THE PUBLIC SERVANT | 1

PSThe official student publication of the Bush School of Government and Public Service

V o l u m e 1 4 , I S S u e 1 , o c t o b e r 2 0 1 2

“Public Service is not for the faint hearted”

L iberty and Justice for Some?

Andrew Natsios Joins the Bush School as Executive Professor, Bringing Lessons from Years of Experience in Public Service

Prosecuting the Makers of the Film that Sparked the Embassy Attacks

Earlier this year, Pro-fessor Natsios pub-lished this book illu-minating the conflict between Sudan and South Sudan based on his research and experience as U.S. Special Envoy to Su-dan and Administra-tor of USAID through Oxford University Press.

Andrew Natsios’ distinguished career in pub-lic service spans almost 40 years. He served as President George W. Bush’s Special Envoy to Sudan, Administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), administrator of their Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance, chairman and CEO of Boston’s “Big Dig”, Vice President of World Vision and a member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives. He comes to the Bush School from the Walsh School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University where he taught for six years. When he began his career as a state elected official, he thought he would spend his entire career in Massachu-setts. However, his career took an unexpected turn when his mentor recommended he apply to USAID in 1988. He originally applied for a position in Latin American …

See NATSIOS on page 10

Most of the protests in the Middle East have ceased in the last week, but that does not mean that there are not any residual feelings of hatred for the producer, or that these feelings of hatred have even lessened. Part of my job here in Qatar is to tutor freshmen and sophomores in writing and English. Many of these students’ writing prompts have been to express their own beliefs about the nature of the film and what, if any, punishment should be given to the producer. The responses from these still teenagers have been very eye-opening. To begin with, many of the students – mostly Gulf Arabs – assume that the producer is an American. Doubts about whether the man even has American citizenship have been floating around Western media, but for the most part have eluded local media here.

See LIBERTY on page 5

By Ashley Herron (MPIA ‘13)

By Courtney Burge (MPIA ‘13)

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Photo by STATE.GOV

THE PUBLIC SERVANT | 2

College Station is full of tradi-tion, honor, respect and spirit; it is loved by any Aggie. However, for all it offers the soul in the realm of nostalgia and reverence, it leaves little to the realm of entertainment outside of campus life. For those not involved on campus, they are regulated to chain restaurants, packed movie theaters and a crowded nightlife on Northgate. So where can one go to fulfill the more cultured de-sires of their heart? Look no further than Downtown Bryan, where live music, local food and cultural events linger in a quasi-urban and semi-hip-ster scene. Though the area only covers about five square blocks, it more than makes up in afternoon and evening en-joyment. By far my favorite of all res-taurants in the downtown area is Mad-den’s Casual Gourmet. Designated as “American Fusion Cuisine,” this casual gourmet restaurant offers a variety of food, including soups, salad, sandwich-es, dessert and seafood for lunch. The average price of a satisfyingly stellar meal, including a freshly squeezed lem-onade or raspberry tea, runs approxi-mately $10-12. Madden’s is one of the many buildings in the Bryan area that has kept its original building structure, giving it a traditional and aged, yet de-finitively urban feel. Other restaurants

The LocalThe Public ServanT | ocTober 2012

L i v i n gL o c a lLife in Downtown Bryan

By Sheehan Whelan (MPSA ‘14)

If you ever thought the City of Bryan didn’t hold something for you, think again.Photo by BRYANTX.GOV

include The Lemon Wedge, Cafe Capri, Papa Perez, Mr. G’s Pizzeria and Casa Rodriguez. Some venues, along with serv-ing food, also become bars or music venues in the evening. Proudest Mon-key offers burger-esque cuisine and a cozy atmosphere at night. Brauhaus’ German fare is attached to popular Murphy’s Law, an Irish pub with regu-lar trivia nights. Downtown Uncorked is a wine bar with limited appetizers and desserts but a perfect atmosphere for post-date glasses of wine, or a girls’ night out. The dress code at Uncorked is not specifically addressed, but I wouldn’t make the mistake (again) of under-dressing. On an important note, let me remind you how important it is to tip your servers well. They are paid $2.13 an hour, which they are taxed on, and the tips they accumulate are also taxed. In a recent Yahoo article, being a server or waiter were ranked as the 198th and 200th worst and least satisfying jobs in America. Lumberjack and janitor were

