WUPR Issue 21.4: The Politics of Sports

Washington University

political review 21.4 | December 2014 | wupr.org

THE POLITICS OF

SPORTS

YOUR IDEAS HERE wupr is always accepting submissions from washington university undergraduates.

send your ideas to editor@wupr.org

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EDITORS’ NOTE Editors-in-Chief: Gabriel Rubin Sonya Schoenberger

Executive Director: Nahuel Fefer

Staff Editors: Henry Kopesky Billie Mandelbaum Aryeh Mellman

Features Editor: Grace Portelance

Director of Design: Alex Chiu

Assistant Directors of Design: Simin Lim Andrew Kay

Director of New Media: Ari Moses

Programming Director:

Dear Reader, American society often regards sports as an idealized form of human interaction.

Practice makes perfect, quitters never win, there’s no “I” in “team,”—the endless list of sports clichés reveals how much value we place on fair athletic competition.

Middle schoolers who fail to make the cut for their school basketball team are consoled by parents who tell them that Michael Jordan was cut from his high school basketball team. Children around the world dream of being scouted by prestigious soccer teams, who could instantly pluck them from obscurity and turn them into global stars.

But the reality of sports is much more complex and, often, disheartening.

Professional sports, and increasingly amateur sports as well, are gigantic industries.

That in and of itself isn’t necessarily a problem, until it leads to rampant corruption, performance-enhancing drug abuse, or widespread cheating. The National Football League (NFL) has recently been racked by scandal after scandal, particularly ones involving acts of violence committed by its athletes and the horrifying health problems faced by its retired players. Meanwhile, the NFL, like other American and international sports federations, reports record profits from corporate sponsorship and TV broadcast rights.

In this edition of WUPR, The Politics of Sports, our writers have delved into the thorniest issues of global athletic competition. Leading off, Brian Leibowitz explores the current and historical importance of professional soccer in Spain’s fractious regional politics. Later, Chloe Naguib and Lindsey Wanberg investigate a correlation between national team success and presidential popularity, and Ben Compall assesses the state of diversity in American sports. Also in this issue we have an exclusive interview with economist Alex Brill of the American Enterprise Institute.

Hannah Waldman

We welcome you to join our discussion of these and other issues by submitting your feedback and your original article ideas to editor@wupr.org.

Finance Director:

With best regards,

Alex Beaulieu

Front Cover:

Gabriel Rubin and Sonya Schoenberger Editors-in-Chief

Andrew Kay

Theme Page: Andrew Kay

Back Cover: Andrew Kay

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TABLE OF CONTENTS 6

SPORTS

FC Barcelona vs. Real Madrid: Athletic Rivalry or Political Tool?

Sporty Presidents Grace Portelance and Simin Lim

Brian Leibowitz

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Boston Strong: Commercializing Trauma Rachel Butler

INTERNATIONAL

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24

Exploiting the Sherpas Billie Mandelbaum

25

Racism in European Soccer Max Handler

9

In Baseball We Trust Grace Portelance

10

NATIONAL

26

An Old Pastime Perseveres

The Return of the Repressed in Yemen Aaron Christensen

Benjamin Szanton

12

Minor Leaguers Have Rights, Too

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Tainted by the Nobel Gabriel Rubin

Alex Griffel

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Collective Bargaining is Not a Spectator Sport Samuel Klein

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29

The Shadow of the Wall Katherin Surko

30

Private Spaces, Publicly Funded

In Conversation with Economist Alex Brill Nahuel Fefer

Alex Leichenger

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Minority Representation in American Sports Simin Lim

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Politicizing the Surgeon General Ruby Arora

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The Problem With “It’s 2014” Aaron Wildavsky

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Do Sports Wins Equal Political Wins?

Chloe Naguib and Lindsey Wanberg

20 State of the Games Rueben Siegman

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Remembering Jackie Robinson: Racial Equality in Sports Ben Compall

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34

Medical Marijuana is A Farce Joe Lenoff

political review | Sports

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political review | Sports

FC Barcelona vs. Real Madrid: Athletic Rivalry or Political tool?

Brian Leibowitz | Photo by Alejandro Ramos May 2009

M

és que un club, reads FC Barcelona’s team motto, signifying that it is more than just a club soccer team. But what

exactly is “more”? Throughout Spanish history, the bitter rivalry between the great teams of Real Madrid and FC Barcelona, popularly known as El Clásico, has been symbolic of the political divisions on the Iberian peninsula.

Most recently, FC Barcelona has been used as a means to express the desire of many Catalans to secede from Spain. With the secession of Catalonia becoming increasingly realistic, the question of the fate of FC Barcelona in the Spanish soccer association La Liga remains.

The Spanish capital city of Madrid is more than just Spain’s geographical center; Madrid is the center of Spanish culture, language, and government. It was from Madrid that a unitary government emanated when the Nationalists, led by Francisco Franco, took control of the country in 1939. As the fascist leader of the Nationalists, Franco’s goal was to unify the Spanish state into a close-knit people with a single culture, just as Ferdinand and Isabella had done centuries prior. His greatest obstacles were regional dissenters; the Catalans, in particular, often led violent campaigns against the Franco regime. In order to quell the separatist spirit of the Catalans, Franco became an adamant supporter of the club team Real Madrid. It wasn’t long before Real Madrid became known as not just Franco’s team, but Spain’s team. In essence, to root against Real Madrid was to root against Spain, especially when Real played its greatest rival, FC Barcelona.

The advantages brought about by Franco’s support did not stop there, however. It was no surprise that in the early 1950’s both Real Madrid and FC Barcelona sought to sign world-famous forward Alfredo Di Stéfano to their teams. FC Barcelona made the first move, reaching a deal with Di Stéfano’s team, River Plate, to acquire the player for a large sum of money. However, Franco was

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displeased with the prospect of an improved

or holding a regional flag was punishable

Barcelona team. Hoping to rescind the deal

by imprisonment. Club soccer games were

and force negotiations between Madrid and

seen as an opportunity to rebel against these

Di Stéfano, Franco influenced the chief scout

oppressive laws. It was there that Catalans

of River Plate’s rival team to undermine the

could speak their native Catalan, celebrate

negotiation. FIFA, the international soccer

their regional heritage, and taunt Franco’s

association, strongly rejected this interference

pet soccer team. Regional protest became so

and called for the clubs to follow through with

ingrained in soccer culture that booing Real

the trade to FC Barcelona. Franco subsequently

Madrid as it traveled around the country was

retaliated by enacting a law that forbade

among the most widespread forms of protest

the signing of foreign players by teams in La

among Catalans.

Liga. Compromising with FIFA, the Spanish government agreed to alternate Di Stéfano on an annual basis between Real Madrid and FC Barcelona. However, Barcelona’s management was displeased with the compromise, given that they had already paid a sizable initial fee when Di Stéfano was originally traded. In the end, though, FC Barcelona’s management surrendered their rights to Di Stéfano, asking only for a reimbursement of their original payment in return. Di Stéfano went on to be a legendary player, winning eight titles and five

Still, Franco sought silent acceptance of his regime. He used soccer as a means to focus the people’s attention away from politics, toward something more tangible. By creating this culture of evasion, Franco sought to distract mistreated lower-class workers from the stress of their daily lives and to focus their energy and passions on soccer. It was no wonder that Franco looked so embarrassed when he personally handed over La Liga’s championship trophy, the Copa del Rey, to FC Barcelona

European Cups for Real Madrid.

following their defeat of Real Madrid in 1968.

The origins of the rivalry between FC Barcelona

While winning titles is an integral goal of both

and Real Madrid can be summed up in one word: regionalism. Under Franco’s rule, speaking a tongue other than Castilian Spanish

Real Madrid and FC Barcelona, it is difficult to argue that either team experiences any greater thrill than a victory in El Clásico. The

political review | Sports

competition between the two is the epitome

La Liga would be pleased by the removal of its

The best example of FC Barcelona’s

of a rivalry, and a sour one at that. Fights are

most exciting competition.

involvement with the independence movement

commonplace and expected at almost any game between the two teams. Fans of each team are passionate about their club, not to mention the greater message that their support represents. Supporting FC Barcelona is seen as supporting the Catalonian independence movement while supporting Real Madrid is seen as supporting the unity of Spain. Even

Even after the death of Franco, Catalans feel mistreated by the Spanish government in Madrid. While Spain is known for having serious economic problems and is a threat to the financial stability of the European Union, Catalonia has remained relatively prosperous; in fact, Catalonia is the most economically

took place during the El Clásico game of October 7, 2012. Holding a well-known mosaic design, reconfigured to represent the Catalonian flag, fans demonstrated their support for the independence movement.

Following the passage of 17 minutes and 14 seconds in each half, fans shouted chants of “independencia,” in reference to the last time that Catalonia was independent, 1714. Whether

Catalonia wants to secede for several reasons, but at the heart of this desire, is the fact that the government in Madrid does not accept the Catalonian lifestyle as a part of the Spanish identity.

or not FC Barcelona wants to take an official stance on the question of independence, its fans certainly use the team as a tool to express their own stance on the issue.

On November 9, an unofficial vote took place in order to assess whether or not Catalonian independence is supported by a majority of the region. While this vote is not a legally-binding referendum, the leader of the independence

successful region of the Spanish state. Catalans

movement, Artur Mas, stated that the results

find it difficult to share this prosperity with the

of the vote would guide the Catalonian

rest of Spain. They feel no desire to help out

independence movement in the future. The

poorer regions that disrespect their culture

results were decisive, to say the least: over two

and mock their language. Catalonia wants to

million Catalans participated out of 5.4 million

secede for many reasons, but at the heart of

eligible voters and 80% of voters favored

the fans of the two teams.

this desire is the fact that the government in

independence. Mas has remained adamant

Madrid does not accept the Catalonian lifestyle

that he will continue to fight for independence

Many have questioned the fate of FC Barcelona

as a part of the Spanish identity. Economically,

after receiving this vote of confidence. Fans

were Catalonia to secede from Spain. Would it

Catalans strongly reject the burden of high tax

have no choice but to wait in horror for the

continue to be able to play in La Liga or would

revenues placed on them by the government

future of La Liga and its greatest rivalry.

it be the end of El Clásico? In October 2014,

in Madrid in hopes of subsidizing the rest of

this question was answered when La Liga chief

Spain. Until Madrid learns to accept Catalans

Javier Tebas issued a statement saying that FC

as an integral part of Spanish culture, they

Barcelona would be prohibited from continuing

will feel no strong urge to remain a part of the

to play in La Liga if Catalonia were to secede..

Spanish state.

Spanish media feeds the passions of the public by putting down the rival teams. The word “morbo” has even been created to describe the tension between fans of the rival teams.

Morbo translates to bitterness, or more closely a mutual hatred between both the players and

In order for FC Barcelona to play after a Catalan secession, there would have to be a change in law issued by the Spanish government, a move which seems unlikely based on the government’s historically unsympathetic approach to dealing with questions of Catalan autonomy. Whether or not Tebas’ statement was serious is up to interpretation, as it seems unlikely that anyone with a business interest in

Officially, FC Barcelona has remained neutral on the question of Catalan secession, but its recent uniform redesign to a red and yellow reference to the Catalan flag was widely seen as a profoundly political statement. Supporters of the Catalan independence movement have since applauded the team for remaining true to its region’s principles.

Brian Leibowitz is a freshman in the College of Arts & Sciences. He can be reached at b.leibowitz@wustl.edu.

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political review | Sports

Boston Strong: Commercializing Trauma Rachel Butler

W

hen you type the words “Boston

charged than most of these terms, considering

by the leagues). When a consumer buys

Strong” into Google, the first results

the terrorism and trauma that gave rise to it.

products that link the phrase to a sports team’s

that pop up are t-shirts for sale.

