . pcworld . com / article /258644/ drones _ another _ target _ for _ hackers .html 63 http :// caselaw . lp . findlaw . com / data / constitution / amendment 04/
Speaking Truth in Today’s Current Events 21 Where…the Government uses a device that is not in general public use, to explore details of a private home that would previously have been unknowable without physical intrusion, the surveillance is a Fourth Amendment ‘search,’ and is presumptively unreasonable without a warrant.64
This principle that a government search of a house without a warrant is an unconstitutional violation of privacy applies not just to thermal imaging but also to the use of drones.
In a CNN editorial, Kentucky Senator Rand Paul wrote,
The domestic use of drones to spy on Americans clearly violates the Fourth Amendment and limits our rights to personal privacy. I do not want a drone hovering over my house, taking photos of whether I separate my recyclables from my garbage. When I have friends over for a barbecue, the government drone is not on the invitation list…We should not be treated like criminals or terrorists while we are simply conducting our everyday lives.65
The question is whether new drone technology has outpaced the Constitution and whether legal safeguards will be able to catch up. In June 2012, Senator Paul proposed legislation entitled “Preserving Freedom from Unwarranted Surveillance Act of 2012” that would allow drone surveillance only with a search warrant.66 The bill goes on to propose that any evidence illegally obtained by a drone should be inadmissible in court (as would any other illegally obtained evidence), in accordance with the Exclusionary Rule.67 As of this publication, however, the legislation has not yet passed either house of Congress.
In proposing the legislation, Sen. Paul asserted,
64 Scalia, Antonin. 11 June 2001. “Kylo v. United States.” PDF file. Pg. 1. http :// supreme . justia . com / cases / federal / us /533/27/ case .html 65 Paul, Rand. 15 June 2012. “Don’t Let Drones Invade Our Privacy.” CNN.com Opinion. http :// www . cnn . com /2012/06/14/ opinion / rand - paul - drones / index .html
66 The actual text reads in part, “…a person or entity acting under the authority… [of] the Government of the United States shall not use a drone to gather evidence or other information pertaining to criminal conduct…except to the extent authorized in a warrant that satisfies the requirements of the Fourth Amendment.” 67 Paul, Rand. 12 June 2012. “Preserving Freedom from Unwarranted Surveillance Act of 2012.” http :// www . opencongress . org / bill /112- s 3287/ text
22 Gold Book 2012 These small drones are to be used as a crime fighting tool for law enforcement officials. But is unwarranted and constant surveillance by an aerial eye of Big Government the answer?...However, flying over our homes, farms, ranches and businesses and spying on us while we conduct our everyday lives is not an example of protecting our rights. It is an example of violating them.68
Drones can be a powerful tool in our modern world, but their power must be limited by a respect for the individual’s rights. The U.S. federal government should first be accountable and transparent in its use of this new technology; if this is done, Americans will be able to fully enjoy the benefits of drone technology without fear of increasing rights violations. Drones have given the government an unprecedented ability to observe its citizens, but drones have also brought the challenge of upholding each individual’s rights, a challenge that the government must be willing to meet and successfully address for the future. After all, in the words of Spider-Man, “With great power comes great responsibility.”69
Key Terms
Department of Homeland Security (DHS)
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)
Hacking
Orwellian Society
Spoofer
Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV)
Extemp Questions
What can be done to make drone computer systems less vulnerable?
68 Paul, Rand. 15 June 2012. “Don’t Let Drones Invade Our Privacy.” CNN.com Opinion. http :// www . cnn . com /2012/06/14/ opinion / rand - paul - drones / index .html 69 Parker, Peter. 2002. Spider-Man. http :// www . youtube . com / watch ? v = IKmQW 7 JTb 6 s
Speaking Truth in Today’s Current Events 23 Should surveillance drones be used outside of war zones?
Is warrantless drone surveillance Constitutional?
What should be done to protect American privacy rights from drones?
Will Congress act to limit drone surveillance?
Questions For Thought
Why is Homeland Security increasing its fleet of drones? Are 30,000 new drones really necessary, and how would such a large number be effectively utilized?
Do the societal costs of drones outweigh the benefits?
How far do privacy rights extend in a modern society? Is the loss of privacy a necessary result of advanced technology? Can this loss be countered or prevented?
Policy Proposals
Restrict drones to military use only. Remove all drones from the jurisdiction of Homeland Security, the EPA, and other federal agencies. Permit unmanned aircraft use only for the purpose of national security.
Require a search warrant be obtained before drones are used. Even “incidental” surveillance may not be reviewed by government officials without a warrant obtained from an unbiased judge.
Further Reading
The history of drones and their development over the past century, from The Nation. While the focus is primarily on their international use, the principles discussed also apply to their domestic use: http :// www . thenation . com / article /166124/ brief - history - drones #
The full text of Senator Rand Paul’s bill to limit drone surveillance: http :// www . opencongress . org / bill /112- s 3287/ text. Additionally, Senator Paul’s editorial
24 Gold Book 2012 explaining the need for such legislation: http :// www . cnn . com /2012/06/14/ opinion / rand - paul - drones / index .html
In contrast, the Air Force brief detailing how and when drone surveillance is currently acceptable: http :// www . cnn . com /2012/06/14/ opinion / rand - paul - drones / index .html
Speaking Truth in Today’s Current Events 25 HealthcareHealthcare inin thethe UnitedUnited StatesStates Trevor Heise
“Neither the American people, nor their government, intends to socialize medical practice any more than they plan to socialize industry.” – Franklin Delano Roosevelt “It is ironic that conservatives spent years arguing for health-care policy they now claim to be illegal.” – The Economist “…the first act of the strong and healthy men would be to smash the medical supervision.” – G.K. Chesterton “Don’t get sick, and if you do get sick, die quickly.” – Democratic Representative Alan Grayson (summarizing his thoughts on Republican health care proposals). Oscar Wilde said that the truth ceases to be true when more than one person believes it. Something like that has become the case in American politics: truth ceases to be, or at least becomes objectionable, when the other party starts advocating it. This reality is particularly evident in political shifts on health care, where each party in turn advocates and disavows various reform options. Such political shifting is a product of the immense complexity and multifariousness of our healthcare infrastructure, and, more significantly, the deeply sensitive nature of the topic. Health care reforms inevitably tear through ethical problems, slay sacred cows, and evoke strong beliefs about the role of government. These circumstances add political difficulties to already challenging problems. Rhetorical challenges notwithstanding,
26 Gold Book 2012 this article will examine the history of health care in the United States, compare our system to those of other countries, and describe present and proposed reforms.
I. U.S. Health Care History
Antebellum ideals of federalism that saw social welfare as the prerogative of state governments and private charity underwent revision during the Civil War and the progressive movement, as the federal government vastly increased its legal and political reach over previously local matters. Concurrently, the rise of modern scientific medicine increased the cost, and public expectations, of health care. Despite the nascent need for a national health care policy, early to mid-nineteenth century reforms were resisted by the American Medical Association (AMA) and others with claims that that reform would lead to a “compulsory system of care.” Though the Federal Emergency Relief Administration declared improving access to health care to be a federal goal in 1933,70 funding was slow to materialize. President Truman proposed a single payer system in 1947, but was routed by the AMA (again) and segregationists who feared that the plan could lead to integrated hospitals. 71
Federal inaction on health care provided space for the rise of employer based coverage – a centerpiece of today’s insurance markets. Large employers would often provide health benefits, and hospitals accommodated by offering insurance to employee pools. Finally, Congress codified the employer’s role as the preferred care delivery vehicle by exempting health benefits from taxation.72 After the wars, Congress began providing health coverage through various state administered welfare programs, and Lyndon B. Johnson drastically expanded its coverage for the poor and elderly through Medicaid and Medicare in 1965. This was the foundation – no sweeping reforms, but instead a fragmented system of welfare and employer coverage that has persisted to the present day.
A number of the following initiatives built on this system. Health Maintenance Organizations (HMOs) were established in 1972 as liaisons between insurers and providers
70 Coombs, Jan Gregoire. 2005. The Rise and Fall of HMOs: An American Health Care Revolution. The University of Wisconsin Press. Pg. 5. 71 Krugman, Paul. 17 January 2011. “Health Care Basics.” The New York Times. http :// krugman . blogs . nytimes . com /2011/01/17/ health - care - basics / 72 Reinhardt, Uwe E. May 2009. “Is Employer Based Health Insurance Worth Saving?” The New York Times. http :// economix . blogs . nytimes . com /2009/05/22/ is - employer - based - health - insurance - worth - saving /.
Speaking Truth in Today’s Current Events 27 to manage care, encourage preventative treatments, and keep patients with the same primary care doctor. Medicare was expanded by President Bush’s large prescription drug entitlement (termed “Medicare part D”). The State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) provided matching grants to state spending on child health care. Despite these renovations, many lack coverage, and since the 1970s, support for universal coverage has strengthened.73 In response to this trend, President Nixon championed a proposal to mandate all employers to provide insurance and increase regulations on big insurers.74 First Lady Hilary Clinton famously commissioned bus tours of the country, hawking her 1993 proposal to deliver universal coverage through a national network of HMOs.
II. Comparisons
The McCarran-Ferguson Act of 1945 exempted health insurance from most federal regulation, and set the tone for subsequent policy changes.75 This absence of federal control has left states with wide autonomy to set their own health policies. In Massachusetts, Governor Mitt Romney implemented his health reform containing an individual mandate, subsidies for those near the poverty line to buy insurance, and state healthcare options. According to MIT professor Jonathan Gruber who crafted the bill, this provided the basis for the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare).76 Massachusetts has insured 98% of citizens and cost estimates are being met.
Down in Texas, According to Governor Perry, plans are being made (or not being made, as it were) to refuse to comply with certain provisions of the Affordable Care Act due to concerns that it would increase costs for Texans. However, given that Texas has the highest number of
73 Derickson, Alan. 2005. Health security for all: dreams of universal health care in America. Johns Hopkins University Press. 74 3 September 2009. “Nixon's Plan For Health Reform, In His Own Words.” Kaiser Health News. http :// www . kaiserhealthnews . org / stories /2009/ september /03/ nixon - proposal .aspx 75 Harrington, Scott. November 2009. “Competition and Health Insurance.” The Wall Street Journal. http :// online . wsj . com / article / SB 10001424052748704500604574485160248832466. html 76 Schwartz, Ian. 12 October 2011. “Romney Healthcare Adviser: ObamaCare Based On RomneyCare.” Real Clear Politics. http :// www . realclearpolitics . com / video /2011/10/12/ romney _ healthcare _ adviser _ obamacare _ based _ off _ romneycare . html
28 Gold Book 2012 uninsured in the country,77 ranking last in terms of access to care, some have questioned the Governor’s credibility on the issue.
Internationally, results are mixed in terms of how the U.S. stacks up. According to the OECD, the United States spends over 16% of its GDP on healthcare,78 a figure set to double in a decade.79 Per capita, we spend more than twice the norm for developed countries,80 and 53% more than Norway, our closest rival. In fact, the U.S. federal government alone spends more on healthcare as a percentage of GDP than the government of Canada – a country with a single payer system.81 Essentially, we’re running a single payer size system in tandem with a private insurance market. But are we getting any better care for all this spending? Decidedly not. For example, though the United States spends 40% more than single payer Germany on health care, U.S. citizens received 15% fewer healthcare resources, according to the McKinsey Global Institute. Per capita spending for equivalent services is 30% higher in the U.S. than in the United Kingdom.82 The U.S. cost of care is far higher, and it’s population substantially less healthy, than single payer Israel.83
But what about the stories of interminable waiting lists? Of shortage and scarcity? Americans report similar waiting periods to Canadian patents and far longer waiting periods, on average, than patients in Western Germany, according to surveys.84 Single payer systems prioritize care according to need whereas in the U.S., care is administered on the basis of insurance coverage. Both systems entail ethical dilemmas and waiting – in Europe the only-moderately-
77 9 July 2012. “Texas Rejects Medicaid Expansion In Health Law,” National Public Radio. http :// www . npr . org /2012/07/09/156509333/ texas - rejects - medicaid - expansion - in - health - law 78 21 April 2011. “Health Care Spending in the United States and Selected OECD Countries.” Kaiser Foundation. http :// www . kff . org / insurance / snapshot / oecd 042111. cfm 79 NATIONAL FEDERATION OF INDEPENDENT BUSINESS, ET AL., PETITIONERS 11–393 v. KATHLEEN SEBELIUS, SECRETARY OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, ET AL. 567 U. S. __ (2012). Opinion of Justice Ginsburg. 80 Anderson, Gerard F., Uwe E. Reinhardt, Peter S. Hussey, and Varduhi Petrosyan. 2003. “It's The Prices, Stupid: Why The United States Is So Different From Other Countries.” Health Affairs. Vol. 22. No.3 Pgs. 89-105. 81 Klein, Ezra. June 2011. “The hard truth about health care,” The Washington Post. http :// www . washingtonpost . com / business / economy / the - hard - truth - about - health - care /2011/06/06/ AG 34 XbKH _ story .html 82 Anderson, Gerard F., Uwe E. Reinhardt, Peter S. Hussey, and Varduhi Petrosyan. 2003. “It's The Prices, Stupid: Why The United States Is So Different From Other Countries.” Health Affairs. Vol. 22. No.3 Pgs. 89-105. 83 June 2012. “Israel's Health Care Outpaces U.S.” The Jewish Daily Forward. http :// forward . com / articles /158550/ israels - health - care - outpaces - us /? p = all # ixzz 1 zCNMLk 89 84 Ibid.
Speaking Truth in Today’s Current Events 29 sick wait; in the U.S., those without insurance can cool their heels. Moreover, Brits and Europeans have fewer qualms with “minding the queue” than do fast-food, fast-care loving Americans. Still, Americans have historically reported exceptionally low levels of satisfaction in their health care system.85 The World Health Organization describes the United States’ system as highly “responsive,” but we have one of the lowest life expectancy rate among developed nations, and a poor WHO quality rating.86 Most importantly, are British teeth really that bad? Again, no. The British do very well at staying cavity free.87
III. The Affordable Care Act
The individual mandate was first proposed and advertised by The Heritage Foundation as a conservative alternative to the single payer approach – a method of achieving universal coverage by herding everyone into private care.88 It’s said that politics makes a strange bedfellow, and there isn’t much stranger than watching the leading Republican primary candidates in the debates repudiate their tryst(s) with what they’ve now branded as “socialized medicine.” The tides have turned, and America is now sharply divided along partisan lines on the merits of the ACA and the mandate. Demonstrating fascinating skills of ceremonial political overkill, Republicans have voted to repeal all or some of the ACA no less than 33 times.89
The Affordable Care Act was structured on three pillars. First, a tax liability for going without health care – termed the “individual mandate.” Second, community rating requirements that require insurers to sell coverage to all applicants at a flat rate and not require sky high premiums of the ailing. This requirement also prohibits insurers from stripping coverage from people when they get sick. The third plank of the plan requires states to establish state exchanges (markets where private insurance companies sell coverage) and provides subsidies
85 Blendon, R.J., J. Benson, K. Donelan, R. Leitman, H. Taylor, C. Koeck and D. Gitterman. 1995. “Who has the best health care system? A second look.” Health Affairs. Vol. 14, No. 4. Pgs. 220-230 86 2000. “The World Health Report.” The World Health Organization. http :// www . who . int / whr /2000/ en / annex 01_ en .pdf 87 December 2000. “Say ‘aaaarrrghhhh!’” The Economist. http :// www . who . int / whr /2000/ en / annex 01_ en .pdf 88 Roy, Avik. 20 October 2011. “How the Heritage Foundation, a Conservative Think Tank, Promoted the Individual Mandate,” Forbes. http :// www . forbes . com / sites / aroy /2011/10/20/ how - a - conservative - think - tank - invented - the - individual - mandate / 89 Parkinson, John,. July 2012. “House Obamacare Repeal: Thirty-Third Time’s the Charm?” ABC News. http :// abcnews . go . com / blogs / politics /2012/07/ house - obamacare - repeal - thirty - third - times - the - charm /
30 Gold Book 2012 or Medicaid to those who can’t afford insurance. The three legs of the plan are interrelated. Requiring coverage of preexisting conditions absent an individual mandate is an invitation to freeloading (as in New York where insurers are required to cover patients with preexisting conditions and premiums are exorbitant because people wait until they’re sick to buy insurance90). And a mandate without subsidies would leave the poor with no way to get care – increasing their tax liability if they couldn’t afford insurance.
The economic effects of the healthcare bill are hotly disputed. The principal concerns are employees’ abilities to keep current coverage, potential effects on quality and affordability of care, and debt.
Though the ACA makes no attempt to remove anyone from their existing plan, the establishment of state exchanges could give employees more options to buy care on their own, decreasing the relative attractiveness of employer provided care.91 Currently, federal tax advantages, and the absence of satisfactory plans for individuals, make employer provided care very popular. As other market choices become available, some employers might transition to a system where individuals purchase their own coverage, independent from their employer. This could lead to moving away from the employer-based system – a change broadly supported by economists. Employer based care encourages overspending and utilizes tax breaks that overwhelmingly benefit the wealthy and squash the individual choice that drives free markets because most employers offer only one insurance carrier. Additionally, it sharply limits mobility since workers must change insurance providers when they switch jobs, and lose coverage when they retire. However, these are contingent scenarios, and the current research finds that most will retain coverage.92
The ACA could have several economic effects. By reducing financial risk, some studies find that savings would decline slightly. Job mobility would increase to the extent that the employer provided care system is replaced with individually purchased care. Universal
90 Krugman, Paul. 19 March 2012. “Hurray for Health Reform.” The New York Times. http :// www . nytimes . com /2012/03/19/ opinion / krugman - hurray - for - health - reform .html 91 Pauly, Mark. December 2008. “Key Issues in Analyzing Major Health Insurance Proposals.” The Congressional Budget Office. PDF File. Pg. 45. http :// www . cbo . gov / sites / default / files / cbofiles / ftpdocs /99 xx / doc 9924/12-18- keyissues .pdf 92 Gould, Elise. 6 May 2011. “Reducing the federal deficit by increasing households’ risk.” Economic Policy Institute. PDF File. http :// epi .3 cdn . net /805 c 0 c 3 a 2 f 630359 fe _ yom 6 bnb 6 x .pdf.
