WUPR Issue 21.1: Modern War by Washington University Political Review

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political review 21.1 | September 2014 | wupr.org

TABLE OF CONTENTS 3

MODERN WAR

A Paradox of Peace

Billie Mandelbaum

The Changing Role of War Zone Journalists

Tori Sgarro

INTERNATIONAL

A Warning To David, After Going to The Dentist

Editors-in-Chief:

Wallis Linker

Sonya Schoenberger

Is it the Government’s Job to Prevent Resegregation?

Executive Director:

Gabriel Rubin

Nahuel Fefer

Grace Portelance

It’s a Bird, It’s a Plane... Naomi Duru

Staff Editors: 22

Better Know My District

Kaity Cullen

Charlie Thau

Billie Mandelbaum

License to Destroy Sonya Schoenberger

NATIONAL

EDITOR’S NOTE

Recidivism and Rehabilitation Xiaochang Song

Crises of Nationalism Joe Lenoff

R2P Feature

What’s So Offensive About Self-Defense? Candice Love

Grace Portelance

25 13

Fascists and Futurists: The Art of Violence

Cleveland, Chicago, Conventions and the Media Ryan Thier

Gabriel Rubin

26 14

Foreign Deployments

Obamacare: Cost vs. Access Aryeh Mellman

Simin Lim

27 16

Putin Is The Leader America Needs, But Not the One it Deserves Henry Kopesky

Obamacare and Women Jackie Reich

The Activist Ego Chamber

Aryeh Mellman

Features Editors: Henry Kopesky Grace Portelance

Director of Design: Alex Chiu

Assistant Directors of Design: Simin Lim Andrew Kay

Director of New Media: Ari Moses

Raja Krishna

Programming Director:

Humanizing the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict

Hannah Waldman

Hannah Waldman and WUPR Staff

Finance Director: Alex Beaulieu

Front Cover: Alex Chiu

Theme Page: Andrew Kay

Back Cover: Andrew Kay

Dear Reader, The world, as usual, is embroiled in bloody conflict. The events of this summer have shown the myriad faces of modern war, from Cold War-style conflicts in eastern Ukraine to non-conventional wars in the Middle East and strife on the streets of Ferguson, MO. One hundred years after the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand precipitated the “War to End All Wars,” our world is still plagued by diverse and enduring conflicts. The past century has given rise to both international institutions aimed at peaceful conflict resolution and the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. Both national militaries and non-state armed groups have expanded their power and influence. Globalization and ‘modernization’ have transformed not only societies and economies, but also the ways we experience, and describe, war. We have dedicated this issue to the concept of “Modern War” in recognition of the salience of war and its collateral consequences in our society today, and in the hopes of exploring some of the issues that define warfare in the 21st century. In the following pages, you will find articles that describe the perils of warzone journalism, the changing role of UN peacekeepers, the dissolution of national boundaries in the Middle East, and many other topics of contemporary relevance. Our writers have explored a wide range of topics—many related to modern war, others delving into other issues of national and international import—and, as your new editors-in-chief, we are excited to showcase their work. Whether you are a long-time reader or this is your first time picking up a copy of the Political Review, we invite you to contribute to the conversation by sending your comments and article ideas to editor@wupr.org.

With best regards, Gabriel Rubin and Sonya Schoenberger Editors-in-Chief

political review | modern war

political review | NATIONAL

MODERN WAR

A PARADOX OF PEACE Billie Mandelbaum | Illustration by Brandon Pogrob

n 1988, the Norwegian Nobel Commitee

Central African Republic. As Ban said in that same

awarded the Nobel Peace Prize to the United

June speech, peacekeepers are now deployed

Nations Peacekeeping Forces. The committee

where “there is no peace to keep.” For this

hailed the forces for making “a decisive contribution

reason, the international community is becoming

towards the initiation of actual peace negotiations.”

more reliant on peacekeepers to protect civilian

However, 26 years later, peacekeeping forces

populations.

face an increased amount of scrutiny from the

Yet, a recent report from the UN General

international community amidst a number of recent

Assembly found that peacekeepers are failing

scandals, from allegations of corruption to sexual

on that front. The report found that “there is a

assault. In a June 2014 speech before the UN

persistent pattern of peacekeeping operations

Security Council, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon

not intervening with force when civilians are

alluded to such issues, saying, “We face huge

under attack.” According to the report, between

peacekeeping challenges.” But, Ban also pointed

2010 and 2013 only 20 percent of the 507

to the importance of peacekeeping operations

incidents involving attacks on civilians prompted

calling them the “flagship UN activity.” While

peacekeepers to intervene. What is preventing

peacekeeping continues to fill a vital role within the

peacekeepers from fulfilling their duty to protect

UN’s structure of international cooperation, recent

civilian populations?

scandals, and most importantly peacekeepers’

The report pointed to a variety of factors for peacekeeping failures including a lack of resources

“Though sending peacekeepers into war-torn regions may be a diplomatically practical solution, deploying ill-equipped peacekeepers makes it nearly impossible for the UN’s troops in blue berets to fulfill their duty in protecting innocent civilians.”

and miscommunication between those on the ground and UN leadership. However, such failures may have more so to do with longstanding schisms within the United Nations. For example, political disjunction surfaced during recent UN budget negotiations surrounding peacekeeping. Troop-contributing nations— primarily underdeveloped countries such as Bangladesh, India, and Pakistan—demanded the annual budget be increased so that peacekeepers could receive higher monthly reimbursement

failure to intervene in attacks on civilians, point to a broken system in need of reform and greater resources. The recent challenges facing peacekeepers are due in part to the changing nature of peacekeeping missions. From the 1948 inception of peacekeeping until the end of the Cold War, peacekeepers were largely deployed to regions in which they acted as non-armed military observers, enforcing treaties and cease-fire agreements between countries. However, after 1988, the UN began to call for more peacekeeping missions and started to send forces to intervene in complex intra-state affairs. Over the past 20 years, missions have been sent to mediate conflicts in civil war-torn areas including Bosnia, Rwanda, Sudan, and most recently the

checks. At one point the budget talks came to an impasse before an $8.6 billion annual budget was approved. Those resistant to the pay increase were wealthy nations, who contribute the funds

war-torn regions may be a diplomatically practical solution, deploying ill-equipped peacekeepers makes it nearly impossible for the UN’s troops in blue berets to fulfill their duty in protecting innocent civilians. In his May commencement address at West Point, President Obama correctly pointed to the need to provide better support for UN peacekeepers. “Now we need to make sure that those nations who provide peacekeepers have the training and equipment to actually keep the peace, so that we can prevent the type of killing we’ve seen in Congo and Sudan,” he said.

necessary to furnish peacekeeping missions. These

The UN and its peacekeeping operations

countries were reluctant to spend more money

aren’t going to disappear anytime soon—nor

considering past peacekeeping ineffectiveness.

should they. With civil strife escalating in Syria,

As a UN official told the New York Times in July, a

Iraq, Ukraine, and Central Africa, it’s likely that

divide arises between the “side that says, ‘you bleed

peacekeeping missions will be deployed with

more’” and the “side that says, ‘you pay more.’”

greater frequency. However, in order to avoid more

Due to this division, troop-contributing countries often complain that their troops are being deployed, with limited resources and training, to enforce mandates that they, as poor and therefore less influential countries, had little involvement in creating. Though sending peacekeepers into

failed interventions, the United Nations and its most powerful (and wealthy) members need to delegate the necessary resources to support such peacekeeping missions. Billie Mandelbaum is a sophomore in the College of Arts & Sciences. She can be reached at bmandelbaum@wustl.edu.

political review | modern war

THE CHANGING ROLE OF WAR ZONE JOURNALISTS Tori Sgarro | Illustration by Anna deRuyter

man dressed in all black hunches over a

to Protect Journalists found that more than

going to the body. I went over and applied

makeshift barricade in Gezi Park. He uses

150 journalists died reporting on the Iraq

pressure to the wound. In what felt like 15 to 20

one hand to shield his face from tear gas

War, a war on a much smaller scale. Perhaps

minutes, the Zimbabwean medical response

released by police. With the other, he raises

most tellingly, 2012 marked the deadliest year

team showed up,” Beaubien said in a 2013

a Turkish flag above his body. The bright red

for journalists since the International Press

interview with NPR.

flag, illuminated by a distant streetlight, waves

Institute began monitoring this statistic in 1997.

against the darkness of the night sky.

Moreover, until recently, the deaths of war zone

A woman and her two children lie still on a tiled floor with her shopping bag and keys sprawled next to them. Their bodies stretch parallel to the café counter where they had ordered coffee only minutes earlier. Her leg and arm cover her son’s back, and her hand touches her daughter’s folded arm at the elbow. They wait there, paralyzed, as Al-Shabaab militants hold the Westgate Mall hostage. Two men carry a young man’s limp body through a crowd in Cairo. Blood stains his open shirt and pours from the fresh bullet wound in his head. One of the men, not yet realizing that he holds a dead body, screams through his dislodged gas mask, for a medic and for God. These photos and their accompanying headlines are easily recognizable in the public’s mind. But what often remains less considered are the people who witness these events from behind the camera lens. The people who, after snapping that iconic photo, struggle to breathe through the tear gas. Who crawl off of the mall’s roof for fear of presenting an easy target to attackers. Who see that stranger’s bloody face in their dreams. Today’s conflict zone reporters face a multitude of dangers unique to their particular field of journalism: military checkpoints, kidnappings, bombings, land mines. Their critics say they face all of this in search of a gory picture or an exploitative story. Their proponents say they do it to achieve transparency on global conflicts, nobly risking their lives to provide the information necessary to shape public opinion and government policy. Yet war zone journalists of the past encountered relatively little danger compared to today. Only two journalists died covering World War I, and 63 in World War II. By contrast, the Committee

reporters were usually accidental, considered the collateral damage of the destructive reach of war. However, today dissenters explicitly target journalists, either to interrogate them for information or to send a message to the enemy. During the Iraq War, two out of every three journalists who died were murdered due to what they had written or for whom they wrote.

However, Beaubien’s story raises questions about the ethics of war zone journalism and the role of the reporter. From a humanist perspective, Beaubien’s actions seem like the ethical and appropriate response. But as a journalist, there are other factors to consider before stepping in to help a wounded civilian in a conflict area. Is it the foreign correspondent’s responsibility to remain a neutral bystander, minimizing his influence on the events he

As an increasing number of news organizations close their foreign bureaus due to the hostile fi-nancial climate, the few that remain focus on conflict areas presenting threats similar to those of the Iraq War. To compensate for this increased risk, these organizations have recently pushed to provide extra training for their foreign correspondents. Fresh from the sheltered classrooms of America’s universities or the quiet streets of small towns, novice war zone journalists often find themselves incredibly unprepared for the threats that come with

“Is it the foreign correspondent’s responsibility to remain a neutral bystander, minimizing his influence on the events he covers, regardless of the situation? Or does the very act of witnessing war demand an active response?”

their new assignment. Specialized war zone

Colombian

training aims to teach them how to respond in interrogations, how to diffuse tension in conflict

covers, regardless of the situation? Or does the

situations, and even how to administer first aid.

very act of witnessing war demand an active

As the only American news organization with growing foreign coverage, National Public Radio (NPR) leads the pack in adjusting to the increased level of danger threatening its conflict zone reporters. For the past ten years, the organization has sent its foreign correspondents on weekend-long retreats to receive specialized training. After attending one such training session in 2002, Jason Beaubien, NPR’s global health and development correspondent, soon

response? Perhaps, simply by recording and bearing witness to what happens, journalists inevitably affect the stories they report on. After all, they choose whose stories are worthy of telling, and whose to leave out. But by teaching journalists skills such as advanced first aid and negotiation techniques, do news organizations encourage their staff to more actively participate in the conflicts which they cover?