ranked above being a server. My favorite venues offer mu-sic several days within the week. The Village Cafe is quaint and has live mu-sic each Thursday, plus on Wednes-days and Saturdays it has Salsa danc-ing. The Palace Theater is completely outdoors, with an amphitheater set-ting which sometimes shows movies or hosts concerts and events such as Rock the Republic (Bryan’s version of Austin City Limits) and Texas Grand Slam Poetry Festival. The Grand Staf-ford is recently opened and renovated. Though still under construction, it has a fairly expansive and good line-up for the fall semester. Revolution Bar and Cafe of-fers Open Mic nights every Wednes-day, and Slam Poetry on Sundays, with past performances by our own Patrick Hogan, MPIA class of 2014. It has a stellar outdoor area, with a massive wall painted like Starry Night and hanging strands of light. The only place that doesn’t fit into …

See LIVING on page 10

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As an American man, I have an obsession with hamburgers. It is a staple of the Texas diet and deserves to be the reigning champion dish of the tailgate. Down here in Texas, a good hamburger is as macho as it comes. So when I entered Grub Burger Bar, I was a little unsure about what to expect. I felt more like I was dining in an avant-garde restaurant in a major city on the west coast than in the middle of Col-lege Station. It definitely didn’t fit my macho view of the burger joint. But, alas, we must let the food do the talk-ing. And boy did it talk. I ordered the most popular burger on the menu: the Lockhart Legend. This burger contained some of the things that make Texas great: Dr. Pepper whipped into their custom BBQ sauce and Shiner Bock (a promi-nent Texas beer) battered onion rings. This burger was worth every penny. Add on the great happy hour specials, the vegetarian options, the friendly college-age staff (always ready to get you another drink), and you’ve got an excellent dining experience.

Sparks’ Marks: 18/20

Sparks’ M a r k sA new Look at the Burger - Grub Burger Bar Review

By Trey Sparks (MPIA ‘14)

The Public Service Organi-zation is proud to announce its con-tinued collaboration with the Arts Council of Brazos Valley. On Tues-day, Sept. 18, the College Station Hilton opened its doors to art lovers of the Bryan/College Station area for an “Evening in Spain,” the 2012 Cel-ebrating the Arts Gala. The gala is the council’s annual fundraiser and supports artistic expression enjoyed by residents year-round. This year’s gala included flamenco and classical guitar per-formances, live and silent auctions, dinner and sangria. The highlight of the night was a comedic musical performance by local artists. Chef Kevin Kimbrough prepared tradi-tional Spanish cuisine including tapas, paella and gazpacho. Bush School volunteers were instrumental in the evening’s suc-

Photo by BRYANTX.GOV

Arts Council Gala Public Service Organization Assists the Arts Council of Brazos Valley With Yet Another Successful Event

By Caitlin Harwood (MPIA ‘13)

2012 Bryan/College Station Celebrating the Arts Gala: Evening in Spain

cess. The students worked mostly by checking in guests and then leading them to their tables, helping with the silent auction and providing technical support to the perform-ers. The Arts Council and the Bush School would like to recognize and thank our generous volunteers: Ju-dith Todd, Dani Menard, Caitlin Harwood, Gabriella Medina, Julie Swensen and Joseph Roberts. For those of you who would like to participate in similar events with the Public Service Organiza-tion and the Arts Council of Bra-zos Valley, don’t forget about our upcoming volunteer opportunities: The Texas Reds Festival on October 12-13 and Christmas at the Creek on Nov. 30-Dec. 1 and Dec. 7-8. These events are a great way to serve the community, support the arts and have fun. Don’t miss out!