Speaking Truth in Today’s Current Events 31 coverage would significantly increase national health and well-being – numerous studies confirm the link between being insured and happier,93 wealthier, more productive,94 and more stable95 lifestyles. Some argue that government subsidies will lead to a socialized system of care.
The ACA finds financing from several excise and sin taxes, a broadening of the Medicare tax base, and cuts from the Medicare advantage program. On the private side, the individual mandate provides insurers with an increase in patronage to offset the costs of the community rating and prohibitions against dropping coverage for the sick. According to the CBO, the overall cost of the ACA is about $1 trillion over the next decade. This is consistent with the Administration’s and previous estimates.96 High debt is anathema to economic growth, so there are reasonable concerns about spending. Proponents of the ACA note that this is only a small fraction of the increase in debt during the Bush administration and argue that investment in health and productivity pays good dividends.
IV. Problems and Other Proposed Reforms
Health care markets present several unique situations that complicate policymaking. Namely, health care is unlike other markets for goods and services in that the need for medicine is unpredictable (people don’t plan on being sick), but when individuals do develop a health condition, costs can be enormous. This means that health care must be paid for via some insurance system. But the concept of insurance is itself problematic. Insurers have strong incentives to deny as much care as possible (which involves dropping coverage, choosing the lowest cost options regardless of effectiveness, and going painfully slow). Patients have an incentive to acquire as much care as possible and are entirely ambivalent to costs paid by the insurers. Thusly, incentives for malice are paired with externalities and the free market is effectively hijacked. Furthermore, the complexity of medicine hampers transparency and
93 Baicker, Katherine, and Amy Finkelstein. 7 July 2011. “First Study of Its Kind Shows Benefits of Providing Medical Insurance to Poor.” The New York Times. http :// www . nytimes . com /2011/07/07/ health / policy /07 medicaid .html 94 Haveman, Roberts, et al., 2004. “Market Work, Wages, and Men’s Health.” Journal of Health Economics. Vol. 13. No. 2. Pgs. 163–182. 95 Gould, Elise. May 2011. “Reducing the federal deficit by increasing households’ risk.” Economic Policy Institute. PDF File. http :// epi .3 cdn . net /805 c 0 c 3 a 2 f 630359 fe _ yom 6 bnb 6 x .pdf. 96 March 2012. “CBO Releases Updated Estimates for the Insurance Coverage Provisions of the Affordable Care Act.” The Congressional Budget Office. http :// www . cbo . gov / publication /43080
32 Gold Book 2012 leaves consumers with too little knowledge to make informed choices (even if patients possessed the expertise to effectively select care, the employer provider system would prevent them from “shopping around”). As economist Paul Krugman argues, no one says, “I got a great deal on stints over at St. Mary’s.” These two phenomena were identified by economist Kenneth Arrow in 1963 as unique attributes of health care and remain foundational assumptions of health economics.97
Many other health care problems are products of the first two. Care providers focus on high reimbursement services and aren’t motivated to pursue cost cutting measures. Therefore, health care costs are poorly tracked, and many monumental advances in measuring inputs and outputs have entirely passed over the health care sector. This in turn is a major cause for the ubiquitous “pay per procedure” policy that encourages more care and turns a blind eye to results.98 These arguments are frequently presented to make the case that our private insurance is inherently unfeasible and justify health reform.
Conservatives challenge this assessment with several arguments. Many contend that government regulation is the cause of problems and highlight the need for truly free markets. Milton Friedman flatly denied that there is anything different about the health care market and maintained that the same free enterprise incentives operate there as in other sectors. Fear of precipitating a shift to “socialized medicine” is often mentioned as a reason to oppose reform, and waiting lists are argued as reasons to reject single payer proposals. Conservatives are more likely to include private insurance in their reform proposals. Representative Paul Ryan’s proposal to reform Medicare would provide vouchers for the elderly to purchase care from proposed state exchanges (not unlike those set up by the ACA) and cut benefits for seniors by about two thirds over the next several decades to contain costs.
In many ways, our national healthcare debate is high tragedy being performed by clowns. Politicking is rife, and compromise at an all time low. Though the ACA made significant changes, there is still much to be done to improve our health care infrastructure. If the US
97 Arrow, Kenneth J. December 1963. “Uncertainty and the Welfare Economics of Health Care.” The American Economic Review. Vol. 53, No. 5. 98 Kaplan, Robert S. and Robert E. Porter. September 2011. “The Big Idea: How to Solve the Cost Crisis in Health Care.” The Harvard Business Review. http :// hbr . org /2011/09/ how - to - solve - the - cost - crisis - in - health - care / ar /1
Speaking Truth in Today’s Current Events 33 can’t get to solutions in spite of these divides, unsavory solutions may be forced upon us by skyrocketing costs and inefficiency.
Key Words
The Affordable Care Act (Obamacare)
Community Rating Requirements
Employer-based coverage
Federalism
Health Maintenance Organizations (HMOs)
Individual Mandate
The McCarran-Ferguson Act of 1945
Medicare and Medicaid
Medicare Part D
Single Payer System
State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP)
State Exchanges
Sample Extemp Questions
Will the Affordable Care Act lead to effective cost containment measures in health care?
Should the United States shift to a single payer health care system?
Does the Paul Ryan Medicare plan cut too much?
34 Gold Book 2012 Questions for Thought
Do free market incentives work the same way in health care as they do in other markets? Why or why not?
Are HMOs an effective way of delivering care?
Is universal health coverage an ethical imperative? What about covering people with expensive, preexisting conditions who aren’t already covered by Medicaid?
Do other countries really provide better care than the US?
Further Reading
Harvard Professor Feldstein on a better healthcare system: http :// www . nber . org / feldstein / washingtonpost _100809. pdf
The Times regarding the death panel lie: http :// www . nytimes . com /2009/08/14/ health / policy /14 panel .html
“The Right to a Decent Minimum of Health Care” Alan E. Buchanan
“Mortal Peril” by University of Chicago professor Richard Epstein on the right to healthcare
Speaking Truth in Today’s Current Events 35 SocialSocial NetworkingNetworking Susanna Griffith
By giving people the power to share, we're making the world more transparent. Mark Zuckerberg
If you are reading this right now and you don’t have a Facebook or a Twitter account, you’re an anomaly. You’ve probably heard that if Facebook was a country, it would be the third largest in the world! Social networking is a ridiculously popular, relatively new, and decidedly intriguing phenomenon. PCWorld magazine commented, “These days, social media is a bit of a wild, wild West: While most of us understand the basic etiquette of real-world interactions, we've yet to reach a consensus on what behaviors are acceptable--and what behaviors are not--in our virtual lives.”99 Let’s explore the Wild West World of social networking to see how online communication is changing the world.
While countless social networks have popped up over the past half-decade, Facebook and Twitter are by far the most popular. Here are some numbers that illustrate the rapid proliferation of social media use. Facts and figures like these can add a nice little touch to any Extemp speech.
50.3% of North Americans have a Facebook account
1 of every 5 page views on the web are on facebook.com
57% of Facebook users are female
99 Raphael, JR. “The 10 Commandments of Social Media Etiquette.” PCWorld. 8 July 2012.
36 Gold Book 2012 2.7 billion “likes” per day
175 million tweets per day
Most followed tweeter: @ladygaga (over 19 million followers)
11 Twitter accounts added every second
The influence of social networking has increased every year since 2004 when thefacebook was launched at Harvard University. In 2012, social networking reached a new milestone when Facebook hit Wall Street. Conan O’Brien poked fun at the IPO, saying, “You'll all be able to buy shares of Facebook. This is perfect for anyone who's ever logged on, looked at pictures of their friend eating a sandwich, and thought, ‘Now there’s a sound investment.’” While the Facebook initial public offering was highly publicized and eagerly anticipated, the numbers on the screen when the closing bell rang were disappointing. The reason for this failure had more to do with NASDAQ and less to do with Facebook. Nasdaq CEO Robert Greifeld opined that “arrogance” and “overconfidence” among Nasdaq staffers contributed to problems with Facebook Inc.'s initial public offering. Mr. Greifeld said Nasdaq had tested its systems extensively before the May 18 IPO, simulating higher trading volumes than actually occurred. But he said Nasdaq was unprepared for increasing numbers of canceled orders in the hours leading up to Facebook's debut. Nasdaq's problems caused a 30-minute delay in the start of Facebook trading. When the stock did open, investors say they had trouble completing and canceling orders. In all, investors and financial firms claim losses of more than $500 million on Facebook shares they didn't want, couldn't sell, or agreed to take back from angry customers. The flawed IPO is blamed for hurting investor confidence in the stock market.”100
Despite stock market woes, Facebook and its rival sites continue to be the most frequently visited web destinations. Social networking allows anyone and everyone to be a published commentator on fashion, sports, politics, religion, etc. The accessibility of social networks gives them unparalleled efficiency as a means of mass communication. For this reason, celebrities and politicians have found it worthwhile to hire teams of tweeters and bloggers whose sole purpose is to protect and promote their social media reputation. TLK fusion in LA,
100 Thurm, Scott. “Nasdaq CEO Robert Greifeld: ‘Arrogance’ Contributed to Facebook IPO Flaws.” Wall Street Journal. 25 June 2012. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702304782404577487733393734196.html
Speaking Truth in Today’s Current Events 37 for example, is a marketing firm hired by brands and celebrities to make them popular through online exposure. Their president, Ken Collis, explained the importance of social media to MarketWatch: “Social Media is imperative to branding these days. Whether or not you are a celebrity or a brand you need loyal fans or customers and today Twitter has a huge influence on activating people worldwide.”101 Social networking has many uses other than making famous people even more famous. Here are just a few of them:
1. Social Networking & Crime
While Facebook may be able to help make you famous, it can also make you infamous. Nearly every young person in America has been warned at least once that posting incriminating pictures on Facebook can hurt one’s chances of gaining employment. Now, the FBI is harnessing Facebook’s power as a tool in fighting crime. The Guardian reported,
US federal law enforcement agents have been using social networking sites including Facebook, LinkedIn, MySpace and Twitter to search for evidence and witnesses in criminal cases, and in some instances, track suspects, according to a newly released justice department memo. FBI agents have created fake personalities in apparent contravention of some of the sites' rules in order to befriend suspects and lure them into revealing clues or confessing, access private information and map social networks.
2. Social Networking & Customer Service
Chances are good that every store in your neighborhood strip mall now has a Facebook page used to publicize promotions and field complaints. Social networking is becoming increasingly important as a customer service tool. The Huffington Post released a survey saying that Target received better rankings than Walmart for its online customer service. Subway received the award for the company most receptive to feedback over a social network. The article reports, “So why should companies care? Almost 90 percent of those surveyed said they were less likely to purchase products from a company that does not pay
101 “Are You a Social Media Socialite?” MarketWatch. 11 July 2012. http://www.marketwatch.com/story/are-you-a-social-media-socialite-2012- 07-11
38 Gold Book 2012 attention to their complaints on Twitter or Facebook. Nearly that high of a percentage said social media will in the future trump all other modes of customer service communication”102
3. Social Networking & Politics
Millions of people, whose vocations range from homeschool debaters to presidential candidates, have discovered the effectiveness of social media as a means for gaining information and sharing opinions about politics. The 2012 presidential campaign teams are expected to extensively employ social networking in this campaign season. The National Journal explains, “In 2008, then-candidate Obama’s use of social media was revolutionary; in 2012, the ubiquity of social-media platforms has made immediacy and intimacy the new normal.”103 Despite all the hype, the verdict is still out regarding whether or not social media has a huge impact on election-day numbers. A study by the Pew Center found that only 2% of people sought election news from Twitter, 3% from YouTube, and 6% from Facebook. “Social media has been much harrowed, but relatively little used by average voters and average citizens,” Andrew Kohut, President of Pew Center, said to NPR. “These numbers are very modest, given all that we've heard about the impacts of social networks on this campaign.”104 While social networking gives voters a chance to talk back to the TV, it is still not clear if popular hashtags or viral videos (like ‘Will the Real Mitt Romney Please Stand Up’) will sway votes. However, a recent partnership between CNN and Facebook may make social media an even bigger part of this election season than it was previously. A CNN press release explains, “Facebook and CNN are teaming up to take the pulse of the American electorate and amplify the voices of the social site’s users as they share their thoughts and feelings on candidates and critical issues facing the country ahead of Election Day.”105
The political influence of social media extends beyond campaign seasons and domestic politics. “Alec Ross, the tech paragon of the State Department…equated the rise of social media to a democratization of world politics, shifting the balance of power from nation-states
102 Safdar, Kahdeejah “Walmart More Likely Than Target To Ignore You On Facebook: Study.” Huffington Post. 09 July 2012. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/07/09/companies-social-media_n_1654932.html?utm_hp_ref=business 103 Quinton, Sophie. “Social Engagement: What Happens When You ‘Like’ Barack or Mitt.” NationalJournal.com. 22 April 2012. http://www.nationaljournal.com/2012-presidential-campaign/social-engagement-what-happens-when-you-like-barack-or-mitt-20120422 104 “Politics and Social Media: What’s the Relationship Status?” 8 February 2012. http://www.ncoc.net/index.php? tray=content&tid=2kctop2&cid=114k314 105 “CNN, Facebook Partner to Make ‘America’s Choice 2012’ Political Coverage an Interactive, Social Experience.” CNN Press Room. 9 July 2012. http://cnnpressroom.blogs.cnn.com/2012/07/09/cnnfacebookelex2012/
Speaking Truth in Today’s Current Events 39 to individuals and smaller institutions.”106 Democratization is rarely a simple process, and the use of social networking in world politics comes with roses and thorns.
Spring 2011 brought proof of the power of a tweet. The Huffington Post commented,
For the legions of critics who had previously dismissed platforms like Facebook and Twitter as vapid troughs of celebrity gossip and self-aggrandizement, the toppling of regimes in Tunisia and Egypt suggested that these tools were as effective for organizing protests and revolutions as they were for organizing keg parties. The movements throughout the Arab world appeared to have imbued social media with an irrevocable sense of legitimacy as a tool for fomenting change.107
While the Arab Spring proved that social networking can create a spark, doubts remain as to whether it can sustain a blaze.
While social media may help spark awareness of world perils, status updates do little to create lasting reform. Contrarily, they can become addictive, feel-good substitutes for desperately needed reform. Malcolm Gladwell wrote in the New Yorker that, perhaps, Egypt didn’t need Twitter to have a revolution. The message being communicated is much more important than the mechanism of communication. He writes,
Surely the least interesting fact about [the revolt in Egypt] is that some of the protesters may (or may not) have at one point or another employed some of the tools of the new media to communicate with one another. Please. People protested and brought down governments before Facebook was invented. They did it before the Internet came along. Barely anyone in East Germany in the nineteen-eighties had a phone—and they ended up with hundreds of thousands of people in central Leipzig and brought down a regime that we all thought would last another hundred years—and in the French Revolution the crowd in the streets spoke to one another with that strange, today largely unknown instrument known as the human voice. People with a grievance will always find ways to
106 Schillinger, Raymond. “Social Media and the Arab Spring: What Have We Learned?” Huffington Post. 20 September 2011. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/raymond-schillinger/arab-spring-social-media_b_970165.html 107 Schillinger, Raymond. “Social Media and the Arab Spring: What Have We Learned?” Huffington Post. 20 September 2011. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/raymond-schillinger/arab-spring-social-media_b_970165.html
40 Gold Book 2012 communicate with each other. How they choose to do it is less interesting, in the end, than why they were driven to do it in the first place.108
Friedman agrees that Twitter is not the silver bullet for government regime and adds, “as Syria’s vicious regime is also reminding us: ‘bang-bang’ beats ‘tweet-tweet’ every day of the week.”109
To end on a positive note, here a few jokes about social networks. Maybe you could use them in a speech. Everyone will “like” it. Best of luck to you, dear friends!
1. “Facebook has passed 500 million members. If Facebook was a country, it would be the third-largest country on earth ... and by far the least productive.” –Jimmy Kimmel
2. “There's a new Facebook app that will post a final status update for you after you die. That's ridiculous. I don't need someone to change my status when I die. I need them to water my Farmville crops.” –Jimmy Fallon
3. “Mark Zuckerberg got married. Their reception was annoying, though. Right when everyone got used to the seating arrangement, Zuckerberg changed the layout for no reason.” –Jimmy Fallon
Sample Extemp Questions
Is Facebook on Team Romney or Team Obama?
Will the FB stock ever be a good investment?
Can social networking overthrow a government?
Questions for Thought
How long will social networking remain trendy? Is social networking good or bad for communication?
108 Gladwell, Malcolm. “Does Egypt Need Twitter?” The New Yorker. 2 February 2011. http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/newsdesk/2011/02/does-egypt-need-twitter.html 109 Friedman, Thomas. “Facebook Meets Brick-and-Mortar Politics.” New York Times. 9 June 2012. http://www.nytimes.com/2012/06/10/opinion/sunday/friedman-facebook-meets-brick-and-mortar-politics.html?_r=1
Speaking Truth in Today’s Current Events 41 UnionsUnions Alex Sargent
It was the labor movement that helped secure so much of what we take for granted today. The 40-hour work week, the minimum wage, family leave, health insurance, Social Security, Medicare, retirement plans. The cornerstones of the middle-class security all bear the union label. --President Barack Obama I put power back in the hands of taxpayers. What I did was very pro-worker. --Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker (R) Show me the country in which there are no strikes, and I will show you the country in which there is no liberty. --Samuel Gompers (1850-1924), Founder, American Federation of Labor Two heads are better than one. The more the merrier. Birds of a feather fly together. These expressions have been used for a really long time, to the point where they have become cliché. But even more used is the phrase “many hands make light work.” People have been working together since the beginning of time. By working together, people accomplish more than they could otherwise. A group of people who accomplish a great deal in America today are members of labor unions. Unions have a profound effect on companies, politics, and even entire industries.