found the opportunity to put what he had

The story of South African photojournalist Kevin

learned to use. When he saw a car run over a

Carter offers one lens through which to examine

child in Zimbabwe, Beaubien used his newfound

this question. In March 1993, Carter snapped

knowledge to intervene.

a picture of a starving Sudanese child suffering

“The kid was just lying there. It was like a movie. All these people were around, but no one was

due to the country’s famine and civil war. The photograph conjures an especially haunting image, picturing the emaciated Sudanese girl

political review | modern war

& pain . . . of starving or wounded children, of

IT’S A BIRD, IT’S A PLANE... Naomi Duru | Illustration by Steph Waldo

trigger-happy madmen, often police, of killer executioners…,” his suicide note read.

civilian deaths difficult to quantify. The Bureau of

dog, and to continue. The things drone pilots have

Carter’s story suggests an extreme version

Investigative Journalism estimates between 416

to tell themselves to justify shots, such as that a

of the dilemma which today’s conflict

and 951 civilians, including 168 to 200 children,

human was a dog, dehumanizes their targets and

journalists face. If they do nothing, they can

have been killed in Pakistan alone. Casualties like

emotionally manipulates the pilots. The distance

harbor lifelong feelings of guilt and responsibility

this decrease the United States’ soft power, the

that is created between the pilots operating from

for arguably con-tributing to the violence.

ability to influence without force, in the area. With

home and the civilians thousands of miles away

But if they do something, they may lose the

the increasing use of drones, our soft power is

creates a disconnect between the two spheres

impartiality so necessary to the effective

rapidly declining. In Pakistan, an overwhelming 74

that makes it much easier for dehumanization to

execution of their job, and even risk making the

percent of the population sees America as

take place. That same operator is now couch-

situation worse. Now armed with superficial

an enemy. Soft power and American popularity

surfing from house to house with no permanent

knowledge of first aid principles and conflict

is crucial in the Middle East, because the

home and PTSD so severe he probably will never

resolution strategies learned over the course of

non-radicals who support our efforts work as a

recover. Horrific stories like these are a common

a three-day-long training session, it is possible

counterweight to terrorism in the area. When they

thread among drone operators. More than half

that a well-meaning war zone corre-spondent

are against us, fighting terrorism becomes even

of drone operators report the same stresses

could try to be a hero and inevitably act outside

more difficult.

and experiences. In fact, drone pilots had higher

of his domain.

This trend leads to an increased number of potential terrorist threats which is

In today’s constant stream of information, war journalists face the constant pressure to be the first and closest to the conflict. They see their friends and colleagues kidnapped, injured, killed or commit suicide. They risk developing Post Traumatic Stress Disorder similar to that of soldiers returning from combat. So with all of these extra hardships and moral considerations, why do these reporters choose this field? For some it is the idealistic vision of overcoming grave danger to uncover the truth in these areas. For others, the adrenaline rush draws them to increasingly larger conflicts and more dangerous places. “It makes you think... if it’s really worth it in the

the increased use of drone strikes, there has been

technology to be used in warfare, but while

increased mayhem in the areas in which they take

everyone is busy buzzing about the benefits,

place because of displacement and civilian deaths.

not enough people take the time to look at the

This distaste with American strikes unites civilians

consequences behind their usage.

and terrorist organizations. Accordingly, instead

The first reported drone strike against militants happened in 2002 in Yemen under the Bush administration in an operation targeted at Osama Bin Laden. Under President Barack Obama, the number of drones used in warfare has escalated dramatically, with the president responsible for 310 out of the 362 total drone strikes undertaken by the US government. Drones are being used

any time, which perpetuates negative views of the United States. Hence, the opportunity arises for terrorist groups like Al Qaeda to recruit fighters who have experienced tragedies and turn them against the United States.

the goals of drone usage to be threefold: the

important to acknowledge that the number of

strategic defeat of al Qaeda and its affiliates, the

American casualties does decrease with the use of

containment of local conflicts so as not to breed

drones, since there are fewer boots on the ground.

new enemies, and the preservation of American

However, most drones still require pilots that

As more and more media organizations close

security. Despite the fanfare, drones are

control them from American soil and the horrors

their foreign bureaus, allocating conflict zone

not accomplishing all of these goals.

these drone operators witness is similar to what

Reuters, in the 2011 documentary Under Fire:

touch famine victims for risk of transmitting

a nearby feeding center, while a vulture eyes

disease—a particularly acerbic editorial in The

her in the background. Carter’s photo later

overlooked nation.

St. Petersburg Times summed up public opinion on the issue: “The man adjusting his lens to take just the right frame of her suffering might just as well be a predator, another vulture on the scene.”

However, in addition to widespread praise,

Unable to shake off the criticism and all that he

Carter also faced public backlash for not helping

had seen as a war zone photographer, Carter

Because drones are targeted at “militants,” the

the girl he photographed. Despite the probable

committed suicide less than four months after

definition of this term is crucial. President Obama

restrictions which he faced there—journalists

receiving the Pulitzer Prize. “I am haunted by

has classified anyone military-aged in a warzone

in the Sudanese war zone were asked not to

the vivid memories of killings & corpses & anger

through the fear that a strike could take place at

Americans as they have been presented. It is

huddled against the ground, unable to reach

problems of a widely

ground for hostility. This atmosphere is created

Lastly, drones aren’t as hassle-free for our fellow

Finbarr O’Reilly, a war zone photo-journalist for

and arguably drew the world’s attention to the

of eradicating enemies, strikes create a breeding

in counterterrorism efforts, and Foreign Affairs’

I don’t think I can answer that right now,” said

won a Pulitzer Prize for Feature Photography,

counterproductive to the defeat of Al Qaeda. With

rones are often portrayed as the next best

August 2013 article on why drones fail articulates

end to lose your life for a picture... I don’t know...

Journalists in Combat.

reporting to freelancers or local reporters who cover only the most traditionally newsworthy issues, it seems that O’Reilly’s question has been answered for him.

Tori Sgarro is a senior in the College of Arts & Sciences. She can be reached at vrsgarro@wustl.edu.

incidence rates for 12 debilitating conditions,

Firstly, drones do not contain conflicts in the longterm—they breed new enemies because of civilian casualties. Civilian casualties inevitably affect how the United States is seen on the global stage.

as a militant, which makes the exact number of

they encounter on the ground. While they are operating from an office instead of on foot, the long term effects of witnessing war are comparable.

“President Obama has classified anyone military-aged in a warzone as a militant, which makes the exact number of civilian deaths difficult to quantify. The Bureau of Investigative Journalism estimates between 416 and 951 civilians, including 168 to 200 children, have been killed in Pakistan alone.” including anxiety disorder, depressive disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, substance abuse, and suicidal thoughts. Moving forward, there is no doubt that drones are going to be used more and more in warfare. The only thing that can be done to ensure they’re used effectively is to acknowledge their flaws and strive to improve them as time goes on, because it’s not a bird or a plane. It’s a drone, and they’re here to stay.

A former drone operator gave NPR an interview where he described his first shot: a man whose leg he blew off and killed instantly. Worse, he recounts firing on three men when a small person ran out whom he was instructed to shoot. When he asked if it was a child, the operator was told it was a

Naomi Duru is a sophomore in the College of Arts & Sciences and Olin Business School. She can be reached at nduru@wustl.edu.

political review | modern war

License to Destroy Sonya Schoenberger

In 1863, President Lincoln’s critics denounced the

an escalation of military intensity bound up

Orders No. 100 was, according to Witt, ultimately

Witt highlights the perennially fraught distinction

conduct and civilized warfare—from the genocide

ever transcend the interests of powerful nations,

Emancipation Proclamation as a barbaric violation

in the conviction that the Union’s cause was

a tool to help the Union win the war. It endowed

between crime and warfare throughout Lincoln’s

of indigenous populations to the nuclear bombings

these too go largely unanswered. Witt’s narration

of the laws of civilized warfare. By emancipating

unambiguously just. In freeing Confederate slaves,

warring powers with a broad license for violence,

Code, and describes their ultimate intersection as

of Hiroshima and Nagasaki—are not, in fact,

of the laws of war in American history glosses over

slaves behind Confederate lines, they argued, the

Lincoln expanded the reach of the war effort

asserting that, while armies should seek to limit

the 19th century gave rise to the concept of the war

contradictions. The American laws of war were

the century and a half in which the United States

Union had utterly dispensed with the restraints

beyond the battlefield into the heart of private

collateral damage and gratuitous destruction,

crime. He also emphasizes an enduring historical

written not to constrain, but to augment and solidify

played its most pivotal role in global affairs and

of enlightened military conduct. Northerners

southern life. While Confederates cried barbarism,

military necessity would justify departures from

tension between two cherished American values:

power. American exceptionalism has profoundly

international humanitarian law.

and Southerners alike viewed the proclamation

Lincoln and his cabinet felt that the profound justice

humanitarian principles in a broad range of

humanitarianism and justice. Witt intimates that

shaped both the creation and interpretation of the

as nothing more than the incitement of a

of their cause—the preservation of the Union—

situations. Witt describes Lieber’s interpretation

Americans’ conviction in the infallible justice of their

laws of war in history.

Despite its premature denouement, Lincoln’s Code

wholesale slave rebellion that would give rise to

warranted a reinterpretation of contemporary

of “military necessity” as providing “both a broad

national narrative—American exceptionalism—

the indiscriminate slaughter of white women and

norms of ‘civilized’ combat.

limit on war’s violence and a robust license to

militates against the ideal of universalist

While Witt’s 18th and 19th century case studies

that continue to animate discussions of appropriate

destroy.” While Lieber condemned superfluous

humanitarianism.

highlight themes that continue to be central to

use of force today, from debates over torture to

modern discussion of war, Witt concludes his

the distinction between legitimate and illegitimate

narrative just as the United States stepped over

combatants. Witt powerfully and painstakingly

the threshold of empire—an important transitional

demonstrates that, just as the laws of war shaped

moment in the United States’ relationship to

history, history gave rise to the laws of war. The

the laws of war. Witt highlights the American

values enshrined in current norms and codes

experience in the Philippines at the turn of the

are not ideals forged in a vacuum but products

20th century as a harbinger of a new kind of war, in

inextricable from the power politics of the past and

which armies unmoored from a righteous cause—

present.

children. Such fears soon proved unfounded. News of emancipation took months to reach many southern blacks, and when it did, no large-scale rebellion ensued. But Lincoln’s detractors were correct in one respect—announcing the freedom of enemy slaves was, ultimately, a war tactic. In Lincoln’s Code: The Laws of War in American

History, John Fabian Witt identifies the

Lincoln’s Code presents a genealogy of the laws of war in American history that sweeps from the decades leading up to the Revolutionary war to the United States’ counterinsurgency campaign in the Philippines at the turn of the 20th Century. The focal point of Witt’s narrative is the Civil War, and the role played by Lincoln, his advisors, and jurist Francis Lieber in setting the moral tone of wars to come.

Emancipation Proclamation as a key turning

In 1863, Lieber and his team of assistants codified

point in both the Union war strategy and the

a set of rules that would mark an enduring doctrine

American approach to wartime justice. The act

in American and international laws of war. Under

marked a transition from adherence to European

the name of General Orders No. 100, these rules

Enlightenment ideals of limited war—which placed

were widely disseminated within both continental

constraints upon the conduct of both warring

armies and across the Atlantic. Though ostensibly

parties, no matter how ‘just’ their cause—to

created to restrain the violence of war, General

violence, he condoned all violence that could be interpreted as rationally productive within a broader war plan, believing that profoundly just ends licensed unscrupulous means. As quoted by Witt, Lieber believed that “The more vigorously wars are pursued… the better it is for humanity.” Lieber’s code came to define the US approach to war through the turn of the 20th century, and provided the foundation for 21st century American legal codes, international treaties, and conventions concerning the laws of war. Witt’s careful study of the historical conditions that gave rise to the laws

“Witt’s careful study of the historical conditions that gave rise to the laws of the Civil War thus sheds light not only on the judicial frameworks of 19th Century, but also on the legal underpinnings of our contemporary approach to warfare.”and solidify power.”

provides important historical context for themes

like preserving the union, or freeing slaves—would adopt increasingly violent tactics. “A dubious war of empire,” Witt explains, “had detached the code from the righteous cause that had produced it.” Witt does not further develop these allusions to

of the Civil War thus sheds light not only on the

the corruption of the laws of war during a century

judicial frameworks of 19th century, but also on the legal underpinnings of our contemporary approach

Introducing his monograph, Witt notes that

to warfare.

the seeming contradictions between American

of American imperialism. While he plays with rhetorical questions about whether laws of war can

Sonya Schoenberger is a senior in the College of Arts & Sciences. She can be reached at sonyaschoenberger@wustl.edu.

THE GENEVA CONVENTIONS: A TIMELINE

WWI

WWII

1864 The Convention for the Amelioration of the Condition of the Wounded in

1929 Convention relative to

Armies in the Field in Geneva is signed in Geneva by 12 European powers. The convention provides for the protection of wounded soldiers and recognizes the neutrality and immunity of civilians providing aid on the battlefield.

the Treatment of Prisoners of War sets standards for humane treatment of captured soldiers

1955 US ratifies the four 1949 Conventions 1950 Geneva Conventions of 1949 enter into force

1977 In response to wars of decolonization, two additional 1949 In the wake of the atrocities of World War Two, four conventions are established to

Aug. 1863 Henry Dunant of Switzerland founds the International Committee for Relief

1925 Geneva Protocol reaffirms

protect wounded soldiers, prisoners of war, civilians, and aid workers. Conventions 1 and 2

to the Wounded, today known as the International Committee of the Red Cross.

1899 Hague Declaration and 1919 Versailles treaty prohibitions of asphyxiating gas and outlaws other chemical and biological weapons

concern the care of sick, wounded, and shipwrecked soldiers, building on the convention of

Jan. 1863 Abraham Lincoln Issues the Emancipation Proclamation Apr.1863 Union Army releases General Orders No. 100, prohibiting torture, assassinations, the violation of truce flags, and the use of poisons.

Today over 180 nations have ratified the 1949 Conventions. Over 145 states are party to Protocols 1 & 2.

1864. Soldiers no longer in combat are protected from attack, execution, and torture, and granted a right to medical treatment. Convention 3 replaces the Prisoners of War convention of 1929, mandating humane treatment of captured soldiers. Convention 4 protects the rights of civilians in times of war, forbidding deportation, hostage-taking, torture, discrimination,

protocols are added to the Conventions of 1949 Protocol 1 extended the protections of the Geneva Conventions to peoples “fighting against colonial domination.” Protocol 2 named protections for civilian populations during civil conflicts. Torture, collective punishment, slavery, and other inhumane treatments were expressly prohibited. The United States has not ratified either protocol.

collective punishment, and “outrages upon personal dignity.”

political review | modern war

Crises of Nationalism I Joe Lenoff | Illustration by Sophia Brown n the aftermath of the First World War, the

to separate into multiple smaller nation-states,

less and less important. What is important is

safety of the Kurdish regions. They do not secure

European states dismantled the Ottoman Empire

and many are engulfed in bloody civil wars, but

the ability to affect change on the ground, and

the general Iraqi borders at any point except for

and designed a system by which the Middle

most can trace their struggles back to sectarian

that ability comes from the force that foreign

those that connect to the Kurdish regions of Syria.

East would be carved into separate states ruled by

nationalism. Nowhere is this more evident than

funding provides. Qatar provides aid for the sect

When the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), an

people the Europeans themselves hand-picked.

Syria, the Kurdistan region, and Iraq.

that it believes in: extremist Islamists; Saudi

ultra-Islamist terrorist group formerly allied with

Arabia provides aid for the sect that it believes in:

Al-Qaeda, invaded Iraq, the Iraqi and Syrian Kurds

moderate Islamists; and the United States provides

did not engage until ISIS attempted to take Kurdish

non-lethal aid for the sect that it believes in: those

lands. They simply do not view it as their battle

whose interests and perspective are aligned with

to fight. Western Iraq is seen as Sunni land, not

Western interests. Even among the rebels there is

Kurdish, and therefore not worth fighting for.

Although there were a series of agreements between the Europeans, such as the Sykes-Picot Agreement in 1916 and the Treaty of Lausanne in 1923, after the end of the protectorate system and the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948, the map of the Middle East looked much the same as it looks today. Over the course of roughly the last 60 years this system of dividing land and power has been challenged, most notably by Egyptian

“Today, the physical lines separating the states of the Middle East are less important than the psychological lines separating sects.” President Gamal Abdel Nasser’s pan-Arabism in the 1960s, but the system has never had as many challenges, across as much land and as many cultures, as it has had recently. The peoples of the Middle East are rejecting the states carved for them by Europe—along with the very idea of Western nationalism—in favor of a narrower, more sectarian view of loyalty. Today, the physical lines separating the states of the Middle East are less important than the psychological lines separating sects. Most Westerners believe in state-nationalism, that is, the setting aside of one’s loyalty to one’s own personal nation, tribe, or sect in deference to the state. That is why many Americans call themselves African Americans or Jewish Americans. The subordinate adjective precedes the dominant noun. Peoples of the Middle East, however, are increasingly shifting to sectarian nationalism, which is just the opposite. A Kurd living in Iraq, for example, is an Iraqi Kurd. Because sectarian nationalism is flourishing today in the Middle East, many Middle Eastern states are under great strain by their individual sects and are finding it increasingly difficult to maintain state control and citizens’ safety. Many states are under pressure

SYRIA Since nearly the beginning of Islam, Damascus and its surrounding area have been a crucial pivot-point for the Middle East. This is no different today, with the Syrian conflict driving a wedge further

sectarian conflict.

IRAQ

between differing Islamic sects. The Syrian conflict

The Syrian conflict is an outlet to express and

is typically described as government vs. rebels, but

exacerbate the grievance between Sunni and Shia.

Arab Iraq is also under sectarian strain. Iraq was

that does not tell the whole story. A more telling

The two sides are not fighting for the control of

created “artificially” by the Europeans after World

way to describe the Syrian conflict is Alawites and

the Syrian government. Some smaller groups may

War I, but the 2003 U.S. invasion and subsequent

Shia vs. Sunnis. Alawites are an offshoot of Shiite

be, but state control is a means to the larger goal

occupation destroyed the state’s stability. Civil war

Islam, and both sects share similar grievances

of defending their particular sect and their sect’s

has ravaged the country for years, and, consistent

against Sunnis. Syrian President Bashar al-Assad is

worldview. The competing sects are reasonably

with recent patterns, it is split between opposing

Alawite, and most of all the important government

afraid of the opposite side committing some degree

sects. In this case, eastern Shia have been battling

positions, including the military, are held by other

of ethnic cleansing after their victory. It is literally an

western Sunnis in a horrible civil war for nearly

Alawites. Though Alawites only make up about 10

existential battle for each sect against the other. It

a decade. According to Iraq Body Count, since

percent of the general Syrian population, they make

is also a war of ideas and religion, as well as a proxy

President Bush declared “Mission Accomplished”

up about 75 to 80 percent of the officers in the

battle between Iran, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia in a

in Iraq on May 1, 2003, anywhere from 120,000 to

Syrian military. Iran, a Shiite state, and Hezbollah,

bid for sectarian dominance.

130,000 Iraqi civilians, both Sunni and Shia, have

a Shia terrorist group, are providing the Syrian government with military armaments, expertise, and troops for geopolitical reasons, but those

died in the subsequent violence.

KURDS

In addition, as of publication, Iraq has been unable

Moving north and east, the Kurdish people provide

to form a government since elections were held in

between Shia and Sunnis.

another example of sectarianism. Kurds were the

April 2014. Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, the first

great losers of the post-World War I separations.

Shia in power in Baghdad since before the Ottoman

On the other hand, the Sunni side of the Syrian

They found themselves without a nation-state of

Empire, has been in power since 2006 and has

conflict is an amalgam of small and competing

their own, and were instead split between Turkey,

instituted policies largely to the benefit of Shia, and

militias. Some Sunni rebels are Syrian, and some

Syria, Iraq, and Iran. However, they have taken

to the dismay of Sunnis and Kurds. Many Sunnis

are secular, but there are also mujahidin coming

advantage of the U.S. invasion of Iraq in 2003 along

and Kurds do not want him to be sworn in again as

from around the world to fight Assad in what they

with the Syrian conflict and current Iraqi civil war

prime minister, but his coalition received the most

believe is a holy war over the direction of Islam.

to single themselves and their needs out as unique

votes, so there are now sectarian electoral battles

People are coming from around the world to ensure

and significant. Iraq’s post-invasion constitution

to add to the sectarian physical battles.

the success of their particular sect. However, even

established the “Kurdistan region” (areas where

within these religious categories there is little unity.

Kurds live) as semi-autonomous and under the

Each lieutenant does what he believes is best,

auspices of the Kurdistan Regional Government.

resulting in mayhem for Assad’s competing armies,

Kurds were given their own police force and

but also for those who are trying to organize the

military, the ability to levy taxes, and the ability to

rebel forces. The Syrian National Coalition and its

revoke federal Iraqi law within the Kurdistan region.

Free Syrian Army were once considered the best

This in itself is a significant example of a Middle

and most legitimate umbrella organization, but

Eastern state subordinating state-nationalism

have since fallen by the wayside in the wake of

in favor of sectarian-nationalism. However, the

failed peace negotiations in early 2014.

Syrian Conflict and the current civil war in Iraq have

reasons also align within the larger sectarian battle

The Westerner’s idea of “legitimacy” is becoming

provided the Kurds with even more autonomy. The pesh merga, the Kurdish military, fight solely for the

The combination of war weariness and political distrust led the Sunnis of western Iraq to succumb to ISIS’s invasion and subsequent declaration of independence as the Islamic State. Battles were hardly fought for the land, and now ISIS controls large and ever-growing swaths of the Arabian and Syrian desert. Using superior knowledge of local tribal affiliations and allegiances , ISIS was able to form an unbreakable network in the area and rise essentially uncontested to power. Ironically, in their mastery of sectarianism, ISIS was able to create the

beginnings of a state. Turning the lens inward, it should be noted that the United States is also somewhat complicit in sectarian politics and sectarian affiliation. For example, our national Republican Party is predominantly white and Protestant and over 90 percent of African Americans voted for Barack Obama for president in both of his two elections.

example, the United States may have happened to be fighting North Vietnamese in the 1970s, but that was not the war’s purpose. The purpose was to battle the ideology of communism. Americans differentiate themselves and fight for ideological reasons. Increasingly, peoples of the Middle East are differentiating and fighting for sectarian reasons.

Still, more often than not, the American people differentiate themselves politically on ideological grounds (big government vs. small, socially laissez faire vs. restrictive). We do not separate our politics into ethnic or tribal affiliation, and our politicians act with an eye for the good of the state as a whole, not for the politician’s own sect or ethnic distinction. We also go to war for ideological grounds. For

Joe Lenoff is a junior in the College of Arts and Sciences. He can be reached at joseph.lenoff@wustl. edu.

political review | modern war

political review | international

Fascists and Futurists: The Art of Violence Gabriel Rubin

So, what does this protection entail? R2P aims to guard innocent civilians against crimes against humanity, including but not limited to genocides, ethnic cleansing, and war crimes.

of the Fascists and the Futurists had no place for

original creation and the perfected form of

into a ditch, he does not tend to exclaim,

feminism or for women with agency. Aggression,

ancient predecessors.

“I felt my heart pierced deliciously by the

audacity, courage—these were the “manly”

red-hot iron of joy.” Unless, of course, that car

attributes prized in their ideology. Marinetti

crash leads him to create a whole new genre

depicted women as passive, “immobile” creatures

of art. The poor driver in question, the Italian

whose “moralism” had succeeded in corrupting

poet F.T. Marinetti, was so invigorated by the

literature and art.

One of the pillars of R2P stipulates that the international community must step in

sensation of driving—and crashing—his car,

to protect civilians from crimes against humanity. R2P has wide support from the

that he, along with a fiercely motivated cadre

international community.

of young Italian artists, spent the next 35 years (1909-1944) creating the movement known as

what is

R2P?

ypically, when someone crashes his car

Futurism. Marinetti and the Futurists saw the rapid mechanization and industrialization of Italy as the salvation of their civilization, long

Why is this important now?

dismissed as backward and decadent. Their glorification of modernity, specifically fast-paced urban life and “The Machine,” would

R2P has played a significant role in the United States’--and other nations’--involvement

make the Futurists—restless ideologues eager

in recent conflicts. When Libyan dictator Muammar al-Qaddafi threatened mass violence

to purge Italy of its antiquated traditions in favor

to suppress opposition, the United Nations Security Council stepped in with diplomatic

of a new order—useful allies for Mussolini’s

and economic pressures (such as the enforcement of a no-fly zone), and eventually

they were felled by the same sword. War and modernity had not elevated Italy to an exalted position among nations; it had led to the 1943

Though they painted themselves as scions of a new age, the Fascists and Futurists were really ultra-conservatives ideologically. Industrialization and the trappings of modern capital were the price of entry to the club of elite nations, so Italy could either adapt and “advance” or be left behind as an economic and cultural backwater. The genius of Mussolini and Marinetti was to harness the energy from the

“The Futurists viewed war as ‘the world’s only hygiene,’ and only the ‘destructive gesture of freedom’ could truly wash away the stain of previous generations.”

rapid socioeconomic changes to fundamentally reshape Italy’s national ideology while reinforcing the traditional hierarchy that had governed Italian

Allied bombing of Rome and a brief but brutal

Fascist regime.

civilization for centuries.

Nazi occupation of northern Italy. Marinetti had

As Marinetti saw it in 1909 (when he wrote his

Reconciling the chauvinistic conservatism of

helped push for a regime change. The UN (using the terms of R2P) validated this, as the doctrine justifies any action that is done to protect civilians and prevention of violence.

Though the Futurists’ rise preceded the Fascists’,

first “Futurist Manifesto”), Italians had to choose

Fascism with the blitzkrieg speed of modern industry poses fewer problems than might

A catchy abbreviation for “Responsibility to Protect,”

R2P has been invoked, justifying humanitarian action by outside forces, four times

between either the “Mythology and Mystic

R2P represents the move to establish a new

already in 2014--and counting. There are populations considered “at risk,” such as

Ideal” of the Romans or “the sun’s red sword,

international relations norm that both recognizes the

Sudan, Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Syria. In the midst of a civil war, Syria

slashing through our millennial gloom.” The

past failures of national governments to protect their

has been fraught with war crimes that allow R2P to be invoked; this means mandated

choice, apparently, is obvious. Marinetti’s “red

civilians and moves for international policy changes

intervention by the world community. Putting the protection of people and their rights

sword” was not merely flowery imagery. Item

to protect basic human rights. This concept was first

first may very well be the future of war if R2P is successfully invoked and implemented.

number nine of the Manifesto’s principles states

promulgated 2001 and was unanimously adopted by

Furthermore, R2P is failing to protect citizens in the most tumultuous areas, such

that the Futurists viewed war as “the world’s

world leaders in the 2005 World Summit.

as Sudan and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, as R2P works well only when

only hygiene,” and only the “destructive gesture

the government has the capacity to protect its people. Enforcing R2P in areas where

of freedom” could truly wash away the stain of

diplomacy is difficult and military intervention is dangerous has limited effects, and the

previous generations.

supremacy of the nation.

The Futurists got the modern war of their

The Fascists appealed to nostalgia for Italy’s

strategy surrounding R2P in these tough situations is a current and evolving issue. It is important to acknowledge that R2P gives significant power to outside influences

fantasies in 1914, but the (somewhat pyrrhic)

to intervene. Under the R2P doctrine, the UN may impose military, economic, and

Italian victory in World War I only set the stage

diplomatic force to non-compliant countries. Regardless of positive intention, R2P

for reshaping Italian society. To mold their

may infringe on national sovereignty as it justifies unilateral action on the behalf of

rebooted civilization, the Futurists needed a

the UN. Based on how R2P is interpreted, it could become justification for undue or

counterpart in the political realm who embraced

disproportionate intervention or punishment.

the same ideals of a reborn, strong, modern Italy. They found an amenable patron in Mussolini and the rise of the Fascists in 1922; the Futurists had always rejected liberal democracy as dithering and effeminate.

be expected. Slavoj Zizek, in his examination of Nazi propaganda, explains that in times of huge disruptions to the social order (from agrarian to urban, religious to secular, manual to mechanized), the populace is highly susceptible to the appeal of both nostalgia and utopia. At first glance those two concepts seem antithetical, but both rely on the myth of the

bound his artistic movement to the regime, even serving as a member of Mussolini’s Accademia d’Italia. The movement died with the collapse of Mussolini’s regime towards the end of World War II. Even in 1909, though, Marinetti knew his movement would have to end with fiery rage and destruction—and this would be a sign of its success: “Art, in fact, can be nothing but violence, cruelty, and injustice.” Modernity in Fascist Italy ended up looking apocalyptic rather than utopian—instead of new creation, the storied nation found itself with yet more ruins.

(largely distorted) history as an imperial power, and even invaded Ethiopia (“Abyssinia”) to show that the nation had returned to its previous might. The Futurists referenced a more primordial and utopian yearning, glorifying the basest masculine attributes and stroking the chauvinism of the Italian Man. Surely only he had the power to master the machine and use it as a tool in his conquests. By using this power he could create a new Italy, one that would equal or surpass even the highest points of the nation’s history. The Nazis used the same

The “effeminate” was the enemy; it prevented Italy

line of thought, presenting Hitler’s Germany as

from achieving its full potential. The modernity

the Third Reich: simultaneously an

Gabriel Rubin is a senior in the College of Arts & Sciences. He can be reached at grubin@wustl.edu.

political review | modern war

Foreign Deployment of US Troops This graphic only portrays significant deployments, but over 150 countries officially host some number of US troops.

TURKEY 1,539

QATAR 592

ARMY: 630 NAVY: 115 MARINE CORPS: 10 AIR FORCE: 439

ARMY: 122 NAVY: 7 MARINE CORPS: 2 AIR FORCE: 1,408

ARMY: 339 NAVY: 5 MARINE CORPS: 0 AIR FORCE: 248

UK 9,551

ITALY 11,324

BELGIUM 1,194

ARMY: 227 NAVY: 305 MARINE CORPS: 20 AIR FORCE: 8,999

ARMY: 3,884 NAVY: 3,586 MARINE CORPS: 14 AIR FORCE: 3,840

SPAIN 2,107 ARMY: 26 NAVY: 1,662 MARINE CORPS: 21 AIR FORCE: 398

GERMANY 40,463 ARMY: 25,139 NAVY: 486 MARINE CORPS: 932 AIR FORCE: 12,369

PORTUGAL 704 ARMY: 1 NAVY: 51 MARINE CORPS: 3 AIR FORCE: 649

BAHRAIN 3,227 ARMY: 19 NAVY: 3023 MARINE CORPS: 153 AIR FORCE: 32

Each represents 1,000 troops Represents the Army Represents the Navy Represents the Marine Corps Represents the Air Force

JAPAN 49,996 ARMY: 2,321 NAVY: 19,597 MARINE CORPS: 15,709 AIR FORCE: 12,369

CUBA 754 ARMY: 206 NAVY: 523 MARINE CORPS: 25 AIR FORCE: 0

BRITISH INDIAN OCEAN TERRITORY 548 ARMY: 0 NAVY: 509 MARINE CORPS: 0 AIR FORCE: 39

AFGHANISTAN, IRAQ, KUWAIT, SOUTH KOREA, AND CLASSIFIED LOCATIONS 36,345

OTHER DEPLOYMENTS OF SIGNIFICANCE: KOSOVO Approximately 750 US troops are deployed to a NATO security force called KFOR. These, likely among other coalitional force deployments, are not included in the DoD’s data for active US troops. 14

SEYCHELLES The United States has had a significant drone base here since 2008, but does not report it as a deployment of active troops. According to a leaked Defense Department cable, 82 soldiers, airmen, and contractors were stationed on the island chain as a part of a UAV operation.

UKRAINE According to international news sources and the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 150 private contractors from the American security firm Greystone, Ltd. are now stationed in Eastern Ukraine. These allegations have been vehemently denied by the US government and Greystone, and disputed by international experts.

SOMALIA Although the US has an extremely limited official presence in Somalia, reports have circulated in the international media of a so-called CIA “black site” in the country’s capital of Mogadishu. The site is allegedly used for international rendition of suspected terrorists and intelligence training. 15

political review | international

Putin is the Leader America Needs, but Not the One it Deserves Henry Kopesky | Illustration by Sophia Brown

’m envious of Russia. I know that, with that line, I’ve lost a good chunk of you already. Russia is, for a lack of

a better word, a bully. Russia is the bully who is a few years older than everyone else in its class and is past its prime, but still occupies a position of power (but over by the swings, not at the top of the playground with the NATO clique). Russia is the kid who is the butt of jokes

importance with its domestic situation is made

penalty for its open meddling in another

stand up firmly to Putin’s Russia? It’s simple

no clearer by its economic situation: according

country’s affairs. Like Russian aggression, this

– the protection of their interests. Imposing

to the World Bank, Russia’s GDP is just eighth

reluctance stems purely from self-interest:

meaningful sanctions on Russia would

in the world, scarcely above Italy and markedly

angering President Putin is likely to have an

jeopardize the already-fragile European

behind Brazil, which occupies the number

inflationary impact on the price of Europe’s oil

economy. Letting slide the deaths of so many

seven spot. The Russian Federation certainly

and natural gas, much of which originates in –

European citizens is part of the simple calculus

doesn’t have the economic clout to be one of

you guessed it – Russia. So, Putin has Europe

that puts power, money, and self-interest above

the most powerful nations on the planet; what

between the proverbial rock and a hard place,

the lives of ordinary people, the same calculus

gives?

damned to have expensive energy prices if

that pushed Russia to finance and arm rebels in

they do, damned to watch the buffer between

another country. My question is this: if the US,

themselves and Russia grow thinner if

Europe, and Russia all engage in deadly political

they don’t.

and economic posturing, and have for decades

in the classroom, but who avenges every laugh

Some might say that Russia’s power stems

with a punch once the bell marks the end of

from its permanent position on the United

class. Russia is the one who breaks every rule

Nations Security Council. Historically, though,

in the book, but never seems to care or receive

permanent UNSC membership has been no

What many observers fail to realize is that

a meaningful punishment. And Russia is the

guarantor of real power: until 1971, the puny

there is no difference in motivation or outcome

kid who, at the end of high school, seems like

Republic of China held a permanent position;

between the two sides of this conflict. Both

a toss-up to be a successful businessman or a

permanent members France and the United

Russia and Europe are acting purely out of

meth addict by the time the first reunion

Kingdom, though not nations to sneeze at, are

self-interest, disregarding the plight of the

Yes, even one of the most openly manipulative,

comes around.

hardly international power players of Russia’s

Ukrainian people in order to protect their own

deceptive, subversive nations in the world,

status, either. Russia, then, does not derive its

goals, which for Russia entail the expansion of

loathed by many of our leaders as a specter

power from the UN.

their regional hegemony and the solidification

of the Cold War, is better at what the United

of support for Putin at home. There is but one

States does than the United States. For its

difference between Russia and Europe here:

economic size, Russia creates hegemony much

the former is strong, and the latter is weak.

more assertively and effectively than does the

The former has chosen to accept largely trivial

United States; Russia is playing way above its

sanctions in exchange for achieving its goals

league right now, and has established a sphere

(immaterial though they may seem), while the

of influence at which the West can hardly turn

latter has, unwittingly, elected to let Russia

up its nose. Put simply, the US could learn a

take control of the situation in Europe and run

thing or two from Russia.

