Conversations with History: Institute
of International Studies, UC Berkeley
This interview is part of the Institute's "Conversations
with History" series, and uses Internet technology to share with the public
Berkeley's distinction as a global forum for ideas.
Welcome to a Conversation with History. I'm Harry Kreisler of the Institute
of International Studies. Our guest today is David Frum, who is a Resident Fellow
at the American Enterprise Institute. A journalist and speechwriter for President
George W. Bush, he is the author of The Right Man: An Inside Account of the
Bush White House and An End to Evil: How to Win the War on Terror,
written with Richard Perle.
- Background ... influence of parents
... education ... becoming the president's speechwriter
- Impact of 9/11 ... a malaise ... the
attacks ... being ordered to run ... a city at war
- The Transformation of George W. Bush and of
U.S. Foreign Policy ... Bush's strengths and weaknesses ... comparison
to Clinton ... Bush's midlife transformation ... first speech after 9/11 targets
nation hosts ... prior mistakes in responding to terrorism ... speechwriters
tap into presidential power of being heard ... the practicality of American
politics ... "day of infamy" and comparison to FDR ... genesis of
"axis of evil" ... rejection of realism and other academic categories
... militant Islam is threatened by U.S. freedoms and dynamism ... intellectual
and cultural support for extremism and terrorism
- Mission Statement for the War on Terror
... An End to Evil ... second-guessing the consequences of war in
Iraq ... sinister influence of Saudi Arabia ... demonstration of U.S. power
against dictators ... playing hardball in Arab states ... softer approach
for Pakistan ... reorganizing foreign policy bureaucracy ... the Patriot Act
- Conclusion ... ideas matter ... advice
to students ... legacy of the Bush administration
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