Background
Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary defines a labor union as “an organization of workers formed for the purpose of advancing its members’ interests in respect to wages, benefits, and working conditions.”110 A union is a group of people who work together to protect the rights of each other. Unions work to negotiate with employers for better working conditions, be it
110 “Labor Union.” Merriam-Webster Dictionary. http :// www . merriam - webster . com / dictionary / labor %20 union
42 Gold Book 2012 shorter hours, higher pay, or safety precautions. This action of negotiation is referred to as collective bargaining. America’s largest labor union, the American Federation of Labor- Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO) summarizes their purpose this way:
Unions are about a simple proposition: By joining together, working women and men gain strength in numbers so they can have a voice at work about what they care about. They negotiate a contract with their employer for things like a fair and safe workplace, better wages, a secure retirement and family-friendly policies such as paid sick leave and scheduling hours. They have a voice in how their jobs get done, creating a more stable, productive workforce that provides better services and products.111
The general purpose of unions is very similar to the purpose of any Extemp club. By getting a group of people together to achieve a common goal, the group is able to achieve more than one person ever could. In the same way, unions allow workers to negotiate for better working conditions more effectively than one person would be able to. For example, according to Cornell University, union workers receive 10% to 30% higher wages than nonunion workers.112 This is because the union format allows workers to negotiate pay rates more effectively.
When discussing the implications of unions, it is necessary to state that there are two different types of unions: public sector unions and private sector unions. Collins English Dictionary defines the public sector as “the part of an economy that consists of state-owned institutions, including services provided by local authorities.”113 Public sector unions are primarily designed to allow workers in governmental jobs, such as teachers, firefighters, and police officers, to negotiate working conditions. On the other hand, private sector unions are designed to allow employees of private businesses to negotiate effectively. There is a sizeable difference in membership between the two. According to the Organization for Economic Co- operation and Development, about 11% of workers are currently union members.114 The United States Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that around 6.9% of private sector workers
111 AFL-CIO. http :// www . aflcio . org / Learn - About - Unions / What - Unions - Do 112 Mayer, Gerald. 31 August 2004. Union Membership Trends in the United States. Cornell University ILR School. PDF File. http :// digitalcommons . ilr . cornell . edu / cgi / viewcontent . cgi ? article =1176& context = key _ workplace 113 “Private Sector.” The Free Dictionary. http :// www . thefreedictionary . com / public + sector 114 “Trade Union Density.” Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development. http :// stats . oecd . org / Index . aspx ? DataSetCode = UN _ DEN
Speaking Truth in Today’s Current Events 43 are unionized, compared to 37% of public sector workers.115 Due to their relationship to the government and their substantially larger membership, public sector unions are considerably more likely to be subject to government regulation.
In addition to negotiating for workers, unions also have a strong political presence. According to the Center for Responsive Politics, of the organizations that have given the most political contributions since 1989, unions occupy 12 of the top 20 slots.116 The AFL-CIO promised at least 400,000 volunteers for President Obama’s re-election campaign, according to the New York Times.117 Due to their large membership with people of similar jobs and mindsets, unions often act as powerful political influences.
Recent Developments
There have been a number of recent changes that involve unions. Some of these changes have been beneficial, and some detrimental. From the Wisconsin State Capitol to the U.S. Supreme Court building, the standing of unions has been fundamentally changed.
From the debt ceiling debate that resulted in the U.S. receiving its first ever credit rating downgrade to the Occupy Wall Street movement, 2011 was marked by a number of remarkable political quarrels. But the debate that began the year was also one of the most contentious and publicized of the year.
It began in Madison, Wisconsin, in January, when Wisconsin Act 10 was filed. The bill was designed to overhaul the Wisconsin state budget. One of the ways that the bill tried to cut the state’s budget was by curbing collective bargaining for most state government workers.118 Very shortly after, people began protesting the bill. By the end of February, the protests included an estimated 70,000 to 100,000 people, according to USA Today.119 But unlike many protests, and in something of a prelude to Occupy Wall Street, protesters began to take up
115 “Union Members Summary.” Bureau of Labor Statistics. http :// www . bls . gov / news . release / union 2. nr 0. htm 116 “Top All-Time Donors, 1989-2012.” Open Secrets. http :// www . opensecrets . org / orgs / list .php 117 12 March 2012. “Unions Plan a Door to Door Effort for 2012 Election.” The New York Times. http :// www . nytimes . com /2012/03/12/ us / politics / unions - plan - a - door - to - door - effort - for -2012- election .html 118 15 March 2011. “Wisconsin Collective Bargaining Statute Challenge Gets March 18 Hearing.” Bloomberg. http :// www . bloomberg . com / news /2011-03-15/ wisconsin - collective - bargaining - statute - challenge - gets - march -18- hearing .html 119 26 February 2011. “Wisconsin Saturday Rally.” USA Today. http :// www . usatoday . com / news / nation /2011-02-26- wisconsin - saturday - rally _ N .htm
44 Gold Book 2012 residence inside of the Wisconsin Capitol Building. These protesters created a small infrastructure inside the Capitol, including a commissary with donated food, a medic, and, of course, a place for everyone to sleep.120
However, not everyone stayed inside the Capitol. In response to the bill, 14 Democrat State Senators fled the state. Why? In order for financial bills to be brought up to a vote in the Wisconsin Senate, there must be at least 20 Senators present. By fleeing the state, these Senators left 19 Senators present, meaning that the Senate could not vote on the bill. And if the Senate couldn’t vote on the bill, it couldn’t pass it either. So, the Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald introduced a new bill that didn’t mention appropriations. By doing this, he could pass the bill without the presence of those who had fled. The bill was brought up in the Senate, where Senators only had a few minutes to cast their vote. In spite of these shady techniques, Governor Scott Walker signed the bill into law on March 11, 2011.121
Throughout the protests, signs reading “Recall Walker” could be seen everywhere. In Wisconsin, it is possible to submit an elected official to a “recall election,” that is, an election to recall them from office, if enough signatures are gathered. Shortly after the union bill was signed into law, activists and union members began gathering these signatures. When the signatures were counted, over 1 million signatures to recall Governor Walker had been collected.122 However, Gov. Walker won the recall election, allowing him to keep his position as Governor. His re-election made Governor Walker the first sitting Governor in U.S. history to win a recall election.
Wisconsin is not the only state to attempt to curtail the rights of unions, and it is also not the only state to have a sizeable public outcry as a result. During the Ohio Gubernatorial election of 2010, Ohioans elected John Kasich, a man who, on the campaign trail, stated that he wanted to “break the back of organized labor in the schools.”123 Soon after his election, he
120 23 February 2011. “Inside Capitol, Wisconsin Protestors Create a City.” Reuters. http :// www . reuters . com / article /2011/02/23/ us - wisconsin - protests - camping - idUSTRE 71 M 0 A 220110223 121 Davey, Monica. 9 March 2011. “Wisconsin Senate Limits Bargaining by Public Workers.” The New York Times. http :// www . nytimes . com /2011/03/10/ us /10 wisconsin . html ? pagewanted = all 122 17 January 2012. “Democrats Gather More Than One Million Signatures to Recall Scott Walker.” Washington Post. http :// www . washingtonpost . com / blogs / plum - line / post / dems - gather - more - than - one - million - signatures - to - recall - scott - walker /2012/01/17/ gIQAE 2225 P _ blog .html 123 27 September 2010. “John Kasich on Public Unions.” Plunderbund. http :// www . plunderbund . com /2010/09/27/ john - kasich - on - public - unions - i - want - to - break - the - back - of - teachers - unions /
Speaking Truth in Today’s Current Events 45 began to pursue this goal. A mere two months after his inauguration, Governor Kasich signed into law a bill that severely curtailed the rights of public sector unions. Among other things, the bill abolished teacher tenure for currently untenured teachers, prohibited collective bargaining over the details of health care benefits packages, abolished the statutory sick leave, leave of absence, and assault leave provided to all school employees, and prohibited public employees from striking.124 CBS News states regarding the bill,
The bargaining rights of public workers in Ohio would be dramatically reduced and strikes would be banned under a bill narrowly passed by the State Senate on Wednesday. The Republican-backed measure… would restrict the collective bargaining rights of roughly 350,000 teachers, firefighters, police officers and other public employees. The bill is similar to the Republican-supported collective bargaining bill in the Wisconsin legislature— although there are differences between the two. Wisconsin's bill exempts police and firefighters from the collective bargaining restrictions, while Ohio's does not.125
Almost immediately, public sector Unions began to take the steps necessary to begin a popular referendum on the bill. This would allow the people of Ohio to vote on whether they supported the law or not. If the referendum passed, then the law would stay in place. But if it failed, the law would fall with it. Very quickly, money began pouring into Ohio. Both politically conservative organizations and national labor unions began spending money to influence the outcome of the referendum. As much as $9.4 million was spent in the referendum fight.126 A Politico headline summarized the referendum results very well: “Unions hung a humbling defeat on Kasich.”127 Voters in the Buckeye state overwhelmingly disagreed with the union-limiting bill, with 60.6% of voters rejecting the law while 39.4% supported it.128 In addition to the striking down of this law, the fight regarding unions in Ohio angered many residents of the state. The popular sentiment is that Governor Kasich, a
124 “Ohio’s SB5 Explained.” State Impact. http :// stateimpact . npr . org / ohio / tag / sb -5/ 125 2 March 2011. “Ohio Senate Bill 5 passes, restricting unions.” CBS News. http :// www . cbsnews . com /2100-201_162-20038584. html 126 October 2011. Cleveland. http://www.cleveland.com/open/index.ssf/2011/10/anti-issue_2_forces_ahead_in_t. html 127 Thrush, Glenn. 8 November 2011. “Ohio Senate Bill 5’s Repeal Buoys Dems.” Politico. http :// www . politico . com / news / stories /1111/67918. html 128 Greenberg, Julia. 8 November 2011. “2011 Election Results: Ohio ‘Issue 2’ Limiting Collective Bargaining Rejected by Voters.” http :// www . ibtimes . com / articles /245821/20111108/2011- election - results - ohio - issue -2- limiting .htm
46 Gold Book 2012 Republican, turned his back on the people of Ohio. Many people have begun to wonder if this anti-Governor Kasich sentiment will result in a backlash against Republicans in general. As the 2012 Presidential elections approach, Ohio is considered to be a swing state: a state that could either vote Democrat or Republican. Many political commentators are beginning to question whether this fight regarding unions will turn Ohioans against the Republican Party as they attempt to win the state in November.
Not all of the governmental actions regarding unions took place on a state level, however. There have recently been two major Supreme Court decisions affecting unions. The first decision is American Tradition Partnership, Inc. v. Bullock, in which the Supreme Court upheld the Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission ruling. In the Citizens United case, the Supreme Court ruled that the government could not put limitations on campaign expenditure by private organizations, such as corporations and unions. Since this decision, corporations and unions have had the ability to raise unlimited amounts of money and spend it on various political races. They cannot coordinate this spending with the campaign they are supporting, but all other actions are fully legal. Because of this, unions now have the ability to use their sizeable networks to raise money for political advertising. However, in June the Supreme Court handed down a decision that regulated the way unions can go about raising money for political expenses. In the decision Knox v. Service Employees International Union (SEIU), the court found that it was illegal for the SEIU to force non-members to pay a surcharge that would be specifically used for political purposes, even if the non-member had not chosen to opt out of paying political dues. While not a decision that fundamentally changes the fate of unions, the decision does show an increased government regulation of unions.
Even though union members make up only a relatively small percentage of the total work force, unions have impacted all areas of labor, from wages to work conditions to worker safety to time off. Time will tell if these battles have been positive or negative to the individual and to the nation as a whole.
Key Terms
Collective Bargaining
Speaking Truth in Today’s Current Events 47 Private Sector Union
Public Sector Union
Recall Election
Referendum
Sample Questions
Will Scott Walker’s recall election victory lead to other states curtailing collective bargaining?
Will unions continue to be a sizeable political force in the 2012 elections?
Can unions survive for much longer?
Questions for Thought
Due to the good working conditions American workers currently enjoy, are unions still necessary? On the other hand, if unions were eliminated, would conditions stay positive?
Is it justified to take away the ability for public safety employees, like police and firefighters, to negotiate their wages?
Which is more important: insuring good working conditions for workers or reducing government spending which could potentially lead to more jobs?
Policy Proposals
Unions should retain the right to collectively bargain, but the circumstances under which they can do so should be limited.
Other states should follow Wisconsin’s example and pass bills restricting collective bargaining.
Unions should be limited in their ability to fundraise for political purposes.
48 Gold Book 2012 For Further Reading
Encyclopedia Britannica has a great in-depth history of unions in the US, but also in Britain, Australia, and Canada: http :// www . britannica . com / EBchecked / topic /432094/ organized - labour
To understand more about the purpose and goals of unions, visit the AFL-CIO website: http :// www . aflcio . org / Learn - About - Unions
For the text of the Citizens United and Knox Decisions:
Knox: http :// www . supremecourt . gov / opinions /11 pdf /10-1121 c 4 d 6. pdf
Citizens United: http :// supreme . justia . com / cases / federal / us /558/08-205/
Speaking Truth in Today’s Current Events 49 PartPart 2:2:
InternationalInternational IssuesIssues
50 Gold Book 2012 CommunismCommunism inin RussiaRussia andand ChinaChina Trevor Heise
Red China and Russia are having their differences. But we cannot take too much comfort in the fact that what they are debating about is not how to beat each other but how to beat us. They are simply arguing about what kind of a shovel they should use to dig the grave of the United States. -Richard Nixon “Irony is the glory of slaves,” wrote Czesław Miłosz, the Nobel Prize winning poet. A defector from, and vocal critic of, the Soviet Union, Milosz highlights the chief failing of totalitarianism – attempts to incarcerate people in an economic system, or a political society, doesn’t help but shackles the human soul. Both China and Russia sought to create socialist bureaucracies that would coerce and manage their way towards economic growth and provide the foundation for worker-run, classless societies. But these dreams had a “rendezvous with reality,” to modify a line from Reagan, and came crashing down. Expectations of efficiency were met with the realities of mismanagement and fraud. Instead of fraternity and equality, sectarian violence was the norm. And far from the idyllic art and culture promised by the communist party, ordinary people found themselves living in a stagnant, dull society. Irony was their only glory.
Recovering from the communist experiment, China and Russia are plagued by similar problems. Political freedoms are tenuous, corruption and influence peddling are rampant, and poverty is too high. This piece will discuss the history of communism in China and Russia and contrast its economic, political, and social effects on the two countries.
Speaking Truth in Today’s Current Events 51 I. History
Disease and defeat in the Crimean war combined with the influence of western liberalism to promote social unrest in nineteenth century Russia. People like the fictional Alexandrovitch Miusov described in Dostoevsky’s The Brothers Karamazov (who journeyed abroad and met social reformers Proudhon and Bakunin) brought ideas of individualism and thoughts of revolution back to the motherland. This heady brew was further heated by displaced migrants, famine, and government cruelty to protestors. By now Russia was on the cusp of a zeitgeist. Things came to a head in the Russian Revolution of 1917 when protestors overthrew the government. After several campaigns of terror, fierce fighting between communists and nationalists, and millions of deaths, a new union between Russia and its communist neighbors emerged under the auspices of the United Soviet Socialist Republic (USSR), with Vladimir Lenin at its head. But all good things must come to an end, and Lenin died in 1924. As history painfully knows, Joseph Stalin was chosen as successor and immediately began consolidating political power – establishing gulags (labor camps for political dissidents) and nationalizing industries. Stalin’s reforms shifted Russia from a largely agrarian economy to an industrial one, albeit at the cost of millions of dead peasant farmers.129 Despite liberalizing reforms under Stalin’s successor, Nikita Khrushchev, Russia remained an authoritarian regime throughout the Cold War.
Following the collapse and dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991, a rapid period of privatization took hold. Under President Boris Yeltsin, industries were sold off, private businesses were allowed to operate, and economic planning declined. This aggressive privatization was called “shock therapy” by economist Milton Friedman and others and advocated heavily by the United States.130 Many argued that shock therapy was responsible for Russia’s dismal post-privatization economic performance; others held that the reforms weren’t that radical and that the economy remained largely centrally regulated in spite of liberalization. None deny, however, that the Russian reforms went horribly awry.
129 Gleason, Abbott. “A Companion to Russian History.” Wiley-Blackwell. Pgs. 370-378. 130 Sciolino, Elaine. 21 December 1993. “U.S. IS ABANDONING 'SHOCK THERAPY FOR THE RUSSIANS.” The New York Times. http :// www . nytimes . com /1993/12/21/ world / us - is - abandoning - shock - therapy - for - therussians .html
52 Gold Book 2012 Privatization was facilitated through bribery and cronyism131 – a legacy of communism that the Russian economy has never truly freed itself from.132
China’s experience with communism was similar in many respects. A resurgence of Confucian individualist ideals, intensified by anti-imperial rebellions and the opening to British trade, provided political and economic support for the coup that overthrew the last Qing emperor. The Republic of China arose from this revolt, and, suffering from an inability to maintain legitimacy, was promptly overtaken by communists. China, now split between being governed by both the communists and nationalists, had to put its infighting on hold to defend against unfriendly Japanese invasion during the Second World War. In the aftermath of the war, the communist People’s Republic of China routed the Republic of China and relegated them to governing what is now Taiwan.133
During the infamous chairmanship of Mao Zedong, China set about implementing the policies of the “Great Leap Forward.” These policies were premised on the philosophy of British thinker G.A. Cohen, who explained that full-fledged communism requires a high level of economic wealth, which central planners can then go about confiscating.134 Therefore, the focus was on economic growth. Collateral damage to freedom and humanism was immense. Millions died of starvation. Next was the Culture Revolution. Reacting to protests, Mao encouraged China’s youth to form Red Guard units, self-police, and conduct ideological guerilla warfare against the bourgeoisie. This led to his highest approval ratings and attracted criticism to his “cult of personality.”