Capitalizing on the bombings seems crass

logo, he or she supports the sports team rather

With an $11.98 kids’ version, a $19.99 variation

considering their recentness and the ongoing

than commemorating a tragedy – there might

sporting the Boston Bruins logo, and a $25

suffering of many victims and their families.

as well be a “Red Sox,” “Celtics” or “Bruins”

iteration with the Boston skyline on the front,

Yet the fact that there is enough demand to

inserted between “Boston” and Strong.”

the Boston Strong t-shirt has become ubiquitous

make selling the merchandise lucrative is more

in Boston and beyond.

concerning, as the buyers’ possible motives are

The phrase “Boston Strong” emerged in the immediate aftermath of the Boston Marathon bombings almost two years ago, on April 15, 2013. The slogan had its roots on Twitter, and its popularity quickly grew; even the city’s

questionable. Has “Boston Strong” become a trendy, trivial catchphrase not unlike the chorus of YOLOS and swags which also rose to fame on Twitter? That seems to be one motive of Boston Strong consumers; in the wake of the bombings, wearing a t-shirt with the slogan

What makes this equation of Boston Strong with Boston sports so commercially successful is in part the fact that the slogan’s connection to the city’s teams has gone beyond merchandising; it has become a rallying cry of the teams themselves. At their first game following the bombings, the Red Sox wore

was simply the trendy thing to do.

special jerseys emblazoned only with the word

helmets at the game on April 17, two days after

Another apparent motive for Boston Strong

suggesting that the team represented the city

the bombings, and the words were emblazoned

buyers is the slogan’s connection to Boston’s

itself when it played the Kansas City Royals

on the Green Monster wall at the Red Sox’s

sports teams. The most common manifestation

that day (luckily, the Sox won). The team also

Fenway Park. That same day, two vendors

of the shirt incorporates the Red Sox “B” logo

hung a Boston Strong jersey on the dugout, and

submitted separate trademark registration

above the word “strong,” as if the Red Sox

wore “B Strong” patches on their uniforms for

applications to the U.S. Patent and Trademark

organization were sponsoring the city’s attempt

the remainder of the season. Many members

Office, seeking to obtain ownership of the

to recover from terrorism. This is true, in a

of the team and its fans credited the Sox’s

“Boston Strong” slogan for use on commercial

sense – the Red Sox organization has donated

subsequent World Series win to the inspiring,

products. The trademarks weren’t approved,

hundreds of thousands of dollars to the One

rallying effect of the marathon bombings.

but nevertheless the slogan has become a huge

Fund, which distributes money to the victims

It added a depth of meaning to the win, for

commercial success, with vendors hawking

of the bombings and their families. However,

fans and players alike. To celebrate, fans

variations of it all over the city of Boston.

the MLB also makes a profit off of its Boston

congregated at the site of the marathon finish

Strong merchandise: for $349.99 (plus shipping

line where the bombings occurred; the Red Sox

sports teams were quick to pick up on the slogan. The Bruins displayed the phrase on their

When one buys products that link the phrase to a sports team’s logo, one seems to be supporting the sports team rather than commemorating a tragedy— there might as well be a “Red Sox,” “Celtics” or “Bruins” inserted between “Boston” and “Strong.”

“Boston,” rather then the usual “Red Sox,”

even arranged their victory parade so that it would pause at that spot.

Sports teams are, undoubtedly, deeply connected to their home cities. The Red Sox’s responses to the tragedy and their fans’ linking of their win to a sense of citywide recovery are natural in the context of the team’s deep-rooted attachment to Boston’s culture and history. However, capitalizing on that attachment for commercial gains is wrong, and selling a t-shirt that combines a team’s logo with the phrase Boston Strong cheapens the

Many phrases that enter the public consciousness are quickly commercialized— products emblazoned with the terms “YOLO,” “swag,” “selfie,” and the omnipresent hashtag have generated millions, if not billions, of dollars in revenue. However, the “Boston Strong” slogan is much more emotionally

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and handling), you can buy a baseball inscribed with the Boston Strong slogan by David Ortiz

slogan by separating it almost completely from its traumatic beginnings.

himself, with no proceeds going to the One Fund. Other Boston associations have been quick to follow suit – you can now buy Boston Strong products featuring any and all Boston sports teams’ logos, most of which are sold totally for-profit (though not all are sold directly

Rachel Butler is a freshman in the College of Arts & Sciences. She can be reached at rachelkbutler@wustl.edu.

political review | Sports

In Baseball We Trust Grace Portelance | Photo from Wikicommons Media

The government’s reaction to the obvious baseball monopoly is best characterized as a lack of willingness from either Congress or the courts to take action. While both seem to be well aware of the existence of the monopoly (the violation of anti-trust laws in baseball has been brought to the federal stage a handful of times in the 20th century), these branches of government seem comfortable only to chip away at monopoly power, not actually prevent it. In 1953, the case Toolson vs. New York challenged the reserve clause in the MLB, which preceded free agency as a system of

C

dealing with players after contracts expire. ompetitive markets and baseball are

artificial restraints will be welcomed by

Though the reserve system, in which teams

two things that are quintessentially

industry throughout the nation”.

had complete control over players after their

American—though not everyone loves

If monopolies are so un-American, how can

contracts end, was eventually abolished, in

one exist in baseball?

this specific case the courts refused to reverse

them, they occupy a huge cultural space in our society. However, these two cultural staples have historically been at odds – since the inception of anti-trust laws, baseball has

The structure of Major League Baseball is most fascinating in that it hardly differs from

baseball’s anti-trust exemption and notably passed the ball to Congress, with the majority opinion stating, “If there are evils in this field

enjoyed a strange and unique exemption.

any other professional sport, yet is allowed

In fact, one could argue that Major League

industries face. The reasoning behind this

Baseball is the only true monopoly in the

exemption is clear but inane—the courts have

history of our country. Despite this gross

repeatedly ruled that baseball is a game, not

violation of our economic identity as

a business, and therefore does not count as

Americans, nobody seems to care. America’s

interstate commerce. However, even those

In the case of Major League Baseball, the

favorite pastime doesn’t adhere to America’s

who know nothing about baseball can see

courts and Congress have accepted precedent

favorite rules.

that baseball is definitely a business, at least

and refused to revisit the corporate status

as much as any other professional sport.

of baseball, despite the fact that over time it

There are billions of dollars in play, broadcast

has become clearer and clearer that baseball

and merchandise deals, and clear interstate

is not just a game, but a huge, monopolizing

business activity. Seeing baseball as nothing

business. It is time that baseball doesn’t just

but a game has created an entirely different

follow the rules that every other corporation

set of rules, rules that do not just violate anti-

must follow, but also follows the rules that

monopoly ideals, but actively detract from

every professional sport must adhere to.

the game. Because of the existence of the

Baseball is a game, but it is also a business,

monopoly, teams within the league are allowed

and should be treated as such both to promote

to be very restrictive: a team cannot be created

consistency in application of our most

without approval from existing teams, nor can

fundamental business laws, and to allow the

an existing team move to a more lucrative home

game to flourish in a truly free market.

Anti-trust laws came into existence in the late 1800s, during a time when big business flourished to the detriment of competition.

In essence, these laws characterized the Progressive Era, in which actions that could lead to excessive market control were limited.

While the government addressed smaller issues such as collusion and cartelization, arguably the harshest penalties - including the breaking up of businesses, fines, and jail time –were levied against those who attempted to monopolize a market . Teddy Roosevelt, who was nicknamed a “trust buster”, argued to Congress that “once it is realized that business monopoly in America paralyzes the system of free enterprise on which it is grafted, and is as fatal to those who manipulate it as to the people who suffer beneath its impositions, action by the government to eliminate these

to operate outside of the restrictions all other

which now warrant application of it to the antitrust laws, it should be by legislation.”

Congress did not take action, and from then on the exemption has stood, largely unchallenged for the past 30 years.

without league approval. Further, no new league can be created to compete with Major League Baseball. This provides a huge limitation to the evolution and improvement of baseball; after all, if competition leads to creation, then monopoly leads to stagnation. The MLB is a largely unchallenged, unregulated monopoly, and no one is doing anything about it.

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

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political review | Sports

An Old Pastime Perseveres Benjamin Szanton | Infographic by Simin Lim

A

s with global temperatures or the cost of college tuition, a graph of TV viewership of the World Series presents

a consistently ominous trend over the past 20 years. This year’s Series, in which the San Francisco Giants defeated the Kansas City Royals to win their third championship in five years, was no exception.

The narrative, however, is not so simple.

Although baseball may be no longer be our national “pastime,” it remains culturally important and generates plenty of money. It is most certainly not dying.

Baseball cannot compete with football for a national TV audience. Football’s interplay of grace and violence, complicated plays within a simple game, and its constant, built-in play stoppages, make it an ideal sport for TV. Millions of people enjoy watching football for the sake of watching football, regardless of whether or not their favorite team is playing. Not only has the Super Bowl set TV ratings records for the past several years, but regular season NFL games have consistently generated substantial TV revenue. On the other hand, regular season baseball games have fallen short and even the World Series has been losing viewers. This year’s Series went its maximum length, to a winner-take-all Game 7, but was the third least-watched World Series since 1984.

But Major League Baseball has found a solution. Instead of broadcasting all their games nationally, they have adopted a regional broadcasting model. While the league maintains national TV deals with ESPN, TBS, and FOX that generate more than $1.5 billion per year in combined income, as its own MLB Network, its primary TV revenue comes from local cable deals made by its 30 franchises.

The ten teams with the most lucrative of these deals, which include equity stakes, make a total of $1.7 billion per year from the deals.

An average baseball game may be seen by comparatively few people, but in a 162-game season, viewership adds up. Baseball has

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found a system that ensures that even with viewership of their showcase event dropping, their regional popularity is relatively healthy and their TV revenue is growing.

The World Series was a perfect example of baseball’s appeal. Game 7 was a considerable success for Fox — its best-rated Wednesday night event since 2011. But the real support came regionally, in San Francisco, where 64 percent of people watching TV had the game on, and Kansas City, where 77 percent did.

Although the average American is less likely to tune in to the World Series, this is not a death sentence for baseball. If Kansas City, which had gone 29 years without making the playoffs, could support their team so strongly,

Baseball remains popular, successful and important. It is not a dying sport. baseball must still carry real cultural cachet.

Even if baseball remains healthy in the present, it must continue to attract fans in the future.

Youth participation in baseball is dropping, and according to a Nielsen study, half of all baseball’s TV viewers in 2013 were at least 55 years old.

The larger story, however, is that youth participation in team sports is dropping, across all sports. During the same period, 20082012, when baseball participation dropped 7.2 percent, basketball participation fell even more sharply. Football participation fell as well, and even soccer, hailed as America’s future pastime, lost nearly the same percentage of its

6- to 18-year-old participants. However, youth participation in a sport is neither a prerequisite for fandom nor an especially good indicator of it. If it were, baseball would be far more popular than football—despite the decline in percentage, nearly twice as many kids play baseball as football. NASCAR, which more Americans consider their favorite sport aside from football and baseball, would have almost no fans at all.

One downside of baseball’s regional appeal model is the lack of a star player to represent the league on a national level. It is possible that the recently-retired Derek Jeter will be one of the last players to ever be a nationallyrecognized baseball celebrity. It would be nice for the league if someone took his place.

However, this is complicated by more than just the television arrangement.

Last year’s All-Star game included players born in the Dominican Republic, Venezuela, Cuba, Puerto Rico and Japan.

English is the second language of many of the game’s best players.

As it is, however, the league is doing just fine. Major League Baseball sold 73.7 million tickets during the 2014 regular season. Its average per-game attendance over 162 games per team was nearly half of the what the NFL, our unquestioned new national pastime, managed over just 16 games. Baseball may once have had a greater share of the American sports landscape, but it remains popular and important. It is not a dying sport.

Benjamin Szanton is a freshman in the College of Arts & Sciences. He can be reached at benjamin. szanton@wustl.edu.

political review | Sports

WORLD SERIES WITH THE HIGHEST AND LOWEST AVERAGE VIEWERSHIP (SINCE 1984) This year’s Series went its maximum length, to a winner-take-all Game 7, but was the third least-watched World Series since 1984.

2012

12.7m

2008

13.6m

2014

13.8m

1987

35.3m

1991

35.7m

1986

36.4m

BUT NOT ALL HOPE IS LOST...

THE SUPPORT COMES REGIONALLY

The MLB has adopted a regional broadcasting model.

In San Francisco and Kansas City, more than half the TV-watching population had the game on.

Annual revenue from MLB Network and other TV deals

Annual combined revenue from top ten MBL teams’ TV deals.

KANSAS CITY

SAN FRANCISCO

HOWEVER, THE REAL WORRY IS YOUTH PARTICIPATION IN SPORTS. Between 2008 and 2012, participation among 6 to 18-year-olds in sports has fallen...

BASEBALL

BASKETBALL

FOOTBALL

SOCCER

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political review | Sports

Minor Leaguers Have Rights, Too Alex Griffel

O

ver the last several months, the movement to protect young athletes against exploitation by antitrustexempt businesses (such as the NCAA) has scored major victories. The Northwestern University football players’ union, the public outrage following Shabazz Napier’s statement that he and his teammates went to bed hungry because they couldn’t afford dinner, and the O’Bannon v NCAA case victory all underscore the reality that the American public will not stand for the exploitation of its youth anymore. At the same time, there is a far more troubling lawsuit pending regarding the wages of minor league baseball players.

Broadly protected by an antitrust exemption, MLB is exploiting these poor players’ dreams to serve its own selfish needs. It’s about time someone stood up and sued.

This fracas with the NCAA is paralleled by the case of Senne v. MLB. Last February, Garrett Broshuis, a Minor League pitcher turned lawyer, filed a suit on behalf of three Minor Leaguers: Aaron Senne, Michael Liberto, and Oliver Odle. Since then, dozens more Minor Leaguers have signed on in a joint suit against all 30 Major League teams. The suit is intended to challenge the practice of paying Minor Leaguers what amounts to less than federal and state minimum wages. The players are trying to raise awareness of this fact and challenge MLB’s exploitative payment practices as a violation of the Fair Labor Standards Act, as well as state law. Minor League Baseball players make between $1,100 and $2,150 dollars per month, depending on the level they’re at and the amount of experience they have. For perspective, a

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federal minimum wage of $7.25/hour over a 40 hour week provides an income of $290 per week, or $1160 per month. That’s right: the lowest level Minor Leagues don’t pay minimum wage. Consider additionally that players are only paid for the three to five month minor league season, instead of for 12 months. And while the top tier of drafted and international amateur talent receive million-dollar bonuses upon signing with organizations, most players do not.

