The Commonwealth April/May 2012

Dave Barry & Alan Zweibel pg 14

Amy Chua: ROAR OF THE TIGER MOM pg 18

Dr. Gloria Duffy: WHO WILL STEP UP?

Thomas Frank: RECESSION’S VICTIMS

pg 58

pg 54

Commonwealth The

THE MAGAZINE OF THE COMMONWEALTH CLUB OF CALIFORNIA

April/May 2012

Crunching Numbers Economic Insight from Michael Boskin, Christina Romer & Robert Reich

$2.00; free for members commonwealthclub.org

You are cordially invited to attend

The Commonwealth Club of California’s

109th Anniversary and 24th Annual Distinguished Citizen Award Dinner

Featuring

A Room with Views

Honoring

Wednesday, April 18, 2012 Palace Hotel, San Francisco

Conversations with the Bay Area’s Most Interesting People Including: Peter Coyote Actor • Michael Mina Chef Robert Trent Jones, Jr. Master Architect

Nancy Hellman Bechtle

Dr. Steven Chu

Dr. Susan DesmondHellmann

Chairman, Presidio Trust

United States Secretary of Energy

M.D., M.P.H., Chancellor, Distinguished Professor, UCSF

Recipient of The William K. Bowes, Jr. Lifetime Achievement Award

Ron Conway SV Angel

For more information, call (415) 869-5909 or go to commonwealthclub.org/annualdinner

Inside The Commonwealth Vo lu m e 1 0 6 , N O . 0 3

A p r i l / M Ay 2012

page 54

World of the Billionaires “Before this present economic slump, I had never heard of a recession’s victims developing a wholesale taste for Chicago School of Economics or a spontaneous hostility to the works of Franklin Roosevelt.”

–Thomas Frank

Photos by Ed Ritger

Features

Departments

Events

6

4

25 Program Information 26 Eight Weeks Calendar

Economy 2012 Michael Boskin and Christina Romer tell it like it will be

8

Fortune Telling Former Secretary of Labor Robert Reich on why 2007 was a lot like 1928

11 Defusing the

Nuclear Threat Former Cold Warriors George Shultz, Sam Nunn and William Perry discuss their ongoing campaign for a post-nuclear foreign policy

14 Lunatic Fringe

Editor’s Note Behind the scenes: Week to Week

5

Events from April 1 to June 18, 2012

The Commons Cuba unveiled

28 Program Listings 48 Late-breaking Events 28 Language Classes

27 Club Annual Report For Fiscal Year 2010-2011

50 The Big Picture Green strummin’

About Our Cover: It’s a good year to know math, because there are many unknowns: policy, Greek debt contagion, and more.

Luckily, we have an economic power team to give insight. Photo by Steven Fromtling.

58 InSight Dr. Gloria C. Duffy Who Will Step Up?

14

18

Dave Barry and Alan Zweibel can’t be serious

18 Beyond the Tiger Mother Amy Chua tells the story behind her famous – and infamous – book about raising her children

a pr i l/may 2012

THE COMMO N WE AL TH

3

Commonwealth The

Business offices

Editor’s Note Week to Week Debuts

The Commonwealth 595 Market St., 2nd Floor San Francisco, CA 94131 feedback@commonwealthclub.org

John Zipperer

VP, MEDIA & EDITORIAL John Zipperer

Vice President, Media & Editorial

SENIOR Editor

Photo by Steven Fromtling

Sonya Abrams

ASSOCIATE ART DIRECTOR Steven Fromtling

ASSISTANT EDITOR John Dangaran

Editorial Interns Katharina Mack Pria Whitehead

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS William F. Adams Beth Byrne Ed Ritger Rikki Ward

follow us online commonwealthclub.org/facebook twitter.com/cwclub commonwealthclub.org/blog commonwealthclub.org The Commonwealth (ISSN 0010-3349) is published

Left to right: Dr. Larry Gerston, Debra J. Saunders, and Michael Fox headlined our first Week to Week.

bimonthly (6 times a year) by The Commonwealth Club of

T

California, 595 Market Street, San Francisco, CA 94105-2805.

PERIODICALS POSTAGE PAID at San Francisco, CA. Subscription rate $34 per year included in annual membership dues.

POSTMASTER: Send address changes to The Commonwealth, The Commonwealth Club of California, 595 Market Street, San Francisco, CA 94105-2805.

Printed on recycled paper using soy-based ink.

Copyright © 2012 The Commonwealth Club of California.

Tel: (415) 597-6700 Fax: (415) 597-6729 E-mail: feedback@commonwealthclub.org EDITORIAL POLICY FOR PROGRAM TRANSCRIPTS: The Commonwealth magazine seeks to cover a range of programs in each issue. Program transcripts and question and answer sessions are routinely condensed due to space limitations. Hear full-length recordings of events online at commonwealthclub.org/archive or contact Club offices to order a compact disc.

ADVERtising information Mary Beth Cerjan Development Manager (415) 869-5919 mbcerjan@commonwealthclub.org

4

THE COMMO N WE AL TH

he mother’s letter was my first sign that we were on the right path. I received her email in early February, asking if she could bring a guest with her to the first program of our Week to Week series. The “guest,” she explained, was her 14-year-old son, who was an avid follower of the news.

I couldn’t have received a better message. On Friday, February 24, we launched Week to Week: The News Review Program from The Commonwealth Club, featuring two panelists who discuss the week’s current affairs, a special guest who takes a topic in-depth, and a short news quiz. I serve as the program’s host, and my first task had been to find panelists who understood what we were doing, who could talk about contentious issues without the program becoming a shouting match. There are too many of those programs on TV and radio; we wanted to show that people of differing views could not only talk about these things but actually enjoy the process. When San Jose State University political science professor Dr. Larry Gerston and San Francisco Chronicle columnist Debra J. Saunders showed up and began chatting, that was my second sign that we were on the right path.

The third sign was when we all got on stage and had an engaging, intelligent, and very fun discussion. (If you listen to the audio, you’ll hear the audience breaking into laughter numerous times.) We talked about everything from the GOP primaries to the Occupy movement to California’s lieutenant governor. Then we brought onstage film critic Michael Fox, who used the impending Oscars awards ceremony as an opportunity to explore some of the smaller, “forgotten” films out there.

It was a great start for Week to Week. Our front desk staff said some people left the program and wanted to sign up for the entire series. And I’d love to see even more of you there. Week to Week will eventually become a weekly program, but we’re starting off on a twice-monthly format. You can find our upcoming Week to Week programs in the listings section of this magazine, or you can get an overview at commonwealthclub.org/w2w and even submit your ideas for newsy topics for our panelists to discuss. And bring a guest!

a p r il/may 2012

The

Commons

Talk of the Club Photos courtesy of Kristina Nemeth

Being Surprised by Cuba Club travelers return with tales of change

Photo by Steven Fromtling

T

raveling to Cuba isn’t what is going on down in Cuba. easy; special permits I would love to come back.” from the U.S. governIf he does return to Cuba, ment are required, and knowl- he’ll likely find it in continual edge of local customs and flux. Tom Burkhart was particuthe political larly surprised One traveler was to learn about situation are also crucial. the pace of surprised by But the expetransition on “the variety and the island narience can be unique creativity tion. “Based wor thwhile a n d e y e - of the visual arts.” on the leadopening, as ership [and] we saw when the Club sent a economists we’ve met and the group of travelers to Cuba from people we’ve talked to, there is February 13-20. a lot of change in the air, and a Veteran traveler Bill Edelen lot of good things happening,” said it “wasn’t a regular tourist Burkhart said, adding that the trip. We had culture, we got to 400,000 Cubans who have go meet artists, we heard fan- been allowed by the U.S. govtastic lectures, and I will come ernment to visit their families away much more appreciative will “cause a lot of disruption to of everything Cuban.” He add- the local community, to their ed, “I’ll be looking for material thought process, so we think to read just to stay abreast of there will be significant change coming up in the very near future.”

The Club travelers were particularly taken by the active Cuban arts and cultural scene. “One of

the things that surprised me was the beauty, variety, and the unique creativity of the visual arts,” said Bob Sessler. “I have been truly overwhelmed by the scope of the arts, and have been fascinated by the visual arts that we saw – the

sculpture, especially painting, and ceramics.”

Sue Schlesinger agreed, noting, “The thing I appreciated most was all the talent; the young people are so talented.”

Two more Club trips to Cuba are planned in 2012.

Days of Wine and Roses But bring your own roses

T

he Commonwealth Club’s San Francisco offices recently got a welcome addition to its Library. One section of the Library is looking a little more, well, club-like now with the addition of a cash wine bar and some leather chairs and

couches where you can relax and chat with others.

The wine bar will be open before selec t evening programs and during receptions. The improved seating will always be available, of course.

Ap r i l/May 2012

THE COMMO N WE AL TH

5

y m o n EcWo E H T Y A L P O HO T 0 2 E M A G NUMBERS walks ly. The eurozone w o sl g in w ro g e h Jobs ar ss can’t work wit re g n o C . e ic p ci the pre unsure of what ’s e ar s se es n si u B . itself ington. Our two h as W m o fr g in com sues at stake is e th in la p ex ts is panel in 2012. Excerpt for the economy erica / Walter E. from “Bank of Am nomic Forecast,” Hoadley Annual Eco January 20, 2012. s rd fo an oover Institution, St and Senior Fellow, H omEc ident’s Council of on University; Chair, Pres . t George H.W. Bush en id es Pr r de un rs se ic Advi ics, Professor of Econom christina romer Berkeley; Immediate rnia, University of Califo nc il of ent Oba m a’s C ou id es Pr , ir ha C st Pa Economic Advisers bury Senior Partner, Pills ton s ran C y Mar monwealth man; Past Chair, Com tt Pi aw Sh p ro th in W ernors – Moderator Club Board of Gov

michael boskin

Professor of Economic

e but I couldn’t agre omy is recovering, on ec a s’ t ate ge St to d y ite wa ROMER: The Un uch too slow. One l Boskin that it’s m ae t of joy over ich lo M a s th wa wi e e er or th m ber 2011), em ec (D th on m st in the month of sense of that: La added 200,000 jobs e W rs. be m nu t en t better than we had the employm viously good; it’s a lo ob s wa at Th r. be ck in the heart of Decem much better than ba so it’s g; in do en be e-quarters of we were losing thre the recession when entally, month. But fundam a million jobs every

6

THE COMMO N WE AL TH

A PRIL/MAY 2012

my 012

Photos by Ed Ritger

e hole we ly enough. Given th ar ne t no st ju is bs actually 200,000 jo eight years before we od go a e tak d ul at we were are in, it wo levels or the trend th t en m oy pl em e th ues, I think got back to nd of growth contin ki at th if en Ev . nd on beforeha ceptable. s pointed out, it’s completely unac d the World Bank ha an t, ou ted in po l s going on in Michae that we face is what’ ks ris t es gg bi e th of ms of the damage [that] one ng time bomb in ter ki tic a is y all re at usly to all of their Europe. Th economy, and obvio n ow eir th to do d l system around that it coul rtners in the financia pa eir th d an s er terest that, as Mitrading partn incredibly in our in so is it y wh is at thing that does give the world. Th t together.” The one ac eir th et “g ey th nightmare. Everyone chael put it, e scenario is such a ar tm gh untries ni e th at th untries default, if co me hope is co of r be m nu a if ds that eir financial be devastating to th in Europe understan ll wi it , up ks ea br at system d I think that’s leave the euro, if th in the eurozone, an le op pe e th to y, econom be, I think that’s system, to their real hard as it’s going to As h. ug ro th e dl that we will to mud s why there’s a hope why they are likely at’ th d an e, m tco 20) t likely ou why that’s the mos (Continued on page

Ap r i l/may 2012

THE COMMO N WE AL TH

7

The labor . r e m r .S fo s the U r y y a s y r secreta e d n e ce s s a e oid g th h a s av ing followin r p t tur xce restruc e c e s s i o n . E ere R ich: Wh e G reat R t r e ob d?,” from “R r i c a H ea d e e is A m ary 1, 2012.

