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L awrence J ournal -W orld - USA TODAY WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 31, 2016
VOICES
Tunisia’s ‘Arab Spring’ still not complete Hajer Korbi and Lilia Ben Messaoud Special for USA TODAY
Tunisia has long been a model Arab country. Since its independence from France in 1956, Tunisia has led the region in promoting economic development, free public education and equality for women. Millions of tourists from Europe and the Arab world flock to Tunisia to enjoy its famed hospitality and discover a history dating back thousands of years. Yet behind this facade of success were repression, corruption and nepotism traced to longtime President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali. Poverty and unemployment among young college graduates also caused the discontent that led to demonstrations after a street vendor set himself on fire in December 2010 to call attention to his need for a job. That tragedy gave rise to the “Arab Spring” protests against oppressive regimes across the region. In Tunisia, the frustration and yearning for freedom exploded. Chants of “Ben Ali degage” (Get out Ben Ali) and “Freedom” and “Democracy” forced the president to flee in January 2011, ending his 23-year rule. Today, nearly six years after our revolution, Tunisia is the
SOFIENE HAMDAOUI, AFP/GETTY IMAGES
A woman holds a placard reading in French, “Tunisia will remain standing” as she takes part in a protest March 18, 2015, after an attack on the National Bardo Museum in Tunis. only country in the region where the “Arab Spring” brought about real change. We are the only country with a democratically elected constitutional assembly, and we Tunisians are enjoying free expression as we try to sustain a democratic system. Many challenges remain. The new government has failed to pursue needed changes, but we Tunisians are counting on our
new freedom of speech to prevent a return to a police state. Before the revolution, all the media were controlled by the regime and served as a tool for Ben Ali’s propaganda. During the uprising, the media turned against him and gave voice to the people, especially through social media. This remains the most important gain from the revolution.
A second major benefit has been political freedom — the right to establish different political parties and be nominated to serve in the government. For now, all the political parties are in a coalition and none is keeping a separate identity. At a time when our nation is so fragile, we also are suffering from terrorism like France, Belgium and Turkey. But when an
attack occurs, it becomes a unifying moment: People stand together with the army and government to fight for stability. All of this upheaval leaves us in a constant state of confusion. The skeptics have given up their hope for change, while the optimists still strive for freedom and equality. For the government, the top priorities are improving security to deter terrorism and boosting investment and tourism to expand the economy. When we look closely at the situation, we feel bitter that things are going so slowly, yet we also believe our small country will overcome the obstacles. Most Tunisians remain confident that change will continue, but it will take time. After so many years of colonial rule, dictatorship and economic suffering, tolerating unstable political circumstances is part of the recovery process. Tunisian history dates back 8,000 years before Christ and has witnessed many civilizations that include Berbers, Vandals, Punics, Romans, Arabs, Spaniards and Turks. That has resulted in a broad cultural mix that has shaped Tunisia’s unique personality. Our ongoing revolution is just one stop in this rich history. Ben Messaoud and Korbi are Tunisian students who worked as interns at USA TODAY under the sponsorship of the International Center for Journalists.
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ord $969.2 million that has flowed to super PACs through the end of July. Super PACs can accept unlimited amounts of money but are not allowed to coordinate their advertising with candidates for federal office. Five people, all of whom made their fortunes running hedge funds, have contributed $15 million or more each to super PACs. Only one, Renaissance Technologies co-founder Robert Mercer, backs Trump. Some of the Republican Party’s biggest contributors who remain active in super PAC giving direct money to groups intent on preserving the party’s majority in the Senate and the House. Early in the 2016 campaign, California investor William Oberndorf contributed more than $1.5 million to a super PAC supporting Republican Jeb Bush’s presidential bid. The hedge-fund manager refuses to back Trump’s campaign and donated $500,000 in late June to the Congressional Leadership Fund, a super PAC closely aligned with House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., that has seen its fundraising climb this year. He contributed $25,000 to a super PAC aiding Ohio Sen. Rob Portman’s battle against former governor Ted Strickland, a Democrat. “I decided some time ago I could not support Donald Trump because he did not have the temperament to be our next president,” Oberndorf said in an email to USA TODAY. “Since that time, his inconsistency on issues and the offensive remarks he continues to make about virtually anyone who disagrees with him have not given me cause to change this view.” He said the nation’s debt is a top issue in the election. “The only person on the political scene in a leadership position who is focusing on this crucial issue is Paul Ryan, which is why I am supporting him and his efforts to keep Republican control of the House,” Oberndorf said. “I am also helping those Republican senators who are in tough races with the hope most of them will be able to hold on to their seats as well.” The stakes in November couldn’t be higher. Republicans are defending 24 Senate seats in November to the Democrats’ 10. Compounding Republican troubles: Seven of the party’s Senate incumbents are up for re-election in states won by Barack Obama in 2008 and 2012. Democrats, seizing on Trump’s difficulties in the presidential race, have begun to target more GOP incumbents in the House, hoping to cut into the Republicans’ 59-seat advantage in that chamber. Democrats need a net gain of 30 seats to take the