To be clear, I wholeheartedly prefer the domestic situation of the United States to Russia. From its persecution of gays to the

So, why am I envious of Russia? The simple answer is its relevance, its ability to be the

“Even one of the most openly manipulative, deceptive, subversive nations in the world, loathed by many of our leaders as a specter of the Cold War, is better at what the United States does than the United States.”

world’s Second or Third State long after the death of the Soviet Union. But how does such a disadvantaged, dysfunctional nation achieve at such a high level? Russia, and, more specifically, its president Vladimir Putin, has recognized and openly embraced the reality of international relations: the rules are made

with it.

(see: the War on Terror and in Vietnam, the blind eyes turned toward genocides in Iraq, Rwanda, and Yugoslavia, and even the Space Race), why is Russia the best at it?

by bad, angry, unpredictable, violent, vengeful,

it serves our self-interest. Every country acts

Obviously, Russia’s tactics with regards to

frightening people, and that many of these

in its self-interest, and the United States has

up and the points don’t matter. As long as a

Russia isn’t infallible, though. In supplying East

foreign policy are controversial. Violating

people, given the chance, would suck their

never been and will never be an exception; it’s

state is small enough to fly under the radar

Ukrainian rebels with Soviet-era weaponry,

other countries’ sovereignty, displaying

homelands dry of their resources, all while

time to accept that and use it to this country’s

(Swaziland and Uzbekistan), dangerous enough

they took a risk that came to fruition on July 17,

open disregard for other heads of state, and

imprisoning or slaughtering wholesale their

advantage. It’s time for the United States to

to scare off the global community (Qaddafi’s

when the Donetsk People’s Army mistakenly

achieving power through strength are not

political, ethnic, or religious opponents.

reclaim a little hubris and act like the world’s

Libya and North Korea), or entrenched with a

shot down a Malaysian airliner, killing nearly

popular in the United States. And yet, not once

corrupt oligarchy that has allowed Vladimir

powerful state (Syria, Saudi Arabia, and Israel),

300 mostly European civilians. Finally, the EU

have I heard a policymaker publicly reject an

This argument has started to sound an awful

Putin to become one of the richest men in the

they are all but untouchable. Even more so, the

and the US were forced to impose sanctions

idea because it would violate another state’s

lot like the White Man’s Burden: Redux, and I

world, Russia is broken: its economy relies far

states that wield significant power of their own,

more substantive than the freezing of assets

sovereignty; that objection never seems to

understand that. The key difference, though,

too heavily on energy production, an obscene

such as the United States, Russia, and China,

held by Putin and his cronies. But were they?

come from those policymakers’ constituents,

is that I would not for a moment make the

amount of its wealth is held by a handful of its

act with almost unequivocal impunity when

At the time this article was written, American

either. No, Americans are afraid of conflict

argument that American hegemony is good

citizens, imprisonment for political reasons

they choose to do so.

sanctions excluded OAO Sberbank, one of

because it costs money and lives, but neither

for the people of the world. It is foolhardy

the largest state-run lenders in the Russian

are they prepared to accept a world in which

to imagine that the American people and

Federation, and European sanctions allowed

the United States is not at the head of the table

government are any more intelligent, able,

European subsidiaries of Russian banks a

for everything from mediating international

civilized, or intrinsically benevolent than those

workaround for the EU’s barriers.

disputes to the world’s First Spouse Book Club

of other states around the world; we’re all

(which may or may not exist).

human, after all.

is routine, and it has a chronic problem with domestic terrorism. Yet, despite the mess that is the political structure in Russia, the country is one of three or four primary centers of power that exist in the world today, alongside China,

Let’s examine the situation in Ukraine. Since the ouster of former president Viktor Yanukovych, Russia has supported violent unrest in another sovereign state, both openly and covertly, and

the United States, and perhaps Europe.

suffered only trivial sanctions as a result. Russia

Why, even after the (allegedly) Russian-

has gone unpunished principally because of

enabled murder of hundreds of Europeans,

The reality is that the world, including the

The only argument that exists for American

The absurd juxtaposition of Russian global

Europe’s reluctance to impose an economic

have the US and EU remained reticent to

United States and our European allies, is run

hegemony, the only argument we need, is that

most powerful nation. It’s time for the United States to let itself flourish. It’s time for the American people to realize that the only way to maintain their way of life is through holding onto our national clout. And the only way to keep a firm hold on American preeminence abroad is to embrace the seemingly long-lost maxim of power through strength.

Henry Kopesky is a sophomore in the College of Arts & Sciences. He can be reached at hrkopesky@wustl. edu.

OBAMACARE WOMEN a quick background on the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and what it’s doing for U.S. women

political review | National

A Warning to David, After Going to the Dentist Wallis Linker

BEFORE OBAMACARE

50 Million Americans were uninsured before the ACA became law

21 Million of those uninsured were women

of women reported putting off medical care because they couldn’t afford it

WHAT OBAMACARE IS DOING NOW

Domestic violence screening and counseling

drug abuse and overdoses, as well as the creation

the American consciousness. In the 1960s, 55%

of institutions and programs that will work in

of the people beginning to use heroin were white,

dissuading people from using and developing a

and 45% were non-white, according to a study

habit. While the United States has used the Drug

led by Theodore Cicero of Washington University

Enforcement Administration (DEA) to adopt a

in St. Louis and published by the Journal of the

strategy that targets all levels of the supply chain

American Medical Association (JAMA) in 2014.

to prevent pharmaceutical controlled substances

However, by the 2010s, 90% of new heroin

from being distributed illegally, these protections

users were white. This shift can be linked in part

have not been given the emphasis they need

to the demand for prescription opioids. Cicero’s

in towns across the nation. Additionally, first

study argues that the demand for heroin comes

responders have been encouraged by Attorney

from the pharmaceutical industry. Prescription

General Eric Holder to carry naloxone, a

opioids like OxyContin are extremely addictive.

drug that can be administered quickly that

Caucasian adults, who constitute the majority

immediately restores breathing to a victim

prescriptions for these opioids. This situation

Cervical cancer Breastfeeding screenings consultation and supplies

Mammograms

as Alex Kral, an epidemiologist with the institute

decriminalized non-medical marijuana in

RTI International, states, “Physicians have a lot of

some way or another. It appears that as

biases, and a lot of those are racialized, or along

of a hard “war on drugs” is slowly failing. In September 1989, the perception of drug abuse as America’s number one problem was polled at 64%; this fell to 10% within a year. But relaxing the war on drugs has implications beyond allowing the adult population, and maybe even

New Insurance Company Regulations

some rebellious hooligans, to smoke cannabis

New regulations for insurance companies aim to make healthcare more inclusive through regulations:

towards the use of one of the most deadly drugs

at their leisure; there has been a paradigm shift on the market: heroin. Until a strategy is in place

Insurance Plans Are Prohibited from Discrimination Based on Gender Identity or Sexual Orientation This provision also applies to healthcare providers that receive federal funding, as most hospitals do. Before this, it was perfectly legal for a doctor who benefits from federal funding to refuse to provide medical care to someone who was trans*, bisexual, lesbian, or gay. Unfortunately, the provision doesn’t say that plans must cover transition-related healthcare.

increases their likelihood of drug abuse because,

s of this July, seventeen states have

time passes, President Nixon’s 1971 declaration

Sexually transmitted infections (STI) screening and counseling

to occur is a reassessment of how best to handle

minorities usually associated with heroin use in

have access to doctors and are able to get legal

Obamacare mandates that new insurance plans provide certain preventative services with no co-pay or deductible. Some of these services include:

Birth control: including oral contraception and IUDs

addiction are in metropolitan areas. What needs

upper-middle classes, rather than the inner city

of suburban and rural populations, tend to

Free Preventative Services

Annual well-women visits

primarily amongst the white middle and

addressing the newly formed heroin market and its huge popularity, the United States has little hope of winning, or even keeping up with, the war on drugs.

class lines.” Once an addict’s prescription runs out, he or she still needs an opiate. Heroin is the seemingly sensible option; it is cheaper and more readily available than alternatives. In Cicero’s study, 94% of the opioid users chose heroin because prescription pills were too expensive for their habit. Cicero points to the street prices of drugs specifically. OxyContin can sell for as little as $1 per milligram, so for an 80 milligram

This increase in users and deaths has occurred DESIGNED BY JACKIE REICH

the general public to help raise awareness of prescription and illegal opiate abuse.

effects. Only a new approach directed at the suburban and countryside communities facing

companies have redesigned prescription drugs,

larger-scale heroin abuse for the first time can pave the way towards a victory in the war against drugs.

Attorney General Eric Holder has noted that

SOURCES – hhs.gov/healthcare/facts/factsheets/2012/03/women03202012a.html – familiesusa.org/sites/default/files/product_documents/Affordable-Care-Act-Benefits-Women.pdf – transequality.org/Resources/HealthCareRight_March2012_FINAL.pdf – whitehouse.gov/files/documents/health_reform_for_women.pdf

to properly identify drug abuse and encouraging

become even more appealing as pharmaceutical

Insurance Companies Cannot Charge Higher Premiums Based on Gender Before this went into effect, insurance companies could charge a healthy 22 year old woman up to 150% more than they charged a healthy 22 year old man.

more lethal than prescription opiates and heroin.

enough. The DEA is teaching health practioners

before today been largely unfamiliar with its

Health Services Administration, the number

that there are currently few, if any, substances

with naloxone. Holder stresses that this is not

only cost $10. Heroin’s relatively low price has

to abuse.

overdoses increased by 45%. Holder also noted

funding to equip approximately 20,000 officers

Heroin impacts demographics who have

According to the Substance Abuse and Mental

between 2006 and 2010 deaths from heroin

the New York Police Department received the

hand, a comparable amount of heroin would

People Can’t Be Denied Coverage Because of a Pre-Existing Condition Before this became law, insurance companies could deny someone coverage based on a previously diagnosed condition or circumstance. This included anything from heart disease to being a victim of domestic violence, to having had a C-section.

2011 was 620,000, a 53% increase from 2002.

experiencing a heroin overdose. Just this May,

tablet, it could cost a user $80. On the other

making them harder to crush up and thus harder

of people who said they have used heroin in

“In Cicero’s study, 94% of the opioid users chose heroin because prescription pills were too expensive for their habits.”