Febru

FORTUNE : TELLINRG D TO LOOKING BACKWA SEE WHAT’S COMING

P

resident Obama said in the State of the Union very pointedly that the defining issue of the next nine or 10 months, this election year, is going to be whether the economy is working for all of us or if it’s just working for a few. The president made it very, very clear that one of the critical questions facing this country is fairness. Who is the economy for?

I agree with him, but I want to go slightly beyond what he said and suggest to you that the issue of fairness is not just a moral issue, it’s not just an issue about whether we’re all in the same boat together. It is all of those things, but it also has to do with the success of the economy itself.

The economy looks like it is doing a little better now. In fact, we know that in the fourth quarter of 2011, we had an annualized growth of about 2.8 percent, which is very good. And it looks like the employment report for January may be very

8

THE COMMO N WE AL TH

good. In December we had 200,000 net new jobs. Not bad.

But this is still an extraordinarily, painfully slow recovery. Most of the growth in the fourth quarter of 2011 had to do with inventory replacements – companies that got their inventories so low they just needed to replace their inventory. Some of that growth just had to do with the fact that people had been holding on to their old cars so long, they had to replace their old cars.

Well, you can’t have a vigorous recovery on the basis of replacements. It turns out that consumers, whose spending is 70 percent of economic activity, really have not spent that much more. In fact, we know that in December, they pulled back. It looked like in the Christmas season they were spending a little bit more, but then they actually retreated from the market; they began saving a little bit more of their incomes, presumably because their savings rate had gotten down

A p r il/may 2012

so low they were scared. There is a fear factor that is still very much a part of this economy.

If you look at the data, what you see is something that is puzzling and disturbing. In most economic recoveries, you get a fairly strong recovery, at least a recovery that is, in its strength, inversely related to the hole from which you want to emerge.

From the depths of the Great Depression in 1933, well, we had quite good growth in 1934, and even faster growth in 1935, ranging from 7 to 8 percent; in 1936, we got up to 12 or 14 percent of annualized growth. When you stop to think about it, that’s not surprising. When you go into a deep hole, you’ve got a lot of underutilized capacity. You’ve got a lot of offices, factories that are not being utilized. You’ve also got a lot of people who are sitting around doing nothing. So when the economy starts to come back, if you are going to get back on the track you were on originally before you

robert reich

Pr G old m a n ofessor, Public S c ho o P Form olicy, U.C. B l o f er U. e S. Sec rkeley; Labor re t a r y ; Au of The N thor, Afters hock: ext Ec Ameri onomy and ca’s Fu ture

Photo by VallarieE / istockphoto

fell into the hole, you need a lot of growth.

You get that growth usually because you’ve got all of that unused capacity.

Well, we fell into a very deep hole in 2008. We fell into the deepest hole we’ve fallen into since the Great Depression; not as deep as the Great Depression, but it was a very, very deep hole, nonetheless. And when we see growth in the range of 2 percent, that’s not nearly good enough. Even when we see employment in the range of 200,000 a month, that’s not going to get us back. If we have 200,000 a month, it’s going to take us to the year 2019 or 2020 until we get back to 5-percent unemployment.

We’re not doing nearly well enough, and given that consumers are scared and consumer spending is still in the doldrums, how do we ever get enough demand in the system to justify more hiring at good wages?

It’s circular. Consumers are workers, and workers are consumers. If people don’t have

jobs, and their wages are going nowhere and for the bottom 90 percent, their wages are still trending downward, then they don’t have the wherewithall to turn around and buy; and if they don’t buy, then there won’t be jobs. This is not rocket science.

We’ve had a big debate in this country over how large the stimulus should be. Now the debate is about how large the stimulus should have been. And predictably you’ve got certain people on one side saying, “Well, the stimulus didn’t work.” You’ve got other people on the other side – of which I’m one – saying the stimulus was not big enough.

In fact, Larry Summers, who was the president’s chief economist, apparently wrote a memo in late 2008 that was just leaked. It stated that I had recommended – I was one of the Obama advisors at the time – that the size of the stimulus package be $1.2 trillion.

Now that was more than twice as large as the stimulus turned out to be. I thought that was approximately the right size, because given how much the economy had lost, how deep the hole was, you needed that degree of stimulus just to get us back. Consumers and businesses were going to pull back, they would not nearly respond to the shortfall; government has got to be the spender of last resort. I’m proud to be a Keynesian.

There’s something else, something more troubling. With widening inequality, with more and more income going to the top 1 percent or the top of tenth of 1 percent, the vast middle class no longer has the purchasing power to keep the economy going. This is just common sense. The two years over the past 100 years that were the peak record years in terms of how much and how large a share of total national income went to the top 1 percent, were 1928 and 2007.

Now, what do we know about 1928 and 2007? These are not random years; something happened the year after 1928 and 2007.

You see, if consumers don’t have enough purchasing power, they go deeper and deeper into debt. Eventually, that debt bubble bursts, and after it bursts, there is not only a possibility of a financial calamity, but beyond that consumers don’t have enough money to keep the economy going, beyond a replacement economy. What Franklin D. Roosevelt understood was that you had to restructure the economy in some profound ways, to get a lot of people employed who

were unemployed employed, but also you had to have the union rights for people to organize and require that employers bargain in good faith, and you had to provide Social Security and unemployment insurance, a 40-hour work week with time and a half for overtime.

But this time around, we haven’t done it. We did do enough to stop a run on the banks; we did avoid a financial calamity.

But we did not address the inequality that was removing the capacity of the vast middle class to be the drivers of the economy.

The people at the top can’t be the drivers of the economy. Why? Because the richer you are – I’m not a class warrior; I’m a class worrier. But the difference is that the richer you are, the more you are going to save more of your income.

In ordinary times, that’s good. But when you’re worrying about an economy having enough oomph to get out of a recession, you’re not having and creating enough demand in your economy to keep that economy going. And you’re toying with huge speculative booms and debt bubbles that burst. If you don’t restructure the economy for greater equality – I’m not saying you have to have total equality, just something that is more normal. Now in the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s, the top 1 percent took home between 9 and 10 percent of the total income. But by the time we got to 2007, the top 1 percent was taking home 23.5 percent

“What do we know about 1928 and 2007? These are

not random years; something happened the year after 1928 and 2007.” of the total income. Ironically, back in 1928, what percentage of total income was the top 1 percent taking home? Twenty-three and a half percent!

Escape the vicious cycle

T

he president’s talking about creating incentives for companies to create more manufacturing jobs in America. That’s good.

a pr i l/may 2012

THE COMMO N WE AL TH

9

going to happen. Inflation happens when you have a constraint on your capacity. It’s lunacy to worry about inflation.”

Photo by Ed Ritger

He’s talking about having a “Buffet tax,” a minimum top marginal tax of 30 percent on incomes over $1 million. That’s a step in the right direction, I assume. He’s talking about investing in education and infrastructure. Well, that’s very important. But we also have a huge budget deficit in the out years; we’ve got to do something about that.

The top marginal rate in the 1950s under Dwight Eisenhower – whom nobody would accuse of being a socialist – on what would be the equivalent of millionaires was 91 percent. Now, even if you take away all of the deductions and all of the tax credits, the effective rate in those days was still between 52 and 60 percent. We’re not talking about nearly that.

The Buffet Rule, which has as much chance of being enacted this year as I do of growing, sets a minimum of 30 percent. That’s considered radical.

Let me assure you. It’s not radical.

I would urge that we work for a high marginal income tax on incomes over $1 million, including a capital gains tax that is the same as income tax, so there’s no gaming of the system, and that it be substantial.

This is going to be an interesting year, in terms of coming up to one of the most important elections that we have had. But what disturbs me and worries me is that we will not be debating proposals that will be large enough to do very much about the underlying issue that the president himself has raised. The defining issue is how we get an economy that is working for all of us and not just for the few. His proposals are steps in the right direction, but they are not enough to get there.

A democracy only functions for the people and not for the moneyed interests when the people rise and are heard. If the people just think politics is about electing somebody, and then go home and forget it, we’re going to be back to where we were before. We’re not going to see the changes we need.

Question and answer session with George Scalise, member of The Commonwealth Club Board of Governors.

SCALISE: How do you rate President Obama’s performance thus far, on a scale of 1 to 10?

10

THE COMMO N WE AL TH

A p r il/may 2012

REICH: I only give letter grades. [Laughter] I would give him anywhere between an A- and a B+. He has faced the most intransigent, disciplined, unified, negative Republican Party I have ever seen in my lifetime, and it’s amazing he’s gotten as much done as he did. He is also up against the worst economy in my lifetime. And he’s done reasonably well.

Again, I didn’t give him an A, and I would never give him an A+. I was disappointed that he did not forcefully stand up to the Republicans, and he could have been tougher with them.

SCALISE: As a former labor secretary, how do you see the attacks on labor unions at the state level?

REICH: If you’re talking about the attacks on public employees that is going on in Wisconsin and many other states, I think it’s misguided for the following reasons: If you control for education, apples to apples, public employees with the same educational background as private sector employees, the pay is just about the same. If you look at benefits, public sector employees are doing a little better than private sector employees. But that just means that we’ve allowed a major erosion of private sector benefits for employees, and I don’t think the way to correct that is to go downward. The way to correct that is to equalize upward.

I think teachers ought to agree to more pay for performance, and we ought to demand from teachers that when they’re in the classrooms that they actually teach and that we get results. But let me tell you something.

My sister is a public school teacher. I am a product of public schools. For years, this country had a free ride off the fact that there were not many alternative career openings for intelligent woman other than teaching, but if we want to attract high quality men and women into our classrooms, we’ve got to pay for them.

SCALISE: Are you concerned that the rapid growth of the money supply could lead to much higher inflation in the years ahead?

REICH: No. When you have all this underutilized capacity, when you have so many people unemployed, when you have so many factories and offices that are empty, how can you worry about inflation? Inflation is not going to happen. Inflation happens when you have a constraint on your capacity. It’s lunacy to worry about inflation.

This program was made possible by the generous support of Ernst & Young.