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T he OpinionsThe Public ServanT | ocTober 2012

Where is Xi Jinping? That was the million dollar question for the first fortnight of September. The per-son chosen to replace Hu Jintao as the most powerful man in the People’s Re-public of China had vanished. Chinese government officials offered no statement to the media about his whereabouts or condition. The rumor mills swirled, in China and around the globe, flinging out every kind of explanation, from car crash to heart attack, liver cancer to coup plot, even talk of an assassination attempt. What did the Communist Party do to curb such speculation? Nothing. On Saturday, September 15, Xi finally reappeared touring a univer-sity in Beijing. Apparently a fit of back pain had caused him to miss meetings with the U.S. Secretary of State and the Prime Ministers of Denmark and Singapore. Afterward, Mr. Xi and his party carried on as though nothing had happened. Some China commen-tators said that the whole incident had simply been overblown. But something did happen: the credibility of the Chinese Com-

The Curious Case of the M i s s i n g StatesmanOn the Disappearance of Xi Jin-ping and Chinese Communist Party Credibility

By Kevin Allshouse (MPIA ‘14) Xi Jinping visits Washington D.C. for talks with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Vice President Joe Biden.

Photo by STATE.GOV

munist Party took a hit. Leaders of the world’s powerful states can’t just disap-pear. This is the 21st century. Within 24 hours, everyone with a computer knows that something is amiss. In to-day’s world, leaders must be active and visible. If they must retreat from the public eye, then they must provide an explanation. When they don’t, their reputation and reliability become suspect. The Communist Party is no exception to this. The days are gone when politicians could run off on short notice to hike the Appalachian Trail, as Governor of South Carolina Mark Sanford discovered. If you do, you had better send status updates and tweet about the beautiful views, because that is what people expect in today’s world. If you don’t give it to them, then you get caught with your pants down in Argentina. How does this hurt the Com-munist Party? Through the inexpli-cable fact that none of them seemed to think there would be any kind of hoop-la about the whole thing, this negatively impacts the perception on the aware-

ness of communist government leader-ship. Though admittedly the Chinese government is not exactly the paragon of transparency, given the sensitivity of its current situation, one would expect a bit more prudence. The Chinese Communist Party is about to endure something unprecedented. For the first time since the end of the Mao era, the leader of the Chinese government will not be hand-picked by Deng Xiaoping. If all goes according to plan, next month will be the first test of the deliberative, intra-party selection process which landed Xi Jinping in his current po-sition as heir apparent. If it goes off without a hitch, it might well lend some credibility and legitimacy to a Communist Party which many feel is sorely lacking both. It can’t be denied that a large chunk of those doubters live in the People’s Republic at the moment. The now disgraced Bo Xilai, who was slat-ed along with Xi Jinping to become a member of the Politburo …

See COMMANDER on page 11

THE PUBLIC SERVANT | 5

But regardless of whether the man is an American or just an émigré living in America, one belief remains the same – he ought to be severely pun-ished. Every response I have read has included an apology, jail time, and a monetary fine. I do my best to withhold my own beliefs about the topic until the stu-dents and I are outside of class, so we can focus on either editing papers into coherent thoughts or arguing funda-mental beliefs. The Qataris and other Gulf Arab students do not understand the concept of separation of church and state. Here, there is no separation of mosque and state; the Emir rules through sharia law. If feelings are hurt in Qatar, or if someone’s actions cause another to “lose face,” the punishment can be as severe as seven years in pris-on. The more Westernized Arab stu-dents, especially those who have done a study abroad stint in College Station, understand that the First Amendment protects virtually all speech – one ex-ception being speech that causes phys-ical harm to another. So my question is, how should the United States treat this case? If the man is not an American, to what ex-tent is he protected by American law? If he is an American, how should the United States proceed? His amateur film offended a great number of peo-ple in the world, putting our citizens overseas at risk of being injured, or in Ambassador Chris Stevens’ case, killed. Should the United States Su-preme Court devote serious consid-eration to amending the interpreta-tion of the amendment or should our government simply continue to what it has been doing: denounce the film but promise liberty… for all?

