The Fight for Ukraine

Earlier this month, the World Affairs Council of West Michigan hosted Dr. Matthew Rojansky, of the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars and an expert on U.S. relations with the states of the former Soviet Union, especially Russia, Ukraine, Belarus and Moldova, to speak on the crisis still brewing in Ukraine and what that means for the rest of Europe, the US, and the world. A spark was lit in Ukraine after an over-the-top reaction by the government to the mostly peaceful protests that broke out in Kiev in late 2013, but trouble had been percolating for years, as Ukraine lies torn between an inviting European Union to its west and a corrupt, complex post-Soviet legacy to its east.

(For an example of the excesses of the regime of former president Viktor Yanukovych, just look at his palace.)

The crisis began the evening of November 21st, 2013, in what is now known as the Euromaidan, which means, literally, "Euro Square".  The mass demonstrations demanded closer European integration, and eventually, after the brutal reaction to the unrest by police and Yanukovych’s regime, the resignation of the president and the election of a new government. The protest became politicized and radicalized by the gross mistreatment of the protestors, which included snipers high above Kiev firing down upon unsuspecting protestors, and a so-called “anti-Bill of Rights” pushed through by Yanukovych combined with a full-fledged “Battle for the Maidan” in mid-February 2014 solidified the revolution.

At this point, Putin and Russia began to lick their chops at the prospect of regaining territory in the already heavily pro-Russian regions of southeast Ukraine, including the Crimean peninsula. His thinly disguised support for pro-Russian rebels (who ‘aren’t Russian but only happen to wear Russian uniforms…maybe there was a very large wholesale discount at a local supply store), coupled with the shooting down of Malaysia Air flight MH17 brought international attention to a crisis that had been boiling over for months.

Why didn’t the Malaysia Air flight avoid flying over the war-torn region? Well, Ukraine is big. Really big. Which makes the geopolitics of this conflict inescapable.

So what is Putin’s endgame?

Domestic politics. He's worried that this could potentially happen in Russia? The situation is similar: a corrupt ruler, not a great economy, a poor record on human rights. It’s in his best interest to ensure that the Ukrainian people are worse off when all is said and done. He wants to broadcast a message that revolutions are bad for business.

His credibility. He must win versus the evil West. That’s not too tough of a picture to paint, with all sorts of fascists and far-right Neo-Nazis popping out of the Ukrainian woodwork to support the revolution. After all, Russian nationalism has traditionally been a bestseller. Even with the Russian economy tanking, his approval ratings are in the 80s.

Geopolitics. Is he gunning for a new Soviet Union? Simply, no. But he does want to build a sphere of influence around Russia to combat both the EU and NATO. Seeing Ukraine join one or both of those would be a huge blow. He needs the post-Soviet in his (Russian word for pocket).

Good news for him:

• The Ukraine military is significantly outmatched by its Russian counterparts
• The nationalist groups that dominated the new Ukrainian elections give him an easy target to propagandize against
• He controls his domestic media and much of the Ukrainian media
• He controls the flow of natural gas as well, in what is a fiercely cold Eastern European winter

Since the talk, there has been news of a cease-fire in Ukraine, an agreement negotiated by the leaders of Germany, France, Ukraine and Russia. The headline of the Wall Street Journal article perhaps says it all: In Ukraine, Cease-Fire Agreement Is Met With Doubt.

Combined with the Washington Post headline, Putin appears the biggest winner of Ukrainian cease-fire talks, it’s a grim picture.

So what is there to do in Ukraine?

• Well, first, don't send John Kerry. Nothing against him (actually...never mind) this isn't the time for photo ops. This is not a poverty related protest.
• There needs to be more international observation to prevent false propaganda. Better border security is crucial too.
• Realistic sanctions are a must. They can send a moral message and can change conduct of a bad actor over time. But don't overstate their effect, and only sanctioning a handful of rich people makes no sense.

How can Ukraine succeed?

• Must combat corruption. It is currently the most corrupt post-Soviet state. The new government must make near-term changes.
• The US can open doors to them, and show what they'll be missing by choosing Russia over the West.
• There are unfortunately no easy answers; this conflict must be taken seriously.

Dr. Rojansky’s final point was a sombering one: “If Ukraine turns into social economic disaster it will be a European disaster.”