Event photos by Ed Ritger, explosions by The United States Government / Wikimedia Commons

“Inflation is not

Th re on e fo ea rme r G eorgeth. r Co Ex ld un ce W de rp ar r P Sh t fr rio re s u l om rs id tz en F “Th put t o fo of Cl i rm r t h nt o e r U e N e uc war N n SA . S lea d t uc S le a M ecr r C he N e r T U ta he ir p r N hr N y o ssb lan e a F f f o t I or m S t a oa to r I ni t rd de nt t i a e r U e u n er t iv ,2 n a e . S . der 01 crea t io P h S e P 2,” r n a i l na e s Fe se an l S i p to id e r br ec T , G nt ua d ev B u u r it a u e or R e a ry en re y a bmangia g a au n n 23 ( d 1 W Ch C 97 , 2 elim i C

l i e f o o o n 2 -9 l 01 in ; A pe su 6 ) i am 2. ate r , a l ut t i t i n C ho on g o- Perr th ed a n r, T ; Fo Pro Cha he r m fe irm y F d an T h P e r s s o a or ge e i a r t N r, S n a me r n e e w t nd r U ro Q rsh Y a n fn ue fo Ch . S. o i p r st : k rd i uc S t o F i v Ti U e f E e c r lea e n m x e – B a C es iv ec ta r rw M n e u y od t h ol d Wa r sit t iv of ea er a e W s h y C e O D po to B o a r r i n g e n f f e f e r m i o r t o t e ic e n s ns n b e r r s

a pr i l/may 2012

THE COMMO N WE AL TH

11

TAUBMAN: The last paragraph in the book I’ve done is a comment that was made by Henry Kissinger, who was President Nixon’s national security advisor and secretary of state, and who has joined with these three men and [Stanford physicist] Sidney Drell to raise the visibility of nuclear weapons issues, to call attention to a series of important steps that can be taken to reduce nuclear threats, and ultimately to eliminate nuclear weapons altogether.

The comment by Kissinger speaks to what the world might think if there were to be a use of a nuclear weapon, either by a terrorist group or perhaps a nuclear exchange between India and Pakistan: “Once nuclear weapons are used, we will be driven to take global measures to prevent it. Some of us have said, ‘Let’s ask ourselves, if we have to do it afterwards, why don’t we do it now?”

So let me begin the conversation by asking questions about some contemporary nuclear threats. Secretary Perry, what is your sense of the nuclear threat posed by Iran?

If you were secretary of defense today, what advice would you give President Obama?

PERRY: I believe that Iran is moving seriously and energetically for the last 10 to 15 years to develop a nuclear weapon. I think they’re probably within a few years of achieving that goal. This is in spite of the fact that they have consistently denied they are doing that. I also believe that the government of Israel believes that a nuclear weapon in Iran poses an existential threat to their country and is determined to prevent that from happening, possibly with a military strike.

A military strike, even if successful, would have a whole host of unintended consequences, almost all of them bad. So our role in the United States is to try to provide reasons for Israel not to make that strike.

The only reasons that hold up are that we are taking actions in concert with other nations of the world to stop Iran from getting nuclear weapons. Our best chance of doing that is through what I call coercive diplomacy – diplomacy with a very heavy threat behind it. The most effective threat against Iran is shutting down the financial transactions, which indeed we have started doing in the last few months. If we can continue and increase that pressure, we could be successful in putting pressure on Iran to stop that

12

THE COMMO N WE AL TH

1

3

2

program.

T h e weakness of that is that Russia is only partly cooperating and China not at all. Our diplomatic role is to convince Russia and China that a military attack on Iran would have deleterious consequences not only for Iran, the United States and Israel but also for Russia and China, and therefore to get behind this program.

SHULTZ: I subscribe to what Bill said completely. However, if we have a situation where sanctions are beginning to work in Iran – and it looks to me like they probably are, the financial pressures are great, that is the real pressure point – we can’t allow Iran to draw out a long diplomatic process which they simply use to gain time to develop their weapons. So we have to move energetically.

I would say to them, “You say you’re developing your enrichment capacity for peaceful purposes. The volume of the enrichment that you are doing far exceeds any domestic use you might have in a nuclear power plant. You’ve only got one plant; the Russians are supplying the fuel for it. So if you mean it that this is for ci- vilian purposes, you must be wanting to sell your enriched uranium on the international market. We’ll help you

A p r il/may 2012

do that. That means that you have to be part of some international fuel-cycle regime that includes having knowledgeable people in your plants so we know exactly what is going on and that you’re not enriching to weapons grade.”

But this would have to be done rapidly, because people use negotiations just as a stall, to gain time.

I might say that Senator Nunn and his organization have really done yeoman’s work in developing the nuclear fuel-cycle idea, and it had a lot to do with creating a fuel bank that can be used by countries so they don’t have to enrich uranium

4

1 William Perry recalls Cold War nuclear near-tragedies. 2 George Shultz and Ronald Reagan brought up disarmament with the Soviets in 1986. 3 Nunn warns of Pakistani danger. 4 Nunn, Perry, Shultz, and moderator Philip Taubman.

themselves, and I think there’s the makings of an international regime here.

But if you’re going to wait to see what sanctions do, then you need to have some sort of a proposal. I wouldn’t just sit namby-pamby around. “You say it’s for civilian purposes?

I’m calling that card.”

TAU B M A N : S e n a t o r Nunn, how worried should we be about Pakistan’s nuclear weapons and its fissile materials?

NUNN: We should put Pakistan right close to the top of the list in terms of our concerns. They live in a dangerous neighborhood, from their per-

spect i v e .

They’ve had several wars with India. They have a lot of terrorists on their own territory. Some [people] with considerable evidence believe that parts of their military or parts of their intelligence – not necessarily with approval of the government – have basically enabled and in some cases encouraged terrorism. Certainly the Indians believe that. You had the attack on Mumbai.

When you think about Iran – and I agree with Bill and George – it’s extremely dangerous. But so is Pakistan. When you look at proliferation, we see what happened with the A.Q. Khan network. One individual in Pakistan, probably with the help of others, basically had a nuclear arms bazaar all around the world, enabling countries like North Korea, Libya, to gain a great number of components of nuclear weapons.

But when you think about it, the world has a stake. All of us agree on sovereignty.

[But] there was an article in an American scientific magazine. It postulated with the help of supercomputers a hypothetical of 100 bombs going off between India and Pakistan. It basically said that, based on the computer models, there would be a couple hundred million people killed

very quickly, and as consequences of the global cooling that would take place over the next five or six years, there would be 1 to 2 billion people who would starve to death. Now do two nations have the right to do that in the name of sovereignty? I don’t think so. We all have to think about this a lot more seriously than we have.

Iran is a difficult scenario. If they do get nuclear weapons, there are going to be several more countries in that part of the world that will, in my view, have a very active quest for nuclear weapons. If we have a conflict, it has all sorts of implications. It would not be an over-and-out type of conflict. You’d have to take out the defensive missiles; if you were serious about it, you would have to take out their nuclear sites. There are not one or two; there are more than that.

Sid Drell, our physicist partner, reminded us that you need to take out the electrical grid. Since [Iran has] threatened to close the Persian Gulf, you would need to take out their navy and their air force. So this is not a raid like we’ve seen before on Iraq or Syria.

It’s a big deal. It has a lot of consequences.

But I do believe there’s some hope, because the Iranians are in a big economic squeeze now. First of all, they’ve got a bad economic system. Second, the embargoes are having some effect. The valuation of their currency has gone down about 30 percent in the last six months. They are feeling the pain. Unfortunately, a lot of innocent people suffer. But the alternatives are pretty grim.

SHULTZ: I wanted to add something on Pakistan. Bill and I over the last six months had two lengthy meetings, one with a group of former military and foreign minister types in India and Pakistan; one with Pakistani and U.S. high officials. Just one point on the latter: One of the sessions was devoted to a couple economists – one from Stanford, Michael Boskin, and one from Pakistan. It was the only really high point in the whole thing. The net of that discussion was that the Pakistanis are foregoing tremendous economic opportunities by virtue of the unease that pervades the country. If they could do something about it, they could have almost a [tremendous] economic situation. Our thought was that you could hold that up for people and say, “Get real and pay attention to your best interests, and allow yourselves to develop.”

a pr i l/may 2012

(Continued on page 52)

THE COMMO N WE AL TH

13

ry Dav er Cboalurmnist;

i betlurday Night e w z n a al r, “Sa

e r nTV v o S g u Do Radio/CBS 5 oderator CBS spondent – M K Corre

t loud er say ou e to v e n ld u o av le, you w w; I think you h a.” r examp o o n ub F k C ’t r n fo o good i, “I d here in e t m m d Humo thor, Lunatics ia o e s v M e o in on . It’s a Im stro has d heard, disregard wn ys feel I Miami. a a C in lw Co-au a e it v I m li . d s o :I r you’ve a bad a titude d : ed State BARRY Whateve e have a new at the Unit , because it has gan t m o s lo s fr a o n 6 iz m otio 198 n. W rgan s y city w m ’ O o o m t a r y p t d b c a n i g e o r r m fe Ame s should de . Every year, the Z think of major g here, a new touris mi; we weren’t shootr f e o t i r o w w t ia T or ation at they ack to M y poorly ed hum s to tell repunt [asks] people whM t Come b does ver a “ i r t my m e b h ia t e l f tio ce ce kly abou o nt o ear u.” r e o y ic y c o u y r t f r e q a e p u v r g i e o 7 y in 6 e ll pt e th n d cities, and . At the last one, ht Miami “is a oing to te going to lead u f g ’m I combin f Lunatics – a ll g o u st o it’s n in that p s said they tho riter mo a t because o rts. Whe w p u r, r r h e e o e e t l r a t m c a a c u n x t e Th E the been a h eporter – respond t place.” e people stories. lan. I’ve ted out as a real r ttle par s, violen t to track thos A e n u o h l a r l t e fu g r A o e n r li d da d we wan life. I sta many ked at a ’s a won a r r y a n 12.

B see that, them, because it of learning my r reporter. I wor The Daily Loe e v w a D 20 regula estion d kill nia called ter, f ro m “ uary 19, down an y is. It’s just a qu o the local culn ennsylva s, in West Ches a P J ” in l, r ll e t e a p t e r p w ib . t a e I e e d .

N n r a y l w e u it o a t P nZ c c t

14

THE COMMO N WE AL TH

r Write or, Lunatics FormeC o-auth Live”;

A p r il/may 2012

er

y Ed Ritg Photos b

, she irthr mouth ted Jeb’s 39th b e h h it eyes. W We just celebra s, “Oh! atement y said, m in t e two st a s n h e t h h io t c t w a a e .” o e z y u n a h k d sit it aly This is a to say nothing. I oes not always if you an nothing to do w prob, w o N r. d e e w in ap They hav us. She’s the your bra the plan is. So -town p as where I kno u’ll say, “ as being gracio ry small u know, o e o t w y es: v y a I h a . t, h g w u – it n B y ind. he w illion tim to a ent, w S r bod reporti m m sylvania u e m ” o a o r. th y e t m t n h f n a e t t o e t quie rest happ lly w duced t grea om o een this f her has been re a Bush, I was no major, and I rea ed to tell the ding there – this alists, in this ro s ly b a ant sh tan Barbar front o othing, d journ an Engli lism because I w t writ- we’re s -powere lanned to say n erson in iot because she’s at an inane h p ig h a a e h n s t r e p wh g id into jou quickly learned . all th people – and I blitherin than point out ding tI urnalism f u o jo b r as preten er e , ll in e w h t fu l it e a r il r h k s w , s , d e in y n d e l a a k m out h t the ey skil ent I had conversation ab iling m ing is no people is the k e e t a v t a s h to e s yo u aving a e was ba Talking e were h y weren’t, but sh of her to sometim imidating w d n a , t m ll s tful rea : have a journali eople who are in at part. e son. We was very though n’t believe W “ h p t a o at It to talk t , “Aw, I c ire ot good me out. thinking Mrs. Bush.”

Ha m p s h . I was n e ’m il w I t e . s t o N a h in or do th Hampnk you, h my , I was Miami; o that; tha king wit to the New a day t In 1992 t in id k u a h c s t o b I a a ’m b I see hat I columns rimary. I spent ‘Come That’s w look down, and writing ush p B l a ia r t king, a I n b e r n h a sid B th is t in ff d. The u r o in e b m m shire pre hen-First Lady y m e t as a m or that m ting it o gt Barry my horr e are really hit Barbafollowin t as a stalker, bu lady. It was – .” o t W to n rs “Whoa! I hear myself say around – corps with the fi and a whole , d s e United s n le h e p t r A o f p .” e o e e p e r s y f e e d o h h s la t of th t t d ll s lo an fir ha inatss corps: me open ed ra Bush, the g up on the fasc e ound wit the end a r c a h g t a big pre u in o o g n my m he Unit followin pped at the sam ents. At de of us me reaso h, first lady of t shop at States, motorca o the various ev ss conference. o s e’s r I sho fo t s u I b ies t a pre fact that id, “ n Jeb, “H ra Bu a a o g d a s s b r a r I in r g h a e , o t t B h h ’t e dignitar s o n s o a u o m a ph I said t e never Jeb.” I d y, Mrs. B ver, the rmarket ue – Jeb Bush is of the da ught it was all o t had been with States, whom I’v ket as your son, that, but I supe r t hat t’s tho ow y tall.” I – but I’m sure t s tha rmar e n r p e h k e r t p v o o u t o c s , t s s g n s e e When I e o in y go – pr am idual aware ught the two dozen of us and put the s e first lady was d ing fact, and she tall indiv dy was already h pher bro t t e , a b k le in y c c a in la s ir h o c m t t lo king rs at fa emish – ush for ut the fi fact. Now she’s her of th s--t?” b B Mrs. Bu us in a s m , a r d r h t e a fo u b m r o in r m Ba at uy with es a d fo e r of th round for the g with her who giv t next to this picture. h , h stage, an t ll o ig e h r N t e W i “ m t h e w a

ism r u o t w ne ogan l s n o i t we promo ting o o h s t ’ weren at you

a pr i l/may 2012

THE COMMO N WE AL TH

15

tranquilizer dart gun, and she said, “Well, he didn’t just grow this year!”

That, really, is how I became a humor writer. I was really not good at the journalism thing.

I’m just going to tell you really quick about Alan, because I don’t know if you realize how major he has been in the comedy world.

How many of you remember the great ’75 to ’80 “Saturday Night Live”?

A lot of that was this man here.

How many of you have seen 700 Sundays?

Fantastic; won a Tony. Alan Zweibel co-wrote that with Billy Crystal.

How many of you have heard the song “Mr. Bojangles?” OK, he had nothing to do with that. He’s not really good at music at all, but you can’t have everything, can you?

ZWEIBEL: It’s really amazing to me that I actually know Dave Barry and wrote a book with him. I remember as a five- or six-yearold kid, my grandfather used to read a lot of Dave’s stories to me, and here I am now.

It was not my idea to become a comedy writer. This was a decision that was made for me about 35 years ago by every law school in the United States. I went to college. My grade point average was really good, but you had to take the law boards, which was graded from 200 to 800. If you can write your name, you got a 200; if you were Einstein, you got an 800; if you were Alan Zweibel, you got a 390, which reclassified me as “mineral.” I told my Long Island Jewish parents that I got a 390 on the law boards, and about a week later – this is after they uncovered the mirrors – my father gave me $1,000, which I took and gave to a man named Stanley Kaplan. Stanley Kaplan’s got these schools all over the country where they teach you how to take standardized tests.

16

THE COMMO N WE AL TH

one o’clock in the morning, and I’m having the hardest time making these four drunks from Des Moines laugh. I get off the stage.

I go to the bar, waiting for Billy to come off, to give me a ride home, and a guy comes up to me. He sits down next to me, and he just starts staring at me and staring at me.

Finally I go, “What? What do you want?”

He goes, “You know, you’re the worst comedian I’ve ever seen in my life.” I said, “Thank you. I really need to hear this right now. Thank you very much.”

He said, “I became a humor writer “But your [because] I was material’s good. Did at the you write it?” I said, journalism thing.”

“Yeah.” He said, “Can I see more law school, so of it?” I went, “You bet.” I didn’t even ask I started writing his name; I would’ve shown it to, like, a jokes for old come- gardener at this point.

Ends up, this guy is Lorne Michaels, and dians who played in the Borscht Belt, the Catskills he’s going from club to club in New York section of New York. They paid me $7 a looking for writers and actors for this new joke. I’m 21; they’re 45. It was like writing show to be called “Saturday Night Live” that for my parents’ friends, but I tried my best. was going to premiere in the fall. I go back They’d say to me, “Alan, sperm banks are in to my parents’ house and type up what I the news. Write me sperm bank jokes.” So believe were 1,100 of my best jokes.

Two days later, I have to go back for my I’d write a joke: “They have this new thing now called sperm banks, which is just like meeting with Lorne. I was so nervous. I call an ordinary bank, except here, if you make Billy Crystal, who had been talking to Lorne a deposit, you lose interest.” Hey – $7; what about the possibility of Billy being on this new show. I said, “Listen, I got a meeting do you want?

The Catskills were dying, and I’m going, with Lorne. Any hints you can give me, so “OK, I’m going to live with my parents I can have a leg up in this meeting?” [Billy] forever.” So I took all the jokes these old says, “He used to write for Woody Allen. guys wouldn’t buy from me, and I made it He’s produced Monty Python specials. Oh, into a stand-up routine for myself. This was and he hates mimes. Lorne hates mimes.” my plan: Deliver the jokes, and maybe a I’m like, “Gotcha.”

I go [to the meeting with Michaels], and manager, or an agent would like my mateI give him this tome with 1,100 jokes in it. rial and give me a job.

The first week that I’m working there, He opens it, and he reads the first joke, and I met a guy who was also starting out. His he goes, “Uh-huh. Good.” Then he closes name was Billy Crystal. He lived about the book. He said, “Good. Tell me a little three towns over from where my parents bit more about yourself.” So I said, “Well, lived. He used to pick me up every single Woody Allen’s my idol, I love Monty Pynight; we’d drive into the city; we’d get thon, but if there’s one f---ing mime on this onstage; we’d do our jokes; he’d drive me show, I am outta here,” and he gave me a job. home; and we would critique each other’s SOVERN: How did you guys decide to jokes and our acts. I’m about four months write this book, Lunatics, together? Did one into this nightmare experiment; it’s about of you owe the other money?

A p r il/may 2012

For six months I studied. I retook the test, and my score catapulted up to a 401.

I figured at that rate, I’d be about 90 before I got into an English-speaking

really not good

BARRY: We met in Washington, D.C., He asked his in-laws, whose last name was when Steve Martin won the Mark Twain Wine, and they said, “Sure, we’ll give you Award in 2005. We were both involved. I the money, as long as our name is in the title was one of the presenters; Alan helped Larry of the store.” So people stop into the store David write his speech. Anyway, we became thinking they can get Merlot or Burgundy friends, and we saw each other off and on or whatever, and they’re a little surprised to over the next few years, at writers’ confer- see salamanders, iguanas and birds. ences and stuff like that. Alan kept saying – BARRY: Lemurs.

ZWEIBEL: “We should do something ZWEIBEL: Lemurs! together.”

BARRY: My guy’s named Jeffrey PeckerBARRY: I didn’t know what he meant. He man, and he’s a horrible human being. was very vague. He’s kind of in the film/TV He’s a racist, homophobic, just disgusting world, where people are always saying they coward. Nothing like me. There was a lot want to do something, and I go, “Sure, let’s of work involved in creating this characdo something together,” but I didn’t think ter. He’s the dad of the girl that [Alan’s] we would. Then he had this idea. character calls offsides on. They have a ZWEIBEL: His daughter Sophie plays soc- confrontation, which his guy thinks is cer. She’s 11 years old. I have three children, nothing. To my guy, it’s not nothing, it’s all of whom play organized sports – soccer, horrible. They don’t like each other; there’s Little League and whatever – so I figure, a little confrontation, but they don’t expect “OK, this is a common denominator.” We to ever see each other again. had to figure it out, ’cause he lives 1,500 The next day, my guy is miles away from me. I’m in New Jersey; driving home from he’s down in Coral Gables, Florida. I can his job. He’s a fogive you his home number later if you wish. rensic plumber, I said, “Listen, why don’t we make it which is a real work for us? Let’s have a situation.” We j o b. G o o g l e came up with this situation where there’s a this job, if you championship game – girls 12 and under. don’t believe The ref calls a 10-year-old girl offside when me. If a crime she kicks what would be the winning goal is committed inin the championship game. Her father goes volving, let’s say, a ballistic. Let’s have a feud between the ref and the “If you can father. I’ll be the ref, you’ll you got 200; if be the voice you were Alan Zweibel, you of the father, and we’ll algot 390, which reclassified ternate chapters. That’s me as ‘mineral.’” exactly what we did. My guy is the ref.

His name is Philip Horkman. I wrote the toilet, you would first chapter and I sent it to Dave, having no call a forensic plumbidea what he was going to send back to me. er, who would testify that BARRY: Tell him what your guy, Philip the victim could not – with his Horkman, does for a living, ’cause it’s key head in the bowl – have reached the lever in the plot. on that particular model of commode, so ZWEIBEL: He owns a pet store. it couldn’t have been a suicide.

BARRY: Called – ?

Anyway, he is coming home from his job ZWEIBEL: The Wine Shop.Because he as a forensic plumber, and his wife tells him needed money to open it a few years ago. that she needs him to pick up some wine for

name

write your

her women’s book group, so he pulls into this store he’s never seen before called The Wine Shop. So they come back together, and that sets off this chain of events where they hate each other – they don’t want to see each other again – but they keep getting pushed together randomly so that within a matter of days, without intending to, they have hijacked a clothing-optional cruise ship.

SOVERN: Somebody would like to know, “What are your limits of acceptability?”