DEMOCRATS GAIN MEGA-DONOR EDGE Contributions of $1 million or more to super PACs in the 2016 election cycle (in millions): Democrats
Republicans
$60
May 3
$34.6
Trump wins landslide in Indiana, effectively clinching nomination
$50 $40 $30
JIM LO SCALZO, EUROPEAN PRESSPHOTO AGENCY
$20
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$10 $0 J F M A M J J A S O N D J F M A M J ’15 ’16
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SOURCE USA TODAY analysis of Federal Election Commission records GEORGE PETRAS, USA TODAY
majority. In response, the Ryan-affiliated Congressional Leadership Fund announced plans this month to direct $10 million to a dozen competitive House contests. Its fundraising jumped from $1.4 million to $4.6 million from the first to second quarters of this year. The group does not have to disclose its third-quarter totals until later this year, but giving has “exponentially increased,” driven by donor concerns about the races at the top of the ticket, along with contributor support for Ryan and his policies, said Mike Shields, the
“I decided some time ago I could not support Donald Trump because he did not have the temperament to be our next president.” Investor William Oberndorf
group’s president. “They are worried they could be facing a President Hillary Clinton and an uncertain Senate election,” Shields said of donors. “They want to make sure the House is protected because they see the House as a fire line to stop some really bad policies.” It’s impossible to track the sources of all the money flooding the 2016 election because so much of it lands in the bank accounts of non-profit groups that don’t have to disclose their donors’ identities. Non-profit groups account for nearly half of all TV ads by groups active in
Senate races, according to a recent analysis by the Wesleyan Media Project. The new filings offer a snapshot of the role the super wealthy play in the election. Just three dozen people, corporations and unions account for more than one-third of giving to super PACs, the analysis found. Steyer, a retired hedge-fund manager and a Democrat, sits atop the mega-donor list, contributing more than $38 million, most of which went to his own super PAC, NextGen Climate Action. The group plans an aggressive effort to turn out young voters and union members to vote for Democrats in several key battlegrounds. Steyer said he doesn’t have a specific budget in mind for his 2016 spending. Tuesday, he announced a $2 million campaign with the Service Employees International Union and Planned Parenthood Votes to reach about 200,000 voters in New Hampshire, a presidential battleground and the site of a hotly contested Senate race between first-term Republican Sen. Kelly Ayotte and the state’s Democratic Gov. Maggie Hassan. “We are committed to doing everything in our power to deliver (Trump) a resounding defeat on Nov. 8,” Steyer said. Mercer, a reclusive New Yorker, is the second-largest super PAC donor of the election. He has contributed more than $20 million to super PACs, more than half of which went to support Texas Sen. Ted Cruz’s failed bid for the nomination. He now backs Trump and donated $2 million last month to a super PAC that once supported Cruz but has been renamed Make America Number 1 as a vehicle to help Trump.
President Obama signs the National Blue Alert Act of 2015 in the Oval Office on May 19, 2015.
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the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services, which was ultimately assigned the task. “In June, following a preliminary assessment of the Blue Alert program, the COPS Office was assigned to implement the program based on their extensive work and collaborative research on officer safety and wellness.” Obama signed the bill into law May 19, 2015. Long said the Justice Department would have an implementation plan within 60 days. This year, at least 14 police officers have been killed in ambush attacks through July 20, according to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund. During the same period last year, there were three. The goal of the law was to give police an early warning system when there are specific threats against police officers. In the New York case that inspired passage of the law, the assailant had posted on Instagram that he was targeting police in retaliation against police-involved killings in Ferguson, Mo., and New York City. That information never reached New York. One issue: While Congress required the Justice Department to establish the program, it didn’t appropriate any additional money. And it specifically banned the Blue Alert coordinator from traveling in order to implement the law. Long said the Justice Department would try to implement the portions of the law that don’t require significant funding while it asks Congress for more money. The Congressional Budget Office estimated the cost of the system at $1 million. But supporters of the law say the federal government wouldn’t be creating a system from scratch. Twenty-seven states have already established Blue Alert programs — including, most recently, North Carolina on July 11.
The federal role is to encourage similar systems in other states and to link them together in one network. “We have the system already,” said Tom Berry, founder of the Blue Alert Foundation. “If they’re just sitting there trying to reinvent the wheel, they’re crazy.” Corrections & Clarifications USA TODAY is committed to accuracy. To reach us, contact Standards Editor Brent Jones at 800-8727073 or e-mail accuracy@usatoday.com. Please indicate whether you’re responding to content online or in the newspaper.
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