Thread: Zbigniew Brzezinski at BYU talking on Geostrategic Challenge

Zbigniew Brzezinski at BYU talking on Geostrategic Challenges Facing the United States
Posted by: Bliss Tew on Jan 13, 2010

Tagged in: Zbigniew Brzezinski , Trilateral Commission , strategy , Robert F. Bennett , globalism , Frederick Kempe , Council on Foreign Relations , Atlantic Council

Last night, Tuesday, January 12, 2010, former foreign policy advisor to presidential candidate Jimmy Carter during the 1976 presidential campaign, former director of the Trilateral Commission from 1973 to 1976, former national security adviser to President Jimmy Carter from 1977 to 1981, and presently the Robert E. Osgood Professor of American Foreign Policy at the School of Advanced International Studies at Johns Hopkins University, in Washington, D.C., Dr. Zbigniew Brzezinski gave a smooth, confident, professorial presentation as one would expect from an experienced player on the world stage speaking in front of a rapt audience in Provo, Utah.



The presentation was sponsored by The Wheatly Institution at Brigham Young University (http://wheatley.byu.edu/about-the-wheatley’s.html ) together with the David M. Kennedy Center for International Studies distinguished lecture on International affairs. Brzezinki’s topic was “Geostrategic Challenges Facing the United States."



Before the program got underway about 360 people were seated in the lovely auditorium. KBYU TV cameras were posted in two locations. Reporters took snap shots of the crowd. Next to me was an obviously excited young man. I guessed he was a BYU student and asked him his major. "Political Science," he replied. No surprise there. He was looking for the entrance of Zbigniew Brzezinski the way a groupie would look for their favorite singer to come on stage.



I asked the young man, "What are you going to do with that degree? Will you seek an elected position or some office in government?" He replied, "I hope to be just like Dr. Brzezinski. He has not been out in the front as an elected official, but has worked behind the scenes and has had a great influence upon top leaders. That's what I'd like to be." I smiled at him, "You mean like Colonel Edward Mandel House?" To my surprise he knew the name, "Yes, like that." I asked him if he was required to attend the speech. "No, I'm here on my own. I wouldn’t have missed this; I so admire Dr. Brzezinski." Judging by the reactions of the audience as the evening’s presentation progressed I believed the preponderance of those in attendance undoubtedly held Dr. Brzezinski in high esteem and held a large amount of agreement with his views.



Having been notified of the meeting by a message from a friend over the Facebook social network, I know others showed up from that invitation as well. A number of people I’d invited via our JBS Freedom Campaign-Utah meetup website were there too. During the day I had met with a JBS Chapter and notified its members of the meeting. Some of the prospective members for The JBS that I had met were there and at least two BYU students who are members of The JBS were in attendance including Dustin and a new JBS member named Alex. I was glad others who shared a non-interventionist foreign policy view were there to witness Brzezinski’s presentation. No doubt some of them took notes.



Having been unsuccessful in finding a volunteer JBS member to bring a video camera for taping the event, I had dug out my old camera, charged the batteries, bought a tape for it, and determined to try and tape the event even though I have no tripod on which to set my camera. Thus I took no notes and my observations here are simply from memory. Why? I have not found a cord that allows me to connect my camera to the TV or computer to play the tap and my camera’s amplifier apparently doesn’t work, so while at this point I can see Zbigniew Brzezinski talk, but can’t hear him to quote him. When I find a cable I'll change this situation.



Dr. Brzezinski discussed some historical views of the world’s political situation and concluded that for the past 500 years, the Atlantic nations, the USA and European nations, had dominated the planet, but that domination was shifting eastward to the far-East. He claimed that China would become the dominant power in the world and that within 20-years the position of dominance that the United States has held would be overshadowed by China and its allies.



He pointed out that after World War II, Great Britain and France could no longer afford to keep their “imperialâ€

He also pointed out to the audience that with the advent of media like radio, TV, pamphleteering, and the Internet widely effecting populations as never before in world history, that the entire population of earth today is politically awakened and participating in shaping the political future of nations and the world.

Like one giant living computer, information in, results in information out.

"Think of the press as a great keyboard on which the government can play." Joseph Goebbles