For its part, MLB could argue that Minor League players should be treated as seasonal employees. The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) allows for an exemption to amusement and entertainment industries that operate less than seven months per year. However, while championship seasons certainly operate within that time frame, teams themselves earn revenue year round, and they maintain full time staffs in the offseason. For one example, Major and Minor League teams earn constant revenue from their television, endorsement, and marketing deals. Front office staff work year-round to identify players to draft, sign as free agents, or trade, and they must also take care of the business operations. The games played during the summer months are a small part of the overall business that organizations are doing.

Unfortunately, though many of them eventually contribute to Major League rosters and collectively form the backup to each team, Minor Leaguers are not protected by or members of the MLB Player’s Association. The MLBPA is the union that collectively bargains for the rights and salaries of Major League players. Without this protection, the Minor League players are protected only by the Uniform Player Contract that each team and player signs, which merely allows for salary negotiation once a player reaches free agency. It takes several years of team control to reach Minor League free agency though, and until that point the team sets the salaries and has the right to trade or

release the player at will.

But why is this suit being filed against the Major League teams instead of their Minor League affiliates? They’re related franchises, but isn’t it the Minor Leagues’ problem? Not precisely, no. For the privilege of having access to the players on Minor League rosters, the Major League teams pay their affiliates’ salaries in whole. The Minor League affiliates benefit as well, getting 100 percent of the revenue from their operations ostensibly as compensation for losing their best players year after year, so everyone wins. Well, everyone except the players.

The Major League minimum salary in 2014 was $500,000, but according to Baseball America, only 17% of baseball players drafted from 1987-2008 played a game in the Majors. That statistic has likely gone up, as injuries and specialization, especially of bullpens, have led to a larger amount of necessary roster depth. Even so, the vast majority of Minor Leaguers never sniff the Majors. They’re left to take minimum wage or part-time jobs in the offseason to try to make ends meet, all for the sake of chasing a lifelong dream. Broadly protected by an antitrust exemption, MLB is exploiting these poor players’ dreams to serve its own selfish needs. It’s about time someone stood up and sued.

Court decisions and public opinion are increasingly moving against the NCAA’s exploitative practices, so there is hope for the Minor Leaguers as well. For now though, their day in court will come no earlier than 2016. It’s impossible to say whether the lawsuit will change the way MLB pays its farm teams, but it should be clear that for most of these men, the promise of a chance in the Majors is not enough to pay the bills.

Something must change.

Alex Griffel is a junior in the College of Arts & Sciences. He can be reached at agriffel@wustl.edu

political review | Sports

Collective Bargaining is Not a Spectator Sport Samuel Klein

N

obody likes a lockout. Not the fans, not the players, not the owners, and not the countless workers and members of the media who rely on professional athletic events taking place as scheduled. So why are there so many lockouts, and why do they last so long?

The numbers stack up quickly. Together, the incumbent commissioners of the four primary professional sports leagues in the United States have had five strikes or lockouts occur on their watches. While strikes are initiated by players, lockouts begin with team owners. Gary Bettman, the commissioner of the NHL, is on top in the standings with three partially or wholly incomplete seasons in his 21-year tenure; recently retired NBA commissioner David Stern topped that with four under his leadership.

factors in negotiations. Sure, the entire country is affected by air traffic controllers (who famously went on strike in 1981) and UPS employees (who did the same in 1997), and both of those strikes were well followed by the American public. But neither of those groups have recognizable faces who are directly involved and who can sway popular opinion. Larry Fitzgerald, a prolific receiver for the Arizona Cardinals, took to Twitter to express his impatience with the 2011 NFL lockout. Franchise quarterbacks Peyton Manning, Drew Brees, and Tom Brady released a statement to the AP voicing

the least anyone on a roster can be paid is $420,000 annually. The other three leagues all have even higher base salaries. With the possible exception of rookies, financial concerns are not as immediate during these strikes as in other less lucrative occupations.

Consequently, the players are not so easily forced out of their demands.

Professional sports labor negotiations are more level and have higher stakes for more people, and thus tend to resolve quickly.

But the final factor in determining why they last so long doesn’t concern the public, but rather the impermanent nature of being an athlete. In professional sports associations, the labor force is transient: on average, careers in the four big leagues range from 3.5 to 5.6 years. Because the athletes on each team in a league are constantly changing from year to year, labor settlements may not seem reasonable just a few years after they come into effect.

Additionally, when one league adjusts its free agent policy or revenue allocation model, players in another league may want to follow suit. In short, the ever-changing landscape of the players and their unions weakens the effect of the compromise in the long-term. This leads to more disputes, more lockouts, and more short-term solutions.

The ever-changing landscape of the players and their unions weakens the effect of the compromise in the long-term.

In general, unions go on strike in the United States relatively frequently. But each strike represents a different union’s fight for just compensation, whether teachers, transit workers, or industrial laborers.

Once a strike is over, regardless of who can be said to have “won,” the matter is generally considered settled for a long time within that particular industry. After the fact, not everyone is happy, but both the employees and bosses are back making money and contributing to the economy.

After labor strikes in professional sports, these factors tend to hold true just as they do in other enterprises. So why are there so many athletic labor disputes every decade, sometimes within the same league? What makes professional players’ associations and sports leagues so different from other unions and industries?

To begin with, athletic labor negotiations are more heavily leveraged by public opinion than those of other businesses. Unlike in most other industries, the athletes’ egos and the publicity of the situation are substantial

their concern which made for great quotes on radio and television shows covering the strike. These are names even casual fans are familiar with, names people try to draft in their fantasy leagues, and names they respect. These players obviously cannot be replaced by athletes willing to accept less, and the public knows these players have a personal interest in resolving the strike.

Research shows that the public opinion has a substantial effect on ordinary strikes, and that effect is only magnified when many of the affected parties are so well-known in the public sphere.

In the world of professional sports, the negotiations are much more balanced than in other fields. Professional athletes in the four big leagues (the NFL, NBA, NHL, and MLB) are still able to live day-to-day without worrying about putting food on the table and saving for retirement. In the NFL,

At the end of the day, collective bargaining negotiations often reach for single percentage points at the expense of hundreds of millions of dollars in lost revenue for all parties. But when you pit two sides that both love winning against one another, it’s not going to end without a fight—and you can be sure there will always be a rematch.

Samuel Klein is a freshman the College of Arts & Sciences. He can be reached at klein.s@wustl.edu.

13

political review | Sports

Private Spaces, Publicly Funded O Alex Leichenger | Illustration by Kate McCarter ver a decade ago, the St. Louis Rams were

altogether. And again, they are asking local and

(including myself) will tell you, the games carry

the “Greatest Show on Turf,” a high-

state government to foot a significant portion

a profound psychological impact, which is why

scoring juggernaut that played in two

of the bill. Last year, the Rams proposed that

cities and states get suckered into financing

Super Bowls and welcomed the new millennium

the public pay for $700 million in stadium

athletic pantheons that billionaire owners and

with a thrilling championship conclusion (search

upgrades, a plan summarily rejected.

private investors should be supporting.

“Mike Jones tackle” on YouTube).

“There was nobody in St. Louis who thought

St. Louis has a history of falling for this trap.

The Rams are now well on their way to an 11th

that the Rams’ proposal was a good idea, other

American Studies scholar George Lipsitz wrote

consecutive season without a winning record.

than the Rams,” Jeff Rainford, Mayor Francis

in a 1984 volume of the Journal of Sport and

Perhaps you are neither a football fan nor a

Slay’s chief of staff, told the Associated Press.

Social Issues that the mid-1960s construction of

native St. Louisan, so this fact is less relevant to you than for the thousands of dejected fans dreaming about the glory days. But for every St. Louis taxpayer, regardless of personal connection to football or the Rams, the state of the local team should be a prime item of focus.

Nonetheless, government officials still hope to work out a deal enticing enough to have the Rams stay. In early November, Governor

the Busch Memorial Stadium (old home of the Cardinals) brought profit to corporations at the expense of citizens.

Jay Nixon called keeping the Rams in St. Louis

While city services declined and families and

“a matter of civic and state pride, and one of

resources fled to the suburbs, St. Louis’ urban

international significance.”

renewal commission, Civic Progress, made

Starting January 28, 2015, the Rams are

“blighted” areas downtown into tax-free zones

eligible to move into a year-to-year lease at

for corporations. The Cardinals’ owner, August

downtown’s Edward Jones Dome. Essentially, the franchise can decide to kiss the Midwest goodbye at any point starting then. Los Angeles, where the Rams played from 1946 to 1994, is rumored as a probable destination.

St. Louis lured the Rams away from Los Angeles with an alluring stadium deal that has now turned into nothing short of a fiscal disaster for the St. Louis region and the State of Missouri. As a publicly funded project, the Edward Jones Dome construction relied on 50 percent financing from the state and 25 percent apiece from the city and county.

Serving the interests of Budweiser, however, is more important to the developers than making urban development projects productive for all segments of the population.

annual tab to cover debt and stadium upkeep.

Nixon said he expects at least some private

Even that price is apparently not enough—the

investment toward renovation or a new

St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported in June that

stadium this time around. The history of

the St. Louis Regional Convention and Sports

American sports venue development, however,

Complex Authority is asking for as much as

suggests that taxpayers will be forced to vastly

$40 million in additional government funding

overpay yet again.

generate far less revenue than teams boast

considered one of the NFL’s

they will, due to the economic substitution

decades after being built.

To stay put in Missouri,

14

Studies have found that sports stadiums

The Dome, meanwhile, is already worst stadiums just two

for his family company, Anheuser-Busch. City funds and services continued to evaporate.

Decades later, St. Louis was able to resist having significant public funds go into the construction of downtown’s new Busch Stadium. The bargaining success was primarily due to the leverage fans had over franchise ownership.

The Cardinals’ brand is inextricably tied to St. Louis, and relocation would have been a poorer financial choice than privately covering nearly 90 percent of the stadium’s costs.

However, the new facility left a vacant lot in

The state, city, and county pay a $24 million

over the next 15 years.

“Gussie” Busch, used the team as a piggy bank

effect. If there’s no NFL franchise around, people do not suddenly stop spending money on their nights out. Rather, they budget for trips

the Rams want either

to the movies, restaurants or other cultural

a major renovation

institutions that bring in tax revenue for the

or a new stadium

state, city, or county. But as any sports fan

the space once occupied by Busch Memorial Stadium. This lot quickly became a source of contention in downtown development. After seven years, construction finally finished on the $100 million first phase of Ballpark Village, a Cardinals-themed consortium of restaurants and bars, plus a team museum.

The ballclub pitched the Village as a gamechanger for downtown St. Louis. But at what cost? The project dipped into the state’s trove of tax-increment financing (TIF) funds.

TIF subsidies take a portion of tax revenue generated from development projects and put them back toward paying off the construction debt. If a facility does not keep pace with its expected revenue, then taxpayers are more

political review | Sports

directly on the hook. The corporate partners involved in the project end up taking on less risk than the consumers it is supposed to benefit.

it in Louisville and Kansas City. In Louisville,

racial and class divides outside of the facilities

the lawsuit alleges that a Cordish-owned

themselves. In the 1960s, white flight to

property’s employees refused to allow a group

St. Louis County and misguided urban

If other sports facilities are any indication,

to hold an event after determining that the

development drained desperately needed

the projected windfall from Ballpark Village

proportion of black attendees would be too

resources from the city while benefitting

is probably an overeager estimate. The TIF

high. In the Kansas City case, plaintiffs claimed

plutocrats like Gussie Busch.

district for Louisville’s KFC Yum! Arena,

that a nightclub demonstrated a “pattern and

for example, has fallen woefully short of

practice” of harassment and denied entrance.

In the 1990s and 2000s, white flight from

At Ballpark Village, the intent of whom the

combined with more misguided urban

facility is meant to serve (and deny) is quite

development, continues to drain desperately

transparent. Just take a look at the dress code:

needed resources from everybody.

expectations. From 2010 to 2012, TIF revenues comprised just 32 percent of the original forecast. The substitution effect is crucial, according to Missouri State professor David Mitchell, who studies regional economics.

North County to even further suburbs

The following is not permitted under

If planned the right way, stadiums have the

our dress code after 9 pm: Main Level:

potential to build on athletics’ most desirable

sleeveless shirts on men, profanity on

quality—the ability to unify people of diverse

clothing, exposed undergarments on men,

backgrounds toward a common psychological

sweat pants, full sweat suits, excessively

purpose of winning. Instead, the developments

long shirts (when standing upright with

go hand-in-hand with gentrification and

arms at your side, the bottom of your

exclusion. Indeed, a future phase of Ballpark

The Cardinals expect their sizable draw to

shirt can not extend below the tip of

Village construction calls not for mixed-income

out-of-town fans to create additional sources

your fingers), athletic shorts, excessively

housing, which should be an essential part of

of revenue, but those visitors will only come 81

sagging pants or shorts, and bandanas.

any stadium project, but luxury condos.