One topic that I discuss with my colleagues is potential threats to the United States in both the present and future. As I listen to people’s opin-ions on the biggest threats to the US in the future, I hear the same list of ac-tors, but there is one name in particu-lar I don’t hear. Amazingly, a good bit of peo-ple do not consider the Russian Fed-eration to be a potential threat to the United States. We’ve all heard the sto-ries of the Russian economic collapose in the 1990s and the complete lack of control that followed; some of us, in-cluding myself, lived through those years. However, if history has taught us anything, it is that it repeats itself. Let’s take a trip back to Octo-ber 1917. The entire Russian Federa-tion is in chaos, the government as we know it has been overthrown by a rev-olutionary named Vladimir Lenin. A bloody civil war followed the revolu-tion. No one could have predicted that in less than 30 years, Russia would be-come one of the victors of the World

Photo by CASI BUCH

An Adversary, Unseen

L I B E R T Y

The Cold War May Be Over, but the Kremlin Still Poses a ThreatBy Vladislav Steere (MPSA ‘14)

St. George and the Dragon triumphantly form the top of this dome located just outside Red Square and the Kremlin in Moscow.

War II, on the verge of creating one of the biggest militaries that the world had ever seen. The government of the United States came to that chilling realiza-tion when the Soviet Union began to flex its muscles as its production of armored vehicles skyrocketed. So be-gan the Cold War. Why is it that just because a country is down on its knees today, people discount it from being able to stand strongly? Over the past few years, the government of Russia under the leadership of Vladimir Pu-tin and the Minister of Defense Ana-toly Serdyukov began to expand and modernize the Russian war apparatus. The increase in the defense budget has been immense, and the personal attention of President Putin has been dedicated to strengthening his mili-tary. Are the pictures on the internet of Putin in the cockpit of a fighter jet or on the bridge of a warship just for show? I would argue no. One of the most important factors …

See ADVERSARY on page 11

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For years, rumors of CIA ac-tivity at the Bush School have flown around College Station and beyond. Undergraduates and campus visitors frequent the Allen building in search of evidence, but never daring to ask students what they will do when they graduate. Some say the Bush School feeds directly into CIA officer ranks. Others say it is an active base for CIA activity. Wikileaks has finally revealed the truth – the Bush School is a CIA training camp. While “The Farm,” the CIA’s training facility in Virginia, has been responsible for indoctrinating CIA of-ficers in the arts of parachuting, letter-opening, and lock-picking since 1951, there’s a new game in town. The Farm 2.0 was launched at the Bush School in 1998 under the guise of the Master’s Program in International Affairs. The Bush School is equipped with a midget submarine, which pa-trols beneath the surface of the Bush School pond, and a network of tun-nels running between the buildings in the Bush complex. All “Graduate As-sistant” offices are equipped with Top Secret phone lines, and the top floor of the Bush Library is outfitted as a safe house, under cover of a presidential apartment. Bush School “students” practice precision aim at the horse-shoe pit, use the parking lot for evasive driving techniques, and construct ra-dios out of broken staplers, empty piz-za boxes, and excess microwave parts

in the student work room. The student office doors also spontaneously lock to give students regular practice at picking them. Professor MacNamee leads the most overt training exercises at the Bush School in his Technical Collec-tions class. Under the guise of prac-titioner academics, students conduct surveillance detection runs and asset recruitment scenarios. Professor Ol-son, former CIA Counterintelligence

the RadishThe Public ServanT | ocTober 2012

Farm 2.0Wikileaks Exposes CIA Training Camp at the Bush School

By Walker Herbert (MPIA ‘93)

Photo by BUSH SCHOOL

Photo by KEHKASHAN DADWANI

Chief, is actually still under cover in his position at the Bush School. The face so widely recognized is actually a high-tech CIA mask. Visitors should not expect to see obvious signs of The Farm 2.0 when traversing the Allen building, but should be especially mindful of listening devices in classrooms and hallways, and therefore always exer-cise discretion in conversations.