But until this point, suburban and rural political leaders and government organizations have not had to think about dealing with heroin addictions and overdoses, leading to the increase in deaths. Small towns have never had such a need for treatment facilities; according to the Maine Rural Health Research Center, 93% of facilities nationwide with programs that treat opioid

Wallis Linker is a junior in the College of Arts and Sciences studying Anthropology and Political Science. She can be contacted at w.linker@wustl.edu

political review | National

political review | NATIONAL

Is it the government’s job to prevent resegregation? Grace Portelance developed to move people

that while preventing racial isolation was an

when the school your child attends is hours away

from state to state until each state has a better

important quest, the Constitution does not allow

from that of your next-door neighbor?

racial balance?

for classifying students based on race when

On such a large scale it would seem ridiculous to uproot millions of people at random in order to create this simplistic definition of “ balance.” However, on a smaller scale this type of control is fairly common, especially in an imperfectly balanced community like mine. I grew up in a neighborhood called Ballard, known for its role as

desegregating communities where no racial discrimination was present. This touches on an important philosophical concept—if segregation is natural, in that no tangible barriers exist to divide the races, yet it happens regardless, is it the government’s job to correct it? What if barriers existed in the past, but were removed? What if,

So what should the plan be going forward? Should we compartmentalize people further, isolating their individual features to compose perfect, diverse neighborhoods? Is that really the dream of desegregation? Perhaps it is better to accept that the key to desegregation is choice, the absence of barriers. If hypothetically

a center for the seafaring community of Seattle. Though one of the fastest growing and largest neighborhoods in Seattle, Ballard has a huge ethnic Scandinavian population. We have parades

“Forcibly diversifying is not true diversifying at all- what should be endorsed is the building of strong communities in every part of a state, every part of the country.”

for the Syttende Mai, we have a Nordic Heritage museum, and we have a lot of white people. My high school’s student body was close to 70%

resegregation is wrong? Of course, we aren’t

exclusionary costs of living, but the mere fact that

Desegregation past the point of removing barriers

we are no closer if we task the government with

it was the site of a huge amount of Scandinavian

(such as oppressive laws), as we see in the case

organizing people so they are working, living,

immigration.

of Parents Involved in Community Schools v.

and being educated in our fickle perception of

Seattle School District #1, is an overreach of

balance. While it is a positive thing to live among

government power. It is one thing to desire

people different than oneself, how far are we

diverse communities because of the educational,

willing to go to do so? Forcibly diversifying is not

economic, and social benefits, but it would be too

truly diversifying at all—what should be endorsed

extreme to attempt to restructure communities

is the building of strong communities in every

based on race alone. Firstly, the assignation of

part of a state, every part of the country. Bussing

the concept of diversity to one aspect, race, is

poor minorities to wealthier white schools

a huge oversimplification. In the Seattle Public

shouldn’t replace work to improve the community

School District, there were two categories—

schools in the neighborhoods those children call

white, and non-white. The idea that adding a

home. What is crucial is giving people choice and

“non-white” to a student population will improve

mobility, allowing them to decide for themselves

the culture and balance should strike you as

where to live and educate their children. In the

offensive. Grouping Asian Americans, African

case of the lawsuit against the Seattle School

Americans, Native Americans, and more into one

District, parents decided that it was better to

homogenous, diversifying group is a ridiculous

educate their children in a neighborhood school

way to view cultural diversity. Segregation, and

as opposed to taking part in a diversifying

racism for that matter, goes far beyond a barrier

experiment that, with a crude and heavy hand,

between white and non-white. While the idea of

split communities apart. While the government

diverse schools is wholly positive, the methods

is no more gifted at empowering struggling

to create them are extreme and invasive. Would

communities than rearranging them, it is far more

you want your child to be bussed two hours

worthwhile to try to make every neighborhood

away to an elementary school on the basis of

vibrant and healthy, appreciating the history and

his/her ethnicity? Neighborhood schools are

cultural makeup of neighborhoods, not

an incredible resource because of their unifying

destroying them.

capabilities. Birthday parties, carpools, walking

Grace Portelance is a sophomore in the College of Arts and Sciences. She can be reached at grace.portelance@wustl.edu

exclusionary policies, or (until more recently)

This white majority contributed to the formation of policy concerning the racial mix of public schools. The Seattle School District once allowed students to apply to any public school in the district, using a series of factors called

Ending lawful segregation in the 1960s and

environment is superior for all involved, can we

laws segregating a population based on

‘70s was fairly effective; though the dream of

enforce it with law? While living and working

race or class are morally wrong. Most

complete equality was obviously not achieved,

with many types of people fosters growth and

people also believe that no law should tell people

the government was making an intentional and

exploration, can we force this upon citizens?

where they must or must not live. However,

concerted effort to reduce centuries-old divides.

preventing concentrations of homogenous

However, as the years passed, desegregation

populations was and continues to be a focus of

efforts faltered and soon the aggressive plans

social engineering efforts of the federal and state

that were restructuring communities and schools

governments—and for good reasons. Diversity

ended. The effects slowed and then reversed—

can create a more tolerant and open-minded

while from 1964 to 1988 the percentage of

community. The compelling goal of diversity led

African-American students educated in a school

to a huge desegregation effort in the mid to late

with a 90-100% minority student body declined

1900s, a movement that went beyond removing

from 68% to 32%, the figure rose to 38% by

legal barriers and delved into restructuring

2001. For Hispanic students, the percentage

communities. The simplest and most effective

of children in almost solely minority-populated

way to do so was through schools—as the mantra

schools has nearly doubled from 1964 to 2001.

goes, start ‘em young. As simple as assigning

This creates a difficult moral argument for those

each student to a school of the government’s

in legislative and community leader positions.

choosing, this method was a confident step

While we can all agree (and there is substantial

towards cultural diversity.

evidence to support this) that a diverse learning

The phenomenon of segregated communities is nothing new; I would place a considerable bet that you didn’t grow up in a community that boasted a perfect racial balance. The more likely scenario is that you grew up on a block that was predominantly, if not exclusively monoracial. Some of this is geographically based. The closer one lives to say, the Mexican border, the more likely it is that large amounts of people with Mexican heritage live there. Consider the disparity between the Latino population in the border state of New Mexico (47% of the total population) versus that of Vermont (less than 2% of the total population): is this morally wrong? Would it be more equal, more civilized, more

those barriers are gone, is there any way that

plans end, the population resegregates itself?

white. This majority is not as much the fault of

ost modern, rational people believe that

as we are seeing today, once active desegregation

“tiebreakers” to determine who got in where. One of the most important of these was race. Those who would contribute to a more balanced population would be more likely to be admitted. This policy would affect few in areas where populations were close to the racial mix of Seattle’s student population (about 60% non-white, 40% white), but a huge tool in a community like mine, where 70% of students were white. Some white students were assigned to schools far outside their communities, while non-white (literally, one big indistinct group of anything but white people) could be assigned to a school in a whiter community to maintain this balance. This policy was taken to the Supreme Court in Parents Involved in Community Schools v. Seattle School District #1 by a group of parents and was struck down. However, the decision was split, and Justice Anthony Kennedy cited

to school, neighborhood friends, parent-teacher conferences… Would any of this be possible

quite at this barrier-less world, but I do know that

political review | National

political review | NATIONAL

Better Know My District

Xiaochang Song

Charlie Thau

my own political allegiance, was that this

revealed how slow processing times at VA

phenomenon may be due to an often-overlooked

hospitals led to a severe backlog in health care,

aspect of politics—casework.

and, tragically were responsible for the deaths

When I started the internship I had little idea what casework actually entailed, save for the ambiguous textbook definitions I had come across in various history classes. I quickly realized, however, that these definitions were intentionally vague because the concept itself is difficult to define. Essentially, it means that the office assists any constituent with virtually any problem regarding a federal agency. For example, constituents might call on any given day for help on issues as dissimilar as assistance receiving a visa for a relative in Uzbekistan and investigating why the postman failed to deliver their mail. The more cases I saw, the more I believed that casework was a clear example of the

his summer, I had the privilege of working at the district office of Congressman Jerrold Nadler, who represents New York’s 10th

District. As the summer began, I wondered whether the experience would culminate in my finally finding a political allegiance. As I grew up in a household with one parent a staunch liberal and the other a conservative, I have long been persuaded by arguments for policies of both sides while considering myself an Independent in the interim. Congressman Nadler is known as one of the most liberal members of Congress, so I anticipated that by the end of the summer I would react either very favorably or unfavorably to his policies, and therefore have a firmer conviction as to which side of the aisle I would ultimately sit. While grappling with my own political ideology, I also wondered if I could unearth any insight into a quintessentially American paradox that has been a focal point of 21st century politics: citizens hate Congress, but love their Congressmen. Statistics support this apparent paradox, as incumbents retain their seats 90% of the time, while Congress’ approval rating remains a dismal 12.3%. In essence, people love their own little slice of government but hate the cake. How is that possible? The conclusion that I arrived at, an answer that eventually helped me solidify

capacity of the federal government to help everyday Americans. Congressman Nadler’s caseworkers were extremely efficient and always knowledgeable on a myriad of governmental issues. This was an actualization of the liberal axiom that the government is a vehicle to assist citizens—particularly the less fortunate. Over the first few weeks of my summer, this was my prevailing conclusion and I started to sway from the center to the left. After the initial weeks of my internship, I was surprised to realize that—somewhat ironically— casework functions as a way for constituents to cut through bureaucracy. Many Americans— particularly those who consider themselves conservative—deride government as too large and invasive, with government bureaucrats

of many veterans. The bureaucratic standstill at

were asking, either directly or indirectly, for the Congressman to cut through painstakingly long bureaucratic processes. This would be accomplished either through a call or an email from our office, or a direct letter signed by the

that turn the previously incarcerated onto paths

exceptionalism that America is the land of

of stable employment.

opportunity and second chances. We embrace

the heartwarming tale of the penniless man

who pulls himself up by his bootstraps, and we

Nadler’s office dealt with also had severe

proudly assert that only in a society like ours

consequences that were both enlightening

could his story be possible. In the past thirty

and disturbing. It was routine for agencies to

years, however, the idealization of America as a

take years to process claims, and it was truly

nation that provides for the destitute has proven

disappointing to see that many of these service

to be woefully fictitious for those who need the

agencies had such bureaucratic backlog. This,

most help— our nation’s incarcerated population.

unfortunately, is an issue that almost certainly

The United States makes up 5% of the world’s

would have been solved in a private sector

population, but houses 25% of the world’s

company, which would have an obvious incentive

prisoners. Of our 6 million prisoners, 95% will

to quickly and efficiently solve the constituents’

eventually be released, but a staggering 67% will,

problems.

within 3 years of their release, reoffend and find

As the summer ended, I had found reasons to support either end of the political spectrum, yet participating in casework reinforced my conviction to remain an Independent. Seeing firsthand the merits of both sides of the argument about the size of government in America as a microcosm of the larger conflict between both parties absolutely convinced me that committing to either side was counterproductive. To me, being an Independent means that each issue should be judged thoughtfully, and separate from

their way back into a new ironclad cell. Our nation needs a serious debate on prisoner issues. At a time when America’s crime rates are at a historic high, our policy makers need to re-examine our dated views toward crime and begin to redefine

Recidivism is a crucial problem in the fight against crime, because as recent research indicates, the majority of crimes are committed by reoffenders. In the past 20 years, studies have elucidated the drastic benefits of rehabilitory programs, especially those with a focus on education. A study done by the University of California at Los Angeles found that “a $1 million investment in incarceration will prevent about 350 crimes, while that same investment in correctional education will prevent more than 600 crimes.” Well-funded GED and college degree seeking programs are the most effective tools in decreasing recidivism rates. These education

efforts are crucial for inmates, because, according to the Truman School of Public Policy, recidivism rates decline sharply, from 67% to 33%, for those who obtained a GED while in prison.

“While my internship did not persuade me to choose one side or the other, being involved with casework reinforced my conviction as an Independent.”