A New Era at Michigan, and Praise for a Michigan Man

The end of 2014 brings with it many things: a pause to remember the year that has passed, a sense of excitement for what is to come, and perhaps a temperature-related angst unique to that moment you realize your car door is frozen shut and no matter how hard you pull it, it just won’t open.

For Michigan football fans, it brought also a long-fated departure, a much-hyped arrival, and a poignant reminder of what truly is important in college sports. With the pain of going bowl-less yet again only made worse by our two biggest rivals excelling annually on the national stage, changes had to be made and, reversing a trend of seemingly everything related to Michigan football going awry, they actually were.  

For all the concerns that interim AD Jim Hackett bore a resume too similar to that of epic failure Dave Brandon, what with the "Michigan Man” credentials and Fortune 500 CEO credibility, his two month stint has already bore more substance than the pizza peddler could muster in four years. In a perfect world, you wouldn’t necessarily even know the athletic director’s name, let alone know the details of his C.V. Not so in this era of big-time college football. Still, he has one crucial job, before he slinks back to the shadows to fundraise and balance budgets, and that, at least at Michigan, is to hire a winning football coach. 

Brady Hoke has many positive attributes, as a man and as a football coach, but tallies in the W column proved to not be one of them. Eventually, that’s the only thing that matters, and ultimately what spelled the end for both Brandon and Hoke. 

But hark! Behold a new era, one of headsets and reasonable ticket prices and players that improve game to game and year to year. Jim Harbaugh returning to Ann Arbor, resplendent in his khakis and cocky grin, is a Christmas and New Year’s present rolled into one, and he brings with him long-awaited tidings of great football. For a fan-base in need of something to smile about after too long being force-fed the football equivalent of Domino’s Pizza, the excitement and anticipation could not be higher. 

Maybe the Harbaugh-mania is getting a bit out of control.

Before the hype and eagerness for next season dominates every conversation Michigan fans have between now and Labor Day weekend, special mention and consideration must be given to Devin Gardner, the oft-criticized quarterback whose career is collateral damage of the administrative and coaching turmoil in the last five year. Recruited by Rich Rod, inherited by Hoke, switched to wide receiver then back to quarterback after an injury to Denard Robinson in 2012, Devin survived multiple position coaches, a sieve-like offensive line, and inconsistent running support throughout his career. After entering Michigan as the number one rated dual-threat quarterback recruit in the nation, he will leave with a legacy of inconsistency, flashes of brilliance followed by maddening mistakes, and an inescapable sense of what-might-have-been. Knock him if you must for the miscues, giveaways, and inopportune gaffes, but remember that this wasn’t the style of offense he signed up for, and a lesser man may have (and probably should have) up and quit football in the first place after taking so much unceasing punishment, in the dark days of the 2013 season in particular.

The lasting image of Gardner, however, won’t be his stellar performance under the lights against Notre Dame in 2013, or his interceptions and fumbles versus Michigan State this past October. No, he will hopefully be remembered for his leadership and class in times good and bad throughout his career, exemplified most succinctly by his consoling of JT Barrett after the Ohio State quarterback's season was ended with a broken ankle. 

Now that is a Michigan Man of whom we can all be proud.

In his own words: "I played and won in front of the largest crowd to ever witness a football game in the 145-year history of the sport, gotten a shoutout from the President of the United State of America and (had the chance) to be an inspiration to patients at Mott Children's Hospital, who are fighting fights much greater than football games. This experience here will be tough to top, and I'm sad that it has to end. I'm a believer in the saying coined by the great Bo Schembechler. 'Those who stay will be champions.' I stayed, and I will live the rest of my life as a champion."

It even inspired the praise of those Buckeye heathens*.

*Go Oregon next Monday. 

Merry Christmas from The Youngs

My favorite part of the end of the year, ranked in order behind, you know, the whole birth of Jesus our Lord and Savior (Amen!), the playing (on repeat!) of Amy Grant’s indelible classic (and creatively named) A Christmas Album, and (how could I forget!) the cookies, oh the cookies, is the various “Best of” lists that pop up as the new year approaches.

Music, movies, photos...every topic you can think of receives its very own “Best of” list. (Seriously…I just saw one for ‘the weirdest gifts asked for by kids from mall Santas this year’. Uh? How about a dry cleaning gift card, which the kid can then give back to the mall Santa? Wash those suits, fellas!)

So allow me to add one more to the stack: here is the Young Family’s Best Ten Moments from 2014.

