Author Archives: lawac

Markus Meckel – The View from Germany on Putin and Ukraine

Markus Meckel, a member of the German parliament for two decades, said he was “not sure” that Russian President Putin was still acting rationally, and strongly criticized businessmen in Germany who have been resisting the imposition of sanctions on Russia after the annexation of Crimea.

Robert Ford on the War in Syria

Ambassador Robert Ford, who was US ambassador to Syria until he stepped down in February, was known for being outspoken about the use of violence by the regime of President Bashar al Assad and for his support for the Syrian opposition – and he has no regrets. “If we don’t stand up when people are trying to stand up for basic human rights, I say – shame on us!”

Wendy Kopp – Taking Teach for America International

Wendy Kopp is passionate about improving education – that is why she has spent the past 24 years enlisting high-achieving college graduates as teachers for underprivileged schools. But now she says “I am more passionate than ever” in her mission to reduce education inequity.

Power Rivalry in the Pacific – A Japanese View

The chances of an inadvertent war between Japan and China over the Senkaku Islands, which the Chinese call the Diaoyu Islands, are already high, and will continue to increase, predicted Japanese foreign policy expert Yukio Okamoto at a roundtable lunch with the LA World Affairs Council on Thursday.

Xi Jinping and the “China Dream”

The new Chinese leader, Xi Jinping, is the strongest leader China has seen since Deng Xiaoping, and he has a more nationalistic and much more expansive view of how China can exercise its growing power around the world, Elizabeth Economy said at a roundtable lunch with LAWAC at the California Club on Monday.

John McCain on a more muscular US foreign policy

John McCain called for the US to adopt a much more muscular policy on Ukraine, including sending Kiev “defensive” weapons, in a speech to a packed house of the Los Angeles World Affairs Council on Thursday night. And after initially saying that he respected President Obama and had spoken to him earlier in the week, he was then very critical of his foreign policy.

What Putin wants and what it means for the United States

“Putin gets what Putin wants,” was the bottom line of Professor Angela Stent’s analysis of the Russian leader and his geopolitics – at least in the territories surrounding Russia that formerly belonged to the Soviet Union. Speaking to the Los Angeles World Affairs Council on Wednesday, she said there was absolutely no chance the US would go to war with Russia over the Ukraine – “impossible because of the nuclear weapons involved” – and that Russian President Vladimir Putin knows that, so he simply took the Crimean peninsula because he regards it as part of Russia.

February 2014 Newsletter

The beginning of 2014 has been very busy at the Council, with some high profile
speakers including former Defense Secretary Robert Gates, current Commerce Secretary
Penny Pritzker, and the President of Rwanda, Paul Kagame. Alongside our high quality
programming, we have launched a new membership drive. This includes a special Amazon gift card offer for LAWAC members…

Rwanda since the Genocide

Rwandan President Paul Kagame looked back over 20 years of development in his country since the 1994 genocide, and said that Rwanda had succeeded in restoring “life, hope and dignity to its people” – and that it could serve as an example to other developing countries in Africa and around the world.

Zealot, The Life and Times of Jesus of Nazareth

There are only three things we know for certain about the historical figure of Jesus, Reza Aslan told the Los Angeles World Affairs Council on Wednesday night:he was a Jew, he talked about re-establishing the Kingdom of God, and because of that he was crucified. Other than that, “everything about Jesus is speculation…In the end, it is just guessing.”

Waging War

Commerce Secretary Penny Pritzker launches Look South initiative

Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker made a speech to the Los Angeles World Affairs Council on Thursday about the untapped potential for export markets for US companies, and the new plans the Commerce Department has to encourage more overseas trade and investment. “Let me be clear: if you are an American business, the time is now to consider selling your product or services abroad.”