Mao’s death converged with a decline in the popularity of communism. Dissidents began to vocalize and the Tiananmen Square protests galvanized the opposition to demand liberalizing reforms. Though initially repressed, the protestors made an impact, and throughout the
131 Aslund, Anders. September 1999. “Russia’s Collapse.” Foreign Affairs. http :// www . foreignaffairs . com / articles /55404/ anders - aslund / russias - collapse 132 2000. “Russia’s Flawed Reformer.” The Economist. http :// www . economist . com / node /327839? zid =315& ah = ee 087 c 5 cc 3198 fc 82970 cd 65083 f 5281 133 Roberge, Michal, and Youkyung Lee. August 2009. “China-Taiwan Relations.” The Council on Foreign Relations. http :// www . cfr . org / china / china - taiwan - relations / p 9223 134 Wolff, Jonathan. “Karl Marx.” The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. http :// plato . stanford . edu / archives / sum 2011/ entries / marx /
Speaking Truth in Today’s Current Events 53 nineties, China engaged in massive pro growth initiatives that brought economic expansion to above 10% a year.135
II. Economy
Of Russia’s definitive economic features, its corruption and reliance on natural resources are the most salient. Tycoons who were beneficiaries of communism used wealth and influence to gain immense control over the Russian economy. Such privatizing was rife with corruption. According to international surveys, Russian companies are more prone to taking and making bribes than those of any other country.136 Use of police to shut down the businesses of rivals is also rampant. Moreover, the loyalty and influence structure of Russian business results in massive waste. Russia’s historic Gorky Automobile Plant, for example, was recently put under the control of a Swedish businessman who has turned the company around financially by firing half of its workers, cutting off corrupt business branches, and eliminating patronage through merit-based pay.137 Russia will enter the World Trade Organization this year, which will open it up to stiff international competition. Hopefully, that will force more of these sorts of reforms. As Russia opens up economically, it’s beginning to realize that it can’t count on high oil prices and natural resource exports to substitute for industrial and technological productivity. Russia’s economic growth will be closely tied to the extent to which it can deregulate its businesses and facilitate a shift from the corrupt, communist era natural resource monopolies to an open, entrepreneurial economy.
China is a different story. Since the reforms of the nineties, China’s economy has grown at a blistering pace. Though the communist government invests heavily in urban development and industrial expansion projects, nearly three quarters of China’s economy is comprised of private companies. Contrary to popular belief, investment, not exports, drives China’s economy. With private businesses providing most of the fuel for growth, China’s economy has become intensely entrepreneurial. Set against the backdrop of Russian economic sluggishness, China’s economy illustrates the importance of entrepreneurial meritocracy over graft and monopolistic coercion. Legal reforms and increased openness about the opaque
135 2003. “Nation bucks trend of global poverty.” China Daily. http :// www . chinadaily . com . cn / en / doc /2003-07/11/ content _244499. htm 136 November 2011. “Russian and Chinese companies 'most likely to bribe.’” BBC. http :// www . bbc . co . uk / news / business -15544841 137 July 2012. “Lurching into the fast lane.” The Economist. http :// www . economist . com / node /21558588? zid =307& ah =5 e 80419 d 1 bc 9821 ebe 173 f 4 f 0 f 060 a 07
54 Gold Book 2012 Chinese banking system are needed to augment growth over the next decade. The rapid economic growth of the post communist years will inevitably slow in the near future as China approaches economic wealth, and social safety nets must be readied to take the place of speedy economic growth in providing care for the indigent and elderly.138
III. Politics
Political developments have followed similar trajectories in Russia and China – featuring corruption, repression, and a heavy-handed policy towards outlying regions, as their key features.
Corruption manifests itself in several ways. Bribery of the local police is a popular technique to gain control. Russian businesses and connected government officials routinely use police raids as a means of harassing economic and political opponents. Elections are a sham. In the election of Vladimir Putin for a third term as Russian president, municipalities were given “vote targets” (the number of ballots they are required to fraudulently create), and many districts reported higher than 100% voter turnout. In China, the police are largely beholden to the rich and powerful members of the community, but more for reasons of deference and respect than for economic reasons. In Russia, economic efficiency may force reforms to reduce corruption. China, on the other hand, is already showing signs of change. Recently, a local police chief disgraced the career of prominent Communist party official Bo Xilai with substantiated murder allegations – something that never would have happened just a decade ago.139
Political repression is also troublingly persistent. Chinese controls over social networks, the media, and the internet are just the tip of an entire iceberg of suppression. Chen Guangcheng, the now famous lawyer and protester of communism who has sought asylum in the United States, was treated brutally by his handlers. Threats against family and friends are also commonplace. Unfortunately, though sometimes responsive to dissidents’ demands (especially in local provincial governments) the Communist party recently elected to place
138 Yang, Yao. June 2012. “When Will China’s Economy Overtake America’s?” Project Syndicate. http :// www . project - syndicate . org / commentary / when - will - china - s - economy - overtake - america - s - 139 Osnos, Evan. April 2012. “China’s Crisis.” The New Yorker. http :// www . newyorker . com / talk / comment /2012/04/30/120430 taco _ talk _ osnos
Speaking Truth in Today’s Current Events 55 local police under more watchful eyes from party officials. Legislative malfeasance and power grabs that limit freedom of expression, and of thought, are disturbing at the least.
In conformity with the communist tradition, Russian political repression emphasizes similar propaganda and prohibitions on speech but presents other trends as well. In the wake of protests during the election of Vladimir Putin, the Russian Parliament passed legislation increasing fines for participants in demonstrations that damaged property and increased liability for speech. Fortunately, the required number of members for an opposition party to be recognized in an election has been dropped from 40,000 to 500, though some worry that this will fragment the opposition. Unlike China, Russia’s most significant political phenomenon since 1991 has been President Putin. Like Stalin, he industriously stamped out political opposition and consolidated power within the party and the nation. The brutal beating down of Chechnyan opposition provides bloody illustration. An uncanny ability for holding control has allowed him significant latitude in policy and politics. The Russian people are, however, tiring of his perpetual tour de force and voted against him in record numbers in the last election.
Bullying of outlying districts is policy in both former communist countries. China has firmly refused Tibet its independence and declared the Dalai Lama a state threat and a “separatist.”140 While it’s difficult to recognize a nice, old, nonviolent monk to be a state threat, China is technically correct. The Buddhist leader exerts significant sway in the hearts and affections of Tibetans, and the recent self-immolations aren’t good for Chinese image.141 Taiwan and Hong Kong also experience disaffection with the nation that simply won’t set its people free. In Russia brutality towards rebels in Chechnya and aggression against former Soviet Bloc member Georgia evinces a sinister nationalism and a latent authoritarian streak.
IV. Society
Art and culture are weak in both nations. Oscar Wilde was tried by his own authoritarian regime in Britain for saying (among other things he said and did) that “no artist is ever
140 March 2012. “Dalai Lama behind Tibet protest self-immolation, says China.” The UK Daily Telegraph. http :// www . telegraph . co . uk / news / worldnews / asia / tibet /9168885/ Dalai - Lama - behind - Tibet - protest - self - immolation - says - China .html 141 Ruwitch, John. March 2011. “Two Tibetans self-immolate in Lhasa: is protest spreading?” The CS Monitor. http :// www . csmonitor . com / World / Latest - News - Wires /2012/0528/ Two - Tibetans - self - immolate - in - Lhasa - is - protest - spreading
56 Gold Book 2012 morbid. The artist can express everything.” Regrettably, this is the case in neither China nor Russia. Artists and writers are held liable for spreading lies and are subject to state censure.142 Both countries exert powerful control over dialogue, and make heavy use of political propaganda. These reflect holdovers from the old ideologies of communism. Communism, like various religious, cultural, and social institutions, mandates a totalizing ideology – a monument to human infallibility – saying not only “we’re right,” but further, that “we’re so sure of our being right that we’re not going to tolerate anyone suggesting otherwise.” It’s the arrogance of orthodoxy. These opinions run deep, underpin years of thought, and thus will be slow in receding.
Citizens of China and Russia worry that communism has had a harmful effect on their morals. A recent event in China explains the feeling well. Little Yue Yue, a young child, was struck by a van while playing on a crowded street. Instead of stopping in horror, like a decent person would, the driver continued on his way. Other cars and pedestrians passed by, but no one took the time to help the dying child.143 The trauma of the widely publicized event has prompted national soul searching. Commentators are asking if the callousness is a product of communism’s damage to morality. Russians, too, have taken note of the recent outpouring of private assistance to flood victims and are introspectively asking whether this is because they’re more conscientious without communism. The dispassionate and macabre nature of communism is truly bad for the soul. Personal responsibility shoulders individuals with important moral responsibilities, and we can only hope that these healthy trends of devolution will continue.
In one of the great ironies of history, Russia’s Saint Petersburg served as both Peter the Great’s monument to western progress and Lenin’s headquarters for the disastrous experiment with socialism. That provides an excellent allegory to our day and age. Russia and China are caught between the new and old worlds. Corruption, cronyism, and control stand for the old way of doing things. Efficiency, kindness, and progress are for the new. Here’s hoping that the process of liberalizing will continue.
142 Kennedy, Maev. July 2012. “Discovery of Russian artist's sketch shows secret side of Soviet propaganda.” The Guardian. http :// www . guardian . co . uk / artanddesign /2012/ jul /02/ russian - artist - poster - propaganda - cambridge 143 Flock, Elizabeth. October 2011. “Yueyue, Chinese toddler struck in hit-and-run, reported brain dead.” The Washington Post. http :// www . washingtonpost . com / blogs / blogpost / post / yue - yue - chinese - toddler - struck - in - hit - and - run - reported - brain - dead /2011/10/19/ gIQA 3 VLpxL _ blog .html
Speaking Truth in Today’s Current Events 57 Key Words
Bo Xilai
Boris Yeltsin
Chechnyan opposition
Cold War
Communism in China and Russia
Joseph Stalin
Mao Zedong
Nikita Khrushchev
People’s Republic of China
Republic of China
Russian Revolution of 1917
“Shock Therapy”
Taiwan
Vladimir Putin
Sample Questions
Is Russia set to increase its political authoritarianism as Putin begins his third term?
What effect will Russia’s WTO entry have on Russian industry?
Is the US government’s policy towards Chinese protestors the right one?
58 Gold Book 2012 Questions for Thought
Why did the communist revolutions take place initially? What was the reason/were the reasons?
What kinds of effects could Russia’s corruption have on its economy? Is it really that big of an issue?
Should the United States take the side of former soviet satellites or the motherland, in disputes over a ballistic missile defense system?
Further Reading
NYT on political rebels: http :// www . nytimes . com /2011/10/19/ world / asia / despite - violence - chinese - dissidents - emboldened - supporters - stream - to - see - him . html ?_ r =3& ref = andrewjacobs
On the politics of soviet collapse: http :// www . project - syndicate . org / commentary / khrushchev - s - secret - speech - and - end - of - communism
How communist is China? http :// www . project - syndicate . org / commentary / khrushchev - s - secret - speech - and - end - of - communism
Speaking Truth in Today’s Current Events 59 CubaCuba RJ Martin
“Above all Cuba now has Venezuela’s Mr. Chavez. Yet he is a contingent asset: his aid will last only as long as his grip on power.” – The Economist, 24 March 2012 “What began as a personal bond between the two leaders has transformed into a close geopolitical alliance that spans political, economic, and social realms.” – The Cuban Research Institute, 14 Sept. 2005 “Chavez represents what Castro always wanted to be: the leader of a revolution that extends well beyond his own territory ... Castro has decades of experience; Chavez has money and power. Theirs is a partnership with Chavez in charge.” 144 - Frank Gaffney, author “Always, I have done everything out of love. For the love of the people I became President, you made me President. I have ruled these years out of love. There is a lot left to do. I need more time. I need your vote. Your vote for love.” – Hugo Chavez, during 2006 presidential elections In 1991, the Soviet Union came crashing to the ground, finally fulfilling the dream of Ronald Reagan to see the dissolution of the “Evil Empire,”145 as he termed it. This vanished empire, however, left behind a fragmented collection of satellite nations that had been dependent upon the USSR for financial and ideological support. The closest of those countries to the United States was Cuba.
In the following years, Cuba would begin to search for a new benefactor that could offer support when Cuba’s communistic economy fell short. In 2004, Cuba found its answer in the country of Venezuela. 146 In the years since, Cuba and Venezuela have only strengthened the
144 Gaffney, Frank. War Footing: 10 Steps America Must Take to Prevail in the War for the Free World. Print. Pg. 198. 145 8 March 1983. http :// www . presidentreagan . info / speeches / empire .cfm 146 “Cuba: Year in Review 2005.” Encyclopedia Britannica. http :// www . britannica . com / EBchecked / topic /1090217/ Cuba - Year - In - Review -2005
60 Gold Book 2012 ties of a relationship made possible by the close friendship of Hugo Chavez (the president of Venezuela) and the Castro brothers (Fidel and Raul, the long-serving dictators of Cuba). Cuba and Venezuela play a key role in Latin American politics, and knowledge of these two countries is imperative to understanding the future of the region and how the United States should respond.
The relationship between Cuba and Venezuela is fueled by both economic and political issues. Economically, both sides give up things of little value to themselves in order to gain something much needed from the other. Venezuela now finances the Cuban economy primarily through generous gifts of oil; Chavez sends Cuba 115,000 barrels of oil daily, worth $3.5 billion annually, and meeting over two thirds of Cuba’s oil need. 147
In return, Cuba has “loaned” approximately 40,000 doctors and medical personnel to Venezuela.4 These doctors fill a significant need in Venezuela while freeing Cuba of a surplus of these doctors. Cuba, in its never-ending quest for international prominence, has attempted to achieve notoriety via excellence in medicine, which is why the country produces thousands of new doctors each year (currently there are nearly 20,000 students studying medicine in Cuba’s primary medical school, the largest in the world). 148 149
However, the generosity of oil subsidies has made Cuba dependent upon Venezuela, leaving it dangerously subject to the whims of Hugo Chavez and the Venezuelan government. Judith Cherni, an alternative energy expert at the Imperial College London Center for Environmental Policy, said Cuba ought to diversify its energy “so it doesn’t remain at the mercy of political changes in the region that could affect it adversely.” 150 151
147 28 June 2012. “Venezuelan Oil Company to Drill off Cuba.” Associated Press. http :// www . vcstar . com / news /2012/ jun /28/ venezuela - to - join - in - oil - exploration - off - cuba / 148 For purposes of comparison, Harvard University School of Medicine currently has only 735 students enrolled. 149 Porter, Catherine. 2 June 2012. “Cuba-Trained Doctors Making Difference around the World.” The Toronto Star. http :// www . thestar . com / news / world / article /1203466-- cuba - trained - doctors - making - difference - around - the - world 150 Cuba currently receives only 3.8% of its electricity from renewable energy sources, far behind regional and international leaders. Germany, in comparison, receives around 20% from renewable sources. 151 Rodriguez, Andrea. 5 July 2012. “Cuba’s Renewable Energy: Gov Missing Out on Solar, Wind Power Opportunities, Experts Say.” Huffington Post. http :// www . huffingtonpost . com /2012/07/05/ cuba - renewable - energy - alternative - solar - wind _ n _1651216. html
Speaking Truth in Today’s Current Events 61 While a major motivation of the Cuban-Venezuelan coalition is economic prosperity, the reasons driving the alliance are deeper than that. Politically, both nations (and more accurately, their leaders) need each other.
On the global stage, Hugo Chavez is close friends with dictators such as Iran’s Mahmoud Ahmadinejad,152 who is notorious for his dislike of the United States.153 To maintain his international status, Chavez needs to remain diametrically opposed to the US by uniting with America’s nearest geographical threat – Cuba. The Cuban Research Institute has stated, “Chavez insistently wishes to impress the international leftist community…By increasingly turning toward Cuba – which is an easy policy to pursue – Chavez can exaggerate his credential in a domain that is dear to the international left: anti-imperialism.”154
The Castro brothers meet this criterion almost perfectly, as even Raul Castro has recently made remarks, according to the Christian Science Monitor, “…criticizing the US system of democracy as a way to keep the wealthy in power.” 155 156
In return, Fidel has been a sort of father figure to Chavez, and it is difficult to overstate the importance of the personal relationship of these two men. A columnist in the Miami Herald once asked,
Why did Chávez turn Venezuela into Cuba’s deep-pocketed financier? The reasons are several, but the most important one is that the lieutenant colonel found in Fidel Castro a sort of spiritual and political guide who advised him what to do and how and when he should do it. Fidel was his guru, his moral father, his protector against the dangers that threatened him…157
152 25 June 2012. “Hugo Chavez and Mahmoud Ahmadinejad Vow to Resist Western ‘Imperialism’.” RTE News. http :// www . rte . ie / news /2012/0623/ chavez - ahmadinejad - west .html 153 22 September 2011. “Walkout at U.N. as Ahmadinejad Speaks.” CNN News. http :// articles . cnn . com /2011-09- 22/ world / un . ahmadinejad _1_ iranian - state - run - news - agency - iranian - prison - hijack ?_ s = PM :WORLD 154 14 September 2005. “Cuba, Venezuela, and the Americas: A Changing Landscape.” The Cuban Research Institute at Florida International University and the Inter-American Dialogue. Pg. 5. http :// www . coverthistory . com / the - logic - of - extremism - how - chavez - gains - by - giving - cuba - so - much / 155 An ironic position, to be sure, for a man whose brother has (according to Forbes Magazine) an estimated net worth of over $900 million, and who has held power for over 52 years. 156 Llana, Sara Miller. 30 January 2012. “Bash America? The Castros Play to Their Base in Cuba.” The Christian Science Monitor. Print. 157 Montaner, Carlos Alberto. 14 June 2012. “Cuba after Hugo Chavez.” The Miami Herald, Opinion. http :// www . miamiherald . com /2012/05/14/2799314/ cuba - after - hugo - chavez .html
62 Gold Book 2012 While Chavez clearly sees Fidel as his guiding light, the future for these men and their countries is not quite as clear.
The Future
Since Cuban-Venezuelan relations began with Hugo Chavez and Fidel Castro in 2004, it is not a stretch to believe the countries’ relationship could end with the demise of the same two men. The health of Hugo Chavez has been fragile at best since he was diagnosed with cancer in June 2011.158 It is difficult to project what the future holds for him because Chavez has not been forthcoming about the nature of his illness, nor its extent, nor its treatment. 159
However, an anonymous source has been quoted as saying that Chavez’s cancer has “entered the end stage” and that he is not expected to live “more than a couple months at most.” 160 Perhaps even Mr. Chavez’s faith in modern medicine is faltering: after one of the latest rounds of therapy, Chavez himself went on national television to ask the Lord to spare his life. 161
Should Chavez pass away, it is speculated that his departure would lead to a decrease in Venezuelan subsidies for Cuba.162 Even if he should survive to the October 2012 elections, Chavez would still need to defeat his opposition at the polls.