“[Ballpark Village is] unlikely to have as much of an economic impact as they think it is, because in order to have a huge economic impact, you have to get people to do something that they’re not already doing,” he said.

days of the year (the number of home games in a baseball season). The franchise hopes turning Ballpark Village into a multi-use facility for concerts and other events will solve that problem. However, development officials for the Edward Jones Dome made the same pitch 20 years ago, and taxpayers took the bait.

However, it’s not only the cost of the projects, but also the nature of them that is distressing.

To develop Ballpark Village, the Cardinals hired Cordish Companies, which has a track record of racial discrimination lawsuits against

Apparently, bandanas pose a more severe threat

The Cardinals are a civic treasure, and

to public safety than drunk driving, since a new

the Rams were once one as well. In their

parking lot takes up most of the Village’s property

development practices, they must also live up

space. Serving the interests of Budweiser,

to the billing.

however, is more important to the developers than making urban development projects productive for all segments of the population.

Issues of race and class are an unavoidable subtext to any discussion of sports development. Egregious financing and other harmful development tactics exacerbate

Alex Leichenger is a senior in the College of Arts & Sciences. He can be reached at alex.leichenger@ wustl.edu.

15

Minority Representation in American Sports

Infographic by Simin Lim

THE NFL

THE MLB

Percentage of NFL players who are racial minorities.

Percentage of NFL management positions occupied by persons of color.

66%

26%

There are 6 AfricanAmerican General Managers in the NFL.

Percentage of African-American players in the league

Percentage of Latino players in the league

7 r

26.9%

18.7%

8 of the last 12 Super Bowl participants have had either a black coach or General Manager.

T G

11.1% 7.2%

0/8 0/7

Open head coaching positions filled by minorities in 2013

Open General Manager positions filled by minorities in 2013

1981

2012

1981

FRONT OFFICE EMPLOYEES IN 2012 14.7% - Latino Employees 3.4% - Asian Emploees 9.7% - African-American Employees

Latino

Shahid Khan, the owner of the Jacksonville Jaguars, became the NFL’s first and only owner of color in January 2012.

Sources: http://thinkprogress.org/sports/2013/08/28/2544061/50-years-mlks-dream-professional-sports-stand-race/

16

2012

Asian AfricanAmerican

T

O M

atino ague

political review | Sports

THE NBA 7 of the 31 players taken in the first round of the 2012 MLB draft were black

Percentage of NBA players that are African-Americans

Percentage of NBA players that are people of color.

75%

81%

9%

This is the highest percentage since 1992.

12

This is down from the high of 5 GMs in 2010

12

Only 1 out of the 49 Majority owners of MLB teams is a person of color.

s

16 6/30 #1

There are 3 people of color who were General Managers at the start of 2012

16 NBA coaches are people of color.

There are 6 AfricanAmerican General Managers for the 30 NBA teams.

No American league employs a higher percentage of people of color in its front office.

PERCENTAGE MAJORITY OWNERS

PERCENTAGE OF LEAGUE OFFICE STAFF

PERCENTAGE OF HEAD COACHES

98% 64%

53% 35%

canrican

47%

2% White

Person of color

White

Person of color

White

Person of color

http://www.tidesport.org/RGRC/2013/2013_MLB_RGRC_Final_Correction.pdf

17

political review | Sports

Do Sports Wins Equal Political Wins?

Chloe Naguib and Lindsey Wanberg | Illustration by MJ Brown

W

ith the final blow of the whistle,

Though President Rousseff did end up

won re-election, it was by the narrowest

Brazilian soccer fans erupted into

winning the election in October, the

margin in Brazilian electoral history.

profane chants about their president,

loss of the Brazilian team made her re-

Dilma Rousseff. Their national team had just

election significantly harder. Before the

experienced its worst-ever performance in

team was knocked out of the World Cup,

the World Cup, losing 7-1 to Germany in the

approximately 38 percent of individuals said

semifinals. With each angry chant, it seemed

they would vote for President Rousseff. This

that the Brazilians lost faith not only in their

number then declined after the team was

team, but also in their country. And with the

eliminated in the semifinals to 36 percent,

Brazilian presidential election approaching in a

narrowing the margin between her and

few months, the chants led many to question

her competitors and demonstrating a clear

what effect the loss would have on President

correlation between support for her and the

Rousseff’s re-election chances.

national team’s success. Although Rousseff

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Not convinced that sports could possibly make a difference in elections? It’s Psychology 101. According to a 2010 study authored by Andrew J. Healy of Loyola Marymount University along with Neil Malhotra and Cecilia Hyunjung Mo of Stanford University, our emotions affect the evaluations we make. When we are happy, we will evaluate the status quo more positively. Interestingly, in the case of an

18

political review | Sports

election, the human brain tends to associate

So what does this mean for our own

That certainly does not mean American

the incumbent with the “status quo.” The

government in the United States? Even

politicians cannot use sports to their

study expands: “Voters who are in a positive

though sports will play some role in the

advantage. Sports games function as a

state of mind on Election Day are likely to

elections of incumbents, the American

platform for politicians to increase their

use their mood as a signal for the incumbent

government is more insulated from this

popularity. A little more than a month

party’s success and access positive memories

effect than other nations due to aspects of

after the 9/11 terrorist attacks, during the

about the incumbent party and/or interpret

American sports culture and the structure of

first pitch of the 2001 World Series, every

past actions taken by the incumbent party

the US government.

news camera focused on George W. Bush,

more favorably.” Therefore, “those voters may then be more likely to choose the incumbent party in the election.”

Americans are pretty divided among the sports that they follow, a fact demonstrated

straight-faced at the mound. Bush was not the most popular president, but he could throw. John Flinn, writing for the Elite Daily recalled the pitch with admiration. According to him, “George W. Bush freaking nailed it.”

This is the premise behind why sports wins and losses, independent from political and economic factors, can sway elections.

Sports have a great effect on our emotions, and therefore affect our decision-making.

Flinn explained that Bush’s pitch changed the political atmosphere as it signaled that “if baseball could carry on, then [the United States] could too.” Using the mound as his platform, President Bush pumped hope into the political atmosphere, making the crowd go wild.

Though sports will always play some role in affecting incumbent elections for our government, America is more insulated from the effects than other countries. Local politicians may still have a chance to ride the wave of enthusiasm from sports victories back into office. However, sports will play a diminished role in the United States

This is the premise behind why sports wins

by a Gallup poll that asked Americans to

presidential elections in comparison to those

and losses, independent from political

indicate their preferred sport. The favorite

of other countries.

and economic factors, can sway elections.

of most respondents was football (39

Sports have a great effect on our emotions,

percent), followed by baseball (14 percent)

and therefore affect our decision-making.

and basketball (12 percent). This means that

To prove this, Healy, Malhotra, and Mo

the individuals emotionally affected by a

dug up data from 1964 to 2008 regarding

particular win or loss are less concentrated,

the outcome of “pre-election” local college

therefore minimizing election-swaying

football games and the success of the

potential. Furthermore, the most popular

incumbent in the following election. They

sport in the United States, football, is not

ultimately found that in these local college

played internationally. Because we don’t

football games in particular, “a win the

have a national team to rally behind or to

10 [days] before Election Day causes the

symbolize our nation’s triumph against

incumbent to receive an additional 1.61

others through competition, presidential

percentage points of the vote in Senate,

elections are less affected by the outcome

gubernatorial, and presidential elections,

of sporting events.. These two unique

with the effect being larger for teams with

properties of the American sports system

stronger fan support.”

allow US presidential elections to be more insulated than those of other nations.

Chloe Naguib is a freshman in the Olin Business School. She can be reached at chloe.naguib@wustl. edu. Lindsey Wanberg is a freshman in the College of Arts & Sciences. She can be reached at lindsey. wanberg@wustl.edu.

19

political review | Sports

STATE OF THE GAMES W Reuben Siegman

hen most people think of the

addition to the costs of the infrastructure, there

two gold medals, was recently arrested for

Olympics, they think of unity,

are thousands of volunteers needed to run the

domestic violence. Another issue with today’s

togetherness, and a place where

Olympic Games. Usually, people love to do

athletes is not only their integrity off the field,

nations stand equal as competitors. However,

this. However, this volunteering is unpaid, and

but also on it. With the advent of performance

these words can no longer be used to describe

in countries with struggling economies people

enhancing drugs, many athletes have broken

the Olympics. When Baron Pierre de Coubertin

want compensation for their work and cannot

rules in order to gain even the slimmest

created the modern Olympic Games, he

afford to give away their skills for free. Some

advantage. How can we tell our kids to go out,

envisioned an event that would help unite the

volunteers include skilled professionals like

try their best, and have fun, win or lose, when

world and promote physical education. The

doctors, who would otherwise demand high

the people they are looking up to are doing the

games no longer live up to those high ideals.

salaries. The 2016 Rio de Janeiro Games are

exact opposite?

The games have become so unpopular to host

struggling to attract volunteers, and if they do

that there are only two countries in the entire

not get enough people, the cost of the games

world still bidding to host the 2022 Winter

could rise significantly, even if the majority of

One could argue that the biggest perception problem isn’t even with the athletes themselves, but the governments

Olympic Games, Kazakhstan and China.

Countries no longer want to host the games for both economic reasons and issues surrounding the public’s present perception of the Olympics. .

Economically speaking, it doesn’t make sense for a country to host the games unless it’s a rich nation that wants to show off its wealth. The most recent Olympics, held in Sochi, Russia, cost an estimated $51 billion, a value that if translated into the GDP of a country would rank 76th in the world. Not only is this an enormous number, but this money is not being effectively put to use. In most countries, once

The most recent Olympics, held in Sochi, Russia, cost an estimated $51 billion a value that if translated into the GDP of a country would rank 76th in the world.

How can one of the mission statements of

these workers are only paid the minimum wage.

the International Olympic Committee be to

Another problem the Olympics face is that of

“promote a positive legacy from the Olympic

public perception. Athletes who win medals

Games to the host cities and host countries” if

are usually celebrated and revered in their

all that is left is unused buildings? Another issue

home countries, held up as role models to

is that the people in the host country can no

school children, put on the box of Wheaties

longer afford the ticket prices of the events—this

and flaunted on television advertisements. The

is a particular concern for the Rio de Janeiro

athletes of today often no longer deserve such

Games in 2016. How can the host country

celebration. Some of today’s most famous

celebrate if their people can’t even go see the

Olympic athletes are better known for their

games? The people are left with unwanted

infamy than for their medals and achievements.

buildings they can’t enter, unwanted tourists

Recently, Oscar Pistorius was charged and

crowding their streets, and an unwanted waste

convicted of culpable homicide. Michael

of their money.

Phelps, arguably the most successful Olympic

Certainly, with most countries around the world struggling economically, hosting the Olympics would only be detrimental. In

20

coverage on the corruption in the Sochi Games, but something that hasn’t been talked about enough perhaps is the corruption going on in Rio. People are upset because both the city and the entire country don’t have the necessary infrastructure to support the games. The government has also decided to tear down some of the city’s slums because of their proximity to Olympic venues, displacing thousands of people. This caused riots at the beginning of last summer, the burning of buses, and police clashes. People protested the amount of money the government was spending on the

the stadiums are built, they remain empty and unused for decades after.

running the games. There was lots of

Olympics instead of funding education, transport, and healthcare.

With so many reasons not to host, many countries have simply given up efforts to try and win the bidding to host the Olympics. The worst part is, these countries are completely justified in doing so.

athlete of our generation has had his troubles with drinking and driving, which resulted in a six-month suspension. Hope Solo, who helped lead the women’s Olympic soccer team to

Reuben Siegman is a freshman in the College of Arts & Sciences. He can be reached at reuben.siegman@ wustl.edu

political review | Sports

Remembering Jackie Robinson: Racial equality in sports

Benjamin Compall

I

f Jackie Robinson were alive today, I wonder

What does the science say? Again, it’s

provide today’s inner city youth with potential

how he would feel about the current racial state

complicated. However many recent scientific

economic prosperity. With immense inequities

of sports. Surely, as the first African-American

findings have established that the genetic basis

in education, many kids see sports as either the

professional baseball player, he would feel great

for race is tenuous, perhaps non-existent.

most feasible “way out,” or the only way they

pride in seeing how far things have come.

Moreover, while many people intend to

will be able to afford this country’s exorbitantly

extol African American athletes with these

expensive colleges. These inequities seep into

stereotypes, their efforts actually amount to

many other facets of American life (evidenced

tacit bigotry. As Harry Edwards, Professor of

by the presence of both race-based achievement

Sociology at UC Berkeley, points out, “What

gaps and wage gaps). This is, in turn, reflected in

really is being said in a kind of underhanded way

the demographics of pro sports. Despite the fact

is that blacks are closer to beasts and animals

that the vast majority of NBA players are black,

in terms of their genetic and physical and

98 percent of team owners are white males.

anatomical make up.” Racism, in many ways, still

In the entire NBA, there is only one black team

characterizes our perception of black athletes.

owner: Michael Jordan. Is this not indicative of

As Americans, we love these “first-ever” narratives-- and Robinson’s holds a particularly strong appeal. It is not hard to see why: his story involves the politics of oppression, unparalleled athletic prowess, and an individual overcoming nearly impossible odds. It is a uniquely American tale. These types of narratives also act as informal metrics for societal progress, showing us just how far race relations have advanced.

