C Washington University Political Review 15.3 | November 2011 | wupr.org PROTEST PANDEMIC In Their Own Words “I’ve got all this stuff twirling around in “Now with the president, he put us in Libya. my head.” Now he is putting us in Africa.” —Herman Cain, explaining his inability to reply to a —Representative Michele Bachmann at a recent GOP question about President Obama’s policy in Libya. debate, forgetting that Libya is in Africa. “I would do away with the Education, the “Republican elected officials who vote for tax Commerce, and let’s see... I can’t... Oops.” increases are rat heds in a Coke bottle. They —Texas Governor Rick Perry, in a recent Republican damage the brand for everyone else.” presidential debate, failing to remember which federal —President of Americans for Tax Reform Grover departments he would end. Norquist, arguing that Republicans should vote together against tax increases for the sake of their party brand. “Listen to these songs, they are for you. Listen “I am the government.” to them when you have a thirst for caresses, —New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, arguing that his sing them when you are hungry for tenderness.” high voter approval is due to improved perceptions of the —Lyrics from an upcoming love song album written by state government. former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi. 1 Editors’ Notes WUPRites, Protests have swept the globe like a spreading disease. From the streets of Cairo to the parks of New York, protest fever has taken hold. Americans in the Occupy Wall Street movement camp out in cities to show their disapproval of income inequality. Protestors throughout the Middle East have risen up to oust dictators and autocracies. Europeans complain about austerity efforts that reduce government services. Indians have conducted hunger strikes to fight corruption. More now that ever before, disenfranchised citizens are expressing their dissatisfaction with the status quo. Where did this anger come from? The global recession undoubtedly was a contributing factor. When the worldwide economy loses trillions of dollars, people are bound to react. But most protestors are responding to conditions that existed long before the recession: dictatorships in the Middle East, corruption in India, insufficient school funding in Chile, and inequality in America. Perhaps the Great Recession served as the trigger, pushing people to voice their frustrations after years of pent up grievances. What does this mean for the future? Will mass uprisings become a norm of world news? Power is clearly shifting from institutions to the people. Government and military strength in the Middle East is deteriorating. Political parties in America have struggled to deal with grassroots movements like the Tea Party and Occupy Wall Street. Protests in Europe over austerity measures have sought to derail the efforts of European Union technocrats. Yet unlike historical revolutions led by a single person or a small band, these protests are largely leaderless. This has helped these movements gain legitimacy by posing as a movement of the people and also avoid attacks against specific leaders. However, a lack of organization may also hinder their efforts and prevent the realization of their goals. Libya’s rebel forces were disorganized and likely only succeeded because of NATO help. And some have disregarded Occupy Wall Street, claiming it has no specific goal or structure. Although lacking leadership may help to spur the initial uprising, the next crucial step is to retain popular support and impose structure. The following pages will explore these movements and attempt to understand the protest pandemic as it spreads around the world. Sincerely, Hannah Shaffer Corey Donahue Editors-in-Chief 2 Table of Contents 5 Democrats Must Put a 18 Feeding Frenzy 30 Obama and Drones Brake on Bullet Trains Andrew Luskin Zac Moskowitz Nick Hinsch 20 Is Quality Education Part 31 Israeli Settlers 6 Our Biodefense Failure of the American Dream? Matt Curtis Will Dobbs-Allsopp Mariana Oliver 32 The Return of the Taliban 7 Kicking the Can on 21 Give Me LIberty! An Jon Luskin Corporate Taxes Interview with a St. Louis Jake Lichtenfeld Tea Party Member Eve Herold 33 China International Fund Jay Evans 8 Surrender the Class Warfare Strategy 22 We are the 99% Ben Lash Raja Krishna & Nishanth Uli 34 Post-Revolutionary Egypt, Tunisia, and Libya: The Struggle for Democracy 9 Free Speech (Most of the 23 Sexual Assault and Occupy Nahuel Feffer Time) Wall Street Megan Zielinski Cici Coquillette 36 The Nuclear Veto: Why the Security Council Needs 11 St. Louis: The GM 24 The Organization of Explosive Change Expansion Occupation: Running a Dan Bram Peter Birke Movement with No Leader Alex Tolkin 37 Are You in the 1%? 