1. 2014 proved to be the year of the road trip. We tested the trusty old van’s mettle with drives to Pennsylvania in January, Nashville in May, and Minneapolis in August. So, pretty much ten hours in every direction but North. Sorry Canada, but that ain’t happenin’!

2. Kim and Doug continued their globetrotting ways, adding “Konnichi wa” and ”Buon giorno” to their vocabularies. (Consider this your yearly linguistics/geography quiz.)

3. Their Tuscany trip, with dear friends the Lisulls, was in honor of a special occasion: enhanced AARP benefits! Cheap movie tickets! Blue hair specials!

4. To commemorate this special year (ahem, 60!), Kim was surprised by an epic gathering of family and friends in September. Doug, you sneaky fellow!

5. To return the birthday favor, for Doug’s turn the family gathered in Chicago for food, fun with friends, and laughs at a Second City improv comedy show.

6. Doug and Cam had the opportunity to attend the Final Four in Dallas in early April, even lucking into courtside seats. As Dickie V would attest, “It was awesome, baby!”

7. Two weeks in early August were tranquilly spent on the shores of Lake Huron, in Tawas, MI, interrupted only by a quick jaunt down to see Manchester United play Real Madrid in The Big House.

8. It wasn’t all fun and games in 2014: Cam continues to enjoy Steelcase, while Mac and Liz trudge through the Minnesotan snow to get to Boston Scientific and Ph.D year #3 at U of Minnesota, respectively. Jon and Doug are pushing Behler-Young to new heights, and Kim is the rock behind it all, using her age-acquired wisdom to dole out ample “suggestions” and ”advice”.

9. Speaking of Mac and Liz, they’re creating a splendid life for themselves in MN, spending much of their free time working on remodeling their new house, when they’re not shoveling snow or scraping ice off of windshields.

10. The whole family remains in good health and good spirits, with Cam devoting two days per week to intense physical therapy, and Doug and Kim each climbing out of bed when it’s still dark out to do exercise-related things on a semi-regular basis. Even Jon has been spotted speed-walking here and there. Chalking that up as a win!

We wish you and yours a happy and healthy holiday season, and a #blessed 2015! 

                                                                                                                 

A Recent Walking Video and a Research Update

Here's a video from a few weeks ago of me getting some steps in. Hopefully this winter won't snow me in as much as last year's did, so I can keep on my two sessions per week schedule.

There's also been some exciting news on the research front, out of Case Western Reserve University:

Injections of a new drug may partially relieve paralyzing spinal cord injuries, based on indications from a study in rats, which was partly funded by the National Institutes of Health. 

After spinal cord injury, axons try to cross the injury site and reconnect with other cells but are stymied by scarring that forms after the injury. Previous studies suggested their movements are blocked when the protein tyrosine phosphatase sigma (PTP sigma), an enzyme found in axons, interacts with chondroitin sulfate proteoglycans, a class of sugary proteins that fill the scars.  

Dr. Bradley Lang and his colleagues designed a drug called ISP to block the enzyme and facilitate the drug’s entry into the brain and spinal cord. Injections of the drug under the skin of paralyzed rats near the injury site partially restored axon growth and improved movements and bladder functions. 

“There are currently no drug therapies available that improve the very limited natural recovery from spinal cord injuries that patients experience,” said Lyn Jakeman, Ph.D., a program director at the NIH’s National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, Bethesda, MD. “This is a great step towards identifying a novel agent for helping people recover.” 

“It was amazing. The axons kept growing and growing,” said Dr. Silver.

Truly great news.

No Shave November: The Aftermath

Quick: Which one is least creepy?

 The "Under the Bridge"

The "G.O.A.T" (a.k.a. Get Out at Once)

The "Fu Manchu"

The "Fu Shadow"

The "Trash 'Stache"

The "Productive Citizen"

Francis Fukuyama on Political Order and Political Decay

This past week, Francis Fukuyama came to The Hauenstein Center at GVSU to give a lecture on his new book, Political Order and Political Decay. To sum it up in a sentence: it’s been a pretty bad year for order in global politics.

I did not take this photo.

(The director of The Hauenstein Center in his introduction described Fukuyama as one of the top five political thinkers in the world. Who knew they had rankings on that? Is that the AP or the Coaches Poll? Will Fukuyama make the College Football Playoff? So many questions…)

Fukuyama rose to fame after the publication of his book The End of History and the Last Man, in which he argued that liberal democracy stood alone as the only form of government compatible with socio-economic modernity (opposed to say communism, as Marx had posited).