Yet as inspiring as Robinson’s story is, we should

Historical parallels abound. During the first half

recognize that the current demographics of

of the 20th century, for example, Jewish people

sports are not entirely laudable. In fact, they

possessed apparent dominion over professional

indicate persistent societal inequalities, vestiges

sports. According to a recent Huffington Post

of the America Robinson called home.

article, in the 1940s many Americans colloquially branded professional basketball as “JewBall”

The demographics of sports…indicate persistent societal inequalities, vestiges of the America Robinson called home.

Ostensibly, progress has been immense. Today, more than 75 percent of players in the NBA identify as black, as do more than two thirds of those in the NFL. While this certainly indicates progress of one sort, it also raises important questions. What accounts for this athletic ascendance? The answer seems to be that… it’s complicated. However, many Americans opt for a simpler answer, frequently concluding

due to the prevalence of Jewish athletes. In fact,

pervasive societal inequality? The same is true of the NFL, where 97 percent of team owners are white men, as are 90 percent of general managers and head coaches. With so many African American players, who are experts at their respective sports, wouldn’t one expect that a larger percentage would become coaches?

the first person to ever score a basket in an NBA

All of this makes me wonder about Jackie

game was Ossie Schectman, a Jewish New

Robinson. In his time, the ability for African

York Knickerbockers player (another “first-ever”

Americans to play professional sports

story). Many of Schectman’s teammates were

represented huge societal progress. Today, the

Jewish as well. Just like today, a large part of the

fact that such a large percentage of African-

American public relied on stereotypes to explain

Americans are professional athletes represents

this phenomenon. In an NY Daily News article in

just the opposite: it indicates that widespread

1930, reporter Paul Gallico wrote: “[basketball]

inequities persist in our country. “First-evers”

places a premium on an alert, scheming mind,

are important, but only when their presence

flashy trickiness, artful dodging, and general

leads to more opportunity and greater equality.

smart alecness.” Anti-Semitic rhetoric sought

They are important when the system changes

to explain a phenomenon that was largely

in their wake, not when they are an exception

environmental. During that time, many Jewish

to a rule. Michael Jordan owning the Bobcats is

Americans, often recent immigrants, lived in

an exception to the rule. Today, society needs

inner cities. Basketball was a potential way out

game-changers not on the field, but on the

of poverty. More importantly, it was a way to

sidelines, in the manager’s box, and outside of

keep kids off the streets. Many synagogues and

the arena altogether. Then the demographics of

Jewish organizations, on a local level, established

sports might represent a more egalitarian nation.

a myriad of youth basketball leagues. This situation sounds familiar.

that African Americans are simply athletically

It is no secret that modern America remains

superior. Widespread and long-lasting

grossly segregated. According to PBS,

stereotypes of black males as exceptionally fast

approximately 70 percent of African Americans

and strong undoubtedly inform these views.

reside in inner cities. As was the case in the 1920s-40s for many Jewish people, sports

Benjamin Compall is a freshman in the College of Arts & Sciences. He can be reached at b.compall@ wustl.edu.

21

political REVIEW POLITICAL review | SPORTS Sports

SPORTY PRESIDENTS SPORTY PRESIDENTS Grace Portelance | Design by Simin Lim

Throughout history, Presidents have made sure to engage

BILL CLINTON

athletic pursuits in order to show of their health and youthful energy. From George Washington (allegedly) hacking down that pesky cherry tree to Obama shooting hoops with LeBron, our commanders-in-chief love to show off their prowess in sports. Here are just a few of our sportiest presidents

GEORGE H. W. BUSH Bush Senior may seem like a wizened old man now, but he is probably the most accomplished athlete of the Bush dynasty. He was captain of the baseball team at Yale (though he also was a great soccer player), but even more impressive was his level of physical activity while he was president. He jogged daily, played tennis, fished, golfed and even biked to workwhen his work was meeting diplomats and creating policy. Even at the ripe old age of 90, Bush still has goals set for his next fishing trips, making him truly an eternal sporty president.

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Though sports seem to have taken a backseat to other pastimes (such as food and young interns) with Bill Clinton, he definitely enjoyed the more leisurely pastime of golf. He is the most recent recipient of the PGA’s Distinguished Service Award, and therefore merits a place in the sporty presidents hall of fame. Aside from golf, Clinton was known for taking a few short runs a week, ideally to McDonalds or the like as seen below.

GE

It m ing hav For on aH stu wa and car Un con mo col on be we

political REVIEW POLITICAL review | SPORTS Sports

JOHN F. KENNEDY

GERALD FORD It may be hard to imagine considering the bald, bumbling image we have today of President Ford, but Ford has the honor of being the only US president who ever tackled a Heisman winner. This stud-turned-ineffective-president was courted by both the Packers and the Lions due to his stellar career playing football for the University of Michigan. If we consider that he was also a catalog model in order to make money for college expenses during this time, one could argue that he may have been the rare President who peaked well before he entered office.

Despite being in generally poor health for most of his life, JFK managed to keep up appearances of health through many physical pursuits. On top of the rigorous activity of keeping his numerous affairs away from the public eye, he loved swimming, golf, tennis, football, and many water and winter sports. Said JFK himself, “Physical fitness is not only one of the most important keys to a healthy body, it is the basis of dynamic and creative intellectual activity.”

TEDDY ROOSEVELT Teddy Roosevelt was an avid boxer from his Harvard days, declaring it a “condensed way” to get quality exercise. He would frequently bring sparring partners to the White House until a fateful match in 1908, where an opponents punch caused blindness in one eye at age 50. That ended his boxing career, but he continued to follow the sport, and in his autobiography he claimed to have took up jujitsu as an elderly man.

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political review | Sports

Exploiting the Sherpas Billie Mandelbaum

S

ir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay

In Nepal, where the average person makes less

stop working so that they could mourn, the

became the first climbers to reach

than $700 each year, the Nepalese government

government’s callousness towards the Sherpas

the summit of Mt. Everest when they

pockets nearly $20 million in permit fees

demonstrates the way in which the Nepalese

ascended the mountain on May 29, 1953. A

and ancillary economic benefits from the

government, desperate for much needed

Nepali folk song, later written to commemorate

Everest climbing industry. While Everest can

revenue, has come to support the interests of

the successful ascent, describes the expedition:

be summited from its Chinese (northern)

Western climbers over those of its own people.

“Our Tenzing Sherpa climbed the highest

side, most western expeditions leave from the

mountain, pulling Hillary along.” Although

Nepalese (southern) side. Over the last few

Norgay, a member of the Nepalese Sherpa

decades, Nepal, one of the world’s poorest

ethnic group, guided Hillary, a mountaineer from

countries, has become economically dependent

New Zealand, Norgay has often been cast in

on tourism—much of which is generated by

Hillary’s shadow. Following the feat, the British

the climbing industry. Climbers hoping to make

Crown knighted Hillary while Norgay received

it to the top of Everest arrive in Nepal each

the George Medal, a civil decoration. Norgay’s

year, and pay outfitters between $40,000

family and many within the Nepalese Sherpa

and $100,000 to partake in a single climbing

community protested this unequal treatment.

expedition. Everest also provides an economic

In a 2003 interview with The Guardian, Tashi

opportunity for Sherpas, who can make up to

Tenzing, Norgay’s grandson, said, “‘It was not

$6,000 each climbing season, which typically

fair. If the Queen had knighted my grandfather

runs from March through May. Because Everest

it would have been a nice gesture. Without him,

generates so much money for the impoverished

Hillary would never have reached the summit.”

nation, the Nepalese government caters to Western climbing interests. However, this

In order to maintain an industry that generates millions of dollars for both the Nepalese government and Western outfitters, Sherpas are placed in dangerous situations so that wealthy, novice climbers can summit the world’s most famous and romanticized mountain.

favorable treatment has often come at the cost of Sherpas, whose attempts to petition the government for greater safety and life insurance

the Sherpas’ demands and claimed that the Sherpas were “Maoists” and “militants”—a reference to the armed Maoist insurgency in Nepal in the 1990s and early 2000s. Like the Nepalese government, Western outfitters have much to gain from the Everest industry, with wealthy thrill-seekers willing to pay up to $100,000 to check Mt. Everest off their bucket list. As climbing Everest has become more commonplace, Sherpas are expected to lead less skilled climbers. While Sherpas continue to carry typical climbing gear, including tents and ropes, they are now also expected to transport unnecessary luxury items including espresso machines, heated carpets, and plastic flowers to display at base camps. Though technological advances, especially the bottled oxygen, have

rights have been futile.

made the Everest journey safer for Western

The perils of being a Sherpa became clear this

this costly oxygen, still face great risk.

April when 16 Sherpas were killed during an avalanche after a 113-foot-tall piece of ice broke off the mountain’s West Shoulder. Following the accident—the deadliest in Everest’s climbing history—tensions between Sherpas, the Nepalese government, and Western climbers came to a head. Sherpas, in conjunction with the Nepalese Mountain Guide Association, issued a 13-point petition to the Nepal Ministry of Tourism. Demands included a $20,000 death benefit, disability benefits for Sherpas injured

However, more than sixty years since that initial

while working, and the establishment of a

ascent, a clear division remains between the

memorial fund. While the Ministry of Tourism

Westerners who climb Everest and the Sherpas

accepted some of the demands, the government

who guide them—lugging their gear and

was generally unsympathetic to Sherpa

clearing a pathway up the mountain. In order

demands in the wake of the accident. Despite

to maintain an industry that generates millions

the anger and mourning within the Sherpa

of dollars for both the Nepalese government

community, the Ministry of Tourism issued a

and Western outfitters, Sherpas are placed in

statement that said, “all climbing activities will

dangerous situations so that wealthy, novice

surely resume in a day or two.” Although the

climbers can summit the world’s most famous

2014 climbing season ended a month earlier

and romanticized mountain.

than usual when Sherpas decided to temporarily

24

Western climbers were also dismissive of

climbers, Sherpas, who are often given less of

Despite the April avalanche, the 2015 climbing season is expected to go on as planned. In the aftermath of the tragic accident, the general inaction on the part of the Nepalese government and Western climbing outfitters provides little hope that conditions will be improved for the Sherpas that allow the Everest climbing industry to function. While the Nepalese government and Western outfitters stand to benefit economically from the climbing industry, it’s important to note that Everest also provides Sherpas an opportunity for economic advancement. However, the indifference towards Sherpas’ rights and safety undermines this promise.

Billie Mandelbaum is a sophomore in the College of Arts & Sciences. She can be reached at bmandelbaum@wustl.edu.

political review | Sports

Racism in European Soccer D Max Handler

ani Alves was fed up, fed up with the

Despite attempts to deal with racism in soccer,

this is next to impossible in the real world.

racism of soccer fans and the seeming

prejudice is still prevalent. Black players

Therefore, it is time to turn to the next best

indifference of soccer authorities. So

still have to deal with monkey noises and

solution: education. An increased focus on

on April 27th, 2014, when a fan of the Spanish

bananas, and the nickname of the Tottenham

educating people on racism and its negative

team Villarreal threw a banana at him, he took

fan base continues to be the “Yid Army.”

effects could help lead to a decrease in overall

a stand: he picked up the banana and ate it.

The conversations that have occurred in

racism. Soccer is the most popular sport in the

His teammate Neymar and fellow soccer star

response to prevalent racism are mostly empty

world, making it a perfect place to start a larger

Sergio Aguero followed suit, taking pictures of

grandstanding; no real progress has been made.

anti-racism campaign.

themselves eating bananas and posting them

To solve the problem of racism, real substantive

online. The resulting media attention put racism

changes must be instituted. Soccer’s governing

in European soccer in the spotlight.

bodies should harshly punish teams whose fans

Despite its newfound attention, racism remains a major unaddressed problem in soccer. In England, there were just five black club managers as of last year. Following the sacking of Chris Houghton, there are now no black managers in the English Premier League, the most prestigious soccer association in the world. Other leagues do not fare much better.

are found guilty of racial abuse, and players themselves must face more severe punishments for their actions. The message that is being sent today is that racism is not a serious issue.

Increasing the length of bans and the amount of fines would be a solid start. In addition, leagues across Europe would do well to institute something along the lines of the NFL’s “Rooney Rule,” which requires all teams to interview at

It seems that racism in soccer has become a microcosm of racism in Europe as a whole.

Europe has a poor history of integration, so the globalization of soccer has forced the continent to confront its racist attitudes for the first time. This new conflict is exacerbated by the poor economic situation in many countries, as poor economies tend to lead to increases in racism as people look for a scapegoat. Anti-racism campaigns are therefore fighting an uphill battle, as they are trying to combat racism at a time when it is increasing throughout Europe. Neo-Nazi parties like Golden Dawn in Greece and Jobbik

It seems that racism in football has become a microcosm of racism in Europe as a whole.

in Hungary, as well as anti-immigrant parties like the UK Independence Party, are gaining popularity throughout Europe. In Greece, this resurgence of racist political philosophy overflowed onto the field itself, when in March of 2013 Giorgos Katidis celebrated a goal with a Nazi salute.

