Professor Clark
Submitted by Generation Whatever on November 26, 2006 - 3:20am.
Generation Whatever | Wesley Clark
"Professor Clark"
By the Generation Whatever Team
JMora's Story
On Tuesday, November 21, 2006 I had the great opportunity to see General Wesley Clark in a somewhat unfamiliar role, as of recently anyway. On Tuesday Gen. Clark was Prof. Clark, where he lectured to about 300 students at UCLA in a lower division Global Issues course. This was a great opportunity for the Generation “Whatever” students to get introduced to the General and see him in a non-political environment.
This was Gen. Clark’s first lecture since joining the UCLA Burkle Center last month and I was very fortunate to be able to attend the class. General Clark is no slouch when it comes to teaching a class, he even joked (which I think he was being serious) about giving the whole class a test on the required readings that were supposed to be read before class.
The class started with the main professor introducing Gen. Clark and naming his awards/accomplishments (which is no easy task). Gen. Clark then started talking about Foreign Policy, specifically on conflicts. He started reading a whole list of conflicts that dated back to the Trojans and Spartans, just to make that point that conflicts have been unavoidable in our history. Gen. Clark then started talking about conflicts that he was involved in throughout the years, specifically the ones that were mistakes, like China’s War with Vietnam or our war in Vietnam.
He stated that the decision to use force must be a smart one and ONLY as a very last resort, because, “it’s easier to start a war than to end it.”
He pointed out how WWI was the first war in which people realized mass war and mass casualties could result in no political gain. General Clark reviewed Clinton’s Foreign Policy Report of 1995 (which he helped write) with the Bush Administration’s Foreign Policy Report of 2002 and the Report on Terrorism that came out this year. He compared the reports and pointed out the flaws in the Bush Administration’s report and how it was filled with more rhetoric than actual policy.
Gen. Clark then talked about how he believed that we must always work with our allies, not only when it is convenient for us. He said the best way to use force is to have it but not use it, show it but withhold it, and again must only be used as an absolute last resort.
He saved the last half hour of the class for questions from the students. Questions ranged from Nuclear Proliferation to the bombings of Nagasaki and Hiroshima to whether or not he agreed with the decision of executing Saddam Hussein. There was my question about whether the Sunni & Shiites would kill the Al Qaeda that are present in Iraq and about troop withdrawal. Gen. Clark answered each question thoroughly and completely, even the controversial ones.
One of the most interesting things I heard was when the class was over. As I was putting my binder and computer away, students leaving the class were talking amongst each other with one saying, “Yeah I really like him. I like the way he answered the questions and didn’t steer away from any of them…” As he left the classroom students followed him to get a better opportunity to talk to General Clark.
A great experience for me to be able to see the next possible President of the United States in a non-political environment.
Generation Whatever team members jmora, Reg NYC, and gmartinez
Thank you for posting this report. So glad to hear how WKC is fairing with his UCLA students. They are the future, of the world, and Professor Clark can sure educate them...wow!!
It's terrific to get the birds' eye view of WKC in his job for UCLA. Sounds as though he hit it out of the park!
The General gets it right.
Competence--What a concept!
A: Professor Wesley Clark: a lecture on 'Global Issues'.
Q: What is the meaning of a higher education?
...thanks for the super FHA J!
"Some of us are still eating hotdogs......and that's an astonishing thing." -- Wes Clark
I am so envious that you were able to sit in on this lecture. :) Thanks for bringing your FHA here to share with us. UCLA certainly has gotten themselves a gem in Wes Clark!
Yesterday at Kos you mentioned that you attended this lecture. I almost asked you then if you could please tell us what happened. Wow! Here you are; you were there!
Thank you so much.
Do you remember--have notes--about his answers to some of the questions. Should Hussein be put to death? What about Nagasaki and Hiroshima? Oh, and then there's troop withdrawal.
If you don't satisfy my insatiable craving for Clark 101, I can certainly live with today's effort which is great. Thank you for taking the time to report your lucky day with the Professor-General.
You have not converted a man because you have silenced him.--J. V. Marley
For the Saddam question Wes started by saying that he was for the death penatly for certain crimes, then how you could argue either way for excecuting him or not. He said if you execute him, you get the Sunnis mad (I might have this backwards, so please correct me if I'm wrong) and if you don't then Shiites will be. Ultimately he said he did agree with the decision to execute Saddam.
Wes gave very complete answers, but these are just the main points (what I could remember).