Certainly, some of the things in the book push the boundaries a little bit. Perhaps you couldn’t have printed them in The Miami Herald, for example.

BARRY: Yeah. My character is just a horrible human being. He speaks horribly profanely, and has no sensibilities whatsoever. I guess when you write that, you’re thinking, “People will get that we think this guy is a joke.” We hope that.

ZWEIBEL: Yeah, I mean, my character is a Barney Fife – he’s a good citizen; he does everything to perfection; he plays by the rules.

So when I created that character and sent it to Dave, it was only natural for him to send back somebody who was the polar opposite, and if you read the book, there’s a consistency to [his character].

He’s very, very committed to who this guy is. So if anyone says, “Wait a second; there’s too much profanity,” that’s who the character is.

I made sure that my character had some human traits.

This program was made possible by the generous support of Chevron.

a pr i l/may 2012

THE COMMO N WE AL TH

17

The “Tiger Mom” herself explains that she’s really just a pussycat when it comes to raising her kids. Excerpt from “Amy Chua: Tale of a Tiger Mother,” January 12, 2012.

M

or, Battle

Auth amy chua Mother;

iger Hymn of the T Professor of John M. Duff School Law, Yale Law

18

THE COMMO N WE AL TH

A p r il/may 2012

Tiger photos by Tamboko & tiny packages / Flickr, Chua by Ed Ritger

D N O Y BE THE TIGER R E H T MO

uch of the intense reaction to my book has been based on a misunderstanding. The Wall Street Journal excerpted some portions from the [book’s] opening under the headline, “Why Chinese Mothers Are Superior.” I must have said this a thousand times: I did not choose or ever see that headline until I opened up the newspaper, and I do not agree with it.

I do not believe that Chinese parenting is superior. I believe there are many ways of being a good parent.

I was raised by very strict Chinese immigrant parents, who came to the United States in 1960 to attend graduate school.

My parents, who are both in the audience, actually eloped to M.I.T. They were so poor, they couldn’t afford heat their first two winters in Boston and had to wear blankets to keep warm.

As parents, my mom and dad demanded total respect and were very tough with my three younger sisters and me. In fact, the famous list, that I feel like the entire world has now seen – the “no grade lower than an A-; no play dates, sleepovers; gotta play the piano or violin” – that list, which I intended to be kind of tongue-in-cheek, was actually applied to me straight, with no humor.

The strategy worked with me. Today, I adore my parents. We actually voluntarily vacation with my parents; they’re very close to my daughters; and I feel I owe them everything. I had lots of complaints growing up: “Why all these rules? Why can’t we be normal?” In retrospect, I feel that my parents having had high expectations for me – coupled with love, of course; obviously, if there’s no love, there’s nothing – is the greatest gift that anyone has ever given me. That is why, even though my husband is not Chinese, I tried to raise my own two daughters, Sophia and Lulu, the same way that my parents raised me.

With my first daughter, Sophia, things went very smoothly. She was an easy kid; she was self-motivated; I never had to force her to do anything. But then my second daughter, Lulu, came along, and she is a real fireball. She and I have very similar personalities, which I think might be part of the issue, but boy, did I get my come-uppance.

Lulu and I locked horns from day one. It was weird. I do feel that she was born saying “No,” and the book – which is supposed to be funny; I’ve spent the last year trying to explain that – is filled with zany showdowns between my two daughters and me in which they always win.

There’s one [thing] out there that says, “Amy Chua cruelly put her three-year-old daughter out in the freezing cold.” Here’s how that scene actually went. It was a very freezing cold day. Lulu was three, and I decided that we would try playing the piano for the first time. I sat her down and told her to play a note three times. Lulu, instead of listening to me, began smashing at the piano with two open fists. When I told her to stop, she started screaming and kicking and ripping things and tearing my hair; after 15 minutes of this, I dragged her over to the door. It was freezing cold outside. I said, “Lulu, you can’t stay in this house if you don’t stop screaming and kicking.” So what does Lulu do? She’s just dressed in a sweater and tights and a skirt, not even a coat. She looks at me, and then she steps outside and faces me, defiant.

I started panicking. I ended up having to bribe her to come back in with hot chocolate and brownies. There is nothing I can threaten her with, which is why I’ve stopped doing that; she always calls my bluff.

When Lulu turned 13, she rebelled.

We’d always argued, but really, Lulu and I have just been close all our lives. After these arguments, we’d always end up in bed, snuggling, making fun of each other. But when she turned 13 – this is just universal adolescence – Lulu rebelled in a way that was not funny at all. She suddenly became very angry, alienated and rude, and seemed to turn against everything I had ever stood for.

Around the same time, my younger sister got leukemia. It was a very dark stage in my life. I had always been an over-confident mom, but for the first time in my life, I started asking myself, “Is my family falling apart? Have I done everything wrong?”

The culminating scene of the book takes place in Red Square, Moscow. Lulu and I had a terrible, humiliating, screaming public fight, and Lulu said to me the most painful things that anyone has ever said to me. She said, “I hate you; I hate this family; I hate the violin. You make me feel bad about myself. You’re a terrible mother. You’re selfish.

Everything you say you do for me is actually for yourself.” I actually think I’m pretty hard on myself in this book. It’s pretty openly self-incriminating.

After that, I changed pretty much cold turkey. Not completely, but I pulled back.

“You’re not going to believe this, but what China needs for their children is some

more play dates and sleepovers.”

Right then, I saw it differently and I realized, “My God. I might actually lose my daughter.” When I framed it that way, I didn’t care about the violin, or school or anything. I just didn’t want to lose my daughter. So began a slow process, but I basically let Lulu drop the violin, which was very painful; she was a beautiful player, a concert master. She wanted to play tennis instead. I really loosened up socially. She’s got an iPod, Facebook, texting; she’s had four sleepovers in the last two months – which I’m not happy about, in case you think I’m a convert.

The models that I had in mind when I wrote this book were actually David Sedaris, a book by Dave Eggers – A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius – and then a much more obscure book by Vladimir Nabokov called Pale Fire. I have always loved books with unreliable narrators, where you can’t quite believe everything they’re saying. You have to read between the [lines]; it’s filled with weird contradictions. In this book, I make my character very flawed and obtuse, and the reality of what is happening is conveyed through the critical voices of my two daughters. If you read this book, you see instantly that my daughters were not raised in a traditional Asian household at all. I was

raised in a traditional Asian household; I was terrified of my dad and mom. I would never have talked back to them. By contrast, my story is told entirely through the strong, rebellious voices of both Sophia and Lulu.

What so many people miss about this book – because of all the stuff about the rules; they read that superficially – is this book actually celebrates rebellion. Lulu, the heroine of the book, is clearly a rebel.

At the end, I reveal that my own father was a rebel. [He] was a black sheep and turned his back on his family; hated his family; left Asia; never looked back. The entire book is defiantly non-conformist, and outrageous.

My mother, who actually likes the book, said to me, “No Chinese person would ever write this.” So my book is more complex than some of you may have heard.

The book did very well in China – sadly, for all the wrong reasons. When I first saw the Chinese edition, I remember calling my agent and my husband and saying, “I need to bring an injunction to stop this thing.”

They didn’t change the inside of the book, but the book in Chinese is called, Parenting by a Yale Law Professor: How to Raise Kids in America, and the cover is a huge picture of me wrapped in a red, white and blue flag.

I said, “We’ve got to stop this thing,” but I talked to my friends, lawyers, judges and people I know in China, and they all said to me the same thing: “Amy, I know it looks kind of tacky, but it’s not actually that bad a title.” The reason for that is because, in China, they have exactly the opposite problem. Even today, even very young kids basically study or drill or practice from 7 a.m. ’til 10 p.m. every day. Grades are publicly posted. There are teachers who tell good students not to play with bad students. Very little time for friends or relaxation; never heard of a sleepover. I’ve recently been in China. I was asked in front of this big group, “What do you think is the most important thing that we can do for our children here, in this country?”

I said to a large media audience, “You’re not going to believe this, but I think that what this country needs for their children is some more play dates and sleepovers.”

I do not think, by the way, that that’s what we need more of in the United States.

This program was made possible by the generous support of Deloitte.

a pr i l/may 2012

THE COMMO N WE AL TH

19

1

2

4

3

1 Boskin warned the audience against a new fiscal stimulus. 2 Romer called for a “grand bargain” in Washington to address the long-run federal deficit. 3 Michael Boskin and Christina Romer also spoke to a private panel before the economic forecast lunch. 4 Mary Cranston moderated the luncheon forecast. 5 Everyone wanted to know this year: What will Washington, D.C., do?

5

Economic Forecast (Continued from page 7) continue to keep growing, keep expanding.

But it needs to be so much faster.

BOSKIN: To give some brief perspective to that, we’ve had two other really severe recessions since World War II – in the mid-’70s and early ’80s – and out of those recessions, we grew at six or seven percent for several years. This time around, we’re growing in

20

THE COMMO N WE AL TH

the twos. That being said, the employment situation has been lagging even that modest growth, so we’re half-speed at best on GDP and well under that on the labor market recovery. There are many reasons for that, but just in perspective, it’s a lot better than the economy not growing, or growing even more slowly and creating no jobs. But it is slow growth, especially for recovery from a deep recession.

CRANSTON: We are getting a number of

A PRIL/MAY 2012

audience questions about employment and job growth. What do you think needs to happen in the United States or globally to stimulate job recovery? What do you see as the structural changes that are making this different than the prior recoveries?

ROMER: Let me pick up where Michael left off, which is [that] we are obviously growing much too slowly, and slower than coming out of some other deep recessions, but it’s very important to understand why.

Something like the 1982 recession – let’s understand what was going on then. Inflation had gotten high. Paul Volker in the Federal Reserve jacked interest rates up to astronomical levels. That crunched housing; that crunched consumer spending. Then, when inflation was down, they could turn the spigot back on. Interest rates came down, and we were off to the races. Construction came back, and consumer spending came back. That’s not what went on in this recession. This recession was born of a bursting of a housing bubble. Interest rates started at very low levels, and they quickly went down to zero in terms of what the Federal Reserve was doing. We don’t have the normal drivers coming out of one of those severe, monetary-policy-caused recessions. We’ve got a big overstock of housing; we’re probably not going to have that surge of construction for a very long time. We are facing fundamental headwinds coming from how we got into this mess, as well as the risks in Europe. If you take that as the understanding, that we have inadequate demand, there’s lots more I think the government can and should be doing.

The Federal Reserve could be a lot more helpful. They were very good during the crisis – they held together what was a terrifying meltdown of our financial system – but maybe in the last year and a half they have not been as aggressive as they could have been to help us get a stronger recovery. We have a terrible problem in the housing sector, and one of the things that we’re learning is [that] underwater homeowners – people who owe more on their mortgages than their homes are worth – are a drag on the economy. Basically, people with high debt loads don’t want to spend; they don’t want to remodel their houses; they tend to be very nervous, as they naturally would be. We need a way to get rid of that negative equity.

I wouldn’t support the government just paying for it, but we should be taking policies that encourage the financial sector to be renegotiating those underwater mortgages.