With an export economy composed 90% by oil,163 Venezuela can ill afford to give away its natural resources (namely, oil) for much longer. Should the opposition gain power, Venezuela likely would reduce its role in Cuba.164 In the words of the Economist, “Were Mr Chávez’s opponents to take power in Venezuela, they would almost certainly cut aid to Cuba, not least
158 9 July 2012. “Venezuela’s Chavez Says Cancer Will Not Affect His Re-election Bid.” Fox News Latino. http :// latino . foxnews . com / latino / politics /2012/07/09/ venezuela - chavez - says - cancer - will - not - affect - his - re - election - bid / 159 25 June 2012. “Insight: Can ‘Chavismo’ Outlast Venezuela’s Chavez?” Reuters News. PetroleumWorld.com. http :// www . petroleumworld . com / storyt 12062502. htm 160 Rather, Dan. 30 May 2012. “Report: Chavez’s Cancer Has ‘Entered the End Stage’.” HDNet. Yahoo News. http :// news . yahoo . com / report -- chavez - s - cancer - has -- entered - the - end - stage -. html 161 Toothaker, Christopher. 7 May 2012. “Hugo Chavez Cancer: Venezuela President Prays for Divine Intervention.” Huffington Post. http :// www . huffingtonpost . com /2012/05/07/ hugo - chavez - cancer - religion _ n _1497588. html 162 Forero, Juan. 14 June 2012. “As Chavez’s Health Teeters, uncertainty Grips Venezuela.” The Washington Post / The Seattle Times. http :// seattletimes . nwsource . com / html / nationworld /2018436208_ chavez 15. html 163 Mander, Benedict. 5 July 2012. “Venezuela: Oil Gloom Over Caracas.” Financial Times. http :// blogs . ft . com / beyond - brics /2012/07/05/ venezuela - oil - gloom - over - caracas /# axzz 20 ABF 79 T 7 164 Buitrago, Deisy and Cawthorne, Andrew. 7 July 2012. “Rival Supporters Clash in Venezuela Election Campaign.” Reuters. http :// articles . chicagotribune . com /2012-07-07/ news / sns - rt - us - venezuela - electionbre 8660 hu -20120707_1_ henrique - capriles - chavistas - supporters
Speaking Truth in Today’s Current Events 63 since they face pressing needs at home.” Additionally, multiple surveys have indicated that over 82% of Venezuelans do not want a political model based upon Cuba.
On the Cuban side, Chavez’s quest for supremacy has been made possible by the slow decline of the Castro brothers. After spending half a century ruling Cuba, Fidel Castro finally ceded power to his brother Raul in 2008, as a mystery illness rendered Fidel incapable of continuing as Cuba’s dictator.
Fidel is believed to still hold much power within the Cuban government, but his daily role is severely limited. Today, Fidel occupies his time by writing rambling “Reflections” editorials, famous for word counts ranging into the thousands. 165 In the middle of June 2012, however, his word counts grew shorter and his subjects increasingly random; topics included a blurb on the nutritional benefits of mulberry plants, a paragraph on an East German leader who died 18 years ago, and a 35-word commentary on the benefits of yoga (writing, “Yoga does things with the human body that defy the imagination”).166 University of Miami professor Jaime Suchlicki stated, “It may be that he is not coherent enough to write longer ‘Reflections.’ But it’s clear even if Fidel Castro is no longer in the limelight, he is not ready to stop talking just yet.” 167
For perhaps obvious reasons, Cuban power now resides in his brother Raul.
Many analysts predict Raul will set a different path from his brother Fidel, not least in the area of Venezuela. Cuban Prime Minister Carlos Lage was a close supporter of the Cuba- Venezuela alliance, declaring in 2005, “Cuba has two presidents, Fidel and Chavez.” Upon assuming power in 2008, Raul Castro promptly fired Lage. While Hugo Chavez and Fidel always had a warm, personal friendship, Raul’s relationship with Chavez has been much more distant and cool.
165 19 June 2012. “Fidel Castro Suddenly Discovers Brevity.” Fox News Latino. http :// latino . foxnews . com / latino / politics /2012/06/19/ fidel - castro - suddenly - discovers - brevity / 166 Castro’s progressively brief commentaries have even strayed into the nonsensical. On 10 June 2012, he wrote, “What are the FC? These comprise a method with which I try to transmit the modest understandings I have acquired during long years, and which I consider useful for Cuban officials responsible for the production of foodstuffs that are essential to our people's lives.” It is unknown what “FC” stands for. 167 Oppman, Patrick. 19 June 2012. “Fidel Castro Stretches for a Commentary Topic – Yoga.” CNN News. http :// articles . cnn . com /2012-06- 19/ americas / world _ americas _ cuba - castro - reflections _1_ fidel - castro - raul - castro - comrade - fidel ?_ s = PM :AMERICAS
64 Gold Book 2012 The Castro brothers are essential to the continuation of Cuba’s close relations with Venezuela; after the Castros are gone, Cubans may not offer blind support to whatever alliance the next Cuban leader desires. In the words of the Economist, “Given his age, Raul seems unlikely to stay in charge for more than another five years or so. Cubans were in awe of Fidel. They are less so of Raul, and may not be at all of his successor.” 168
In the past, the amount of reform the Castros have allowed in Cuba’s socialist model has been directly proportional to the support they receive from sponsoring countries. In times of liberal financial support (during the Soviet Union), Fidel maintained strict communism in Cuba. When times became difficult (post-Soviet Union), Fidel allowed some reform of the Cuban economy.169
It is quite telling, then, that Cuba’s own Havana Times has reported the country in the past year has been forced to alter its socialist model and allow a few capitalism-based reforms.170 In today’s markets, the reality is that Venezuelan subsidization may no longer be enough to keep Cuba afloat.
In the beginning of 2012, Raul allowed the sale and purchase of private real estate for the first time in over fifty years in a desperate attempt to get more capital flowing in the island economy.171 172 In these reforms, the Cuban government also privatized some forms of food service, which had been held under national control since the 1960s. Thousands of other small businesses such as barber shops, beauty parlors, and service outlets (e.g., appliance repair) have also been given to private citizens on a lease-based agreement.173 Increased freedom for Cuban citizens is a positive sign, and in the long run it may help the country break free of financial control by foreign nations.
168 24 March 2012. “The Biological Factor.” The Economist. Print. Pg. 12. 169 Casey, Nicholas. 22 June 2012. “For Cuba, Chavez’s Health Is a Vital Statistic.” The Wall Street Journal. http :// online . wsj . com / article / SB 10001424052702303879604577412190274916840. html ? mod = googlenews _ wsj 170 Aguado, Vicente Morin. 2 July 2012. “21st Century Socialism and Mind-Set Change in Cuba.” Havana Times. http :// www . havanatimes . org /? p =73422 171 Previously, home purchase and construction was tightly regulated by the government, producing a black market of goods where, in the words of the New York Times, “…purchasing a bag of sand was a furtive process akin to buying drugs.” 172 15 February 2012. “Cuba Unleashes the Pent-up Energy of Real Estate Dreams.” The New York Times. Print. 173 Frank, Marc. 12 January 2012. “Cuba Privatizes Some Food Service.” Reuters News. Print.
Speaking Truth in Today’s Current Events 65 The US Response174
The United States has a long-standing trade embargo on Cuban goods, which has become a contentious issue between the US and Latin America.175 Lifting this embargo could potentially ease relations between the two countries and give Cuba another trade outlet to reduce its dependence upon Venezuelan goods. However, a crucial factor to consider before lifting the embargo is Cuba’s support for (or lack thereof) basic human rights in the country. Even non- violent activists for improved human rights have been detained, arrested, and beaten by Cuban government officials. 176 For Cuban political prisoners themselves, conditions are nearly intolerable. 177
The Obama Administration, meanwhile, has sought “a new beginning” in US-Cuban relations. This new beginning included an end on the travel ban and encouraged increased dialogue between the two countries.178 However, the US has refrained from any further increase in relations until the Castro regime reciprocates with a similar gesture of good will towards the United States. To date, Cuba has failed to do so.
As for Venezuela, the United States finds itself in an awkward position, as approximately 12% of America’s oil supply comes from Chavez’s Venezuela.179 Oil is Chavez’s primary weapon to both buy friends (earning himself the moniker “Tropical Santa Claus”180) and isolate enemies, which complicates any decisive American policy against Venezuela.
While Venezuela and the United States continue to carry on trade, diplomatic relations between the two countries are currently frozen. Neither country has had an ambassador since
174 Although this section is hardly comprehensive, the purpose here is to give a very brief overview of how the United States has responded to Cuba and Venezuela. 175 Wilson, Scott. 15 April 2012. “Obama concludes Summit of the Americas on the Defensive about Inviting Cuba.” The Washington Post. Print. 176 Zuckerman, Jessica. 7 June 2012. “Cut Off From Reality: Resuscitating U.S.-Cuba Policy.” Heritage Foundation. http :// blog . heritage . org /2012/06/07/ cut - off - from - reality - resuscitating - u - s - cuba - policy / 177 Gonzalez, Normando Hernandez. 16 February 2012. Testimony before House Committee on Foreign Affairs. http :// foreignaffairs . house . gov /112/ HHRG -112- FA - WState - HGonzalez -20120216. pdf 178 17 April 2009. “Obama: U.S. seeks ‘new beginning’ with Cuba.” MSNBC News. http :// www . msnbc . msn . com / id /30261514/ ns / world _ news - americas / t / obama - us - seeks - new - beginning - cuba /#. T _ cYh 6 bNmSo 179 Ray, Ashis. 22 July 2006. “The World According to Hugo Chavez.” Daily News & Analysis. http :// www . dnaindia . com / analysis / comment _ the - world - according - to - hugo - chavez _1043203- all 180 14 September 2005. “Cuba, Venezuela, and the Americas: A Changing Landscape.” The Cuban Research Institute at Florida International University and the Inter-American Dialogue. Pg. 5. http :// www . coverthistory . com / the - logic - of - extremism - how - chavez - gains - by - giving - cuba - so - much /
66 Gold Book 2012 2010, and while Venezuela has expressed a desire for mutual respect, full diplomatic relations have yet to be re-established. 181
Any policy the United States enacts should be carefully considered, as the events in Latin America will have ramifications heard around the world for years to come. While Venezuela and Cuba have been closely tied in the past decade, the future for now remains uncertain, and only time will tell whether their relationship has been beneficial.
Key Terms
Alliance
Alternative Energy
Capital
Communism
Diplomacy
Embargo
Export
Imperialism
Socialism
Soviet Union
Yoga
Extemp Questions
Should the US maintain its trade embargo upon Cuba?
Is Cuba beginning to grow independent of Venezuela?
181 6 June 2011. “Venezuela’s Foreign Affairs Minister Says Relations with U.S. are Frozen.” Embassy of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, Washington, DC. http :// venezuela - us . org /2011/06/06/ venezuela % E 2%80%99 s - foreign - affairs - minister - says - relations - with - u - s - are - frozen /
Speaking Truth in Today’s Current Events 67 What would the demise of Hugo Chavez mean for Cuban-Venezuelan relations?
How can Cuba grow its economy?
How much longer can Fidel Castro live?
Questions for Thought
How should the US deal with the Cuba-Venezuela alliance? Should the US isolate itself and ignore it? Or should US policymakers actively engage and try to form an alliance?
In the long term, will the Cuban-Venezuelan relationship prove beneficial? For whom?
Why does Hugo Chavez admire Fidel Castro? Why does Chavez covet Castro’s ideological support?
Policy Proposals
Cuba should begin extensive exploration of alternative energy. Energy independence frees the country of Venezuelan influence.
The United States should lift the trade embargo upon Cuba. Exert American influence over Cuba via private-sector trade of American goods.
Venezuela ought to more highly value isolationism. End the flow of oil to Cuba and preserve natural resources for domestic use.
Further Reading
For an extensive report on the condition of Cuban-Venezuelan relations, complete with copious supporting evidence, by the The Cuban Research Institute: http :// www . coverthistory . com / the - logic - of - extremism - how - chavez - gains - by - giving - cuba - so - much /
For a detailed report on the background and current situation of Cuba, the March 24-30, 2012 special issue of the Economist. Digital copies available here: http :// www . economist . com / printedition /2012-03-24
68 Gold Book 2012 For the latest briefs on Cuba and how the United States should respond, the Heritage Foundation’s Cuba topic page: http :// www . heritage . org / places / caribbean /cuba For the latest information on Venezuela, the Heritage Foundation’s Venezuela topic page: http :// www . heritage . org / places / latin - america /venezuela
Speaking Truth in Today’s Current Events 69 FranceFrance Alex Sargent
Austerity need not be Europe's fate. ~ Francois Hollande France gets new leader, Europe new direction ~Associated Press Headline, May 7th, 2012 That is now my mission: to provide a European vision of growth, employment, prosperity - in one word, our future. ~ Francois Hollande A change in course seemed inevitable on Monday, a day after the French elected their first Socialist president in 17 years ~USA Today, May 8th, 2012 Paris. A city known for fine wine, aged cheese, and escargot. A city that is often associated with love, romance, and the Eiffel Tower. Very rarely does anyone associate Paris with debt and austerity. And yet, for the past few years, that is exactly what potential travelers to Paris, and indeed France as a whole, would find. However, the tense atmosphere surrounding French Policy was temporarily broken in early May of 2012, when Francois Hollande was elected President of France. As the French administration changes, will President Hollande be able to address the problems facing France?
Background
In addition to being very important in the world’s fine wine and cheese market, France has a central role in the economy of Europe. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) reports that France’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) currently stands at $2.7 Trillion.182 Princeton University defines GDP as “the total market values of goods and services produced…within a
182 January 2012. “World Economic Outlook Database.” International Monetary Fund. http :// www . imf . org / external / pubs / ft / weo /2012/01/ weodata / weorept . aspx ? pr . x =20& pr . y =20& sy =2007& ey =2017& scsm =1& ssd =1& sort = country & ds =.& br =1& c =132%2 C 134& s = NGDPD %2 CLUR %2 CLP %2 CGGR %2 CGGR _ NGDP %2 CGGX %2 CGGX _ NGDP & grp =0& a=
70 Gold Book 2012 nation's borders during 1 year.”183 France is the second largest economy in the European Union (EU), behind that of Germany.184 It is also the EU’s second largest country by population, once again, just behind Germany.185 This position as one of the EU’s largest countries and economies gives France a very important place in setting European Union policy. According to the U.S. State Department, France continues to have a significant amount of influence in the EU.186
To understand the problems facing France, it is necessary to have a bit of background on the European Union. The countries in the EU unfortunately had a bad habit, like some people, of minimizing and ignoring their own problems, resulting in dire consequences. According to the New York Times,
The crisis began in late 2009 when a new government in Greece revealed that its predecessors had concealed enormous deficits. By the spring of 2010, Greece was unable to borrow on the open markets at an affordable interest rate, and a series of bailout package totaling 110 billion euros was devised by the European Union, the International Monetary Fund and the European Central Bank.187
The crisis would be bad enough if it only resulted in problems in Greece’s economy, but the crisis soon spread to other countries, such as Ireland, Spain, Italy, and Portugal.188 Since 2009, Greece, Portugal, Ireland, and Spain have all received bailouts, providing them with funds necessary to keep from defaulting, or failing to pay, their debts.189
Before discussing the members and rise of the French Socialist party, it is important to understand that the French Socialist party is not actually socialist in the traditional sense.
183 “Gross Domestic Product.” Wordnet Princeton. http :// wordnetweb . princeton . edu / perl / webwn ? s = gross %20 domestic %20 product 184 January 2012. “World Economic Outlook Database.” International Monetary Fund. http :// www . imf . org / external / pubs / ft / weo /2012/01/ weodata / weorept . aspx ? pr . x =32& pr . y =8& sy =2012& ey =2017& scsm =1& ssd =1& sort = country & ds =.& br =1& c =122%2 C 136%2 C 124%2 C 137%2 C 423%2 C 181%2 C 939% 2 C 138%2 C 172%2 C 182%2 C 132%2 C 936%2 C 134%2 C 961%2 C 174%2 C 184%2 C 178& s = NGDPD & grp =0& a= 185 January 2012. Eurostat. http :// epp . eurostat . ec . europa . eu / tgm / table . do ? tab = table & language = en & pcode = tps 00001& tableSelection =1& footnotes = yes & labeling = labels & plugin =1 186 Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs. 15 February 2012. “Background Notes: France.” U.S. Department of State. http :// www . state . gov / r / pa / ei / bgn /3842. htm 187 11 July 2012. “European Debt Crisis.” The New York Times. http :// topics . nytimes . com / top / reference / timestopics / subjects / e / european _ sovereign _ debt _ crisis / index . html ?8 qa 188 13 June 2012. “Timeline: The unfolding eurozone crisis.” BBC News. http :// www . bbc . co . uk / news / business -13856580 189 Ibid.
Speaking Truth in Today’s Current Events 71 Socialism is defined as “a system of society or group living in which there is no private property.”190 Under this definition, French Socialists are not, in fact, socialists. According to the New York Times, quoting French author Bernard-Henri Lévy, “European socialists are essentially like American Democrats.”191 While certainly to the left of the political spectrum, the French Socialist party is merely socialist in name. Their ideology is more aligned with the Democratic Party.
Enter Francois Holland. Even before being elected President, Francois Hollande had made a name for himself through a 30+ year career in French politics. According to the Encyclopedia Britannica,
In 1979, while still a student, Hollande joined the Socialist Party, and he worked as an economic adviser in the administration of Pres. Francois Mitterrand. In 1988 Hollande was elected to represent Corrèze [his home province] in the National Assembly. He lost the seat in 1993 but won it back in 1997. That same year he succeeded Lionel Jospin as leader of the Socialist Party.192
Hollande resigned this position in 2008: “After Socialist candidates lost two successive presidential elections—Jospin was trounced in the 2002 election’s first round of voting, and [Ségolène] Royal lost to Nicolas Sarkozy in 2007.”193 However, in spite of his power in the Socialist Party, Hollande was never considered to be a potential Presidential heavyweight. As late as last year, Mr. Hollande’s electoral chances were virtually non-existent. The French Socialist Party was almost certain to nominate a man with more connections, more name recognition, and who was in a more powerful position. That man was Dominique Strauss- Kahn.194 However, after allegations of sexual harassment surfaced and led to his arrest, his electoral star fell. This led to a hole that Mr. Hollande was more than willing to fill.