Center’s statistics of increasing prison budgets as well as increasing recidivism rates indicate that it

“Our policy makers need to re-examine our dated views toward crime and begin to re-define the role of correctional facilities as centers of rehabilitation rather than of punishment.” rehabilitation rather than of punishment. As a society, we want our policy makers to be “tough on crime.” This toughness has traditionally come in the form of more police officers, prisons, and guards. However, recent studies conducted by the Pew Research Center show philosophy towards crime—one that allocates

The issue of recidivism and prison rehabilitation

Control And Law Enforcement Act, a wonderfully

last presidential election, the issue of recidivism

tough sounding piece of bipartisan legislation,

and rehabilitation measures in prisons was not

provided a budget for 100,000 new police

even mentioned in any of the prime-time debates

officers and $9.7 billion in funding for federal

or the Republican primary. The vicious cycle of

prisons. However, the act also eliminated the

recidivism, caused by the inability of our nation’s

funding of Pell Grants for prisoners. These grants

prisons to effectively rehabilitate and equip our

are scholarships that had previously served,

incarcerated population, is bankrupting our

from 1965-1994, to fund the college education

nation and leaving thousands of inmates without

of thousands of inmates. According to the Pew

opportunities to become functional members of

Center, states that had the most inmates with Pell

society.

agendas, it’s possible to step back and see that as

towards “hard” tools such as more guards and

former New York Daily News columnist Lars-Erik

prison cells—is ineffective in lowering rates of

Nelson once said: “The enemy isn’t conservatism.

both crime and recidivism.

degrees while in prison correlated directly with

Recidivism is defined as “the act of re-engaging in

United States spends $52 billion each year on

criminal offending despite having been punished.”

its correctional facilities, with only 6% of this

It is the most popular and effective metric used

budget going towards prison programming. A

by policymakers and academics in determining

small fraction of this 6% is allocated towards

the efficiency with which prisons are either acting

education programs. The Pew Center describes

as deterrents or as effective rehabilitation centers

America’s recidivism rate as a “collective rate that

Charlie Thau is a sophomore in the College of Arts & Sciences. He can be reached at cthau@wustl.edu.

crucial importance.

discourse on crime and law-enforcement. In the

an overwhelming majority of a prison’s budget

written by the interns).

programs the funds are being allocated that is of

Over twenty years ago, the 1994 Violent Crime

disaggregating individual policies from partisan

which help was sought (most of which were

is not how much we are spending, but to which

also needs to take a larger platform in our nation’s

that in the past 30 years, having a tough, punitive

The enemy isn’t liberalism. The enemy is bullshit.”

has remained largely unchanged in years, despite huge increases in prison spending.” The Pew

the role of correctional facilities as centers of

the preconceived biases of party politics. By

Congressman himself to the organizations from

The recent Veteran’s Affairs (VA) scandal

t is a central doctrine of American

some of the federal agencies that Congressman

holding back progress. In my experience this summer, I realized that a plurality of the callers

Recidivism and Rehabilitation I

Grants and who had obtained the most college areas where recidivism fell dramatically. The

Xiaochang Song is a junior in the College of Arts & Sciences. He can be reached at xiaochangsong@ wustl.edu.

political review | National

political review | NATIONAL

What’s so Offensive about Self-Defense?

Cleveland, Chicago, Conventions and the Media

Candice Love | Illustration by Alex Chiu

Ryan Thier control of my own situation, and showed that I

that someone will be there to help. In the rare

could defend myself if he ever decided to pick on

chance that you actually have the ability to

me again.

call the police while being attacked, the crucial

When Nia Sanchez won Miss America this summer, I was appalled at the backlash she received from women after she stated that self-

minutes it could take for them to respond is enough time for someone to take everything you have, including your life.

defense is the best way to prevent sexual assault.

Self-defense is a practical solution to

Social media exploded with tweets from women

protecting women from sexual assault. On a

who believed that she was “victim blaming,”

college campus, though, there are additional

because, as was frequently tweeted, “men

opportunities for sexual assault prevention.

could just not rape.” Women who ignore the

I therefore completely support methods of

importance of self-defense are doing very little

education where students are required to have

for the victims of sexual assault. If we as women

conversations about assault and consent. I also

truly want to prevent and end sexual assault, we

believe that there should be strict punishments

must be able to defend ourselves without having

for students who commit these crimes—

to rely on the protection or moral code of our

punishments that are more serious than the

peers, universities, and communities.

pathetic “expulsion after graduation” punishment enforced at James Madison University. But no

The problem is, however, that any shift of responsibility onto the victim somehow makes everyone believe the advocate is blaming the

victim. It should go without saying that the victim

am one of two female cousins in my large,

is never at fault in these cases. And I am also

overwhelmingly male family. Growing up

aware that most rapes aren’t the stereotypical

without other girls to play with, I hung out with

“bad man attacking a random woman in an

boys. I learned a lot from them, like how to do

alley as she walks home alone late at night.” But

things even when I’m scared, and how to suck up

I’m tired of people treating rape as “other,” like

my tears. But the most important thing I learned

it is completely different from all other violent

was how to defend myself.

crimes. If I were to try to convince the university

I had a particular cousin who would constantly bully me physically and emotionally. He was bigger, stronger, and older, and I was defenseless. I could have told on him, but being scolded

that we shouldn’t have locks on dorm rooms and buildings because people shouldn’t steal or

“and with george mcgovern as president of the united states, we wouldn’t have to have gestapo tactics in the streets of chicago.” senator abe ribicoff

968 was a turbulent year in the United States, with cultural and political unrest explosively culminating in Chicago’s conflagration

of a Democratic National Convention. The chaos, however, began long before theAugust convention. The escalating and widely unpopular conflict in Vietnam pushed President Johnson’s approval ratings so low that he announced in late March that he would not run for reelection. The country was further shaken when civil rights leader Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated in April. One city, though, presented a message of hope rather than despair. On the night of

“If we as women truly want to prevent and end sexual assault, we must be able to defend ourselves without having to rely on the protection or moral code of our peers, universities and communities.”

MLK’s assassination, Robert F. Kennedy landed in Indianapolis for a rally in his campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination. Despite fear of riots and for the candidate’s safety, he informed the crowd of Dr. King’s death and said, “what we need in the United States is not violence or lawlessness, but love and wisdom, and compassion toward one another.” That night

nuts. Because in these matters of security, doing

The problem with this arrangement is summed

Democratic party fight it out on the convention

up nicely in a chapter title of Harvard Kennedy

floor (although, in terms of delegates, Humphrey

professor Thomas E. Patterson’s book Out of

easily secured the nomination) and a pugnacious

Order: “The Miscast Institution.” The media

confrontation between anti-war protesters and

spends much more time on the human element

police officers, troops, national guardsmen, and

and drama of campaigns than it does explaining

secret service agents. The “Gestapo tactics in

candidates’ policies. The media is not to blame

the streets of Chicago” were captured by the TV

for this conflict, as their role was thrust upon

cameras and broadcast to the whole nation, so

them. As Patterson writes, expecting the

even those who didn’t hear Senator Ribicoff knew

media to properly educate voters is tantamount

exactly what was going on in Chicago.

to expecting public schools to make up for

The convention was a disaster for the

collapsing family values at home.

Democrats and Humphrey, who would lose

The 1968 Democratic Convention left a lasting

to Richard Nixon in the general election. In

impression on the country, but perhaps its

the convention’s aftermath, the Democrats

most lasting legacy is its exposure of flaws in

launched the McGovern-Fraser Commission

the nominating system, and the changes this

on Party Structure and Delegate Selection.

precipitated. For better or worse, the voters

The commission crucially transferred the primary power of selecting the nominee from the party bosses and state organizations to the voters in

“The 1968 Democratic Convention left a lasting impression on the country, but perhaps its most lasting legacy is its exposure of flaws in the nominating system, and the changes this precipitated.”

primaries. The days of the nominee being selected by party bigwigs in the fabled—

choose their candidates now, strategy has been

but not necessarily apocryphal—smoke-filled

sacrificed for democracy, and the electorate

rooms were over. Where primaries were once a

has the 1968 convention to thank or blame.

supplemental part of the nominating process, the

One of the biggest sources of political drama

celebration.

McGovern-Fraser Commission decreed no more

at conventions today is simply their location, as

than 10% of a state’s delegates could be selected

both parties attempt to strategically locate their conventions to either curry favor in a swing state

riots broke out in over one hundred cities across America; there were none in Indianapolis. Two months later, Kennedy won the California primary and was shot dead during the night’s victory

trespass, the administration would think I was

The ensuing five days saw a badly divided

simple things like locking doors seems obvious

matter how much we educate people, there will

Held at the end of a bloody, tumultuous year,

by a state committee or organization, making

to everyone. Even though theft shouldn’t happen,

always be criminals, drunks, and bad decision-

the 1968 Democratic convention, instead of a

primaries the key to accruing delegates and thus

or shore up support in a base state. The GOP’s

we have all recognized that there are bad people

makers that we will need to protect ourselves

unifying end to the party’s division, turned out to

the heart of the nomination process.

announcement that their 2016 convention will

By the time I was nine, I was fed up. My cousin,

that commit theft every day, much like sexual

from.

be the crescendo for the Democrats’–as well as

then eleven, had slapped me across the face for

assault. So why are women offended at the

God knows what, and without thinking, I balled

prospect of self-defense because they believe

up my fist and punched him square in his face.

the responsibility should completely fall on men

And when he held his face in his hands, probably

not raping? If learning to defend ourselves can

more from shock than from pain, I hit him again.

help prevent us from being sexually assaulted,

And again. Both he and another cousin who

why isn’t that just as obvious as putting locks on

witnessed this were shocked by my retaliation.

doors?

wouldn’t make him stop. For a long time, I would just take what was coming.

And after that day, my cousin and I, though we still played together, had a mutual respect for each other. The hitting stopped, and the namecalling was minimal, because I took

Thankfully, I was only tortured by a bully as a kid. When I was able to show this bully that I could shift the power dynamic against him, I was left alone. Maybe we can teach bad people not to rape by showing them that we are strong enough to physically stop them from raping in the first place.

Defending yourself also goes beyond the scope

and when you’re in danger, there is no guarantee

the convention, Vice President Humphrey had enough delegates to ensure his nomination, but there were questions concerning whether or not the convention could proceed peacefully. Due to Vice President Humphrey’s close association with President Johnson—specifically his agreement with Johnson’s hugely unpopular Vietnam policy–-the plans for anti-war protests were not

of women and sexual assault prevention. Anybody can be vulnerable to any violent crime,

the nation’s –long-stirring discontent. Entering

cancelled even after Johnson dropped out of the Candice Love is a sophomore in the College of Arts & Sciences. She can be reached at lovecd@wustl.edu.

race.