The [final] thing I think we need is a comprehensive fiscal plan. We have a terrible long-run deficit, and we had a very good bipartisan fiscal commission that came out with a plan for how to do it – that so-called “grand bargain.” We need to do it. If we take the actions that get our long-run fiscal house in order, that gives us the space to do what we need to do right now to put people back

to work. I was a big proponent, when I was in the administration, of a tax cut for businesses that do what we actually want them to do, which is hire people. Those kinds of fiscal actions would be very smart policies now, if they’re combined with a sensible long-run plan so we know that the deficit gets under control over the longer run.

BOSKIN: I would agree that the origins of the recession were heavily in the bursting of the housing bubble produced by the Fed keeping interest rates too low for too long, and the serial social engineering of housing, and a lot of bad decisions by borrowers and lenders on Wall Street and Main Street. All that, I think we sort of roughly agree on.

I have a somewhat different view of the efficacy of the fiscal policy of the [Obama] administration and of the last administration. It actually was not well designed. It was very poorly implemented. Sadly, Christy [Romer] didn’t get to design it. It was basically socially engineered on Capitol Hill to do a lot of stuff that had very low pay-off and was not really devoted to what was needed at the time, in early 2009, when there were massive private sector layoffs.

I think the idea of a new fiscal stimulus is not a good idea. If you look at the CBO’s estimates of the cost of the fiscal stimulus of 2009, it wound up costing between $300,000 and $1.1 million a job, if you take the range of job estimates they do.

Some people think that it actually hurt the economy. I wouldn’t go that far, but I would say that – combined with the other social engineering that President Obama pushed – it generated, number one, some depression on spending, and number two, a great uncertainty, that greatly reduced the ability of the private sector to plan, manage, invest and hire.

I would have a somewhat overlapping, but somewhat different perspective than Christy on what ought to be done. Number one, I think the most important thing is [that] we need a lot more stability in our fiscal system, in our tax system, and in our monetary policy. I think the Fed took a small step by saying it’s going to start putting out forecasts of interest rates. They should spend a lot more time letting the market have some idea of their exit plan from their massive expansion of their balance sheet. It may be in the future – it may be pushed back longer than I would like it – but people right now have no idea when the government’s

going to get out of the housing market, get out of the mortgage-backed securities, get out of the treasury market, et cetera. That’s really important.

I also think it’s important to reduce the costs that have been added, and are in the process of being added, on business to hire workers. I was for, in 2008 and early 2009, a large temporary payroll tax cut, not because I thought it was the best thing to do, but because there was going to be a large expenditure that I thought would not really wind up being nearly as productive as it might be; there was very little infrastructure spending; it was very ineffective. It’s very hard to do infrastructure spending in shortterm stimulus, as Harvard’s Ed Glaeser, for example, has demonstrated. It didn’t go to the areas with the highest unemployment, or where there was the worst housing bursting bubble. It didn’t go to where it was most effective. It was very slow. It was politicized.

The city of Los Angeles’ controller said it cost $2 million in jobs for the $110 million L.A. got. I think it was just not decided well for short term. This nation has infrastructure needs; they ought to be dealt with in the multi-year legislative process. Some of them are federal, and we ought to support those.

I would say that the biggest thing we can do is give a much more stable fiscal policy. I would agree with the long-term deficit reduction Christy mentioned, but I think it’s much more important that we combine that with sizable medium-term deficit reduction, gradually phased in – the economy’s still soft – not just dealing with

“The CBO estimates that the fiscal stimulus of 2009

wound up costing between $300,000 and $1.1 million a job.” –Boskin the very long-term costs of Social Security and Medicare, as important as those are, but dealing with the big expansion of government and additional costs being imposed on the private sector. That would be a very good thing to stimulate the economy.

The Simpson-Bowles commission to

Ap r i l/may 2012

THE COMMO N WE AL TH

21

which [Romer] referred proposed a much like with it, and when you give an unembroader-base, much lower [tax] rate – ployed family unemployment insurance, lower than current policy, let alone current they hold body and soul together. It’s not law. The top rate would come down well as though that money disappears. In fact, below 35 percent it has its useful purinto the 20s. Some pose and, in some of the extra revenue sense, the job cre“The generated from that ation is a side benwould go to defiefit. Likewise, when is that it has cit reduction. That we spent money on would help the infrastructure, on generated tremendous economy. I think clean energy, that research on the effects of the evidence is that created something it’s very important of value besides crefiscal policy.” – Romer how you deal with a ating the jobs. deficit. The studies When we go of all the OECD forward and have countries since World War II and their to do a fiscal consolidation – because we attempts to consolidate their budgets have do have an unsustainable long-run budget demonstrated that it’s important that it deficit – what most experts will tell you is be overwhelmingly on the spending side, [that] it is such a big problem that there’s and that taxes should only be a minor- no way you’re going to solve it if you only ity partner in that battle. The successful do it on the spending side, or you only do ones, in the sense that they didn’t cause it on entitlement spending, or you only recessions and successfully consolidated do it on tax revenues. We’re going to have a budget, averaged about six dollars in to fire on all cylinders to actually get this spending cuts for every dollar of tax in- thing under control, and that’s something crease. It’s important [that] we reduce the certainly that the Bowles-Simpson commismedium-term and long-term deficit, and sion did emphasize. [that] it be done overwhelmingly on the CRANSTON: We have extreme political spending side. polarization in this country around the ROMER: You’ve got to let me jump in question of tax cuts or spending cuts, here. There is so much disinformation which adds to the complication of the about the fiscal stimulus. The one slightly problem. If you were given a magic wand, silver lining to this horrible cloud that we how would you put in place the ideal policy have been under is that it has generated for taxation and entitlement reform? tremendous research on the effects of fiscal BOSKIN: I’m going to take three seconds policy. What had been kind of a dead field though. The CBO’s range of estimates [of is now the hottest thing for our brightest jobs created by the Recovery Act] is 700,000 graduate students to be looking at. What to 3 million from the research. That’s why those studies are consistently finding is it goes from almost $300,000 a job to $1.1 that both tax cuts and spending increases million. I supported the extension of unemactually stimulate the economy, and when ployment insurance; now it’s so long that we people – whether they’re looking back in should be combining it with training, for time, or at cross-section evidence of states both humanitarian and incentive reasons. in the United States, or specifically at the Let me come back to what ought to Recovery Act – what they come out with is be done. First, on the longer term, Social that in fact it has done very much what the Security should be easy to do. Nobody’s administration said it would do, which is to benefits have to be cut; nobody’s taxes have save or create some 3 million jobs. to be raised. The current tax system is fine.

Think about the Recovery Act. About a The payroll tax – if we switch from wagethird of it was tax cuts. Another big chunk indexing to price-indexing of initial benefits of it was money for unemployment insur- – that would mean everybody’s benefits ance. That money doesn’t disappear. Yes, would go up with inflation; nobody’s real it helps to create jobs, but when you give benefits would be cut relative to today – that people a tax cut, they buy things that they would eliminate the entire deficit. I would

one silver lining

Will You Leave a Lasting Legacy?

Members of The Commonwealth Club’s Legacy Circle want to ensure that their children and grandchildren can enjoy thoughtful, important, unbiased programming for generations to come. By planning a legacy gift, their generosity helps to assure a strong and sustainable future for the Club.

Your professional advisor can tell you that there are many ways to leave a legacy—the Club is able to accept bequests, paid life insurance policies, retirement plan proceeds, and gifts from charitable trusts. Gifts large and small are important. Estate planning is an important part of your legacy.

If you have included The Commonwealth Club of California in your estate plans, please let us know so that we may acknowledge and thank you. Take a moment to complete our short online form at commonwealthclub.org/ plannedgift

22

THE COMMO N WE AL TH

A PRIL/MAY 2012

combine it with a slightly higher retirement age in the distant future, and I’d also raise the benefits a bit for people at the bottom.

Medicare I think is a very, very difficult problem, but the only way forward is a version of the Premium Support Plan proposed

by Alice Rivlin and Paul Ryan and, more recently, by Congressman Ryan and Senator Wyden, where the subsidies were phased down as income went up. We all should agree that before we ask well-off people to pay higher taxes, we ought to reduce the subsidies that go to them. That’s the second point. We don’t know whether that’ll be enough. There’s a lot of things driving health-care spending – economists argue even about how much of it’s really inflation and how much of it’s quality improvement – but that ought to be the place to start.

On the medium term, I would just gradually phase spending from the current 24-25 percent of GDP down to 20 percent or so. That’s a little bit higher than it was in 2000. We’ve accomplished that; in the ’80s and ’90s, we had a five percentage-point reduction and we had very good economic times, so that’s doable if it’s done gradually.

I would take the programs, and I’d try to make them a lot more effective and efficient. We have 47 job-training programs.

Job training is a serious issue. How can a federal government really run 47 effective job-training programs? What happened? In the stimulus bill, we added another one for

green energy; 9 percent of the people got jobs. We need to really, really get into the structure of the government, and reform it to get a lot more out of programs that are targeted to people who really need them, and made a lot more effective, and for the government to shut down programs – and reduce and consolidate programs – that are not very effective. From the IT purchasing, to the fact that we have a bloated civilian labor force that’s [aging] – 45 percent will retire in the next 10 years – it should be doing what most private businesses are doing, and let some attrition of that – maybe half of it – and improve the services to be what’s really needed, with technology and one-stop shopping and things of that sort.

Some of this would occur on the defense side, some of it on the discretionary side, and in the medium and longer term, a lot of it would occur on the Social Security and Medicare side.

On the tax system, we very badly need lower rates on a broader base. It’s not popular for people voting, but the most important thing is to get the corporate rate down, which is the most important thing for our economic growth according to the OECD. That’s very important, but we ought to lower personal rates on a broader base with far less loopholes and have a modified, two- or three-rate system where the top rate’s the same rate as the corporate rate, and they’re both in the 20s, not in the 30s or 40s.

An Uneven Recovery

ROMER: We both agree that the longrun fiscal situation is a disaster. We both agree that Social Security is a small part of the problem, and probably could be fixed pretty easily; that the main thing driving our long-run budget deficit is rising government spending on health care; and we even agree [that] we’ve got to change the tax system, that the sensible way to reform both corporate taxes and individual taxes is, if possible, reduce the rates and broaden the base. Get rid of the loopholes and all of that in the system.

Let me just pick up on the corporate tax side. It’s a little easy to quote the OECD study that says, “We have the highest corporate tax rates.” That’s the stated rate. What we all know is that there are so many loopholes and sweetheart deals, that what American corporations pay at income tax is actually not high relative to other countries. That doesn’t mean we shouldn’t change it, because it would be more sensible; it’s basically very unfair to have some corporations paying much more tax than others because they had the better lobbyist. I absolutely support that, and the president supports that; he’s put corporate tax reform as a big issue. It’s hard: everybody likes lowering rates, and nobody likes giving up their special sweetheart deal, so actually getting a sensible [bill] through Congress is a really hard thing to do.