190 “Socialism.” Merriam-Webster Dictionary. http :// www . merriam - webster . com / dictionary /socialism 191 Erlanger, Steven. 30 June 2012. “What’s a Socialist?” The New York Times. http :// www . nytimes . com /2012/07/01/ sunday - review / whats - a - socialist . html ? pagewanted = all 192 Ray, Michael. “Francois Hollande.” Encyclopedia Britannica. http :// www . britannica . com / EBchecked / topic /1374612/ Francois - Hollande 193 Ibid. 194 Viscusi, Gregory. 26 September 2011. “Sarkizy’s Defeat in Senate Election Deals Blow Ahead of Vote for President.” Bloomberg. http :// www . bloomberg . com / news /2011-09-26/ sarkozy - s - defeat - in - senate - election - deals - blow - ahead - of - vote - for - president .html
72 Gold Book 2012 Now that President Hollande has been sworn in, what kind of changes will France undergo in the next few years? The changes fall into three main categories: political changes, economic changes, and regional changes.
Political Changes
The French government is organized in a way that is very similar to the United States federal government. France has a presidency and two houses of Parliament: the Senate and the National Assembly. In order for a bill to become law, it must pass both houses of Parliament and be signed by the President. Ever since the current form of the French government was founded in 1958, Socialists have been in the minority in the Senate. That all changed on September 25, 2011, when, for the first time in modern French history, the Socialist party gained control of the Senate.195 When Francois Hollande was elected to the presidency, this left only the National Assembly out of the control of the Socialist Party. On June 16th, 2012, the Social Party won an absolute majority in the National Assembly.196 Having an absolute majority “[paved] the way for them to pass legislation without the aid of other members of parliament,” according to Bloomberg News.197 So as of now, French Socialists have control of every aspect of the lawmaking system. As soon as they gained this power, it became quite evident that they planned to use this power to further their legislative goals. According to the Associated Press, “Socialists now have an unprecedented lock on politics in France, and plan to use it to raise taxes on big banks and oil companies, levy a 75-percent tax on incomes higher than €1 million ($1.26 million) a year, and hire 60,000 teachers.”198 President Hollande’s election was key to allowing the Socialist Party to take control of the French political system. Even if the Socialist party had won both houses of Parliament, without a President that would be willing to sign their passed bills, their efforts would be pointless. However, President Hollande’s election ensured that French Socialists would be able to achieve their goals.
195 Viscusi, Gregory, and Helene Fouquet. 17 June 2012. “Hollande Bolstered as Socialists Win French Parliament Control.” Bloomberg. http :// www . bloomberg . com / news /2012-06-17/ french - socialists - win - absolute - majority - in - parliament - csa - say .html 196 Ibid. 197 Ibid. 198 Brisson, Cecile. 17 June 2012. “Socialists take French parliament, sweep power.” Fox News. http :// www . foxnews . com / world /2012/06/17/ leftists - poised - for - victory - in - french - elections /
Speaking Truth in Today’s Current Events 73 Economic Changes
As with most of Europe, France has been severely affected by the Euro debt crisis. As of the first quarter of 2012, the French National Debt stood at 89.3% of GDP, according to the French National Institute for Statistics and Economic Studies.199 This means that France’s debt is currently equal to 89.3% of the country’s yearly economic output. However, this problem isn’t new. President Hollande’s predecessor, Nicolas Sarkozy, faced the exact same problem. However, these two men have used very different means to try to solve the problem. Former President Sarkozy proposed the solution of austerity, defined as “enforced or extreme frugality in expenditures.”200 President Hollande has proposed a very different solution to France’s debt problems. Rather than focus on frugality, Hollande has decided to focus on growing the French economy. According to the Wall Street Journal, “Weak growth pushed the previous center-right government of Nicolas Sarkozy into two austerity programs. His successor, socialist President François Hollande came to power…promising to roll back the focus on austerity and push growth policies, in France and in Europe.”201 Former President Sarkozy’s austerity plan did very little to reduce France’s debt load. In fact, according to the IMF, France’s debt increased roughly 24% of GDP, from 65% to 89%.202 As the administration changes, the method of dealing with France’s debt will change as well.
One of the contributing factors to France’s debt, but also one of its most cherished social programs, is France’s retirement pension system. Princeton University defines a retirement pension as “a monthly payment made to someone who is retired from work.”203 In this way, it is very comparable to the United States’ Social Security system. Additionally, both systems are funded by a tax that is similar to the US’ payroll tax. However, in the United States, attempts have been made to raise the minimum age to receive Social Security benefits. France has chosen to follow a different path. In fact, they have chosen to do the exact opposite. According to the Associated Press,
199 National Institute and Statistics and Economics Studies. http :// www . insee . fr / en / themes / info - rapide . asp ? id =40& date =20120629 200 http :// www . merriam - webster . com / dictionary /austerity 201 http://online.wsj.com/article/SB100014240527023037342045774661002453 88694.html?mod=googlenews_wsj 202 January 2012. “World Economic Outlook Database.” International Monetary Fund. http :// www . imf . org / external / pubs / ft / weo /2012/01/ weodata / weorept . aspx ? pr . x =60& pr . y =1& sy =2007& ey =2017& scsm =1& ssd =1& sort = country & ds =.& br =1& c =132& s = GGXWDN _ NGDP & grp =0& a= 203 “Retirement Pension.” Wordnet Princeton. http :// wordnetweb . princeton . edu / perl / webwn ? s = retirement %20 pension
74 Gold Book 2012 France's new Socialist government moved Wednesday to lower the retirement age from 62 to 60 years old for certain workers, bucking the trend in developed countries. Governments from North America to Europe have been pushing retirement ages higher and higher in recent decades, as people are living longer and spending more years on state-sponsored pension checks. Raising France's general retirement age from 60 to 62 years old was a key reform of conservative former President Nicolas Sarkozy. The 2010 measure was aimed at reducing heavy government debts as Europe sunk into a continent-wide debt crisis — and many economists said it didn't push the retirement age high enough.204
By entirely reversing the policy set by his predecessor, President Hollande has already begun moving in a new direction on pension reform.
Regional Changes
In addition to fundamental changes within the nation of France, President Hollande’s election has led to substantial changes in the balance of power, or who has the greatest influence in setting policy, throughout Europe. France is the second largest economy in Europe, behind the nation of Germany. Due to these two country’s places as the largest economies in the Eurozone, they also act as main driving forces behind EU policy.205 However, as the Euro debt crisis has continued to drag on, Germany and France have begun to fight each other. The major point of contention is not whether the debt crisis must be addressed, but rather how to do so. The French government, as previously stated, has expressed desires to encourage growth as a means of solving the debt crisis, while Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany has held to austerity plans as the answer. A sizable disagreement arose with Hollande’s “promise to reopen talks on the EU's fiscal austerity pact, calling for negotiations on pro-growth measures rather than simply imposing deficit-cutting austerity rules. Chancellor Merkel has said she will not renegotiate the pact, which she spearheaded along with outgoing French President Nicolas Sarkozy.”206 In an article entitled “ Hollande Wrests Merkel Concessions in Euro Crisis Plan,” Bloomberg News reported that “French President Francois Hollande led a
204 Brisson, Cecile. 6 June 2012. “France to lower retirement age for some workers.” Yahoo! Finance. http :// finance . yahoo . com / news / france - lower - retirement - age - workers -155335010-- finance .html 205 Breidthart, Annika, and Daniel Flynn. 15 June 2012. “With Europe on edge, France and Germany squabble.” Chicago Tribune. http :// articles . chicagotribune . com /2012-06-15/ business / sns - rt - us - germany - france - merkelbre 85 e 0 kn -20120615_1_ euro - zone - franco - german - germany - s - angela - merkel
Speaking Truth in Today’s Current Events 75 revolt against Germany’s austerity-first doctrine for combating the financial crisis, winning easier aid terms for Spain and Italy in an effort to reshape the balance of power in the euro region.”207 Rather than follow Germany’s policy decisions, France is now acting as a strong dissenting voice, thus substantially changing the balance of power in Europe. During President Sarkozy’s administration, France often cooperated with Germany and agreed that austerity was necessary to solve the debt crisis facing the Eurozone. However, President Hollande is furthering a very different method of reducing Europe’s debt, and it will now be necessary for France and Germany to meet in the middle on many key discussions.
Hollande’s political and economic policies certainly diverge from those of his predecessor. Only time will tell whether those policies actually work or whether they are just another example of socialist thinking.
Key Terms
Austerity
Balance of Power
Default
European Union
Eurozone
GDP
International Monetary Fund
Pension
Sample Questions
Can France and Germany come to an agreement about the EU Fiscal Austerity Pact?
206 9 May 2012. “France’s Hollande to focus on growth rather than austerity.” VOA News. http :// blogs . voanews . com / breaking - news /2012/05/09/ frances - hollande - to - focus - on - growth - rather - than - austerity / 207 Neuger, James, and Helene Fouquet. 29 June 2012. “Hollande Wrests Merkel Concessions in Euro Crisis Plan.” Bloomberg. http :// www . bloomberg . com / news /2012-06-29/ hollande - wrests - merkel - concessions - in - euro - crisis - plan .html
76 Gold Book 2012 Can President Hollande keep his deficit promises?
Will President Hollande’s growth proposals fix France’s financial woes?
Will France’s decision to lower the retirement age derail their deficit reduction plans?
Questions for Thought
How are French Socialist plans to decrease debt by spurring the economy similar to plans by the American Republican party? How are the policies used to achieve that end different?
With Socialist control over all aspects of lawmaking, will there be negative consequences of not having a powerful dissenting voice?
Which should President Hollande more highly value, the good of France, or the good of Europe as a whole?
As Germany and France argue about the future of the Eurozone, will they be able to come to a compromise?
Policy Proposals
France should find a balance between growth and austerity. This would ensure that their debt load would shrink, while increasing the well-being of the French people.
France should temporarily postpone lowering the retirement age, until the Eurozone’s debt has been stabilized.
Speaking Truth in Today’s Current Events 77 ParaguayParaguay Dani Kapke
Land disputes have disrupted nations for hundreds of years, even triggering civil wars in Medieval Europe. Although most modern nations have implemented land reform of some sort and have their land regulations under control, many nations still suffer from poorly written and rarely enforced land laws. One such nation is the South American agriculture-based country of Paraguay.
Paraguay has struggled for almost 150 years with balancing land control and preventing an elite group of the population from owning the majority of the country’s land. Unfortunately, the government has been largely unsuccessful. The consequences of such have been clearly seen in the last month, as a land dispute resulted in the death of 17 people, followed soon after by the impeachment of Paraguay’s president, Fernando Lugo. In order to fully understand the brokenness of Paraguay’s politics and land reform policies, it is essential to be aware of the last 140 years leading up to this political fallout.
The land imbalance dates back to around 1870 when the country began selling large tracts of land to pay off a crippling war debt. The sell-off sped up during 1954-1989 under General Alfredo Stroessner's rule, when large farming and agriculture businesses expanded and over 20 million acres passed to private buyers, many of them politically tied to Stroessner. These efforts lead to the debilitating land imbalance Paraguay faces today. According to the UN, about 1 percent of the population is in control of 77 percent of farmland, while 55 percent of Paraguayans are poor and 31 percent live in extreme poverty.208
208 Orsi, Peter. June 29, 2012. “ Land reform , Paraguay ' s ticking political bomb.” The Huffington Post. http :// www . huffingtonpost . com / huff - wires /20120629/ lt - paraguay - lugo - s - land - problem /
78 Gold Book 2012 The grievous land disparity in Paraguay has led to social and political unrest. Paraguay is truly a divided country. On the one hand, GDP has risen for three straight years and the wealthy members of society are better off than ever before. One the other hand, for over 4 million Paraguayans, putting food on the table is a daily struggle and living conditions are nearly unbearable.
Ultimately, the political crisis in Paraguay is rooted in the tensions between the landed and the landless, which came to the forefront on June 15, 2012, when a dispute over contested property left 17 people dead and triggered the impeachment of President Lugo a week later. According to members of the Paraguayan government, Lugo did not make any effort to prevent the land disputes which lead to the death of both farmers and police alike.
Two important questions must be answered at this point. First, why is the land imbalance so crippling to Paraguay’s survival and prosperity? Second, what has former President Lugo done – or not done – to deserve the blame?
The agriculture industry keeps the tiny economy of Paraguay alive – but barely. The two largest exports of the country are soy and beef, and the farming sector last year generated roughly 30 percent of the government's annual revenues of $8 billion. Yet with big agribusiness dominant, the average Paraguayan sees little of that wealth. Up to 300,000 people are landless, according to varying estimates. Paraguay is South America’s most unequal country in land concentration, trailing behind countries like Brazil, where land problems are at least mitigated by a more developed - and less agriculture dependent - economy. Without effective land control, Paraguay’s society, politics, and economy are all at high risk.
To make matters worse, the agriculture-based society is still recovering from a recent drought. Paraguay is highly dependent on beef and soybean exports, both of which were severely affected by the drought last year. In fact, the country is still suffering from parched soy fields and an epidemic of foot-and-mouth disease that necessitated the slaughter of hundreds of cattle to prevent the spread of the highly contagious disease.209 As a result of the drought,
209 Fox News Staff. June 29, 2012. “Paraguay Suspended by Mercosur, But Without Sanctions.” Fox News. http :// latino . foxnews . com / latino / news /2012/06/29/ mercosur - rejects - bid - to - raise - trade - tariffs /
Speaking Truth in Today’s Current Events 79 Paraguay’s land imbalance and its consequences have become even more apparent and problematic.
President Lugo was touted as the "bishop of the poor" when he won the presidency in 2008. Lugo was elected in hopes that his promises of land reform and corruption reduction would bring about a change in Paraguay. After six decades of anti-democratic, single-party rule, South America was enchanted with Lugo’s democratic beliefs and his respectable policy goals. South America hoped for a solid democracy to emerge in this struggling nation. Unfortunately, during his four years in office, Lugo achieved little meaningful reform. Much of this inefficiency stemmed from the severe opposition he faced by members of his own political party, including his vice president, Federico Franco. It seems that with weak support from his party and strong opposition from his vice president throughout his four years as president, Lugo never felt confident enough to push for comprehensive land reform and effective corruption reduction policies. Alfredo Boccia Paz, a Paraguayan political columnist, admits that, “If Lugo had done much more [to reform things], he probably would have fallen sooner.” 210 President Lugo made promises no one could keep, considering the political and social climate of Paraguay, thus setting himself up for failure as president.
Since Lugo’s impeachment on June 15, 2012, the world’s superpowers and trade blocs have all been forced to take a stance on Paraguay’s recent political upheaval. Understanding the various individuals, nations, and alliances’ reactions to this turmoil will provide insight on what to expect in the years to come.
Former President Lugo has sent mixed messages regarding whether or not he plans to protest his impeachment on the basis of undemocratic procedures. Lugo, along with many prominent diplomats worldwide, claims that he was not given a fair trial prior to his impeachment; he was denied a defense and in just a few hours was stripped of his presidency. According to President Fernandez of Argentina, “Democratic order was broken” when Lugo was denied a fair trial. 211 Originally he complied with the political coup and agreed to leave office without
210 The Associated Press. June 29, 2012. “Paraguay’s a tale of two peoples: The landed and the landless uneasy next-door neighbors.” Trib Live News. http :// triblive . com / usworld / world /2127797-74/ paraguay - replacement - lugo - percent - poor -8742-1800909-1-800-909- account - allegheny
211 Romero, Simon. June 23, 2012. “In Paraguay, Democracy’s All-Too-Speedy Trial.” The New York Times. http :// www . nytimes . com /2012/06/24/ world / americas / in - paraguay - democracys - all - too - speedy - trial .html
80 Gold Book 2012 protesting. Shortly after that he announced that he would be attending a South American summit at which he planned to protest his dismissal and plead his case to the region’s superpowers. The very next day, however, he decided against attending the summit, saying, “I don't want the other presidents to feel pressured.” At this point, Lugo has not chosen a definite course of action. Unfortunately, Lugo has made a habit of avoiding decisions, forcing those around him to make the decision for him. 212
Paraguay’s new leader, President Franco, claims to support democracy. However, neighboring nations have criticized his speedy impeachment of Lugo – claiming that the procedure was not given enough time, nor was Lugo given the chance to defend himself in court. Unfortunately, it seems that Paraguay is falling back into the very same political system it fought so hard to escape just a decade ago. 213 As a result, Paraguay – specifically Franco and his party – has been blocked from attending South American summits for the time being. President Franco has faced exceptional opposition from President Hugo Chavez of Venezuela. In fact, when asked if Chavez was aiming to meddle in the affairs of other nations, Franco responded glibly, “You are so intelligent that I couldn't have said it more clearly or succinctly myself.” 214
On July 4, 2012, Paraguay withdrew its ambassador from Venezuela, a week after Chavez had ordered his ambassador to depart from Paraguay. This fallout left the two South American nations just shy of a full break in diplomatic relations. 215 President Chavez has long supported former President Lugo’s policies and efforts in Paraguay. At first glance it would seem that Chavez’s refusal to recognize Franco’s government as legitimate is out of concern for democracy. However, Chavez and Venezuela have much to gain from Paraguay’s crisis and
212 Servin, Pedro. June 26, 2012. “Paraguay's Lugo changes tack ahead of summit.” The Associated Press. http :// www . google . com / hostednews / ap / article / ALeqM 5 jQnP 2 sSyaGkBmW 4 rWIaEMuAmAWJw ? docId =431 c 0 e 32 e 26 d 4987 b 6 af 2 bf 5 b 267164 a
213 Llana, Sarah Miller. June 29, 2012. “Why Mexico and Paraguay are embracing controversial parties of the past.” The Christian Science Monitor. http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Americas/2012/0629/Why-Mexico-and-Paraguay-are-embracing-controversial-parties-of-the-past
214 Bogado, Belen. June 29, 2012. “Paraguay Leader Stands by Claims Against Venezuela.” ABC News. http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/paraguay-pres-stands-claims-venezuela-16673371
215 The Associated Press. July 4, 2012. “Paraguay rejects Venezuelan ambassador, furious over alleged meddling during Lugo impeachment.” The Washington Post. http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/the_americas/paraguay-rejects-venezuelan-ambassador-furious-over-alleged-meddling-during-lugo- impeachment/2012/07/04/gJQAjbjsNW_story.html
Speaking Truth in Today’s Current Events 81 temporary suspension from trade blocs; Venezuela has been vying for full membership of Mercusor, which Paraguay has been vetoing for years. Venezuela’s allies in the region have taken full advantage of Paraguay’s absence as well, welcoming Venezuela into the trade bloc. Although Franco has protested Venezuela’s recent membership, international authorities have deemed it a fully legal procedure, once again leaving Paraguay the short end of the stick. 216 In a final attempt to undermine Franco’s rule, Chavez revoked all oil agreements with Paraguay, withholding much of Paraguay’s needed oil supply until Franco is removed and Lugo, or an equally suitable president, is reinstated. 217
Unfortunately for Paraguay, the nation has not only been stripped of its vetoing rights in Mercusor, but it is also unable to attend any summits or vote on any decisions until the next presidential election in April of 2013. 218 However, despite Paraguay’s suspension, the members of Mercusor have committed to aid Paraguay in rebuilding a stable political and social standing in South America. 219 Mercusor’s leaders, Brazil and Uruguay, have made it clear that their goal is not to punish the people of Paraguay; rather it is to restore democracy and bring the political turmoil and corruption to an end. The president of Argentina, Cristina Fernández, explained that Mercusor has no intentions of placing sanctions on Paraguay, as the member nations do not believe “in economic sanctions because they never hurt governments. They always hurt the people.” 220 The trade bloc has quickly diminished Paraguay’s role in South America in hopes that the anti-democratic sentiments of the country will not spread to neighboring nations.