Printers say feeling is mutual

THE PUBLIC SERVANT | 7

Aries March 21 - April 19The Bryan Police were not happy with your explanation: “No, no-it’s fine. This is a terrorist simulation.” On the bright side, al-Qaeda seemed impressed.Be wary of: the security dilemma

Taurus April 20 – May 20Your theory that you can drive 41 mph on Barbara Bush Drive will cause problems with campus security.Watch out for: interdiction

Gemini May 21 – June 20Your cover letter’s introduction with “Howdy” and conclusion of “Thanks and gig ‘em” did not go over well.Steer clear of: Career Services

Cancer June 21- July 22The stars are aligned and this is cer-tain: the printer will be working on Wednesday from 3:30-5:00 pm. Ig-nore any toner warnings. Still no sta-pler.Lucky connections: Mark Kacer

Leo July 23 – August 22Capstones are not actual stones; you can’t frack them.Fall for: the allure of energy inde-pendence

Virgo August 23 – September 22Your professor is not amused by you answering questions with lyrics from the Aggie War Hymn—a friendly re-

Grand AstrologyYour Source for Foreign Policy Horoscopes

By Herbert Walker (MPSA ‘88)

minder that tailgates only occur on game days.October bad days: 1, 3, 4, 7, 8, 9, 11, 14, 15, 17, 18, 19, 20, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 28, 31

Libra September 23 – October 22It’s evident that you misunderstood the whole ‘stopping power of water’ idea since you insist on trying to dig a moat around ‘your’ desk. Steer clear of: Mearsheimer refer-ences.

Scorpio October 23 – November 21A couple of your friends have report-ed your recent criminal activity to the OPM investigators; on the bright side there’s enough red tape for you to be in the clear until graduation.Be wary of: deterrence failure

Sagittarius November 22 – December 21A huge tornado will rip your house asunder while you are in it. Thank-fully, you have taken the FEMA IS-235 exam and should have no problem dealing with it.Fall for: Graham Allison’s Essence of Decision

Capricorn December 22 – January 19Stop worrying about the course on the India trip syllabus entitled “Your life as a call center manager.” You should be more worried about “Swimming in the Ganges 101.”Be wary of: “misdirected” drone strikes

Aquarius January 20 – February 18Texas A&M 49, LSU 3. Bet on it…a lot. Be wary of: STATA t-scores

Pisces February 19 – March 20Your friend will approach you com-pletely convinced and depressed about the decline in American power. You will be too worried about the rise of China to offer any solace.Steer clear of: free-riding security dependents

Flamingo FlirtationHey this might be a long shot, but looking for a girl at the 4th Annual Texas A&M Lawn Ornament Swap. You were wearing a fedora (maybe Roger Federer collection?) and a Limp Bizkit “Rock On The Range” tour shirt. Saw you smile (maybe?) at me through the maroon lawn flamingos. Thought you seemed pretty cool. Dixie Chicken ChickenYou were walking out of the Dixie Chicken, and I knew right away you were my kind of girl because you had ordered “Stuff ” and were eating it in its paper food basket as you walked. Unfortunately, my mouth was full of food truck tacos and I couldn’t ask for your number. Wanna meet next Friday at Layne’s Chicken?

MissedConnections

THE PUBLIC SERVANT | 8

The Public ServanT | ocTober 2012

Academics

When designing our govern-ing structures, the Founding Fathers sought to ensure that individual rights would be protected regardless of the majority’s will. This desire was real-ized with the creation of the Supreme Court and federal court system. This article will illustrate that although presidents throughout history have sought ways to increase their policy influence, the government’s judicial system has largely been institution-ally shielded against advancements of presidential power.The Supreme Court’s Independence It is assumed that a president will choose candidates for the Su-preme Court who hold the president’s political philosophy and that their appointment will then bolster the president’s policy agenda. Justices on the Supreme Court, however, have a tendency to rule independently once appointed. A recent example of this independence can be seen in the rul-ing on the Affordable Healthcare Act by Chief Justice Roberts, appointed by conservative George W. Bush. In a five to four decision, the court upheld the individual mandate with Chief Justice

Commander- i n - C h i e f i n C h e c kControlling the Expansion of Presidential Authority through the Judicial System

By Crystal N. Davis (MPSA ‘13)

The majestic Supreme Court building is located just behind the U.S. Capitol Complex in Washington, D.C.