12 Governor Moonbeam: Then Seth Einbinder and Now 25 So...Now What? Sonya Schoenberger Gabe Rubin 14 A Broken Primary System 26 Aspiring Rebels Seek a Gavin Frisch Cause Abigal Kerfoot 15 Don’t Tell Republicans, But Obamacare is Working 28 World News Steven Perlberg WUPR Staff 17 Our Romantic Protest: A 29 Somalia: Trapped in a Day in the Life of the 99% Nightmare Moira Moynihan Corey Donahue 3 Staff List Editors-in-Chief Treasurer Dara Katzenstein Corey Donahue Gavin Frisch Anya Liao Hannah Shaffer Susannah Lohr Staff Writers David Maupin Executive Director Tripp Brockway Michelle Nahmad Bryan Baird Arlan Cohen Karly Nelson Michael Cohen Katie Olson Programming Director Matt Curtis Grace Preston Cici Coquillette Mark Dally Hannah Shaffer Neel Desai Stephanie Trimboli Staff Editors Wills Dobbs-Allsopp Alex Vitti Peter Birke Seth Einbinder Audrey Westcott Nick Hinsch Jay Evans Siddharth Krishnan Nahuel Fefer Alex Kaufman Board of Advisors Directors of Design Abigail Kerfoot Dean Ewan Harrison Audrey Westcott Kevin Kieselbach Political Science Department Stephanie Trimboli Mike Kovacs Robin Hattori Raja Krishna Gephardt Institute for Public Service Layout Team Ben Lash Professor Bill Lowry Ish Fofana Martin Lockman Political Science Department Beenish Qayum Andrew Luskin Professor Andrew Rehfeld Emily Santos Lennox Mark Political Science Department Anna Shafer-Skelton Fahim Masoud Molly McGregor Art Coordinator Zac Moskowitz Unless otherwise noted, all Audrey Westcott Moira Moynihan images are from MCT Campus. Mariana Oliver Managing Copy Editors Steven Perlberg The Washington University John Moynihan Daniel Rubin Political Review is a student- Cici Coquillette Gabe Rubin led organization committed Razi Safi to encouraging and fostering Copy Editors Shelby Tarkenton awareness of political issues Sonya Schoenberger Alex Tolkin on the campus of Washington Celia Rozanski Megan Zielinski University in St. Louis. To do Abigail Kerfoot this, we shall remain dedicated Stephen Rubino Front Cover Illustration to providing friendly and open Moira Moynihan Elizabeth Beier avenues of discussion and debate Molly Prothero both written and oral on the Katie Stillman Back Cover Illustration campus for any and all political Kelsey Berkowitz David Brennan ideas, regardless of the leanings of those ideas. Director of New Media Editorial Illustrators Taka Yamaguchi Laura Beckman Elizabeth Beier Submissions Web Developer David Brennan [email protected] Adam Cohen Kelsey Brod Kelsey Eng Advertising Director Esther Hamburger Will Dobbs-Allsopp Chris Hohl 4 National By The Numbers 19% 2% Support for Michele Bachmann Support for Bachmann from among Republican candidates a Rassmussen Reports poll from a Rassmussen Reports released on November 2nd. poll released on June 19th. 28% 6% Support for Rick Perry among Support for Perry from a NBC/ Republican candidates from Wall Street survey released on a CNN/ORC poll released on November 13, four days after September 26th. his “oops” debate. 30% 14% Support for Herman Cain Support for Cain from a among Republican candidates CNN poll released on from a PPP poll released on November 13th. October 10th. 3% 28% Support for Newt Gingrich Support for Gingrich from among Republican candidates a PPP poll released on from a Washington Post poll November 13th. released on October 9th. 24% 24% Support for Mitt Romney Support for Romney from among Republican candidates a CNN poll released on from a PPP poll released on November 13th. May 8th. 5 Democrats Must Put a Brake on Bullet Trains Nick Hinsch f you ask a Democrat to envision same trip in an hour. Even if this train the future of public transporta- did become the most popular way to Ition, you will almost certainly travel from one end of the state to the be regaled with a description of bul- other, it is a solution in search of a let trains whisking passengers from problem. The problems that plague city to city at speeds approaching congested cities like Los Angeles are two hundred miles per hour. After not rooted in intercity travel; they are all, bullet trains are operating suc- a result of a transportation system cessfully in Asia and Europe, they that cannot accommodate the daily are environmentally sound, and their lives of the population. sleek and futuristic appearance prac- Moreover, those who travel fre- tically screams progress. Who but a quently between cities for business Republican could possibly oppose or pleasure are likely to be relatively something as progressive as this? wealthy and would be better able to Unfortunately, Democrats are manage increasing fuel prices than blinded by these glamorous bullet those whose travel budget is solely trains. By championing high-speed to get around town. Democrats who rail, they squander limited money argue for high-speed rail consistently and political capital on a form of fail to recognize that subsidizing a transportation that disproportionate- travel option that caters to the afflu- ly benefits the wealthy and does little ent is no less regressive than shifting to solve the pressing transportation the tax burden onto the poor. problems facing our country. All of these considerations would matter less if high speed rail weren’t so expensive, but the price Democrats tag for the proposed bullet train is eye-popping: one hundred bil- are blinded lion dollars.