Unlike Mercusor, the Organization of American States (OAS) has decided to allow Paraguay to maintain its membership, despite the shaky political scene. According to the
216 The Associated Press. July 4, 2012. “Questions raised on Venezuela joining Mercosur.” Fox News. http :// www . foxnews . com / world /2012/07/04/ questions - raised - on - venezuela - joining - mercosur /
217 Huffington Post Staff. June 24, 2012. “Chavez: Venezuela Oil For Paraguay Cut Off After Lugo's Impeachment.” The Huffington Post. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/06/24/venezuela-oil-paraguay-cut-off-lugo-impeachment_n_1622711.html
218 Nejamkis, Guido. Flor, Ana. June 29, 2012. “Mercosur welcomes Venezuela, suspends Paraguay.” The Chicago Tribune. http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2012-06-29/news/sns-rt-us-mercosurbre85s1jt-20120629_1_trade-bloc-uruguay-and-paraguay-mercosur
219 Fox News Staff. June 29, 2012. “Mercosur suspends Paraguay, embraces Venezuela.” Fox News. http://latino.foxnews.com/latino/politics/2012/06/29/mercosur-suspends-paraguay-embraces-venezuela/
220 The Associated Press. June 29, 2012. “Paraguay suspended from Mercosur, no sanctions.” The Washington Examiner. http://washingtonexaminer.com/mercosur-suspends-paraguay-but-without-sanctions/article/feed/2007696
82 Gold Book 2012 Secretary General of OAS, suspending Paraguay’s membership would only make it more difficult for stronger, more developed nations in the alliance – such as the US, Canada, and Brazil – to influence and shape Paraguay’s future. Additionally, were the OAS to suspend Paraguay’s membership, the country would face serious social and economic disturbances from outside sources – potentially including the World Bank and the Inter-American Development Bank. 221 At this point in time, the OAS has committed to aid Paraguay with its presidential election next spring, hoping that involvement from the alliance’s democratic members will result in a stronger Paraguay.
Currently, the world’s relevant superpowers, including the US, Brazil, and Mexico, have taken a step back and abstained from taking a stance on Paraguay’s political upheaval. Limited involvement is prudent, as the superpowers have the opportunity to look at the situation more objectively before rushing to one side or another. On the other hand, as the OAS made clear, it is essential that the influential democracies of the world fulfill their responsibility to step up and involve themselves in Paraguay’s development. Whether or not the US, Brazil, and Mexico will do so is still in question.
Paraguay’s future is far from certain at this point. One thing is clear, however: the country will not stay the same for long. President Franco has promised to make changes, which he has already taken steps to do. The question is whether or not these changes will be for good. Considering Paraguay’s situation – its government, people, and neighbors – the political and social climate is either going to improve or be drastically undermined over the next few years.
Already the poorest nation in South America, Paraguay will struggle over the next couple of years – regardless of the outcome of 2013’s presidential election. Although former President Lugo was unable to lead Paraguay to development and prosperity, he at least had the support of his South American neighbors and the US. President Franco, however, must not only overcome the economic turbulence of the nation and gain the trust of his people, but he will also need to mend relations with his neighbors – specifically Venezuela – if he ever hopes to lead Paraguay to prosperity.
221 The Associated Press. July 10, 2012. “OAS Secretary General Insulza says Paraguay should not be suspended for impeaching president.” The Washington Post. http :// www . washingtonpost . com / business / oas - secretary - general - insulza - says - paraguay - should - not - be - suspended - for - impeaching - president /2012/07/10/ gJQAvnilbW _ story .html
Speaking Truth in Today’s Current Events 83 The root of Paraguay’s political unrest can be traced back 140 years to dishonesty and malpractice in land distribution. The nation faces the very same problems today: corruption in the government and, specifically, a crippling land imbalance. Paraguay certainly has a long way to go, but one cannot deny that the nation has identified and recognized its problem. And, of course, admitting there is a problem is the first step to recovery.
Key Terms
Agribusiness
GDP
Impeachment
Land imbalance
Mercusor
Organization of American States
Political coup
Political party
Revenue
Single-party rule
Trade bloc
Sample Extemp Questions
Should the United States take a more proactive stance on Paraguay’s land disputes?
Can President Franco gain the respect of his people before it’s too late?
Is the OAS wise to abstain from pressuring Paraguay’s government?
Will Franco and Chavez ever see eye to eye?
84 Gold Book 2012 Questions for Thought
Why do you think it has taken Paraguay so long to recognize its problem? Do you think it’s too late for the government to pull itself together?
Many South American nations expect Paraguay to handle its own problems, but do you think Paraguay can do it all on its own? If not, who should step in and help?
Why do you think so many democratic superpowers have neglected to aid Paraguay?
Do you think Hugo Chavez is being reasonable by severing ties with Paraguay? Why?
Policy Proposals
1. American Democracy Alliance. The majority of American countries are democracies, or some form of one. However, countries like Paraguay and Mexico have recently fallen away from democracy in favor of a more convenient, yet unhealthy, government. If the Americas (North and South) were to form a trade alliance that was contingent on democracy, countries would likely be more prone to value democracy. Though, some current trade blocs would be mitigated to a degree, so potential economic disturbances could result.
2. Fair election. Franco simultaneously forced Lugo out of power while forcing himself on the Paraguayan people. There was obviously no election and Franco was not granted power by his people. The international community pulls a lot of weight in Paraguay, as it is very dependent on trade. If South America and the US were to require a fair election, while refusing to recognize Franco as a legitimate president until one was had, Paraguay would likely be forced to rethink its politics.
Further Reading
This article discusses the reactions of many of the American superpowers: http :// www . washingtonpost . com / world / ousted - paraguayan - president - lugo - calls - removal - coup - against - democracy /2012/06/30/ gJQAOmgEEW _ story .html
This article explains the US’s stance and the criticism received because of it: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/huff-wires/20120707/lt-paraguay-us-role/
Speaking Truth in Today’s Current Events 85 SyriaSyria Jonah Ortiz
“In a revolution, as in a novel, the most difficult part to invent is the ending.” -Alexis de Tocqueville222 In the Bible’s New Testament, the book of Acts tells of the Apostle Paul. As many of you may know, the Apostle was known as “Saul” at the time. Saul was a servant of the High Priest and was known for being a brutal murderer of Christians and as a man who committed unthinkable atrocities. The Christians in Syria at the time longed for change and deliverance and for an end to the violence. In that pivotal moment in Christianity’s early history, the people finally received their deliverance: in Acts chapter 9, Saul, in a moment of “divine intervention,” was converted and was transformed into “Paul,” the apostle we all know and love.
They say history repeats itself, though it tends to repeat only the bad parts rather than the good. Right now, exactly where Paul once walked, we need another moment of change. For Paul was converted on the road to Damascus, the current capital of the nation of Syria. Syria’s leader, Bashar al-Assad, is just as brutal as Saul or any other warlord or tyrant. Assad’s violent crackdown on protesters is beyond horrific, and the people of Syria, much like the Syrians of the 1st century, need change. A UN observer, Robert Mood, has said that “the violence is unprecedented.”223 The people clamor for change, for Assad’s removal from power, and for a moment of “intervention,” whether it be divine or from a foreign power. The people need another day on the road to Damascus.
222 Alexis De Tocqueville, Brainy Quote, http :// www . brainyquote . com / quotes / quotes / a / alexisdeto 384738. html 223 Albert Aji, Daily Star, July 6, 2012, http :// www . dailystar . com . lb / News / Middle - East /2012/ Jul -06/179594- syria - observer - chief - says - violence - unprecedented . ashx # axzz 1 ztHfOKj 6
86 Gold Book 2012 In this article, I’ll discuss what’s going on in Syria, the International response, a deeper look at the history of the nation, and then lastly, what’s in store in the country’s future.
The Arab Spring’s next stop
In 2000, Bashar al-Assad succeeded his father as the President of Syria.224 While technically both father and son were democratically elected, their military power effectively stopped all political opposition, such as when Hafez al-Assad ordered an artillery strike on fundamentalists in Hama, leaving thousands dead and wounded.225 From 1970, no political party could stop Hafez al-Assad up until his death in 2000.226 Both father and son were from the religious minority, the Alawites, who comprise less than 12% of the nation’s population, compared to the Sunnis who compromise more than 70%.227 This religious divide further separates Assad from his people, adding on to the view held by the people that he is an autocrat. Despite his anti-opposition policies, it wasn’t until 2011 that any major protest occurred. However, while he may not have known it at the time, Assad’s insistence on stifling opposition gave birth to the Syrian rebellion. As President John F. Kennedy once famously said, “Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable.”228
The Arab Spring began in December of 2010. The Oxford Dictionary defined the Arab Spring as “a series of anti-government uprisings in various countries in North Africa and the Middle East, beginning in Tunisia in December 2010.”229 In Syria, the revolution was quite literally sparked when a man set himself on fire in protest on January 26th, 2011. Protests were relatively minor at first with few partaking when compared to other revolutions in the Arab world.230 However, when the government began to use military forces to crack down on the peaceful protesters, the Syrian people responded. Soon, shocked and disgusted by the government’s brutality, protests and riots took over the whole country.
224 March 8th, 2012, State Department http :// www . state . gov / r / pa / ei / bgn /3580. htm 225 Time magazine, March 8th, 1982 http :// www . time . com / time / magazine / article /0,9171,921108,00. html 226 Christina Lamb, Telegraph, June 11th, 2000 http :// www . telegraph . co . uk / news / worldnews / middleeast / syria /1342269/ Assad - death - plunges - the - Middle - East - into - turmoil .html 227 Reuters News Service, February 2nd, 2012 http :// www . reuters . com / article /2012/02/02/ us - syria - alawites - sect - idUSTRE 8110 Q 720120202 228 John F. Kennedy, Brainy Quote, http :// www . brainyquote . com / quotes / quotes / j / johnfkenn 101159. html 229 Oxford Dictionary http :// oxforddictionaries . com / definition / english / Arab %2 BSpring 230 Rania Abouzied, March 6, 2011 http :// www . time . com / time / world / article /0,8599,2057454,00. html
Speaking Truth in Today’s Current Events 87 The government began to use armored forces to quell the riots, and Assad ordered his government to withhold humanitarian aid and water and turned off the electricity.231 As more cities became overrun with protesters and rebels, the government would surround the cities and launch brutal, urban warfare. Riad-Al Assad (no relation to Bashar), commander of the Free Syrian Army, reported on February 1st, 2012, that Syrian rebels “possessed 50% of the country.” Within one year, the widening conflict escalated into a potential civil war.
The United Nations attempted to broker a cease-fire, a cease-fire which fell apart due to both sides continuing to launch attacks. The famed “Houla Massacre,” which took the lives of more than 100 Syrian civilians, ended any hope for an end to the immediate military crisis, and fighting has since resumed.232 Regardless of what is in store in Syria’s future, one fact remains: the one and a half year old conflict has left over 17,000 dead.233 The conflict is escalating, and this national struggle has already become an international one.
International Response
To call the international response “varied” would be a horrible understatement. From nations to international organizations, people not only disagree on what side to take, they also disagree on taking sides at all or how much nations should even be involved. International responses did not come immediately. As the conflict escalated, more nations weighed in, and it wasn’t until 2012 that Syria became the foreign policy center of attention.
The Arab League condemned Assad’s actions throughout the violent crackdown,234 but the League has disagreed on how much they should get involved and if merely threatening expulsion was enough of a response. The United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon described the violence as “unacceptable.”235 However, the UN’s subsequent peace keeping efforts all but failed. The United States and Europe universally condemned the violence
231 Aljazeera News, April 30, 2011 http :// www . aljazeera . com / news / middleeast /2011/04/20114309234489989. html 232 Reuters News, May 29th, 2012 http :// www . reuters . com / article /2012/05/29/ us - syria - un - idUSBRE 84 S 10020120529 233 Rick Gladstone, July 6th, 2012, New York Times, http :// www . nytimes . com /2012/07/07/ world / middleeast / ban - ki - moon - proposes - changing - purpose - of - syria - monitor - mission . html ?_ r =1 234 CNN Wire staff, November 3rd, 2011 http :// edition . cnn . com /2011/11/02/ world / meast / syria - unrest / index .html 235 Aljazeera, March 8th, 2012 http :// www . aljazeera . com / news / middleeast /2011/03/2011318231622114396. html
88 Gold Book 2012 conducted by Assad’s regime, and President Barack Obama called for a regime change in Syria.236 Additionally, the US placed sanctions on the government itself in May 2011. 237
Despite the Obama administration’s sanctions, many in the US point out that, beyond rhetoric and targeting the Syrian economy, the Obama administration is doing little to stop the crisis. Senator John McCain said that the Obama Administration’s response is “shameful” and that a free Syria would be “the greatest blow against [Assad’s ally] Iran in the Middle East in the past 25 years.”238 In response, Secretary of State Clinton and President Obama endorsed a democratic transition plan for Syria. This plan would initiate a transparent, internationally led process to bring about a new, democratic government. Secretary Clinton said that “those who carry influence in the Syrian government should insist that Assad halt the violence, accept the transition principles, and comply with his obligations under the plan.”239
However, this new proposal has been stymied by Russia and China, two permanent members of the UN Security Council. Thus far, both these nations have brought a halt to any attempt at a regime change in the country. Secretary Clinton has blasted them with rhetoric, saying that “[China and Russia] are clearly not on the side of the Syrian people.” 240 Despite this, Russia and China hold on to their convictions. China’s Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman, Jiang Yu, said “The future of Syria should be independently decided by the Syrian people themselves free from external interference.”241 Russia, on the other hand, has a military base in Syria along the coast, their only base outside of the former USSR. More than just vetoing measures, Russia has given military aid to the Assad regime, a shocking move, though not without precedent; in the Yom Kippur War, the massive Syrian tank army of more than 1200 tanks, was almost entirely supplied by Soviet forces. Now, in the Russian Federation, they are still militarily connected: Syria has contracted $1.5 billion dollars (USD) worth of military arms shipments from Russia, more than 10% of all of Russia’s arm shipments.242
236 Radio Free Europe, July 7th, 2011 http :// www . rferl . org / content / syria _ un _ military _ operations _ stopped /24299678. html 237 Steven Lee Myers, New York Times, May 17, 2011 http :// www . nytimes . com /2011/05/19/ world / middleeast /19 syria .html 238 Michelle Salcedo, Associated Press, June 17, 2012 http :// seattletimes . nwsource . com / html / politics /2018457819_ apusussyria .html 239 Voice of America News, July 6, 2012, http :// www . voanews . com / policy / editorials / middle - east / Democratic - Transition - Plan - For - Syria - 161622145. html 240 CNN News Wire, July 7th, 2012 http :// edition . cnn . com /2012/07/06/ world / meast / syria - unrest / 241 China Embassy, May 25th, 2012 http :// ch . china - embassy . org / ger / fyrth / t 825290. htm 242 Richard Gaplin, BBC News, January 12th, 2012 http :// www . bbc . co . uk / news / world - middle - east -16797818
Speaking Truth in Today’s Current Events 89 Russia and China’s support of Syria has led to an increasingly cold standoff between the two eastern powers and the United States.243 As always, seemingly “regional” problems turn into international ones. While Russia and China lose ties with the West, they gain compliments from the Syrian government and Iran, although, diplomatically, such compliments are useless. As political columnist Jonah Goldberg put it, “Getting the support of Syria is the moral equivalent of winning the [Ku Klux] Klan’s endorsement--it might be useful, but it doesn’t necessarily speak well of you.”244
Regional Powers are also split on the issue. Saudi Arabia and Turkey back the rebels with vocal support in addition to weapons and material aid. Conversely, Iraq and Iran have offered their support to the Syrian government.245 Beyond the arguing ambassadors and fiery rhetoric, the situation in Syria is boiling over: from refugee camps, to border clashes, to terror activity, to deniable operations246, arms sales and proxy wars, the conflict in Syria has gone beyond the borders of this ancient country. Consequently, when we discuss their future, we aren’t merely discussing the future of one leader or one nation, but we are discussing the future of the entire world.
So what lies in wait for Syria’s future? What will be its next challenge? Well there’s one final area to examine before we can answer that question. To examine it, we must transport ourselves to the pantheon of history.