Photo by SUPREMECOURT.GOV

Roberts siding with the court’s four Democratic appointees.Presidential Signing Statements as Constitutional Objections A second way in which presidents attempt to increase presidential au-thority is the strategic employment of presidential signing statements, of-ficial pronouncements that provide comments regarding specific aspects of a bill. Presidential signing state-ments have been used since the early 19th century; however, their use as constitutional objections to legisla-tion has recently increased. President Reagan expanded their use as a means to include his statement in “legislative history…to persuade courts to take the statements into consideration in judicial rulings.” While subsequent rulings cited the existence of presiden-tial signing statements, however, the evidence indicates that the statements had no bearing on the Court’s inter-pretation of legislation. In Youngstown Sheet & Tube Co. v. Sawyer, the Supreme Court as-

serted that the president only pos-sesses the limited lawmaking pow-ers granted by the Constitution. The president is granted the authority to recommend laws he agrees with and veto those he believes are insufficient or bad, and while the signing state-ment may indicate a presidential re-fusal to enforce a provision, the provi-sion “retains its full legal character and will remain actionable.”Balancing Neutral Competence and Responsiveness Finally, a president may at-tempt to exert additional influence over policymaking by decreasing “neutral competence,” the impartial policy advisement that politicians can solicit from executive agency admin-istrators. Historically, government bureaucrats were applauded for their neutral competence, but efforts of President Eisenhower provided presi-dents the opportunity to consider “political allegiance” when appointing executive posts. The …

See COMMANDER on page 11

THE PUBLIC SERVANT | 9

studies of gender difference are often confused with the analytical organi-zation of cross-cultural work. This is the end result, the perception formed from the combination of these pre-suppositions that paints a picture of what Mohanty calls an “average Third World woman.” This type of woman lives her life based on her gender – victimized, domestic, ignorant and uneducated. The “average Third World woman” is a polar opposite of what is described in Western women; females who are strong, independent, in con-trol of their sexuality and educated. These three analytical presuppositions illustrate the ways in which Western feminine discourse “Orientalizes” Third World women. The “Orientalization” of Third World women by the Western femi-nine discourse is both inaccurate and ethically wrong. The Western feminine discourse tends to construct Third World women as singular, monolithic subjects, and it makes an assumption of privilege and ethnocentric univer-sality (ignorant, poor, uneducated, domestic, etc.). The construction and catego-rization of Third World women is very problematic. The categorization of these women as a monolithic subject makes the formation of strategic coali-tions across class, race, and national boundaries difficult. By placing all Third World women into one group, their diversity and identities are ig-nored. To assume that Third World women are all a certain comparable to Western women as a whole also causes issues, because it then ignores the di-versity within Western women. It is unfair to all Third World women to be categorized into a single …

See WOMEN on page 11

It is said that Western femi-nist discourse on women in the Third World often “Orientalizes” women the Third World In order to fully understand how Western feminist discourse “Ori-entalizes” women in the Third World, we must define what exactly “Orien-talism” is. In Latent and Manifest Ori-entalism, Edward Said explains that the “Orient existed as a place isolated from the mainstream of Europeans progress in the sciences, arts and com-merce.” Consequently, whatever good or bad values were ascribed to the Ori-ent appeared to be functions of vastly specialized Western interest in the Orient. Keeping Said’s explanation in mind, I will identify and explain three key analytical presuppositions in Western feminine discourse on Third World women exposed in the writings of Chandra Mohanty. The first key supposition made in Western feminist discourse is the strategic location of

Photo courtesy of FOTER.COM

Third World WomenWestern feminist discourse on women in the Third World often “Orientalizes” women the Third World.By Cristina Davis (MPIA ‘14)

The Chinese philosophy of yin-yang embodies the struggle between gender and oppos-ing but complementary forces in a complex and interconnected world.

