Third Saturday Seminar 2014-2015

Return of the Elders, Unleash your Wisdom

Session 01

Is There a Reset?

Governance-Politics-Wars (Continued)

Curt Gibby

Saturday, 20 September 2014
9:30AM til Noon

Room B-102, Lone Star College – Montgomery
3200 College Park Drive – Conroe, TX – 77384 – 936.273.7000

Well I hope everyone has enjoyed their Summer vacation, because this fall is going to get really interesting and challenging if you hope to understand any of what is gong on or why..

How have we been manipulated from expecting to bring back our troops from their military adventures in the Middle East after the 6 months of bringing the bin Laden gang to justice that turned into 14 years of —- how should we describe it?

We have seen the Arab Spring with it’s expectation of real freedom for the people and democracy replacing oppression essentially disintegrate like melting snow flakes before our eyes. Sure, we removed and have seen removed some pretty tyrannical rulers, but it seems they left a vacuum.

Now we see the war machinery being fired up again. Sure, no boots (not very many anyway) on the ground (yet). We are seeing grown men, our leaders quaking in their boots in fear of a terrorist invasion???

Well, recently I heard on PBS Newshour a very interesting, well done, discussion from more than one view point. I’ve linked those of you who would like to listen or read the transcript so you can decide for yourselves what your estimate of the situation is?

I am most impressed by the following initial comments of Colonel Andrew Bacevich, U.S. Army, Retired and a Professor at Boston University, when he participated in a panel on PBS Newshour on 11 Sep. He wisely points out. That even if we wipe ISIS off the map, we still have no expectation of a peaceful functional world, because the conditions that have fostered the present chaos will not have changed.

“Well, it’s not a comprehensive strategy.

Let’s understand that ISIS emerged because of certain conditions in this region, disorder, dysfunction, alienation, the residue of European colonialism. And even if we succeed in destroying ISIS — and I certainly hope we do — those conditions will persist.

And, therefore, when ISIS goes away, it will be followed by another equivalent threat to the region. What we are engaged in here is a game of Whack-A-Mole, and that doesn’t qualify as a comprehensive strategy.”

For those who like to read ahead:

“Analyzing potential challenges of fighting the Islamic State” – Video (13:51 min) and Transcript (PBS – 11 Sep)
Judy Woodruff gets a broad assessment of the president’s plan to combat the Islamic State from former National Security Advisor Stephen Hadley, former State Department official Richard Haass, former Defense Department official Michèle Flournoy and retired Army Col. Andrew Bacevich of Boston University.

Jon Stewart – DailyShow- “Welcome Back Combat” (8+ min) (15 Sep)

Jon Stewart – Daily Show- “Nightmare on Graham Street” (5:29 min) (15 Sep)

For more in depth discussion, listen (1 hour) or read the transcript of:

The Diane Rehm Show (9/2/14) – Former CENTCOM Commander General Tony Zinni

General Tony Zinni, USMC, Ret. former Commander-in-Chief of CENTCOM (1997-2000) and special envoy to the Middle East. His latest book is titled, “Before The First Shots Are Fired” being interviewed on the Diane Rehm Show Tuesday, September 2, 2014 – 10:06 a.m.

Leaders gathering this week at the NATO summit face a world marked by instability. Evidence mounts that Russian troops and weaponry are being used in Ukraine despite denials by the Kremlin. President Obama faces criticism at home and abroad that he has not acted forcefully enough against the terror group ISIS. And Israel is claiming more land in the Palestinian West Bank. Former CENTCOM commander General Tony Zinni says the U.S. needs to step up its leadership in these crises. At the same time, he says we need a more clear-eyed process of committing our troops to guarantee success. He joins Diane to talk about U.S. foreign policy, presidential leadership, and why we often fail to achieve the military outcomes promised by Washington.

Read A Featured Excerpt

Before the First Shots Are Fired

As usual we will start out with Current Events

Possible Current Events Topics include:

ISIS, ISIL, IS Not the Isis of health, marriage, and love

Syria, Iraq, Kurdistan

Iran

Palestine – Gaza – Rockets and retaliation

Russia-Ukraine-EU – Poland – Lithuania

Ebola

The election, Nov 4^th . Early Voting is Monday, October 20 – Friday October 31. Your must be registered 30 days before Nov 4th

China – Japan – Philippines – Taiwan

Economic recovery

This is the first session of the 2014-2015 Third Saturday Seminars.
(We started in Jan 2000)

About A.L.L.
The Lone Star College ALL Program:
Academy for Lifelong Learning Program Description
A.L.L. Falk 2014 Course Schedule (PDF) (covers all campuses)
Map of campus and parking lots

Reminder for ALL members:

Please let A.L.L. know if you change your address, phone number, or email. Call 936.273.7446 or email: MCALL@LoneStar.edu.

“Some part of our being knows this (the universe) is where we came from. We long to return. And we can. Because the cosmos is also within us. We’re made of star-stuff. We are a way for the cosmos to know itself.” Carl Sagan

See you Saturday, 20 September 2014 at 9:30am, Room B-102
Curt Gibby
Director