It is clear that we must attack racism at its source. As long as overtly racist political parties have support, there will be overt racism in

Leagues have stepped up efforts in recent years to combat racism. In England, this charge has been led by the Kick it Out campaign, which has been in place since 1997. Unfortunately, the campaign has been riddled with controversy, as many players have refused to support it due to the perception that the organization is soft on racism. English footballer Rio Ferdinand and his brother Anton refused to participate in the campaign following an incident in which Anton was verbally abused by then-English captain John Terry. Terry was caught on video allegedly calling Ferdinand a “f*****g black c**t,” an offense for which he received a four match ban and a fine.

least one minority candidate when searching for a new head coach. Until teams can prove that they can hire black managers on a consistent

public forums such as soccer. It is only through education and other reforms that racial attitudes can be changed.

basis, something must be done to force them to do so.

The main issue with something like the Rooney Rule is that even if the managers and players are minorities, most fans are not. Many European nations are overwhelmingly white, and thus the fan bases are as well. Players from nations as diverse as Cameroon, South Korea, and Brazil are playing by and large for white audiences. This makes the task of quashing racism especially hard. Being around minorities forces people to confront their stereotypes and assumptions. Thus, the best way to deal with racism is to increase diversity. Unfortunately,

Max Handler is a freshman in the College of Arts & Sciences. He can be reached at handlermax@gmail.com.

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political review | international

The return of the repressed in yemen Aaron Christensen

F

or a country supposedly obsessed with

subscribe to the Zaidi sub-sect of Shi’a Islam.

that they would be neglected or persecuted by

the misadventures of militant groups in

It may seem easy to write off their rebellion

Sana’a, sparking a Zaidi religious revival that

the Middle East, the American media’s

as a simple Shi’a versus Sunni conflict, but the

morphed into the Houthi rebellion. Northern

silence regarding the ongoing conflict in Yemen

reality is significantly more complex. The Zaidi

Yemen is particularly poor and underdeveloped,

has been deafening. Perhaps this lack of interest

sect of Shi’ism is the closest to Sunni Islam, and

and the Houthis claim that the government has

is grounded in the fact that Yemen, an arid

in past decades, Zaidis and Sunnis coexisted

economically neglected the north. One Houthi

rectangle in the southwest corner of the Arabian

peacefully in Yemen.

spokesman recently claimed, “Our demands are like the demands of the Yemeni people, who

Peninsula, is the backwoods of the Middle East.

Yemen is poorer and has a lower life expectancy than any other country in the region. The silence of the US media has certainly not been for a lack of excitement

It may seem easy to write off their rebellion as a simple Shi’a versus Sunni conflict, but the reality is significantly more complex.

within Yemen—

seek a decent life, a good economy, security, stability, [and] freedom of expression”.

This is not to say that the Houthis are a lower-class movement seeking

While there was an identifiable religious

social equality. The Houthis are led by very

divide, it did not divide the country into hostile

powerful tribal elders, after all. But it does seem

political camps. Saleh was himself a Zaidi, but

that a quest for social autonomy and economic

he fought ruthlessly against the Houthis all

prosperity animates the Houthis. In ceasefire

the same. Sunnis and Zaidis in Yemen hardly

negotiations, the Houthis routinely demanded

country’s future.

hate the other sect, and must invent excuses

development aid and greater political autonomy.

for why they are fighting each other today.

Houthis wanted the Red Sea port of Hodeidah

After the 2011 Arab Spring unseated longtime

Some Sunnis say that, while the Houthis claim

added to the northern territory to give their

dictator Ali Abdullah Saleh, Yemen’s central

to be Zaidi Shi’as, they secretly belong to the

territory better economic prospects. Indeed, the

government has been struggling to cope

Imami Shi’a sub-sect (dominant in Iran) and

Houthi offensive that seized Sana’a began after

with three independent rebellions at once.

are trying to import foreign, Iranian culture to

the government increased the price of gasoline.

South Yemeni separatists frequently stage

Yemen. Supporters of the Houthis, in turn, claim

both protests and terrorist attacks to demand

that their opponents are led by fundamentalist

independence for southern Yemen, a region

Wahhabi Sunnis from Saudi Arabia. The Houthis

with a distinct history and economic interests.

insist that they receive no Iranian support.

Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), the

If they do receive Iranian funding, it is not

local al-Qaeda franchise in central Yemen, has

significant. The Houthis started their rebellion

been waging an insurgency against the Yemeni

on their own, and are friendly with Iran out of a

army and American drone campaign. Finally,

mutual hatred of Saudi Arabia and the United

the Houthis constitute the biggest and most

States. Saudi Arabia has proven itself a strong

enigmatic of these rebellions, and this rebellion

supporter of Saleh’s regime; in 2009, Saudi

best represents the future of Yemen.

troops intervened in northern Yemen and fought

on September 21, an offensive by Yemen’s “Houthi” rebels succeeded in capturing Yemen’s capital city, Sana’a, from government forces.

The Houthis are now in negotiations with the Western-backed government to determine the

The Center in Retreat The rise of the Houthis as a major force in Yemen began with the 2011 Arab Spring.

Although Saleh resigned, his regime survived, with Saleh’s vice-president Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi succeeding him in a single-candidate presidential election. Saleh’s old political party still ran the government, holding a majority of seats in parliament. Although the regime

the Houthis at Saleh’s request.

itself survived, its power and authority were

Although the Islamist and sectarian dimension

regime was unable to provide safety and

The Houthis’ formal name is Ansarallah (the

of the Houthi movement is undeniable, the

services to peripheral areas of the country, like

partisans of God), but they are better known

rebellion’s origin lies more in the Yemeni

the Zaidi Shi’a north. This created both the

as the “Houthis” after the clan of their leaders.

government’s mistreatment of the north. Zaidis

motivation to stage an uprising, to create a new

They come from northern Yemen, where they

were initially content with rule by Sana’a, but

government more responsive to the people, and

have fought an on-and-off insurgency against

in the 1990s, Saleh aligned himself with Saudi

the ability to do it, as Sana’a’s authority was

the government since 2004. Whereas most

Arabia and began promoting the Saudi ultra-

weak in the north.

Yemenis are Sunni, northerners predominantly

conservative Wahhabi sect. Many Zaidis feared

Sunnis and Zaidis

26

significantly reduced by the civil unrest. The

political review | international

The Houthis’ recent advances have been

autonomy. The Houthis have traditionally been

as the Houthis use military force to negotiate a

intermittent, in part because they lack the

sympathetic to the southern cause, and have

good position in a new Yemeni government.

military firepower to advance more quickly,

demanded that southerners be well represented.

but also because their advances serve more

Although the Yemeni government is not under

than desires of territorial acquisition. The

Houthi control, it may find it difficult to resist

Houthi offensives have been bargaining chips

armed Houthi “lobbyists” in the future.

going to lay down its arms anytime soon,

The Return of the Repressed

well use violence as a means to secure an

Despite the conflict, Yemen is not splitting

of federalist compromise is emerging. The

apart any time soon. Secession is not on the

central government and those who support it

table for the Houthis; they demand autonomy,

cannot control the entire country. The different

federalism, and privileges for their region, but

segments of Yemen are unable to live on their

have no plans to secede. The Houthis recognize

own, so they now try to find some way to live

that the impoverished north cannot survive

together. The peripheries can put demands on

in a vacuum. The North’s economy depends

the center, not so much pushing the center as

on trade with the South. The South Yemeni

pulling it toward their particular interests.

in negotiating with the central government and other players in Yemen. Houthis would typically capture an area, pull back or loosen their presence, and then enter negotiations to receive demands for a better political situation. The seizure of Sana’a came after months of failed negotiations to reach a peaceful agreement that satisfied the Houthis. Immediately after Sana’a fell, President Hadi began more productive negotiations. After seizing Sana’a, the Houthis captured their sought-after port of Hodeidah without a fight, probably the result of a secret Houthi-government deal.

secessionist movement is not in any position to create a new country, and must work with the

The internal divisions papered over by authoritarian regimes are splitting apart again. Where centers of power once dominated, their peripheries are now rising on their own.

Even as negotiations continue, the Houthis threaten the government with a renewed offensive if an acceptable resolution is not reached. Interestingly, the Houthis have no interest in running the Yemeni government, only in lobbying it to fulfill their wishes. In different negotiations, the Houthis have requested either a handful of ministerial positions or none at all. They want a new government that is more amenable to Houthi desires but not totally Houthi-dominated.

The rapid Houthi advance gave Yemen’s other discontented periphery factions opportunities to finally get what they want from the embattled central government. Most notably, the Houthi offensive is inspiring the southern secessionists to escalate their protests for increased

government and other Yemeni parties. AQAP is making no progress in expanding or escalating

Yemen’s future will still be bleak, and conflict is certainly to be expected. AQAP is not and the Houthis and southerners may very advantageous political end. However, a kind

For the United States, the fate of Yemen is not of utmost concern, but the events happening there should be disconcerting. Several years ago, the United States could have negotiated with Saleh directly and could have known that he spoke for all of Yemen. Now, however, that government is beholden to the interests of independent factions across its own country, pulled along by the appetites of its regionalist drives. And however insignificant it may seem, the Houthi phenomenon will not be confined to Yemen. This is an increasingly common trend throughout the Middle East, as long-repressed regional, sectarian, and tribal divides resurface with a vengeance. The internal divisions papered over by authoritarian regimes are splitting apart again. Where centers of power once dominated, their peripheries are now rising on their own. If the United States wants to take

its insurgency.

advantage of a changing Middle East, it must

One thing, however, is certainly changing: The

situations that can no longer be ignored.

confront the painfully complicated realities of

repressed demon of regionalism is returning to haunt Yemen. Unlike failed states like Somalia, Yemen remains one entity, but one with powerful, competing parts. After the fall of Saleh, many of the country’s tribal and sectarian blocs began to make their weight known. The Houthis are the most recent (and perhaps most dramatic) example. Saleh’s successors control the government but little else. The central government survives in Sana’a and the surrounding areas, but it can no longer control the country’s peripheries. Indeed, the peripheries are now trying to control the center,

Aaron Christensen is a sophomore in the College of Arts & Sciences. He can be reached at aaronchristensen@wustl.edu.

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political review | international

tainted by the nobel W Gabe Rubin | Illustration by Savannah Bustillo hen Jean-Paul Sartre turned down

niche community of human rights

the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1964,

activists who had known about her

he quipped, “I was not aware at the

education work. She appeared on the

time that the Nobel Prize is awarded without

cover of Time magazine, chatted with

consulting the opinion of the recipient.” Few

President Obama in the Oval Office,

besides Sartre have ever dreamed of turning

and was the subject of numerous

down a Nobel, widely recognized, in the

star-studded tributes by Laura Bush,

West at least, as the crown jewel of prizes

Angelina Jolie, and Hillary Clinton,

for writers, doctors, scientists, economists,

to name only a few. Jon Stewart, in

and statesmen. This year the Peace Prize, the

what was perhaps the most fawning

most overtly political Nobel, was awarded to

interview in the history of The Daily Show,

Malala Yousafzai, a Pakistani teenager whose

asked if her father would be mad if he

eloquence and tireless advocacy for girls’

adopted her.

education has made her one of the world’s most recognizable human rights leaders. By accepting the prize, Yousafzai’s profile will only grow and her work will undoubtedly receive more attention than it would have otherwise.

But in accepting the Nobel, she has permanently labeled herself as a representative of Western values—a precarious role to assume if she hopes to achieve real change for women and girls in Islamic countries.

Yousafzai has found that being adopted by Western liberals has its financial benefits.

Besides the Nobel’s hefty award, her autobiography I Am Malala spent 22 weeks on the New York Times bestseller list. If she chose to make the rounds on the rubber chicken circuit she could easily demand a speaking honorarium

In the extremist paranoia of the Pakistani Taliban, Malala Yousafzai became an American agent when she started campaigning for girls’ education. Like the health workers leading polio vaccination programs and the murderous drones hovering overhead, Malala represented yet another insidious and unwanted incursion of Western interests into the conservative Swat Valley and Pakistan as a whole. Taliban

individual can do is inspire the people around her to create change. While she has been celebrated by some in Pakistan, including in Swat, it will take decades of difficult work to

Though she has received the lion’s share of

To some degree, Malala seems to have begun to

winners of the 2014 Peace Prize. The other recipient, Kailish Satyarthi, has spent decades toiling in near anonymity in north-central India to put an end to child labor. Despite threats to his life and intense opposition from some in Indian society, Satyarthi has built up his “Save the Childhood” movement and helped an estimated 83,000 children around the world

understand that she must be wary of the West’s embrace if she hopes to actually have any impact on girls’ access to education in Muslimmajority countries. She has publicly criticized President Obama for the American drone-strike campaign that continues to wreak havoc on the Swat Valley and the rest of Northwest Pakistan.