the category “women.” This is the con-viction that all women are classifiable together because any assumptions made are universally and cross-cultur-ally applicable. The conception is that in spite of differences in class or race, all women have identical interests and desires. It follows that “women,” used as a class for analysis, concludes: all Third World women are victims of male violence, universal dependents, victims of the colonial process, vic-tims of the Arab familial system, vic-tims of the Islamic code, and lastly, all Third World women are victims of the economic development process. The second presupposition becomes evident on the methodologi-cal level. The Western feminist dis-course is uncritical of the proof that affords cross-cultural legitimacy and universality. For instance, reproduc-tion and sexual division of labor are often without their specification in local culture and historical context of universal applicability. Also, empirical

THE PUBLIC SERVANT | 10

democracy development, but he was instead hired for a job he didn’t want as the Director of the Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance. In the first week, he helped provide medical treatment for children injured in a Russian train crash, attempted to get medical care into China for student protesters in-jured in Tiananmen Square and met John Gurang, leader of the Southern Sudanese rebellion. He decided to stay. Of this role, he says, “We saved millions of people’s lives. That has to be, for anybody, particularly satisfy-ing.” Professor Natsios joins the Bush School with particular affection for its founder and its philosophy. He has been connected with President Bush for 33 years when he and An-drew Card ran his 1980 campaign for the Republican presidential nomina-tion. He says that he “agrees with the man who brought me to Washington. Public service is a noble calling,” add-ing with a smile that it is not one for the fainthearted. He calls the school Bush’s greatest institutional legacy since leaving the presidency. In the spring, he plans to teach a course on Contemporary Issues in International Development focusing on the theory and practice of devel-opment. He is currently at work on a book on this subject and notes how living in College Station allows him to work on it in relative tranquility. Based on his remarkable career, he advises Bush School students to take opportu-nities as they come, even if they are un-

the mold of bar or music venue is Halo, known as a predominately gay club with intelligent lighting, house music and occasional drag shows. Downtown Bryan also offers a wide variety of antique shops, old-time icecream and soda parlors, sandwich shops and a Farmers’ Market on Satur-day mornings from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. Living in Downtown Bryan has been the single best decision I have made in my college career. I per-sonally live in an efficiency studio loft in the Charles Hotel building, facing Carnegie Alley and above Good Time Charley’s and Gifts and Gab. The mod-eling, with exposed pipes, rustic tin ceilings and rugged brick walls give an urban and grungy vibe. It’s affordable and cozy. I love that I am a block away from my favorite locations, and I don’t have to deal with any college traffic. The crowd in downtown Bryan is far from anything I was around in my un-dergraduate years, and I enjoy that pas-sionately. My neighbors are quiet and clean. The only noise is the railroad, which runs almost directly through downtown, but I find the sound of trains soothing most of the time. Downtown Bryan is inviting and friendly, with a casual and laid-back atmosphere. I highly suggest try-

The flow-overThe Public ServanT | ocTober 2012

Standing Committee, the most pow-erful policy-making institution in China, is suspected of helping protect his wife from investigation after she murdered a foreign national. The man suspected of being her accomplice, the chief of police in the city under Bo’s jurisdiction, is now accused of treason after he sought asylum at an American consulate in China. These events were a huge blow to the Party’s credibility and stoked fears that the leadership transition might not go off as smooth-ly as expected. In a system that is rife with political privilege and corrup-tion, you might expect the Chinese people to be jaded to this kind of thing. If you do, I recommend you search the phrase “my father is Li Gang.” In the international arena, Xi’s disappearance doesn’t help the party’s credibility. How might Japan have per-ceived it? After the Japanese govern-ment made a bid to buy the Diaoyu/Senkaku islands from a Japanese citi-zen at the end of August, the Chinese and Japanese authorities have been in a nationalist chest-thumping contest. Both nations claim the islands as their respective sovereign territory, both countries have committed to using any means to protect their claims, and it is a source of major contention and nationalist fervor on both sides. A few days after the Japa-nese make an admittedly provoca-tive move, the man who will be com-manding the Chinese army and navy

N A T S I O S

L I V I N G

STATESMAN

expected. “You can never tell where ca-reer is going to take you. You can have a plan, but be flexible enough to realize that if someone offers you a position, accept the position if looks interesting, even if it’s a stretch for you.”

ing it out at your next convenience.