The one thing I wanted to mention is that Medicare and Medicaid are the government

Compiled by John Zipperer

PERSONAL INCOME

PERSONAL SAVING

GROSS DOMESTIC PRODUCT

Americans’ personal income increased in the second half of 2011.

Americans actually increased their savings in December, despite the Christmas shopping season.

After plunging 8.9 percent in the fourth quarter of 2008, America’s GDP has been making a slow and uneven recovery, as this partial list shows.

Monthly changes in disposable personal income: August 2011 -0.1% September 2011 0.1% October 2011 0.2% November 2011 0.0% December 2011 0.4% January 2012 0.1%

Personal savings rate: November 2011 3.5% December 2011 4.0%

Change in GDP: Advance estimate for 2011 Q4 2.8% Final 2011 Q4 3.0% 2011 Q3 1.8% 2011 Q2 1.3% 2011 Q1 0.4%

NOTE: Measured in current dollars - SOURCE: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis

Ap r i l/may 2012

THE COMMO N WE AL TH

23

programs that are projected to grow dramatically, mainly because health-care spending per person is rising over time. Figuring out how to deal with that is incredibly important.

All of the proposals about premium support – they sound OK until you get into the guts of them. When the Congressional [Budget] Office looks at those proposals, fundamentally what they are is greatly cutting the amount of support that the government gives, so that the average person – 20 or 30 years from now, under those programs – would not be getting nearly the benefits that they’re getting now. We have to decide: Is that what we’re willing to do, or do we want to have a proposal where we work harder to keep the existing system, and to make it much more cost-efficient, and to work as hard as we can,

as we did with the Affordable Care Act, to try to get efficiency improvements and improve the incentives for providers so we get good quality at lower costs? I’d much rather stick with that system and make it work, and continue our obligation to our seniors and poor and disabled Americans.

BOSKIN: There’s a debate about this, but if we’re talking about cutting, let’s be clear that we’re talking about slowing the rate of growth.

CRANSTON: What is your overall assessment of California’s prospects?

BOSKIN: California is a great place. But California has gotten into a big ditch.

With 12 percent of the country’s population, California has one third of the welfare recipients, and 25 percent of the Medicaid

spending. If you look at the structure of what the government spends on, it’s been forced – because of the collapse in revenue – to mitigate the spending, but it still spends in very ineffective ways.

ROMER: California had problems before this recession started. We have a very, very dysfunctional budget system, and it absolutely needs to be fixed, but the other thing to realize is [that] this recession has been particularly hard on California. California was one of the places were the housing bubble was the biggest, and therefore it’s the place where the bursting was some of the biggest and some of the most detrimental.

This program was made possible by the generous support of Bank of America.

2012 CHALLENGE GRANT Your next step in support of The Commonwealth Club can go twice as far!

Every day, the Commonwealth Club offers a dazzling array of events, trips and groups to help keep you abreast of current events – over 400 events in a year. Putting on this variety of programs needs careful planning and much work by our dedicated staff and volunteers… and significant funds. Membership dues do not completely cover our operational expenses, so we rely on dedicated members, friends like you, to take the next step in supporting The Commonwealth Club and make an additional gift beyond their memberships dues.

But time is of the essence…

Support from our members has made The Commonwealth Club a key institution in the civic and cultural life of the Bay Area for 109 years.

Your contribution today will help ensure that The Club remains a hub of dynamic cultural and intellectual life in our community for the next 100 years.

Use the form below, the envelope enclosed in this issue of The Commonwealth or go to www.commonwealth.org/match to take advantage of this opportunity to forge a new relationship with The Commonwealth Club and transform your membership into a full-fledged partnership.

Two of our most generous friends and previous Board presidents, Joseph Epstein and Skip Rhodes, have pledged to match contributions made by Club members dollar for dollar through May 30th, 2012, up to $30,000.

Every dollar of your support will be doubled and do twice the good. It’s that simple.

YES! I want to take the next step in supporting The Commonwealth Club, and help ensure that the Club remains a vital part of cultural and intellectual life of the Bay Area. I understand that my gift will be matched and provide more resources.

Here is my 2012 Matching Gift of:

$50

$75

$100

$150

$200

Other $__________

Name

Make checks payable to The Commonwealth Club of California

Street Address

Please bill my:

City, State, Zip

Card #

Phone required 24 Number THE COMMO N WE AL TH

A PRIL/MAY 2012

Name on Card

VISA

MasterCard

AMEX

Discover

Exp. Date

Programs

For up-to-date information on programs, and to subscribe to our weekly newsletter, go to commonwealthclub.org

OVERVIEW

TICKETs

The Commonwealth Club organizes more than 450 events every year – on politics, the arts, media, literature, business and sports.

Programs are held throughout the Bay Area.

Prepayment is required. Unless otherwise indicated, all Club programs – including “Members Free” events – require tickets.

Programs often sell out, so we strongly encourage you to purchase tickets in advance. Tickets are available at will call. Due to heavy call volume, we urge you to purchase tickets online at commonwealthclub.org; or call (415) 597-6705. Please note: All ticket sales are final. Please arrive at least 10 minutes prior to any program. If a program is sold out and your tickets are not claimed at our box office by the program start time, they will be released to our stand-by list. Select events include premium seating; premium refers to the first several rows of seating.

STANDARD PROGRAMS Typically one hour long, these speeches cover a variety of topics and are followed by a question and answer session. Most evening programs include a wine and cheese reception.

PROGRAM SERIES FOOD LIT showcases pre-eminent chefs and cookbook authors and often includes a mouth-watering meal or tasting.

GOOD LIT features both established literary luminaries and upand-coming writers in conversation.

RADIO, Video and podcasts

INFORUM is for and by people in their 20s and 30s, although events are open to people of all ages.

Hear Club programs on about 200 public and commercial radio stations throughout the United States. For the latest schedule, visit commonwealthclub.org/broadcast.

In the San Francisco Bay Area, tune in to: KQED (88.5 FM) Fridays at 8 p.m. and Saturdays at 2 a.m.

KRCB Radio (91 FM in Rohnert Park) Thursdays at 7 p.m.

KALW (91.7 FM) Inforum programs on select Tuesdays at 7 p.m.

KOIT (96.5 FM and 1260 AM) Sundays at 6 a.m.

KLIV (1590 AM) Thursdays at 7 p.m.

KSAN (107.7 FM) Sundays at 5 a.m.

KNBR (680 and 1050 AM) Sundays at 5 a.m.

KFOG (104.5 and 97.7 FM) Sundays at 5 a.m.

MEMBER–LED FORUMS (MLF) Volunteer-driven programs focus on particular fields. Most evening programs include a wine reception.

Member-Led Forums Chair Dr. Carol Fleming carol.fleming@speechtraining com FORUM CHAIRS 2011 ARTS Anne W. Smith asmith@ggu.edu Lynn Curtis lynnwcurtis@comcast.net ASIA–PACIFIC AFFAIRS Cynthia Miyashita cmiyashita@hotmail.com BAY GOURMET Cathy Curtis cathy_curtis2@pacbell.net SF BOOK DISCUSSION Howard Crane cranehow@aol.com BUSINESS & LEADERSHIP Kevin O’Malley kevin@techtalkstudio.com ENVIRONMENT & NATURAL RESOURCES Ann Clark cbofcb@sbcglobal.net Marcia Sitcoske msitcosk@yahoo.com GROWNUPS John Milford Johnwmilford@gmail.com

Health & Medicine William B. Grant wbgrant@infionline.net HUMANITIES George C. Hammond george@pythpress.com INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS Norma Walden norwalden@aol.com LGBT Stephen Seewer stephenseewer@gmail.com

Watch Club programs on KRCB TV 22 on Comcast & DirecTV the last Sunday of each month at 11 a.m. Select Commonwealth Club Silicon Valley programs air on CreaTV in San Jose (Channel 30).

View hundreds of streaming videos of Club programs at fora.tv and youtube.com/commonwealthclub

Julian Chang julianclchang@gmail.com MIDDLE EAST Celia Menczel celiamenczel@sbcglobal.net

Subscribe to our free podcasting service to automatically download a new program recording to your personal computer each week: commonwealthclub.org/podcast.

PSYCHOLOGY Patrick O’Reilly oreillyphd@hotmail.com

HARD OF HEARING?

science & technology Chisako Ress chisakoress@gmail.com

To request an assistive listening device, please e-mail Ricardo Esway at resway@commonwealthclub.org or call (415) 869-5911 seven working days before the event. a p r i l/may 2012

THE COMMO N WE AL TH

25

Eight Weeks Calendar April 02 - May 25 M on

Tue

Wed

April 02

03

04

Noon The Ancient Roman World in Film FM 5:30 p.m. San Francisco Book Discussion FM 6:00 p.m. Lighting Up Lives with Solar Power FM

5:30 p.m. Paranoid Politics: Islamophobia, McCarthyism, and the Yellow Peril FE

5:30 p.m. Humanities West Book Discussion FM 6:00 p.m. Robert Shiller: Finance and the Good Society

09

10

11

6:00 p.m. Saving San Francisco FM 7:00 p.m. Barb Stuckey FM 6:30 p.m. Vino Vino!

6:30 p.m. John Gray

6:00 p.m. Ed Lee: What’s Next for San Francisco 6:00 p.m. Make It So

16

17

5:15 p.m. Aging Gracefully FM 7:00 p.m. A Conversation with the Mayors of San Jose FE 7:00 p.m. Van Jones- Silicon Valley

6:00 p.m. Paddle to the Sea 6:30 p.m. Van Jones- San Francisco

23

24

Noon Covering Electric Cars FM 2:00 p.m. Russian Hill Walking Tour 6:00 p.m. David Callahan FM

6:00 p.m. Howard Rheingold 6:00 p.m. Crash Course

30

May 01

5:30 p.m. Middle East Discussion Group FE 6:00 p.m. Learning from the Octopus FM 6:30 p.m. Daniel Patterson: The Taste of Place

18

25

02 5:15 p.m. Investing in Girls: Hope or Hype?

6:30 p.m. Why the World Needs American Values 6:30 p.m. California: The Not So Golden State FS

07

08

09

Noon The New Middle East and Israel 5:30 p.m. Book Discussion Group Discusses a Work of Modern Fiction FM 6:00 p.m. Jojo Capece: Bernini’s Rome

6:00 p.m. Donald Stadtner: Power and Piety in Burma’s New Political Landscape 6:00 p.m. Steve Coll: ExxonMobil and American Power

5:30 p.m. Humanities West Book Discussion FM 6:00 p.m. Nancy Gibbs and Michael Duffy: The Presidents Club

14

15

16

2:00 p.m. Chinatown Walking Tour 6:00 p.m. Steven Machtinger: Yes, We Kant Mozart and the Sublime FM

6:00 p.m. Willie Brown: 2012 Annual Lecture on Political Trends

6:00 p.m. Cal vs. Harvard Debate 6:00 p.m. Mrs. Judo: Be Strong, Be Gentle, Be Beautiful 7:00 p.m. James Fallows: China Airborne 8:00 p.m. Andy Cohen

21

22

23

5:30 p.m. Middle East Discussion Group FE 6:15 p.m. Science & Technology Planning Meeting FE 6:30 p.m. Captain Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger 6:30 p.m. The Blueseed Project

6:00 p.m. Paul Krugman: End This Depression Now 6:00 p.m. Mourad Lahlou: New Morrocean

6:00 p.m. On Assignment with National Geographic

26

THE COMMO N WE AL TH

ap r il/may 2012

Legend

San Francisco

FM

Free program for members

East Bay

FE

Free program for everyone

Silicon Valley

MO

Members–only program

Thu

Fri

S at

Sun

05

06

07

08

12

13

14

15

Noon Ballet Balanchine Style 2:00 p.m. San Francisco Architecture Walking Tour

Noon Week To Week FM

21

22

29

6:00 p.m. Freedom’s Cap 7:00 p.m. Jonah Lehrer: How Creativity Works

19

20

Noon Vaughn Walker 6:00 p.m. Power Poll

Noon Human Trafficking: Slavery 2012 FM, FS

26

27

28

6:00 p.m. Marc Freedman: Are You Ready for the Big Shift?