History of Syria
While Syria was a long standing ancient province, it was never fully independent until the 20th century. They exchanged hands from the Hittites, Egyptians, Babylonians, Assyrians, Israelites, Persians, Macedonians, Romans, Arabs, Byzantines, and Ottomans throughout their long and violent history. During the First World War, a British Officer known as “Lawrence of Arabia” helped the Syrians fight for freedom against the Ottomans with the promise of a democracy being created in Syria after the war. As the war ended, the British-Syrian alliance took a violent turn: the British and French deposed the Syrians from power and signed the
243 Bloomberg News, July 7th, 2012 http :// www . bloomberg . com / news /2012-06-07/ syria - could - unite - russia - and - china - against - the - u - s -. html 244 Jonah Goldberg, Brainy Quote http :// www . brainyquote . com / quotes / quotes / j / jonahgoldb 187106. html 245 New York Times, August 7, 2011 http :// www . nytimes . com /2011/08/13/ world / middleeast /13 iraq . html ?_ r =2 246 Press TV, June 26th, 2012 http :// www . presstv . ir / detail /248134. html
90 Gold Book 2012 Sykes-Picot treaty.247 The treaty vowed to create a government in a “free and transparent process,” a process sanctioned and administrated by the League of Nations, not the free Syrian people. While the process was delayed for 15 years due to World War II, they eventually established a new government in 1949 under the French Mandate. The new Syrian leaders, however, began to turn against each other. In less than 10 years, multiple constitutions were created only to be rejected, Syrian forces engaged in pointless wars with their neighbors and ten coups occurred, three of them in one year alone. By the end of the political process, the result was the Ba’ath Party taking over in a bloody revolt. The party put an end to civil liberties, public opposition, gender equality, and true democracy. The party was backed by the nation’s military, supplied by the Soviet Union, and with their immense arsenal they remained the undisputed masters of the country. Ten years later, the Ba’ath party found itself a new leader, a leader who bore the immortal name of Hafez al-Assad.248
What’s next?
Why does this matter? What’s in store for the future of Syria? Well, there are three different routes Syria can take depending on foreign involvement; however, one fact is certain: Assad’s military power will decrease. Tyrants rely on strong economies to keep their military well paid and subsequently loyal. That’s why Libya and Egypt’s armies deserted Gaddafi and Mubarak, leading to their downfalls, whereas Jordan and Saudi Arabia’s richly supplied military forces stayed loyal to their leaders, ending any hope for an “Arab Spring” in either country. Syria’s economy has been on the decline: rises in unemployment, a contracting economy, and a lack of imports among other problems have been hampering the struggling nation throughout the past year.249 Also, with 50% of the nation under rebel control, Assad’s revenue collection has been on the decline. This coupled with a weakening economy means Assad is running out of time to keep his army afloat with his shrinking war chest. From there, the future of Syria can take three different roads, depending on foreign involvement:
A. The first option would be for foreign powers to take a step back. Under this decision, America, Europe, and the Arab League realize that economically getting involved in another
247 US State Department, 2012 http :// www . state . gov / r / pa / ei / bgn /3580. htm 248 The Hindu, July 6th, 2012 http :// www . thehindu . com / news / international / article 3609575. ece 249 Reuters News, July 4th, 2012 http :// www . reuters . com / article /2012/07/04/ syria - economy - socialist - idUSL 6 E 8 I 3 BTA 20120704
Speaking Truth in Today’s Current Events 91 conflict right now is hardly practical. This also keeps ties strong with Russia and China, though it leaves the rebels disadvantaged. Perhaps then, Assad would be able to finally subdue his enemies long enough before a power hungry general deposes him from power. This wouldn’t necessarily guarantee an Assad victory, but with the technological advantage, it would make it much more likely.
B. The second route lies with the foreign powers getting directly involved. This could include anything from military advisors, American weaponry, and air strikes similar to Libya and covert ops, Arab League ground forces or even a UN expeditionary force. While this option would be the quickest way to end the war with the least amount of casualties, it does run some risks: Russia and China would no doubt be unpleased, leading to a possible standoff there. The cost of war in both men and material, while not immense, would still be painful for all participants. Finally, a multi-national war runs the risk of a multi-nationally created state, perhaps leading to a repeat of the failures of the French Mandate with a government being created by foreign powers rather than by the Syrians.
C. The final option for Syria’s future would be for limited foreign involvement. In other words, this would mean sanctions, arms sales, military advisors, and perhaps some limited operation by foreign powers without direct involvement. The technological and tactical aid would significantly increase the rebel’s already strong chances for success. This would also entail leaving the fate of the new government to the Syrians. While this runs the risk of an unstable or perhaps more dangerous government being put into place, it also has its advantages: it guarantees that the government comes from the Syrian people rather than a foreign power, thus saving the Syrians from repeating the mistakes of their past. With Tunisia, Egypt, and now Libya creating self-made and successful democracies this past year, Syria could be the next in line.250 sIt’s a chance the international community would have to take.
While the future of Syria is a daunting challenge, it’s a challenge that must be taken. Politicians and diplomats can debate till the end of the ages on how to best militarily get involved, how the government should be structured, or the merits or disadvantages of foreign involvement. However, if the history of Syria has taught us anything, it’s that the nation
250 July 9th, 2012 http :// www . nytimes . com /2012/07/10/ opinion / libyas - election .html
92 Gold Book 2012 desperately needs reform and that these reforms must come through the hearts, minds, and ideas of the Syrian people, not from foreign powers that create artificial democracies that are doomed to fail.
The people of Syria, not the people of the United States or the people of Russia, know what’s best for the nation of Syria. This is not to say that the international community doesn’t have a place in the struggle. In fact, there is much reason to support the idea of direct US or European assistance in the regime change. However, we can’t repeat the failures of the French Mandate and the Sykes-Picot agreement. That is to say, the Syrians shouldn’t depose Assad and set up the opportunity for the West to create a democracy. Rather, the West could help depose Assad and set up the opportunity for the Syrians to create democracy.
Famed revolutionary Fidel Castro once said that “a revolution is a struggle to the death between the future and the past.”251 Syria’s future is currently on the line: Assad remaining in power means a future for Syrians that ends in death and oppression. An internationally created government that is not embraced by the Syrians means, yet again, taking the road in the return to instability and autocracy. But if Syria wins the struggle between its future and its past, vowing to create real democracy with true equality of rights, we may witness something few have witnessed before: we will witness someone inventing an end of a revolution--an end that results in freedom.
Key Terms
Alawite
Arab League
Arab Spring
Arm Sales
Bashur Al-Assad
French Mandate
251 Fidel Castro, Brainy Quote http :// www . brainyquote . com / quotes / quotes / f / fidelcastr 178570. html
Speaking Truth in Today’s Current Events 93 Military Advisor
Proxy War
Sykes-Picot Agreement
Sample Extemp Questions
Is an international solution a realistic possibility in ending the Syrian conflict?
Is the fact that Assad is still in power a defeat for the Arab League?
Can the Syrian rebels unite politically?
Will Syria serve as a means to unite China and Russia against America?
Questions for Thought
What place does the international community have in other nation’s rebellions? Do Americans have a duty to create, as Jefferson called it, an “Empire of Liberty?”
How much aid should be given to the rebels? Should the rebels still be supported if they violate rights such as not taking prisoners?
Should Russia and China be called out on their actions? Should nations be allowed to supply arms to dictators?
Policy Proposals
Supply weapons to Syria and send over military advisers to train their army. Use the US fleet to blockade shipping and launch air strikes on enemy bases akin to US action in Libya. Have the US or UK use covert Ops to assassinate Assad. Ignore Russian threats.
Don’t risk Russian or Chinese aggression and stay out, offer support by calling for a ceasefire and imposing sanctions.
Help create a new Syrian state approved by the UN with the constitution agreed upon by international parties (Similar to US action in Iraq or Afghanistan).
94 Gold Book 2012 Help militarily; leave the constitution up to the Syrian people (Similar to Libya).
Further Reading
For information on virtually anything in Syria’s history or government, check out: http :// www . state . gov / r / pa / ei / bgn /3580. htm
For more information of T.E. Larwence and the birth of Syria, read is autobiography online: http :// www . wesjones . com / lawrence 1. htm
Speaking Truth in Today’s Current Events 95 Bonus: How to Write Extemp Questions Cody Herche
Cody Herche founded the Gold Book in 2008 after a most successful high school showing, taking both the NCFCA Title Championships in Extemp and Team-Policy Debate. Cody is currently studying law at Cornell Law School in New York. “I love to watch extemp; it’s like having the newspaper read to you.” So exclaimed one audience member at a recent tournament while we waited for the first speaker to come address us. Commendatory expressions like this are not isolated. Parents routinely ask me about extemp or, as one mom put it, that “smart kid event.” These laudatory thoughts are well placed. As a coach, I have had the pleasure of watching many students grow through extemp to become better speakers and critical thinkers. My heart’s joy is watching high schoolers learn a passion for current events and a thirst for knowledge that propels them to excellence in forensics and beyond.
The problem with extemp is that it’s a headache for tournament directors -- and I’m not only talking about the forty-five minutes of extra schedule it eats up. Extemp requires topics that are recent, relevant and challenge students to new heights of creative analysis. Unlike Impromptu, which can draw from myriad sources and are relatively timeless, extemp questions center around one or more current events. The rapidly changing nature of news and difficulty of knowing what news stories have the currency to be regarded as current events, coupled with the difficulty of phrasing interesting and challenging questions renders the topic writer’s chore a challenging one.
And an important one. Extempers can testify to the disaster created by outdated, overly obscure, irrelevant or poorly phrased prompts. Bad questions destroy parity between the
96 Gold Book 2012 competitors and turn extemp into a crude game of chance. Students hope they get a good question so they can do well. The strategy behind topic selection is obsolete and forget depth of analysis; extempers just want to survive their round. Fortunately, topic writers can employ a few easy tools to give all students the same, fair challenge.
My goal in the next few paragraphs is to give extemp writers some pointers on how to write fair and challenging questions. To help illustrate my points, I incorporate some recent extemp questions. As this article becomes more dated, I hope the general message survives the expiration of the topics it uses as examples.
Recent
Although extemp questions can technically reach back 90 days, you want to be sure to ask questions that are still relevant. Some current events, for instance, have developed quite a bit in the last three months. A good question about the Gulf oil spill from April, 2010 might have been “Oil Spill: What will be the economic impact on the Gulf Coast states?” While this question was addressed by many news articles in April, it would not challenge an extemper in June. The phrasing is too simple and there are too many estimates available three months later. A better question might be “Will $20 billion satisfy BP’s tort obligations?” As current events develop, so should the questions about them.
Even a month-old question may suffer from interim events that render it obsolete. To make sure that your tournament’s questions are recent and relevant, purchase a few national news magazines from the week of the tournament. I recommend the most recent copies of Time, Newsweek,WORLD and US News and World Report to get started with a domestic or economic round. I will supplement with an Economist and Wall Street Journal for bigger tournaments and click through the websites of news websites like Drudge Report and Christian Science Monitor and of major international news sources like Xinhua, Pravda, Guardian, Le Monde, etc. for foreign rounds. Even if a topic is a month old, you want to have read the most recent material to make sure you are not asking a question that has already been answered or making outdated assumptions.
Speaking Truth in Today’s Current Events 97 Relevance
Not all recent news stories are relevant for extemp. The topic needs to have “news currency” to find its way into an extemp question. The story of the Connecticut man who cut off his arm to save himself after getting trapped in his furnace has human interest, but unless there is an epidemic of self-amputations or dangerous furnaces sweeping the country it probably should not be an extemp question. Topics and names that were very relevant a few short years ago may not be significant anymore. Condoleezza Rice, for instance, was the Secretary of State and National Security Advisor under President Bush. Extemp questions like “Will Rice go for the bait in Sudan?” set up extempers to talk about the UN-Darfur negotiations. Today, however, Rice is a college professor with a Google News rating (number of hits on Google News) of about 250, a far cry from the 102,000 she boasted in 2006.
To ensure a question’s relevance, ask yourself first if it will still be important in three months. Will people care about this topic three months from the time the extemper answers it? If not, scrap the question.
Phrase questions about general news themes or organizations, not specific events. Ben Bernanke’s announced decision to lower the interest rate was an event. A question about the announcement limits the scope of available analysis and turns the extemp speech into a large background point. However the Federal Reserve as an organization or monetary policy as a theme are fair game. Ask “Should the Fed change course on the interest rate?” or “Bernanke: Is a low FFR tempting inflation?”
News currency
Questions need to reflect news content. There is a tendency among topic writers to avoid unsavory or “trivial” topics, even when they dominate the headlines. Some tournaments do not use questions about sports or lifestyle issues. Others avoid scandals dealing with sex, gambling or drugs because they may be inappropriate for young extempers. If a topic has news currency, it should be fair game for a question. That includes Tiger Wood’s scandals and LeBron James’ free agency.
98 Gold Book 2012 One of the reasons students have three topic choices is so that they can avoid topics about which they are uncomfortable speaking. Students are free not to pick the unsavory or trivial questions (or to select them and comment on the devolution of news or society’s entertainment-centered interests) as they desire. These questions should be considered as very difficult because of the challenge they pose to the extemper and should be balanced for each speaker with other easier choices accordingly. But as long as a topic has news currency, it should be considered fair game for an extemp question.
Triangulate news sources to ensure that a topic has news currency. One source may run an article on a flash in the pan topic, but several publications will not collectively follow the bunny trail. Use a news search like Google News to see how many news articles are available about the issue, remembering that a good extemp speech will cite 7-12 sources from within the last month. If a topic is discussed enough, go ahead and prepare a question, even if you find the issue unsavory or personally think other things are more important.
Make a list
Make a list of current events areas about which you can write questions. I recommend sitting down with a blank page and perusing the latest issues of your favorite national news magazines. Write down the topic area of every news article and column. After you have a list, test each topic for its relevance, recency and news currency. Cross out any current events that don’t make the cut and start writing questions about the remaining areas.
Analysis
Ask questions that demand analysis and comparison, not facts. An average extemper is able to recite facts. The data are available in the box and rote knowledge of arcane information does not a skilled analyst make. A good extemp question pushes the student to critically evaluate the connections between concepts, discuss the merits of recent action, and/or make a prediction. A question like “How many states use the open primary system?” is far inferior to “Will California’s move to an open primary system benefit incumbents?” One topic asks the student to state facts; the other asks for analysis and a prediction.
Speaking Truth in Today’s Current Events 99 Part of testing an extemper’s analysis is making sure the question has clear intention. A prompt that simply asks the student to analyze a current event does not test a student’s analysis. For instance “Will Angola’s economy make the necessary changes?” gives no direction. But “How should Angola diversify its economy?” does. Critics have no way of evaluating how well an extemper answered a broad question. Clearly intentioned prompts give students and judges a better understanding of what is expected of them.
The examples above demonstrate only a few ways of pressing students for the social, economic, political, etc. implications of a topic. The bottom line is that students should be pressed to give specific analysis though an evaluation, comparison, prediction or otherwise, not simply recite facts.
Difficulty
In elimination rounds, extemp coordinators sometimes like to use more difficult questions. These questions reward the skilled extempers by giving them a challenge and help the judges better differentiate between competitors.
Contrary to common misconception, obscurity alone does not equal difficulty. In fact, skilled extempers are able to use generic analysis and relevant to wax through topics that would blindside less adept speakers. Obscure topics tend to not demand focused analysis, so judges are unable to measure the speakers analytical skill. Unscrupulous extempers take advantage of obscurity to fabricate information -- and ethics violation are rarely caught when questions are truly obscure. Honest extempers are forced into a lottery where they may or may not have something in their box. Because obscurity is hit and miss, the tournament title is awarded to the lucky competitor who drew the easiest topics.
A difficult question ties two pedestrian topics together. For instance “Will Nancy Pelosi win reelection?” is not a hard question. Neither is “Will health care reform improve America’s medical system?” But “What impact will health care reform have on Nancy Pelosi’s reelection chances?” is a hard question. Difficult questions require analysis on two or more semi-connected current event concepts.
100 Gold Book 2012 A difficult question can also be obscure. For instance “What can Angola learn from Dubai?” is a difficult and obscure topic. It is appropriate to give this kind of question to a speaker as long as alternative, less-obscure topic choices are available.
A great way to tie together ideas is to use a colon. Put an introductory or anchoring concept to the left of the colon and then ask the question. For example, “Alvin Greene: Are open primaries too ripe for political abuse?” gives the speaker another point of contact with the topic. An appropriate answer needs to dwell, at least for some time, on South Carolina’s Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate.
Facially challenging
Another way to ratchet up the difficulty of a question is to make it more challenging on its face. Do this by incorporating acronyms and names of relevant actors and organizations. These “hints” require that the speaker unravel the topic for the audience and require a higher level of current events comprehension. For example, “Are higher interest rates the best answer to the inflation threat?” is an easier topic than “Bernanke: Will increasing the FFR combat CPI volatility?” even though they are basically the same subject-wise.
Writing for a panel
Extemp panels are generally divided into three general topic areas. Rounds are either international, domestic or economic. Extemp coordinators will want to identify the area of focus for each round for their writers and writers should adhere to those parameters.
Beyond this tertiary distinction, extemp topics need to create parity between competitors. This is done by ensuring that each speaker has the same fair chance at handling the topic. Any diversity in questions should be mirrored for all the extempers and no one speaker should have easier topics than the rest in the panel. In a domestic round, for instance, every speaker might have one technology, one health and one political question. For example:
Speaker 1
Is Android the iPhone killer? What further changes, if any, will be made to health care policy during the Obama
Speaking Truth in Today’s Current Events 101 Administration? Is the Roberts Court abusing the Necessary and Proper clause?
Speaker 2
What changes does Toyota need to make to recapture consumer confidence? Are minor tranquilizers over-prescribed to America’s youth? Are federal regulators too cozy with oil executives?
In addition to variance in the general topic areas, the questions vary in obscurity, difficulty and level of facial challenge. The topic writer needs to keep all three criteria in mind when designing questions for a panel in order to ensure parity.
Feedback
Extemp coaches and former extemp students who remain interested and up to date in current events are great to tap for assistance writing questions. They have a feel for how to incorporate hints, form thought-provoking phrasing and keep questions relevant. If you have written questions for a recent tournament, email them to a former extemper for feedback. I am sure they would love to take the questions apart and show what they like or don’t like about them. Because topics expire quickly, you lose nothing by sending them around for review.
Conclusion
Extemp is a wonderful event -- the most beautiful individual event -- and a great tool for training young students to communicate about the world in which they live. But the beauty of this event is linked inexorably to the quality of the questions posed. Challenging and fair questions animate extempers to new heights of creative analysis and critical thought. With diligent research and by following these suggestions, you will be ready to write questions that push students while providing parity in the competition.
Special thanks to Charlotte Baker, Joel Herche and Sharon Nagatani for their feedback on earlier drafts of this article.
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