THE PUBLIC SERVANT | 11

group, and to then have assumptions placed upon them that are, once again, assumed to be universal and cross-cultural. Furthermore, the Western feminine discourse “Orientalization” of Third World women has proven to be unfortunate and inaccurate, based on various assumptions that have been taken at face value.

diminishment of neutral competence might lead one to believe that policy-making decisions would lean towards the political agenda of the president. However, congressional suspicion led the way for Congress to broaden citi-zen challenges to administrative deci-sions.Conclusion There can be a tendency for a sitting president to seek opportunities to ex-pand their limited authority through appointments of Supreme Court jus-tices, utilization of presidential sign-ing statements, and reliance on politi-cally motivated bureaucrats. In some instances these attempts have resulted in success; the majority of these ac-tions, however, have had limited reach because the Supreme Court and Con-gress have provided the checks and balances necessary to restrict presi-dential authority.

in a military is esprit de corps, and Putin has returned that spirit to the military. I’m not planning to discuss his political strategy, but his actions are not purely out of concern for the public good. For those who still doubt the possibility, a few years ago the May parade on the Red Square renewed its tradition of the marching pass-in-review by Russian heavy vehicles. I watched each parade with great inter-est, both personal and professional, and what amazed me was the very last piece of equipment that was in the col-umn. It wasn’t a tank or a howitzer or an SAM launcher. No, it was a mobile, long-range, thermonuclear weapons complex. The Russian nuclear strat-

one month later suddenly vanishes. Where has he gone? What is he do-ing? The fact that such a prominent leader would not be publicly leading in such a situation must have intro-duced uncertainties into Japan’s strate-gic calculations. Uncertainties lead to miscalculations. Miscalculations can lead to catastrophes. Maybe I am just a nervous Nellie, but before you write this off and carry on about your day, remember that the Senkaku Islands are included in the U.S.-Japan Security Treaty, so that if Japan were attacked over them, the U.S. could be com-pelled to respond. After having spent some time studying China and its government, I have come to hold the opinion that the recent Communist Party leader-ship tend to be fairly rational, logical people. After such an inexplicable epi-sode of ineptitude and insensitivity at this crucial time, I am less certain.

egy has always been different than the United States’ as they rely on land-based mobile missiles more heavily than we do. The pure symbolism of the weapons being paraded before the Russian people and the world trig-gered a warning in my mind. The combination of money, internal restructuring of the military and the creation of a professional NCO corps and kontraktniki (con-tractors) is a recipe for a reemergence of a world-class military heavy weight. For those who aren’t familiar with the Soviet/Russian military structure, let me elaborate. Traditionally, Rus-sia had a professional officer corps, graduates of numerous military acad-emies, and a draftee military. Anyone who has served in the US military will tell you that the NCO corps is an es-sential element in executing opera-tions and that was the piece Russia was missing. However, what stands now is a professional, non-commissioned officer corps with more training and incentive to perform well. The Russian army website (www.mil.ru) banners a slogan “Служба по контракту – дело настоящих мужчин.” It translates, “Contract military service: work of real men.” The psychological element that has been missing in the Russian military has officially returned. So what does this all mean? That’s the question of the hour, ladies and gentlemen: what does this all amount to? There is no surety. None of us can see the future, but as edu-cated professionals we can predict. So, here is mine. I think that within the next quarter century, and very possibly even less, the world will see a new player emerge to contest the international military balance. If his-tory repeats itself, a nation who his-torically exhibited a hunger for land

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and power will emerge with a trained, modern military force at the reigns of the Kremlin. This is a possibility we must consider as the next generation of American leaders.

THE PUBLIC SERVANT | 12

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Bush School Student Government Asso-ciation and Public Service Organization are partnering with the Bryan/College Station Texas Reds Festival to raise money. If you’re not signed up to volunteer, attend Texas Reds October 12-13. Steak. Grapes. Downtown. Music. Read more here. Thom Shanker and Eric Schmitt, Pentagon

Correspondents for the New York Times, will discuss their new book, Counterstrike: The Un-told Story of America's Secret Campaign Against Al Qaeda, at the Annenberg Presidential Con-ference Center on October 10th.

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