If We Remain Predators, the Planet Will Cast Us Off - Lawrence Wilkerson on Reality Asserts Itself

[Jefferson23]

Col. Wilkerson says the United States and China must stop the arms buildup and solve the climate change crisis or humans may not have a future on this planet -

May 12, 14

Transcript snip* PAUL JAY, SENIOR EDITOR, TRNN: Welcome back to The Real News Network, and welcome back to Reality Asserts Itself. I'm Paul Jay.

We're continuing our discussion about who makes and what drives U.S. foreign policy. And joining us again in the studio is Larry Wilkerson.

Larry is a retired United States Army officer, a former chief of staff to United States Secretary of State Colin Powell. He teaches now at the College of William & Mary. And he's an often contributor to Real News.

Thanks for joining us again.

COL. LAWRENCE WILKERSON, FMR. CHIEF OF STAFF TO COLIN POWELL: Thanks, Paul.

JAY: So there seems to be kind of two parallel processes going on. And I'm talking about--I mean, it relates to U.S. foreign policy almost with all countries, but right now I'm interested and I think everyone's interested in relations with China, even though the heat is with Russia right now. Certainly, President Obama's Asian pivot in the long-term strategic thinking of the United States is: how do you manage the relationship with China?

And what I mean by two different processes: There's a tremendous amount of economic integration. China holds more U.S. Treasury bills, I think, than anyone--any single place on earth. They have--

WILKERSON: A little more than Japan.

JAY: --massive amounts of U.S. cash, tremendous integration in terms of the labor, Chinese labor providing commodities for the American market, and so on and so on, a great deal of economic integration, you can say even codependence on each other.

On the other hand, over here there's the Asian pivot on the American side. There's the strategy--what most people call an encirclement of China.

WILKERSON: Hedging. That's what we call it.

in full: http://therealnews.com/t2/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=31&Itemid=74&jumival=11844

[yurbud]

1. He said we are an oligarchy too.

[Jefferson23]

2. Yep, he did..and advancing too. n/t

[yurbud]

3. that's significant confirmation coming from someone in a position to know

[bemildred]

4. The planet will put us back in our place, which is a cold, dark, hungry place.

People, nations, and countries that cannot or will not take responsibility for managing themselves are doomed to be managed by outside forces: cold, hunger, disease, predation. Every large, homogenous, and uncontrolled population just looks like a big pile of food to something.

[Jefferson23]

5. Well said, indeed. n/t

[The Stranger]

6. Hubris demands humility.

I say let's get on with it.