Tag Archives: South Africa

A global explosion of people power?

Posted on January 2, 2020 by David S. Meyer

Last year, 2019, the editors of The Big Q, a very cool blog sponsored by the University of Auckland, asked me to write about the seeming explosion of protest movements globally. This is what I thought, reposted below (non-American spelling … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Recipe for Democratic Revolution: What Works?

Posted on December 9, 2013 by David S. Meyer

Reliably?  Nothing. As we see expressions of people power emerge and reemerge globally, it’s important–and hard–to remember that promoting democratic change isn’t like baking a cake. When courageous people take to the streets to press for their governments to be … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Claiming Nelson Mandela

Posted on December 6, 2013 by David S. Meyer

The flags are at half-staff here in Irvine, mourning the death, and commemorating the life of Nelson Mandela.  President Mandela outlived and outperformed most of his critics, leaving us with an unduly warm and fuzzy picture of a genial elder … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

The Occupation trap in history

Posted on November 16, 2011 by David S. Meyer

Occupation isn’t a new tactic.  Protesters have established permanent encampments to make political claims and support activism many times in the past.  (See our Veterans Day discussion of the Bonus Army.) The camps, dramatic demonstrations of commitment, provide an ongoing … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments