What question to ask the National Security Advisor?

In My Humble Opinion (IMHO)
#1

In one week I will have the opportunity to meet with former National Security Advisor Brent Scowcroft. I was introduced to him a year ago and he will be speaking at an event which I will be attending.

If there was ever a person having the most qualified political opinion it is Brent Scowcroft. General Brent Scowcroft was the National Security Advisor for both Presidents Ford and G.H. Bush. He was also an assistant to Nixon. And he was the chair of the Foreign Intelligence Advisory Board for George W. Bush from 2001 to 2005. He is a member of the Council of Foreign Relations and heads the Scowcroft Group, one of the most influential economic policy firms in the world.

Here is a man who served in four Administrations; Nixon, Ford, Bush, and the current Bush Administration. You have one question to ask him. Perhaps it is a question relating to one Administration and one topic, or perhaps you have a question that spans across many eras and themes. What question do you ask Brent Scowcroft?

I can’t promise that I will personally ask him all or any of your questions but if I do then I will report back on his answer. So think carefully and craft your question. What do you want to know?

#2

Do you honestly think Saddam Hussein was the same danger in 2002 as he was in 1990? In 1990, he still was in control of one of the largest armies on the planet and had just conquered the neighboring state of Kuwait. He may have presented a threat to Saudi Arabia.

In 2002, can we honestly say the same thing?

#3

How the hell could an administration with the resources of many of the finest military and political strategists in the entire world have screwed up so badly and so continuously in Iraq?

And if that sounds like Bush-bashing, replace Iraq with Vietnam.

#4

Ask him what he thinks about the criticism of the prison at Guantanamo, and when he thinks it ought to be closed.

#5

Ok. I met General Scowcroft. I was at ease because it was the empty auditorum and there was a few people standing in line (almost everyone else was eating desert). It was after his lecture, and it was sometime after the lecture was finished.

I walked up to him and shook his hand:
"Brent Scowcroft! sincerily glad to see him Mr. Scowcroft. pause I’m ______. pause We’ve met before. *Your face looks familiar. *Well, we met… personal things that give me the gall to speak to the man, incidently the guy in front of me who was about to listen to me after I said “I’m in no hurry, that’s what I’m actually going to touch on” decided not to stick around, I guess he thought we would discuss National Security :eek:

After pleasantries, cutting to the chase
Mr. Scowcroft, 50 years from now when I’m an old man like you he smiles, China and India will be at the same level, economically, with the United States. Will there will be cooperation or competition? Well, China and India have different economic efficiences. he mentions US auto industry Think of this: oranges aren’t all grown in one place. Yes! Mr. Scowcroft, that where I am going…China and India will have had found the industry in which to develop their economies. I’m thinking autos and IT…meanwhile he enlarges the scope from the economy China and India to the world economy

Shifting the conversation to the key question I have:
But considering all that will there be no wars in the 21st century in the traditional sense? No, there will always be war.

Putting it all into perspective
mentioning military conflict vs. economic cooperation What should I think about until I see you at…? * There is no reason why there will not be cooperation between the economies of the nations of the world.*

Ok. Wow. It was a good discussion; far better than I would have imagined. But there are a few fallacies that Brent Scowcroft commited and possibly a few I have commited, and a few of these moments after I left… :smack:

So Dopers - what fallacies were commited, what do you think of this conversation and where it is going, and what follow up question to ask him. Scowcroft will be in Washington DC to meet with G.H. Bush, according to the moderator who mentioned the former National Security Advisor’s busy schedule (he was in Seattle yesterday and will be in DC tomorrow)

What would be excellent follow-up questions? What question do you think former President G.H. Bush might ask if Scowcroft just so happens to relay this conversation to him?

#6

One important point I just remembered - when I asked him my final question, I said:

I believe that the economy will *replace * war.