Charlie Rose - George Will

Columnist George Will has been observing and writing about America for almost 40 years. He has just published his eighth collection of his essays. In a wide-ranging conversation with him, he talked about China, Iran, America's resilience, the presidential campaign and how he changed his views about Iraq.

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George Will on the U.S and the world

The veteran columnist George Will speaks with Charlie Rose about the situation of the U.S. and its position in the world. He brings with him his eighth collection of columns. In the middle of the conversation Charlie Rose asks him a most interesting question regarding the way Will conceives his task. Will answers that his job is to 'reason' before his readers. He addresses a certain philosophical- political question and tries to come to a conclusion in regard to it. He says that those who take interest in the 'play of his mind' are his readers. He says that often before he begins to write he does not know what his conclusion will be.
Will however presents in this conversation a clear political line. He is a conservative, a believer in the free market, a believer in the strength and flexibility of American democracy. He says he has changed with the years and come a bit more of a libertarian conservative. He mocks the conception of the U.S. doing 'nation- building' in Iraq. He says a nation has to grow organically through the years and cannot be built overnight. He generally comes out as opposing American involvements all over the world.
When asked about whether or not the twenty- first century is the century of Asia he says when people look back on the twenty- first century they will once again see it as an American century. He points to the fact that eighteen of twenty of the top universities in the world are in the United States. He does not however address the question of the fact that in certain areas a majority of graduate students are foreign students who will not stay in America but rather return to develop their own home economies. He sees however the economic growth of the others, the rise of the rest as something positive, the triumph in its way of 'capitalism'.
Will points to three great mentors, the late Senator Pat Moynihan, Bill Buckley who Will calls the most influential journalist of the century, and the Harvard sociologist James Q. Wilson who has written extensively on public policy. Will when asked about the Presidential race shows admiration for the new thinking and approach of Barack Obama. Charlie Rose points out that Will has been very critical of John McCain but Will indicates that he will probably vote for him. Obama apparently is far too the Left, promotes Government intervention in a way Will does not like.
Will says the U.S. is not now in a Recession, but rather a correction. He points to an unemployment rate of five percent as relatively low. He says the great American problem is the aging population the need to finance the Social Security System. But he is a believer in the American ability to find new answers to new problems.
Will is a bit clipped and definitive in his speech. He is extremely clear and decisive.
On the Iranian question he points out to the popularity of the U.S. among young Iranians. He says Iran will get nuclear weapons and the only hope is deterrrence, and the effort to bring about regime change in time. There are others less complacent than him about a nuclear Iran, those who believe a nuclear Iran would lead to a Mideast and perhaps global nuclear Arms race, and greatly increase chances of nuclear War.
Will makes an interesting comment on the coming Presidential race, and says the key issue is whether the U.S. public will be willing to accept Barack Obama as Commander- in- Chief. i.e. whether they will believe him qualified for the position.
An extremely interesting conversation. June 6, 2008

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