She donated the $50,000 award money from the International Children’s Peace Prize (like the

avoid forced labor.

Nobel, a Western creation) to rebuilding schools

Yousafzai’s commitment to her cause cannot

war between Hamas and Israel. While both of

be questioned, but her future efficacy can

those gestures show Yousafzai’s willingness

be. Unlike Satyarthi, she has not spent years

to separate herself from an entirely Western

building a movement. Her charisma and cult

agenda, she will have to do much more in order

of personality can help win her admirers and

to establish herself as a reformer from within

Western donors, but they make it more likely

rather than an outside agitator. By no means

that she will be seen as a foreign interloper in

will she ever ingratiate herself to the Taliban

Pakistan, where Angelina Jolie and Laura Bush

(nor should she), but she will need local allies

are less popular.

and unexpected bedfellows if her cause is to

in Gaza that were destroyed in last summer’s

succeed. If Malala isn’t careful, the West’s love At least for now, it is far too dangerous for

just narrowly failed: after taking a bullet to

Malala to return to Pakistan. She herself

the head in October 2012, Yousafzai and her

concedes that living in Britain and associating

family fled to Britain to escape the Taliban and

with mostly Westerners has limited her contact

receive intensive medical care. She instantly

with people in the Swat Valley. As nearly every

28

cannot be achieved by one person—the best an

improve girls’ education there.

gunmen attempted to assassinate her and

became a celebrity in the West, beyond the

Nobel lectures, social and political progress

in the high five figures.

attention, Yousafzai is actually one of two

Yousafzai’s commitment to her cause cannot be questioned, but her future efficacy can be.

Peace Prize laureate has mentioned in their

will condemn her to ineffectual irrelevance.

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

political review | international

tHE SHADOW OF THE WALL T Katherine Surko | Illustration by Alicia Yang his November marked the 25th anniversary

from the old Communist party. In the West,

of the persistent divide in mentalities between

of the fall of the Berlin wall. Today, decades

however, people tend to vote for either the

East and West Berlin, and the distance between

later, is Berlin actually united?

Social Democrats or the Christian Democrats,

the generations actually struggling through the

both of which are derived from parties that

times of the wall and the new millennials.

At first glance, it is hard to tell the distinctions between East and West Berlin. However, while

originated in West Berlin.

Despite the differences between East and West,

the German government has spent vast sums

Looking at the migration statistics of the two

there are still moments when the old divide

reintegrating the two regions, distinct markers

regions, this voting behavior makes sense.

disappears to make room for something more

continue to separate East and West today.

According to a study done by Bild, a German

important. When Germany won the World

East Berlin has a larger amount of prewar

newspaper, one West German in five has never

Cup, there was complete chaos on the streets.

buildings and streets, and the structures that

been to the East, and one in ten of Eastern

Everyone was celebrating together, regardless

were destroyed during the war were rebuilt

Germans has never been to the West. The

of their origins; everyone was simply German.

using a distinctive Stalinist architecture. If the

massive migration to the West that occurred

People proudly brandished German flags, a show

architecture is not enough of a hint, then the

right after the fall has finally evened out, with

of nationalistic spirit rarely seen in Germany

names of streets and other public spaces should

almost the same number of people leaving East

since World War II. People were partying in old

be a huge indicator of past Soviet influence.

Berlin as those entering. Many of those who lived

warehouses and alleys scattered along where

In East Berlin, there is Karl-Marx-Straße (a

in the East during Communist rule have chosen

the wall once stood; for a moment, there was

metro stop), and squares like Rosa Luxemburg

to stay there, exacerbating the subtle differences

no way to discern the still omnipresent divisions

Platz, in addition to the occasional plaque of

between the regions in the next generation.

between East and West Berlin.

Lenin adorning the sides of buildings. There are East German murals still scattered around, depicting smiling advocates of socialism. The pedestrian traffic lights common in East Berlin, the “Ampelmännchen,” (a little hatted man either walking or with arms outstretched) is also distinctive of the Soviet era, and is actually making a comeback throughout all of Berlin.

Some of the aesthetic differences between the two regions can be explained simply by the differing poverty levels. In East Germany, the unemployment rate is almost 10 percent, compared to six percent in the West. While these statistics appear drastic because of the inclusion of particularly poor states like Bavaria in East Germany, they still represent the continued differences between the economies of the two regions. The economic stratification stems from East Germany being unprepared for the sudden switch to capitalism when the wall was torn down. Their new businesses floundered and failed in comparison to the already established Western economy, and have

Nowadays, according to The Guardian, threequarters of the population think there are different mentalities between the East and the West, and one third of people from the West would not consider marrying someone from the East.

The statistics surrounding the poverty levels and negative stereotypes of East Berlin makes the new wave of “ostalgie,” or nostalgia as it relates to the old communist times, surprising. Such ostalgie is beginning to change some of the aesthetics of Berlin, such as with the increasing number of Ampelmännchen throughout the city.

During Berlin’s anniversary weekend, many hotels capitalized on this ostalgie sentiment. The Kempinski Hotel, for example, had a special package that allowed guests to drive a Trabant, the two-stroke car popular back in East Berlin.

Other hotels offered traditional East German food, like solyanka, a soup that

never entirely caught up.

originated in the Soviet Union.

Along with differences in the economy, voting

The Communist regime is far enough

polls show a dramatic difference in party support in the different regions. According to the BBC, East Berlin votes more left wing, supporting parties like Die Linke, which emerged

in the past that people are able to romanticize the times of the wall. It is by no means representative of a desire to return to the Communist past, but is still indicative

Katherine Surko is a freshman in the College of Arts & Sciences. She can be reached at surkokatherine@gmail.com.

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political review | NATIONAL

In Conversation with Economist Alex Brill Nahuel Fefer

A

lex Brill served as the Chief Economist

middle of the distribution are experiencing a lot

sort of a principle issue here: should the

of the House Committee on Ways and

of prosperity. So, how do you pull together those

government be setting a wage floor, and then

Means from 2002 to 2007. In this role

two facts, how can the economy be growing

there are practical questions about what the

he helped shape the Bush tax cuts, and worked

while those in the middle aren’t feeling any

consequences are. As a practical matter it’s

on a variety of other issues related to economic

better. It’s curious I think to a lot of economists

going to depend a lot on where you set the

policy. Mr. Brill visited Washington University on

why that is. It doesn’t surprise economists when

wage, where you set that floor. It’s going to

October 30th, 2014 to discuss tax inversions, a

the economy grows at a pace slightly different

depend a lot on what minimum wages states

controversial tactic used by some companies to

than income grows, but in general as we invest

have. Many states have their own minimum

avoid US corporate taxes. Before his talk, WUPR

and as the economy grows, the benefits of that

wage, either above or below the levels that are

had the chance to discuss a variety of economic

should be appreciated across the spectrum.

being debated by the Obama administration,

policy issues with Brill. The following excerpt

Globalization is a factor, because we’re

and so the actual consequences are going to

has been edited for space and clarity and is a

importing more, because a lot of US workers are

depend on the specifics.

small piece of a broader conversation. You can

competing with workers around the globe, they

find the full interview on our website, wupr.org.

have less power to negotiate for higher wages,

Interview: WUPR: I think it’s important to place our conversation within the context of your broader perspective on the challenges facing the US economy. Now, Arthur Brooks, the President of the American Enterprise Institute, recently explained that over the past decade, if you adjust for inflation, the bottom half of the American economy has stayed stagnant or has lost purchasing power. The data backs this up, even though labor productivity is rising, median incomes in the United States have stagnated since the ‘80s. So, what’s behind this disturbing trend, and how can we reverse it?

and some of it is simply not well understood.

“We shouldn’t try to craft our tax policy relative to the business cycle.”

WUPR: So if it is partially a bargaining power problem, one solution the Obama administration

Brill: So, Arthur’s absolutely right. The

has proposed is a minimum wage, what impact

economy, in the aggregate, and when we

do you think that would have?

measure it in the simplest terms, in terms of Gross Domestic Product, or real GDP, the US economy is growing, and it’s growing sort of at moderate pace, could be faster, could be worse. But when you peel back the onion and you look more closely at the components of the economy and you look at the economy from a household perspective, you see, just as Arthur has described, a wide variety of outcomes, and the ones that are most troubling are when you look at these statistics with regard to lower income households, or as is often cited, median incomes. So median incomes in the United

Brill: I think that any concrete steps to change the federal minimum wage are unlikely. But the economics of that are an interesting one. It’s moving clearly and concretely away from basic free market principles where the wages would be set in a market place, and saying, it’s just not right for someone to make below a certain wage.

So as we artificially raise the wage rate we’re going to see a substitution towards capital in general terms, in practical terms, and we’re going to see more automation and things like that.

WUPR: The empirical data on its effects is

WUPR: Now you’re on the record as saying that [the Bush tax cuts] made sense at the time, that the goal was to reduce surpluses and that they did so, they did so extraordinarily effectively.

But my question isn’t about whether they made sense at the time, it is, knowing what you do now about how that decade went, if you were at the table again, would you recommend implementing a series of tax cuts? Would you change the policy? If so, how?

Brill: So, we’ve had this debate, obviously, again, because those tax cuts that were enacted in 2001, and extended a few times, periodically do expire, and so lawmakers have had to face this question: should we make the Bush tax cuts permanent. We faced that choice first in 2010 and then again in December 2012. Lawmakers said the first time, yes, we should keep all these tax cuts just as they are, and the second time they said no, we should keep almost all of them the same, but we should raise the top rate. No one has been arguing to truly repeal the Bush tax cuts. The Bush tax cuts, you know, at the time they were enacted… included significant policy changes that certainly did not affect only those at the top of the income spectrum.

Things like doubling the child tax credit from $500 to $1000, creating a 10% bracket when one previously didn’t exist spanning the Earned Income Tax Credit, those issues have actually never been debated.

mixed though, isn’t it?

WUPR: Most people agree that reducing

how you adjust for inflation, but there is no story

Brill: I mean there certainly is a debate about

income Americans, does have a stimulating

one can tell that says that those right in the

what the market can bear. Obviously there’s

effect on the economy, because they have larger

States are fairly stagnant. It varies regionally, it varies depending on the data points you use and

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marginal tax rates, particularly for middle

political review | National

marginal propensities to consume, and that

the question of how this will stimulate the

rates in exchange for lowering the corporate

means they spend a lot of their tax savings, and

economy remains, doesn’t it? Because, if we

tax, maybe it’s easier to tax the shareholders

that helps the economy. But the question that

have a demand constrained economy, then all

instead of the corporation itself, and I think it’s

a lot of people are asking is how do the lower

that saving can’t be used, or not effectively, to

an interesting idea in the context of broader tax

marginal tax rates on the wealthiest individuals,

improve the short term economic output, and

reform. The context of why it was reduced in

how does that stimulating effect work?

that explains why so much saving flows out of

2003 was in part policy and in part politics. The

the country.

issue that was brought forward to Congress by

Brill: In terms of the impact of marginal rates at different spectrums the higher the rate is to start,

Brill: Yeah, and so for that reason I’ve argued

the bigger the impact is of a one point reduction,

that we shouldn’t try to craft our tax policy

in terms of the deadweight loss associated with

relative to the business cycle. That these are

the cut. And so the distortions caused by having

actually not great tools for moderating or

the rate be 39% vs. 35%, are larger than when

accelerating demand, obviously they’re tools

one would examine the consequences of having

that are often used, we often think about tax

the rate be 19% versus 15%.

policy as a means for a stimulus, but it would

WUPR: Well the question is where are those savings, there’s no question that the savings are

be more efficient to think about it as a tool for driving long term economic growth.

larger, but where are those savings going, how

WUPR: Why is it that capital income, returns to

are they used?

capital, are taxed at a much lower, and in a less

Brill: So, those who are paying the highest

progressive manner, than returns to labor?

marginal rates are some of the largest savers

Brill: I believe it to be the case that investment

and investors in our economy.

decisions are more sensitive to tax policy than

WUPR: And outside of our economy.

Brill: Right, and so it’s less about marginal propensity to consume, and more about sort of fundamental drivers of long term growth, which is savings and investment.

WUPR: But in a demand deficient economy

the administration at that time was in essence a dividends reduction, a cut in the dividends tax rate. That received a certain amount of political interest, but perhaps not a sufficient amount to get it over the finish line, so Congress added in a lower capital gains rate. Now, that’s the politics of it, the policy of it, the underlying policy is that lower capital gains rates will lead to increases in capital investment because of the sensitivity of investors to taxes and the after tax rate of return.

WUPR: Again, assuming that we don’t have demand constraints in place.

Brill: Correct, these are long term impacts.

labor market decisions. Both are affected, when marginal rates go up, people may work less, and when marginal rates go up people may save or invest less, but those responses are different. One could argue on a number of grounds that we shouldn’t have this two-tiered structure. In particular, recently people have started to talk about raising the capital gains

Nahuel Fefer is a senior in the College of Arts & Sciences. He can be reached at nahuelfefer@wustl.edu.

31

political review | NATIONAL

Politicizing the surgeon general Ruby Arora

E

bola took the world by storm a few

“blatant activism on behalf of gun control,” the

NRA campaigned for and passed legislation

months ago, and panic has since spread

National Rifle Association (NRA) has been

that “froze federal funding for research on gun

like wildfire through Africa, Europe, and

using its power as a political lobbying group to

violence” that persisted until President Obama

the United States. From Eric Duncan to Nina

oppose his conformation as Surgeon General. In

overrode it after the Sandy Hook shooting. In

Pham, each successive case of Ebola in the U.S.

order for Dr. Murthy to be confirmed as Surgeon

2011, an NRA lobbyist crafted a “pediatrician

shocked American citizens and contributed

General, his nomination must pass by a majority

gag law” that prevents physicians from

to the Ebola pandemonium. After the first

vote in the Senate. Since his nomination, the

questioning families about guns in the home,

domestic outbreak, Americans looked to Dr.

NRA has been collaborating with pro-guns

even though almost 9 children are killed every

Thomas Frieden of the Center for Disease

rights senators to engineer a filibuster. Although

day in gun-related accidents.

Control and Prevention (CDC) for support and

the Democrats in the Senate had the numbers

leadership. After the botched response to the

to pass Dr. Murthy’s nomination, several

first case of Ebola in Texas, Dr. Francis Collins of

Democrats in red states feared that angering

the National Institutes of Health (NIH) replaced

the NRA would affect their ratings. To further

Dr. Frieden as the new the face of the American

bolster the opposition to Murthy, the NRA

Gun violence is and always has been a public health issue. Every year, over 30,000 people die from firearm-related deaths. The American College of Physicians states that “firearm violence is not only a criminal justice issue but also a public health threat.” Because gun

The fate of our Surgeon General, the top medical position in the country, should not lie in the hands of a gun rights lobbying group.

violence is so closely connected with mental health, there has been a forceful call-to-action for physicians to “become more active in counseling patients about firearm safety” and in recognizing the precursors of violent behavior.

The gun violence epidemic is exactly the kind of crisis we want our Surgeon General addressing.

The NRA has no business interfering with a

response to Ebola. To further coordinate any

announced that they would score Dr. Murthy’s

potential outbreaks in the United States,

confirmation vote. The NRA ranks Congressmen

President Barack Obama appointed Ron Klain

on their voting record for gun rights; members

as “Ebola czar.” As the United States struggles

of Congress receive grades ranging from A to F.

to find an adequate medical leader to address

In stating that they would lower the score of all

the Ebola outbreak, one key figure is missing. In

those who approved Dr. Murthy’s appointment,

the midst of this crisis, where is the nation’s top

the NRA scared off the necessary majority in

doctor? Where is our Surgeon General?

the Senate, leaving the nation without a Surgeon

position that has absolutely no influence over the legislative side of firearm control. The NRA is completely overstepping its bounds by opposing Dr. Murthy’s nomination. The fate of our Surgeon General, the top medical position in the country, should not lie in the hands of a gun rights lobbying group. We need more individuals like Dr. Murthy who can stand in the crosshairs

General in its time of need.

to speak out about issues that matter. That sort

Murthy as Surgeon General about a year

Never before has the NRA expressed such

when our government officials stop representing

ago. His credentials are anything but lacking:

opposition to a Surgeon General nominee.

the interests of special industries and lobbying

Ivy League graduate, co-chair of Doctors for

And rightfully so, as there is very little overlap

groups and start representing the interests of

America, and attending physician and faculty

between the Surgeon General position and

their constituents.

member at Harvard Medical School, all by age

firearm legislation. Yet, the NRA has a long

36. Dr. Murthy’s experience suggests that he

history of poking its nose where it does not

is capable of overseeing the national public

belong. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco,

health response and providing Americans with

Firearms and Explosives has not had a

up-to-date health information. So why has

permanent director since 2006 because of

this seemingly flawless candidate not yet been

opposition from the NRA. Beyond federal

confirmed as Surgeon General? Dr. Murthy,

officials’ nominations, the NRA frequently

like the majority of Americans, supports

intervenes in politics to serve the interests of

expanded gun safety measures, such as an

the greater gun industry. In 2013, the NRA

assault weapons ban, safety training, and limits

successfully banned firearm registries that

on ammunition. Threatened by Dr. Murthy’s

“collect data on guns used in crimes.” The

President Barack Obama nominated Dr. Vivek

32

of open discussion and change can only occur

Ruby Arora is a freshman in the College of Arts & Sciences. She can be reached at ruby.arora@wustl.edu.

political review | National

the problem with “it’s 2014” Shouldn’t bad ideas A die because they are Aaron Wildavsky

dangerous and anti-intellectual way

demonstrably bad, not because they’re

of thinking about change is becoming

unpopular? I’m not a progressive, but I share

increasingly popular in progressive

some progressive values. If an anti-progressive

circles. It assumes that social progress is

argument is absurd or immoral, I want to see its

inevitable, and therefore inherently good.

horrors exposed in all their wretched ugliness by

Anyone who disagrees isn’t just wrong—they’re

an intellectual and enlightened criticism. That’s

“on the wrong side of history.”

a lot better than “shut up you old fart, it’s the

Often, that sounds something like this: “It’s 2014. Let’s just legalize gay marriage already.”

“Why won’t the Washington Redskins change their name? It’s 2014!”

21st century.”

Consider the NFL’s Washington Redskins. I find that football team’s name incredibly offensive, as do many others. But if I tell a supporter of the name that she’s wrong because much of America disagrees with her, I’m ducking the question of whether there is actually anything

“It’s 2014. Women’s employers shouldn’t get to

wrong with the name. A true intellectual should

dictate their sex lives.”

have no trouble using logical reasoning to make the case that the name is offensive. Why don’t

It’s worth noting that often, “It’s 2014” is mere

more progressives do so?

rhetoric. Someone who says gay marriage

demonstrably bad, not because they’re unpopular? predictable segment to blustering hysterically over the decision. The New York Times’ Paul Krugman accused Republicans of trying “to push us back to 1894.” The New Yorker’s Andy Borowitz mocked the Supreme Court for siding against women in a case that was ostensibly

should be legal “because it’s 2014” doesn’t

Progressives often use “it’s 2014” to combat

“at its core about the rights of women versus

necessarily lack a logically sound rationale for

arguments that do have merit. In these cases,

the rights of people.” These and countless

her opinion. She’s probably just trying to sound

this rhetoric functions as a silencing tool. It

other progressives couldn’t seem to fathom

punchy and persuasive.

seeks to preemptively shut down debate on

that “It’s 2014” had failed to trump the careful

important, difficult questions. Fortunately, it is

consideration and Constitutional knowledge of

often ineffective.

five Supreme Court justices.

strategy for rhetorical purposes. Regardless,

Such was the case in the debate over the

But what if the mandate had succeeded?

it’s a horrible way to debate social issues—

contraceptive mandate. Even before its

Progressives would have gotten their way.

irrespective of one’s stance on the specific issue

implementation under the Affordable Care Act,

Change would have been advanced. However,

at hand. At best, to use “It’s 2014” to shut down

the mandate—which requires employers to

I would hope that no intellectually responsible

an argument is intellectually weak. At worst, it is

cover the cost of certain contraceptives under

progressives would have celebrated such as a

destructive and wrong.

their health insurance plans—had been hotly

“victory.” There is no dignity, and certainly no

disputed. Critics of the mandate argued that it

glory in bullying, shaming, and silencing one’s

It can be tempting to sympathize with those

infringed upon the freedom of employers who

opponents en route to a political victory.

who use “It’s 2014,” because they often

opposed contraception on religious grounds,

do so to strike down absurd or oppressive

while supporters countered that access to

opposition. However, that doesn’t change the

contraception was a basic right.

So I’ll give progressives the benefit of the doubt and assume they only use the “It’s 2014”

fact that it’s an intellectually cowardly tactic.

When someone says “It’s 2014” to shut out

There were two very legitimate sides to this

an opposing argument, he isn’t engaging his

debate. Were women entitled to affordable

adversaries in a critical evaluation of the issue at

contraception, even at the expense of their

hand. He’s just trying to make them seem out-

employers’ religious freedom? Reasonable

of-touch. “You’re wrong because it’s 2014” is

people could disagree here. But you wouldn’t

essentially another way of saying “your opinion

know that from the way certain progressives

is wrong because it’s unpopular in this day and

treated the issue.

age.” It says nothing about actual merit of the argument being posed.

Shouldn’t bad ideas die because they are

There was an uproar from the left when the contraceptive mandate was ultimately struck down in June of this year, under Burwell v. Hobby Lobby. Jon Stewart devoted a characteristically

Aaron Wildavsky is a sophomore in the College of Arts & Sciences. He can be reached at aaron.wildavsky@wustl.edu

33

political review | NATIONAL

Medical marijuana is a farce O Joe Lenoff

n November 4, my home state of Florida

has pointed out, the NIDA has “historically

legal drug by the FDA, DEA, and all relevant

voted on the legal permissibility of

focused its efforts [almost] exclusively on

federal institutions. Would marijuana advocates

medical marijuana. It failed, but it is still

demonstrating the drug’s harmful effects.” Thus,

be pleased? The many suffering people in the

significant that Florida voters went to the polls

research is limited to a small number of studies,

United States using marijuana as medicine

to decide whether the state would become

and the researchers themselves are predisposed

to regain their appetite in the battle against

the 24th in the country to approve medical

to assume marijuana is harmful. Dr. ElSohly

cancer or to alleviate the pressure of glaucoma

marijuana. Medical marijuana is a nonsensical

himself said, “I feel sorry for Colorado and

would perhaps be pleased. Today, smoking

term used to support nonsensical policies. There

Washington state [for legalizing marijuana]. In a

marijuana is one of the most efficient methods

is not enough scientific research surrounding

few years, you are really going to see the impact

of delivery, so under this scenario those patients

the effects of marijuana, and even if there

of the liberal laws they have there.”

may be pleased they no longer have to smoke their medicine and receive

were, legally recognizing marijuana’s medicinal use and not its recreational use ignores the vast majority of marijuana users.

Under the Controlled Substances Act (CSA) of 1970, marijuana is considered a Schedule I substance, the most

The Drug Enforcement Agency claims that marijuana has no ‘accepted medicinal value,’ and they are correct, but only because the research is so skewed.

rigorously regulated scheduling classification. As a result, according to federal law, marijuana has “no currently accepted medical use in treatment and can only be used in very limited circumstances.”

As such, research is extremely limited. The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), a branch of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, administers marijuana cultivation and research in the United States.

In theory, the NIDA offers contracts every five

the (arguably pleasant) side effects. However, the legitimately suffering are the vast minority of marijuana users. Most people smoke marijuana recreationally. Pew reports that 12 percent of the general American population has smoked marijuana in the past year, and that 27 percent of people under thirty

If science is understood as a constantly

have. If we take those numbers at their face

challenged or supported set of hypotheses

value (and they are certainly low estimates) it

and theories, then the evidence cited offering

is obvious that either we have a silent public

marijuana’s threat or lack of safety are rendered

health crisis, or that there is more to marijuana

moot by both their lack of breadth and their

than medicinal value. Whether or not “medical”

inherent bias. The Drug Enforcement Agency

marijuana is legal will not matter for most users.

(DEA) claims that marijuana has no “accepted

Law regulating use should reflect actual use.

medicinal value,” and they are correct, but only

States or the federal government should not

because the research is so skewed.

have to justify a largely recreational substance based on its medicinal value.

years to interested researchers. Since the NIDA’s

Of course, prior to the CSA, there was very

inception in 1974, it has only given a contract

little scientific testing of marijuana, yet the

I begrudgingly (and unsuccessfully) voted “yes”

to the University of Mississippi. Dr. Mahmoud

federal government determined that marijuana

on Florida Amendment 2, but in so doing I was

ElSohly oversees the project, and he explains

must be heavily regulated. Now, because of

perpetuating the farce that marijuana should be

his role as such: “The federal government is

its heavy regulation, only insufficient research

enshrined in law as medicine. Both the research

the only agency, the only institution, that has

can be conducted to determine if marijuana

and the categorization are insufficient.

the right to distribute marijuana. We are not

needs less regulation. Essentially, it seems that

doing it as the University of Mississippi. We are

federal law states, “We assume marijuana is

doing it as a contractor for the government to

highly dangerous, so we must restrict access,

carry on that activity. So, the main purpose of

even to scientific studies. Also, because there

that project is to prepare, cultivate, standardize,

have been no studies, we can only maintain our

manicure, and make standardized marijuana

assumption of marijuana’s danger.”

for research.” Standardization is critical for scientific research, and the federal government should be applauded for seeking the highest standards in federal research. However, quantity and diversity are also crucial to research. As Dr. J. Michael Bostwick of the Mayo Clinic

34

Now, let’s say for the sake of argument that scientists have synthesized the medicinally active components of marijuana perfectly, causing no side effects, pleasant or otherwise, and that new substance was enshrined as a fully

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

political review | NATIONAL

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