For the Nagasaki/Hiroshima question, the student asked whether he agreed or would do the same thing President Truman did in 1945. I believe, but I could very well be wrong, this student was Japanese so it seemed like this matter a lot to him. Wes started by saying that if he were in President Trumans situation he would have done the same thing. He went on to explain why and gave a very through explaination on how Nuclear Weapons changed the world. Coincidentally, this was one of the student I heard after the lecutre saying he was very impressed.
For the troop withdrawl question, Wes first said that he had just written on Op-Ed in USA Today about this. Then he explained that leaving immediatley would not work. He said we must work with all three factions politically so that they can start working together and when the US does withdrawl, the Sunni, Shiites, and Kruds will have ablility to destroy the Al Qaeda.
Thanks for writing your story, JMora.
What did it take to get into the lecture? Are you a student at UCLA already or did you "enroll" specifically for this event?
Wes Clark has the experience, the wisdom, and the ability to state complex things simply -- a rare combination and a rare gift.
Stan Davis
Lakewood, CO
BE THE CHANGE you wish to see in the world.
If not us, WHO? If not now, WHEN?
One of my roommates goes to UCLA, I attend Long Beach State. When I first heard Wes was going to be working at UCLA I would joke with him that if Wes lectured in one of his classes I was going to crash it, I didn't actually believe it would happen.
Fortunately I was not asked for an ID ;-)
Thanks so much for the excellent synopsis. I'm trying to picture any other candidate spending a session answering unscripted questions from a crowd of college students, and doing it so well. I can't. Clark is the man.
“If you put me on third base, I'll bring you home.” - Wes Clark
How wonderful it must have been!
You must promise me next time to let me know.... had I known he was there Tuesday I would have found a way to join you... somehow. I used to attend classes there, maybe I could dig up my old ID card! : )
Great account -- I am just so tickled he's doing this and exposing both students to his ideas and himself to this generation. Happy dancing in LA!!
Thanks thanks thanks!!
And yes, I would love to hear the Hiroshima answers too. Did you happen to record it? Can we look forward to a Reg transcript soon?
How selfish of me not to invite, won't happen again =). They usually don't ask for ID at Public Universities during normal hours or unless you are trying to access things that are specifically for students/faculty.
I was too excited to think out side the box and not use the digital camera to record at least the questions.
Don't think I can pass for a college kid anymore!
But I would love to try to go if you hear about the next time in advance... just email me!
I can bring my mini recorder and get a trascript. : )
I guess that this wouldn't be a good time for me to mention my 85 year old student, Computer Science major too. :)
Barry
Are you safer today than you were five years ago?©
LOL
OK, maybe I could pass...
85!! I love that. That is spunk. Should be a documentary of seniors of that age starting new ventures and the like.
I will not forget to thank you JMora lol. Thanks for sharing your story… The UCLA students are investing their money wisely by having Gen. Clark as their professor : ). And it’s ashame this administration doesn’t want to listen to him…
What a treasure for us that you were able to be there at General's first lecture in his new position at UCLA!! Thank you, thank you!!
Once in a while you get shown the light, In the strangest of places if you look at it right. - Hunter/Garcia
That's what teaching is all about and lucky you to take part in the lesson out there in LA!! Wish the whole lesson was put on a podcast to share with everyone.
Almost as good as being there. Thanks so much for posting this!
who returned to post additional information.
I wish you could have made it to Brown tonight. With more of a heads-up, we'll send you the next time.
Thanks
You have not converted a man because you have silenced him.--J. V. Marley
Link.
Stephen Fenberg is the executive director of New Era Colorado. LaNette Diaz is the organizing director of Forward Montana. Both organizations are homegrown outfits dedicated to increasing progressive youth involvement in politics. Excited chatter about progressive gains in the Rocky Mountain West is quite possibly at an all-time high. Democrats across the country are turning to the West for hope for the future and lessons to win. While pundits debate whether the results are a long-term trend or a one-time fluke, the truth is that the West is turning blue because a new generation of voters are getting involved.
Rocky Mountain Blue
Stephen Fenberg and LaNette Diaz
November 27, 2006
These voters—our generation—are repainting the West. And they’re painting it deep blue.
To continue with a state-by-state analysis, read the whole article.
Stan Davis
Lakewood, CO
BE THE CHANGE you wish to see in the world.
If not us, WHO? If not now, WHEN?
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“If you put me on third base I'll take it home.” - Wes Clark