This change not only dramatically reshaped conventions and their role in elections, but also dramatically reformed the role of the media. While an oligarchic selection process is an inherently undemocratic way to choose a candidate, party bosses and state organizations are more politically informed than the average voter. Shifting the responsibility of selection from the knowledgeable to the novices created a need for someone to inform voters about the candidates and assist them in making their decision. That ‘someone’ became the media.

be held in the crucial swing state of Ohio is the most recent example of this phenomenon, even though Nate Silver, a leader in political statistical analysis, largely debunked the myth that putting a convention in a state helps you win it. It is unlikely that we will see “Gestapo” tactics in the streets during a convention again, but as the Republican party’s recent crackdown on voter ID laws shows, electoral warfare hasn’t ended—it has simply moved to ballot box. Ryan Thier is a sophomore in the College of Arts & Sciences. He can be reached at ryan.thier@wustl.edu.

political review | National

political review | NATIONAL

Obamacare: Cost vs. Access A fter five years, the Affordable Care

more likely to face high monthly insurance

spends more money on healthcare per

Act (ACA) is staggering toward

fees. Uninsurance rates are highest among

capita than any other. When he unveiled

the end of its gauntlet of political,

racial minorities. Just 11% of whites are

the ACA, President Obama touted his plan

legal, and implementation challenges. To

uninsured, while 20% of African-Americans

as a revenue-neutral proposal, but the

THE ACTIVIST EGO CHAMBER O

paraphrase Nancy Pelosi, it’s time to find

and 39% of Hispanics don’t have health

out not just what is in the law, but the

insurance. The most alarming category of

ultimate effects of the law. From the time

those unlikely to have insurance is the sick;

the ACA was announced, its goals were

those in fair or poor health are less likely

twofold: reducing the uninsurance rate (the

to have insurance than those in good, very

rate of Americans without health insurance)

good, or excellent health. Those who most

and controlling healthcare costs. Analyzing

need a discount on insurance are the least

the pre-ACA status quo of health insurance

likely to have it.

order to induce the 50 million uninsured to

ESI benefits those who are able to receive

offer large subsidies, which comprise the

it, but the plan leaves those ineligible for

majority of ACA spending ($1.2 trillion over

future effects of the ACA.

the policy either without insurance or stuck

the decade). The second major component

paying exorbitant prices. To cut costs for

was the Medicaid expansion, which aimed

Just before the ACA was put into effect,

those not under the protective umbrella

to increase the number of people eligible

about 150 million Americans had ESI,

of ESI, President Obama introduced the

for government insurance. The expansion,

50 million had Medicare, 57 million had

ACA, modeled after the MHP, which

though only approved by 26 states, is

Medicaid, 15 million purchased insurance

provides subsidies for purchasers of private

projected to cost $800 billion through

The story of the Wash. U. Seven is just one

privately, and 50 million were uninsured.

insurance, and increases the number

2024.

example of a brand of twenty-first century

On average, those with ESI contributed

of people eligible for Medicaid, in turn

just more than $1,000 monthly for their

increasing the total number of the insured.

insurance (their employers paid the rest),

The first eight years of the MHP help us

while those purchasing insurance privately

project how the ACA will impact insurance

paid over $2,500.

rates and healthcare costs in the US over

Aryeh Mellman

(employer-sponsored insurance ((ESI)), and Mitt Romney’s Massachusetts Health Plan (MHP)—the basis for the ACA—can project

“The government can reduce the rate of uninsurance while spending money, or keep costs down, but uninsurance rates high.”

Raja Krishna

n a cloudy Friday morning in early

those on the other side, and smirk when they

they do not already sympathize with the

May, seven Washington University

hear the shrill echoes of their own dissent.

young activist community, their opinions and

students were arrested for trying

Yes, words carry significance and call-outs

identities are promptly dismissed. Identities

to enter a board of trustees meeting. The

are important, but when we use them to

undoubtedly matter, but swearing by

Congressional Budget Office projected it

“Wash. U. Seven,” as they started calling

stroke our egos we end up condescending

them—and forcing others to do the same—

to cost a net $1.5 trillion from 2014-2024,

themselves, say they wanted to deliver a

instead of educating.

is dangerous. When someone’s privilege

making the plan a net loss.

letter to CEO of Peabody Energy Greg Boyce,

The plan’s high cost is due to two of its major components: subsidies for private insurance and the Medicaid expansion. In purchase insurance, the government had to

The current course of policy reflects a choice: the government can reduce the rate of uninsurance while spending money, or

a member of the board and the target of their dissent. They claim they had no choice but to escalate after the university rebuffed their attempts to negotiate. The truth is that the students were arrested because they had hotheadedly rejected unexpectedly generous concessions from the university weeks earlier and were in need of a way to revitalize their campaign. In other words, they had squandered an opportunity for real change

All too often, when activists are offended by something—a Facebook photo, an international event, the words of a politician—they conclude that they must

activism built not on ideas, but on egos—a trend which threatens to undermine the entire activist movement.

keep costs down, but uninsurance rates

One of the most pervasive forms of this

the next few years.

high. With the country in heavy debt and

egoism is also one of the most common:

a slowly thawing economy, there is no

the call-out. On blogs and online forums,

In terms of access to healthcare, the MHP

clear best option. Universal coverage is

activists perpetuate what The Atlantic’s

was extremely successful, and the ACA

an important goal, but comes at a high

John Lovett calls the “culture of shut up”:

is following suit. In its first four years,

financial cost. It is up to lawmakers to

wantonly accusing each other of racism

the MHP dropped the uninsurance rate

decide if they will continue paying for it.

and classism, ignorance and bigotry. The

first to admit that this piece is as much a

order to turn compassion into action, one

self-critique as it is a critique of the overall

must also seek understanding that extends

activist movement. I know that I have made

beyond gut reactions or sympathetic

and will continue to make many of the

newspaper headlines. They constantly ask

mistakes I have pointed out. I cocoon myself with information from sources I already agree with, and spend much of my time in

“Yes, words carry significance and call-outs are important, but when we use them to stroke our egos we end up condescending instead of educating.” their peers to “seek understanding” of actors all around the world but find it difficult to do the same. Too many mistakenly think that having an opinion is the same as being informed, citing each other as the moral

the country, college students have taken to

to 16.4% over that same period. This

protesting their own graduation speakers,

development has been mirrored by the

dismissing the very act of providing

ACA, with uninsurance rates down from

a platform to an opposing opinion as

While ESI is the cheaper option, it is only

18% when the exchanges opened, to 13.4 %

universally offensive. Most famously, former

Moreover, today’s activists engage with

available, under certain circumstances, to

in April. Uninsurance rates have decreased

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice was

identities before ideas. Championing calls

those who are employed. Fines for failing

across the racial and socioeconomic

pressured out of delivering her Rutgers

for “solidarity,” they claim that caring about

to offer insurance only apply to firms with

spectrum to 9% for whites, 14% for

University commencement address.

an issue should not have prerequisites, and

more than 50 full-time workers. As a

African-Americans, 33% for Hispanics, and

result, just 57% of firms with fewer than 50

25% for low-income earners.

Activists do damage to themselves as well.

of firms with more than 50 full-timers.

These subsidy plans take a toll on state

the “safe spaces” they moderate are the

and national finances. In Massachusetts,

same as the important discussions they

Thus, ESI does not proportionally benefit

the percentage of the state budget spent

rightly encourage. Through their dismissal

part-time workers and those working at

on healthcare costs jumped from 29% in

small firms. Workers in these categories are

2005 to 41% in 2013, and the state now

of new or opposing opinions, they erect walls of ignorance around themselves, yell at

the company of like-minded friends, often catching myself labeling others as racists or bigots without seeking true understanding. That is wrong. Activists are people who have set out to make change, and so it is understandably difficult to grapple with the idea that we are not always right. But it is imperative that we

the rate nationwide increased from 13%

Aryeh Mellman is a junior in the College of Arts & Sciences. He can be reached at Aryeh.mellman@ wustl.edu

discussion. As a student activist myself, I am the

same thing happens offline, too. Across

Many delude themselves into thinking that

instead of participants in fair, context-based

focusing on their feelings they forget that in

in Massachusetts from 6% to 2%, while

employees offer ESI, compared to over 90%

they become victims of ad hominem attacks

also be correct. They spend so much time

and needed a way to discredit the university. Their goal was not progress, it was publicity.

becomes a death sentence for their opinions,

authority on complex issues like IsraelPalestine, consciously and subconsciously filtering out any countervailing evidence or ideas. Such a philosophy is irresponsible.

try. Our causes are too urgent and our action is too necessary for us to allow the activist movement to continue down the path of egoism. This is not a call for restraint, nor is it a call to stop making others angry—both of those are in the activist job description. Rather this is a call to build a movement around our ideas instead of our egos. As we continue to better the world, let’s not forget to better ourselves.

yet they impose them with righteous gusto. They categorize people into rigid pockets of identity, such as “white gay middle class male” or “southern black straight female,” often using these identities as a metric to judge the validity of their opinions. Sure, white people can talk about race, and affluent people can talk about class, but if

Raja Krishna is a senior majoring in economics and IAS in the College of Arts & Sciences. He can be reached at anirudh.krishna2015@gmail.com.

political review | international

Humanizing the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict Hannah Waldman and WUPR Staff

s students who are particularly

Israel’s democracy and Jewish character.

each other. They believe, though, that as

engaged in Israeli politics, we

While Hamze’s family supported his work

long as their communities value the battles

experienced a flurry of articles

towards peace, others back home were

of their grandfathers over those of their

depicting violence as the Israel-Hamas

more skeptical. Though progress was slow,

children, cycles of violence will continue.

war raged and one-sided claims about

he noted that the mindset on both sides

As our conversation approached the end

the conflict inundated our newsfeeds.

is changing, and violence was no longer

of its second hour, it ended abruptly. News

Amidst the anarchic free-for-all that is

seen as an acceptable solution. Yehonatan

of Israel’s incursion into Gaza had made

21st century media, we both saw an article

worked at The American Task force on

its way to the States, and Yehonatan and

in Haaretz, an Israeli newspaper, about

Palestine. Palestine—a word he admittedly

Hamze anxiously excused themselves to

two young men interning in Washington

still had trouble saying. His first day at the

connect with friends and family back home.

DC this summer. Hamze Awawdeh and

office, he says, he couldn’t bring himself to

Yehonatan Toker were selected to work

walk in. Growing up in a Religious-Zionist

in Washington and partake in workshops

family, advocating for a Palestinian state

with the goal of creating a Project for

required an entirely new frame of mind. But

Change to implement in their respective

he was up for the challenge. A little over

communities, as part of an organization

a month into his internship, he explained

called New Story Leadership. Intrigued

that he has already felt himself growing,

by their rare commitment to seeking out

primarily through his relationship with

other narratives, we decided to reach out to

Hamze, who he jokes is “a bigger Zionist”

them. They were eager to meet with us to

than himself.

discuss their perspectives on this summer’s escalations, prospects for peace, and

But Yehonatan’s ease in joking about this was deceiving. As we delved into matters of ideologies and policy, moving through

“As we delved into matters of ideologies and policy, moving through places of consensus and places of dispute, it was apparent how personal the issue was to both young men.”

places of consensus and places of dispute, it was apparent how personal the issue was to both men. Neither perspective was without loss, neither without apprehension, and neither without hope. The reaction of the gut, they agreed, often conflicted with the conclusion of the mind. Discussing the challenges of peace openly and candidly is challenging for both Hamze and Yehonatan,

their experience living and spending time

despite their relative success compared

together in DC.

to other participants in their program.

We met them on a Thursday afternoon for

achieve peace, the mindset of “talking to

coffee. In typical DC fashion, we began

the enemy” needs to be replaced with a

the conversation by asking them about

willingness to seek out and validate new

their internships. Both were working

and challenging narratives.

at organizations that advocated for a different perspective than the ones that the participants had grown up with. Hamze worked at Americans for Peace Now, a non-profit organization that works to educate and persuade the American public and its leadership to support policies that will lead to comprehensive, durable, Israeli-Palestinian peace, based on a twostate solution that ensures the viability of

But both are emphatic that, in order to

Your ideas here

We came away from the conversation with more questions than answers. As American students, what is our role in the peace process? To what extent can the United States contribute to a peaceful resolution, and at what point do we step back? We

wupr is always accepting submissions from washington university undergraduates.

had questions of policy and questions of approach, as well as questions of what our advocacy means for the future of the region. But there were a few clear messages. For all the ways in which Yehonatan and Hamze disagree, and for all the loss they put aside when they converse, they both believe that in order for peace to occur, both Israelis and Palestinian must not only listen to each other, but allow themselves to be challenged by other narratives. It’s frustrating for us to sit stateside, and

send your ideas to editor@wupr.org

we can assure you more frustrating for Yehonatan and Hamze, when violence is erupting in the Middle East and lives are being affected, changed, and lost. But whatever our role may be, and whatever involvement we choose for ourselves, actively exposing ourselves to perspectives that challenge our own is critical for supporting peace in the Middle East.

Though they bickered like brothers over matters of policy and the best course of action going forward, both felt certain that a new way of educating younger generations is crucial to bringing about the peace agreement that they feel is at least two generations away. And, like brothers, they remarked, almost tearfully, that they wanted their children to know

Hannah Waldman is a junior in the College of Arts & Sciences. She can be reached at hannahwaldman@ wustl.edu.

political review | NATIONAL