The New York Times, in a review of Political Order and Political Decay, wrote:

Over the years since, Fukuyama has continued to argue the case, and has now summed up his efforts with a two-­volume magnum opus that chronicles global political development from prehistory to the present. A quarter-century on, he remains convinced that no other political system is viable in the long run, but concludes his survey with a sobering twist: Liberal democracy’s future is cloudy, but that is because of its own internal problems, not competition from any external opponent.

Large, traditional powers like China and Russia are banging their drums and looking to expand their territories, while small, nontraditional groups continue to make noise across the Middle East and Africa. The hope we should have, according to Fukuyama, is for all of these states to get to Denmark. Not on the map per se, but to get to Denmark’s level of stability and low corruption. If Haiti, Somalia, Iraq, et al., looked like Denmark, the world would be better off. The problem is, we don't know how Denmark got to be Denmark. How did Vikings turn into social democrats? Maybe we'll never know.

Fukuyama argues that political order is held up by three pillars:
• The state, which is granted certain powers and responsibilities;
• The rule of law, which is a constraint on the powers of the state;
• Democratic accountability, although it’s important to remember that procedural accountability doesn't always equal substantive accountability. (Meaning, just because they say they're doing it doesn't mean they're actually doing it. See: voting in Afghanistan.)

These three pillars are necessities in a liberal democracy. Like the legs of a stool, unbalance one of them and order becomes wobbly.

Looking more closely at the state, there exists a difference between a modern state and a patrimonial state. In a modern state, there are clear distinctions between public and private. Corruption is possible, but it can be squashed through both the rule of law and democratic accountability.

In a patrimonial state however, the government itself is a species of private property. The king, ruler, president owns everything. The modern version is called a neopatrimonial state; take, for example, Ukraine. The democratic elections that precipitated the recent protests and rioting returned to power a president who had raided the treasury to build himself a massive palace outside Kiev. Soviet-esque corruption at its finest and most brazen. Other prominent examples of struggling democracies include India, Nigeria and Greece.

In Greece, ever since their transition to democratic rule, parties have won power via a system of patronage, rewarding supporters with civil jobs. And that’s been their downfall; Greece now has seven times per capita the amount of public workers as the UK. It’s not that these countries don’t understand democracy, or are incapable of practicing it, it's just that their democracies are immature. For most, they’ve been at it for less than a century.

It’s important to remember that the US hasn’t always been the beacon-on-a-hill of democracy that we are today. (That was sarcasm.) The system of patronage ravaging countries like Greece and Ukraine takes its lead from early 19th-century American politics, specifically the presidential election between Andrew Jackson and John Quincy Adams. A century of patronage tradition followed that took the assassination of James Garfield and the trust-bustin’ exploits of Teddy Roosevelt to fix. Democracy created problems of corruption, but was also key to eventually solving them.

Which brings us to political decay. Why is there still corruption in America? After all, the three pillars of our ‘stool’ remain intact and balanced. (Right?)

Fukuyama argues that despite America’s problems, we are not in decline as a democratic society. The rise in interest groups, though, is troubling. They are legitimate entities, but there is simply too much money involved, manipulating elected officials and distorting the views of the electorate. K Street lobbyists don't represent voters, just wealthy elites. Add to this mix intense polarization and extreme gerrymandering and you are left with the wide split between the parties that we see today.

The Founding Fathers, when writing the Constitution, wanted to maximize individual liberty, and as a result instituted the genius system of checks and balances that we know and love. Partisan politics, however, have led to this system transforming into what Fukuyama calls a "vetocracy", or a rule by veto. It is so bogged down and obstructed that necessary reforms to government are nearly impossible. (Case in point: the budget. Entitlement reform. Immigration. The tax code. Need I go on?) The US is a crucial model of democracy internationally, and we are simply not acting like a very good role model right now.

An audience member asked him if he still felt liberal democracies were the "end of history", and he said he did. Two-thirds of the countries on Earth have some form of a democracy. He admitted however, that the Chinese system is a threat to his thesis, because they have made a viable state despite running an authoritarian-style government, which may be attractive to developing countries.

Assorted notes:

• A broad middle class is key to sustaining democracy, making it easy to understand where and why democracy has failed, the most obvious example being much of Latin America. Social inequality often gives rise to populist politics, and the accompanying unrest and instability.
• Gerrymandering is a problem. Re-districting ought to be done on a non-partisan basis, as they do in California, to fix this mass polarization and huge incumbency advantage.
• Are instant runoff elections the solution, where candidates are ranked and votes reassigned if the voter's top choice loses? It would make it easier for third-party challengers to get their voices heard.
• In response to a question regarding Islamic extremism, he argued that ISIS is not a huge threat, but is made more viable by the vacuum of modern states in the area. The instability in the region results from an ongoing Shia versus Sunni civil war, which in itself is shaping up as a proxy war between Saudi Arabia and Iran. It won’t stop until they figure out it makes sense to stop fighting, similar to the battles between denominations of Christianity across the centuries. 
• “The desire for democracy is strong but actually doing it is hard.”

After the talk, in the receiving line to get my book signed, I asked Dr. Fukuyama about neo-conservatism and if it is actually possible for a benevolent hegemon to even exist. (Fukuyama famously broke with Dubya and his merry band of neocons after the invasion of Iraq in 2003.) He murmured something about breaking with them in '03, which I already knew thanks to a quick pre-lecture scan of his Wikipedia page, and then said something along the lines of "we underestimated the hard military power that was needed." No shit. I was hustled through without another follow-up.

My original question, though, asked if a superpower is ever able to truly act benevolently when aiding, interfering with, or invading another state. True-believer neocons would probably say yes, in that the adoption of democracy is worth any unrest or upheaval caused. The quagmire of Iraq, in my opinion, is proof enough that it is actually not worth it. Reality bites, as they say.

The Beach Boys...and my #IceBucketChallenge

"Hey Rolling Man, got a song you’d like to hear tonight?"

I peeked back over my right shoulder. Surely that was directed at me, although that's not how I typically prefer to be addressed. (I was pretty sure I was the wheelchair user in question because although I was situated in the back of the accessible seating area at the Meijer Gardens, I was the only concertgoer on wheels. I don't make a practice of comparing disabilities to one another, but does one foot in a boot entitle five senior citizens to the entirety of the front row of the section? It's technically within the arbitrarily enforced rules, but I digress...)

I spotted the gentleman who had asked the question. He looked...out of place. These Beach Boy tickets were $62, yet this guy looked like he had been out fishing earlier, or on a jog and had decided impromptu to see a concert. Short running shorts, kind of grungy shirt, weird hat...all the better I guess to remain incognito.

Because the guy was Bruce Johnston, Grammy-winning songwriter, keyboardist and vocalist and one of two original Beach Boys (along with Mike Love) to grace the stage that night.

Overhearing murmurs around me that this oddly dressed guy was a Beach Boy, I froze. My mind was immediately purged of Beach Boys song titles. Just don't say a Beatles song, I thought. Favorites like "God Only Knows" and "California Girls" were erased from memory.

I stalled. "Uh...um...uh..."

Still nothing. I bit my lip. Choking in the clutch!  Lyrics popped into my head:

"...c'mon, let's cruise, you got...nothing to lose..."

Finally! But still no song title. Oh well. I started lightly singing, "C'mon let's cruise, you got..."

He cut me off. "Still Cruisin! Great choice!"

They played it halfway through the first half of the concert, dedicating it to 'his friend in the back'. Pretty cool moment.

------

You may have seen a video or two online over the past few weeks of people dumping ice water over their own heads in the name of charity. Who am I kidding, of course you have. It's impossible to go on Facebook or even step outdoors without seeing someone accept the Ice Bucket Challenge, some reluctant, some eager (usually depending on the ambient temperature) and proceed to soak themselves in ice water. 

ALS, aka Lou Gehrig's disease, is a debilitating muscular disease. It truly is a terrible affliction and deserves this spotlight, money, and research attention. The background behind the Challenge is pretty cool; it's amazing to see how and why things go viral on the wild, wild Internet. 

Of the many iterations of the Challenge floating around out there, this one's my favorite. Steve Gleason, a former New Orleans Saint and an inspiration of mine, participated wholeheartedly in the Challenge. Read his story here and watch his video:

Ice Bucket Challenge from Team Gleason on Vimeo.

Without further ado, here's my video (edited for length and expletives):

Burrrrrr!

Now what should the challenge be to raise awareness and money for Spinal Cord Injury research?