6:00 p.m. Stephanie Pearson: A Day in the Life of an Archaeologist at Pompeii

Noon Week To Week FM

1:30 p.m.

Tony Derose

05

06

12

13

19

20

26

27

03

04

6:00 p.m. Francis Tapon: Eastern Europe 20 Years After Communism 5:15 p.m. Dr. Leonard Mlodinow: How Your Unconscious Mind Rules Your Behavior

Noon Week To Week FM

10

11

2:00 p.m. North Beach Walking Tour 6:00 p.m. Ben Kacyra: Capturing Ancient Wonders in 3D

Noon Charles Frankel, Honorary Consul General of Botswana FM Noon Nancy Novak: Don’t Go Through Cancer Alone

17

18 11:30 a.m. Bill Bradley: We Can All Do Better Noon Week To Week FM

24

25

1:00 p.m. US-Cuba Relations and the Cuban Economy 6:00 p.m. The Golden Gate Bridge at 75: What Makes an Icon

a pr i l/may 2012

THE COMMO N WE AL TH

27

April 02 - 09

Foreign Language Groups Free for members Location: SF Club Office FRENCH, Intermediate Class Thursdays, noon Pierrette Spetz, Graziella Danieli, danieli@sfsu.edu FRENCH, Advanced Conversation Tuesdays, noon Gary Lawrence, (925) 932-2458 GERMAN, Int./Adv. Conversation Wednesdays, noon Sara Shahin, (415) 314-6482 ITALIAN, Intermediate Class Mondays, noon Ebe Fiori Sapone, (415) 564-6789 RUSSIAN, Int./Advanced Conversation Mondays, 1:30 p.m. Rita Sobolev, (925) 376-7889 SPANISH, Advanced Conversation (fluent only) Fridays, noon

M on 0 2 | S a n F r a n c i s c o

M on 0 2 | S a n F r a n c i s c o

The Ancient Roman World in Film

Book Discussion: Hemingway’s A Moveable Feast

Gary Devore, Stanford Archeologist

A Moveable Feast by Ernest Hemingway was published posthumously in 1964.

It remains one of Hemingway’s most enduring works. Called a skeleton key to the American literary fascination with Paris, it also and contains some excellent tips for start-up writers, such as the advice to stop working while you still have something left to write the next day. The novel is set in the 1920’s and features the American writing ex-pat community.

The author obviously will not be present.

Step back in time with a director of excavations in Pompeii and at Roman sites in England, as Gary Devore explores how we continually re-imagine Romans through film. Fall of the Roman Empire (1964) uses Roman political decline to comment on 20th-century politics and race relations in America. Fellini’s Satyricon (1968) riffs on how Mussolini (and others) ransacked ancient history.

And then there’s always Monty Python’s Life of Brian (1979).

MLF: Humanities Location: SF Club Office Time: 11:30 a.m. check-in, noon program Cost: $20 standard, MEMBERS FREE, $7 students (with valid ID) Program Organizer: George Hammond

MLF: San Francisco Book Discussion Location: SF Club Office Time: 5:30 p.m. program Cost: $5 standard, MEMBERS FREE Program organizer: Barbara Massey

M on 0 2 | S a n F r a n c i s c o

T U E 0 3 | S i l i co n Va l l e y

Lighting up Lives with Solar Power

Paranoid Politics: Islamophobia, McCarthyism and the Yellow Peril

Laura Stachel, M.D., M.P.H., Co-Founder and Executive Director, We Care Solar Ned Tozun, Co-Founder and President, d.light

Two award-winning social entrepreneurs discuss their solar projects that help save lives in developing nations. Stachel and Tozun have recently been featured in magazines and on television for their products that save lives of many individuals. Hear why they decided to produce these items and what it took to do so.

MLF: International Relations Location: SF Club Office Time: 5:30 p.m. networking, 6 p.m. program Cost: $20 standard, MEMBERS FREE, $7 students; $8 NorCal Peace Corps members Program Organizer: Karen Keefer Also Know: In association with NorCal Peace Corps Association

28

THE COMMO N WE AL TH

Wajahat Ali, Playwright; Attorney; Co-author, Fear Inc., The Roots of the Islamophobia Network in America Dr. Larry Gerston, Emeritus Professor, San Jose State University; Political Analyst, NBC 11 Mike Honda, U.S. Congressman (D - California)

Our panel will cover three periods in U.S. history: World War II, the era of McCarthyism, and post 9-11, when groups faced persecution in politics and the media. They will share their personal perspectives and reflect on the historic lessons that were learned.

Location: Jewish Community Center Auditorium, 14855 Oka Road, Los Gatos Time: 7 p.m. program Cost: FREE Also know: Co-Sponsored by the Santa Clara County Office of Education, Santa Clara County Library, San Jose Public Library Foundation. In association with: Islamic Networks Group, the Community Relations Council of the Jewish Federation of Silicon Valley, Asian-Americans for Community Involvement, and the League of Women Voters

ap r il/may 2012

THE COMMONWEALTH CLUB

ANNUAL REPORT FOR FISCAL YEAR 2010 - 2011

Dear Friends, So much of what we are talking about at The Commonwealth Club these days seems to be about our digital and electronic resources, including how best to give members access to our extensive video and audio archives, connecting to members through social media, and giving members as many ways to connect to us as there are options on the web.

As we think about it, we realize that at the core of the Club what really matters is people – those who volunteer to speak to our audiences, those of you who come to listen, the many volunteers who help make programs work and, of course, the many, many members who make our magazine, our website and our programs possible.

We want to say thank you for all you do to keep the quest for the truth alive. By contributing your thoughts, your time, your talents and your dollars, you make it all happen. Enjoy this snapshot of one year in the life of the Club.

Warm regards,

Dr. Gloria C. Duffy President and CEO

Dr. Mary G. F. Bitterman Chair, Board of Governors, 2010-2011

OUR ANNUAL ACHIEVEMENTS •

•

Launched teleconference programs, drawing on experts around the country and the world, to bring topical discussions more conveniently to Club members.

Completed the Social Entrepreneurship series, featuring speakers such as Muhammed Yunus, and the resulting book, The Real Problem Solvers, which is forthcoming in fall 2012 from Stanford University Press.

• Identified a site in San Francisco for a permanent home for the Club, and raised $3.5 million toward the purchase.

• Hosted numerous high-level speakers. For example, Climate One, the Club’s series on climate change and energy, hosted Secretary of State Hillary Clinton for an

audience of more than 1,500.

•

The Club’s Inforum division, for and by people in their 20’s and 30’s, launched SF Debate, a bi-weekly forum for debate on current issues.

• Continued to present a balanced programming schedule covering key topics, with speakers ranging from David Gergen to Madeleine Albright, from David Brooks to Dianne Feinstein, from George Shultz to Timothy Geithner.

• Expanded distribution of the Club’s programs through podcasts (more than 1 million podcasts downloaded annually), video streaming (more than 5 million views in the past several years) and social media.

feb r ua ry/mar ch 2011

THE COMMO N WE AL TH

29

THE QUOTABLE COMMONWEALTH “

The people in government are generally in it for the right reasons. The life just isn’t that glamorous. You wouldn’t do it unless you thought you were serving the country. In general, they’re worth more than the cynical way we treat them. The press is more cynical than the politicians, and the voters are more cynical than the press. It’s not quite fair.

”

–David Brooks

“

I think governments do a very bad job of trying to pick industries that are worthy of protection and to make those choices well. Now, there are some exceptions to that; investing in basic science, in research and development, in university research, in education and targeted generally available incentives for innovation is very good policy, and we can do much better at that.

”

–Timothy Geithner

Columnist, The New York Times; January 11, 2011

U.S. Secretary of the Treasury; October 16, 2010

“

“

In the future, we will have penny disposable scrap computers. How can a computer be scrap unless it’s obsolete? It’s because chips will cost a penny; therefore, you’ll scribble on something and then throw it away. As you go from room to room, the scribble follows you; your file follows you as you go from room to room, because your software is in the cloud. Software becomes more important than hardware, because hardware is disposable.

The simplest and clearest way to give confidence that we are coming to grips with the fundamental need of our economic recovery, that we are not continuing to spend with no consideration of where the money comes from, is for Congress to agree with the president for a method of addressing the deficit, much along the lines of President Reagan and Speaker Tip O’Neill. Both parties in our federal government would be demonstrating that we do have the ability to achieve a long-term solution.

–Michio Kaku

–Tom Campbell

”

TV Host; Professor of Physics, City College of New York; Author, Physics of the Future; March 28, 2011

“

”

Visiting Professor of Economics and Law, Chapman University; Former Member of Congress; January 21, 2011

“

It is imperative that we engage in public diplomacy, reaching out to not just leaders, but to the citizens of the countries with whom we engage, because even in authoritarian regimes, public opinion actually matters.

In our interconnected world, it matters in ways that are even more important. So we have tried to use the tools of technology to expand the role of diplomacy.

You hear people talk a lot about the decline of American power and the irrelevance of American power. Don’t believe it. Every time there is a major issue – even sometimes extremely minor issues – to be resolved, people come to the American secretary of state and say,‘We can’t do this without the United States.’You say,‘Surely you can do this without the United States?’ It’s a difficult job, because it is the address for almost every problem in the world.

–Hillary Rodham Clinton

–Condoleezza Rice

”

U.S. Secretary of State; October 15, 2010

30

THE COMMO N WE AL TH

F ebr uary/mar ch 2011

Former U.S. Secretary of State; October 18, 2010

”

THE TOP 10 PROGRAMS* OF 10/11 1. Hillary Rodham Clinton

6. Dianne Feinstein

2. Madeleine Albright & George Shultz

7. Paul Allen

3. David Brooks

8. Nora Ephron

4. Howard Schultz

9. Michael Milken

5. Condoleezza Rice

10. Michio Kaku

*by attendance

THE CLUB BY THE NUMBERS Revenue

FY 11

Contributions

2011 Revenue

FY 10

2,253,000

41%

1,429,756

34%

Membership Dues

895,000

16%

900,800

21%

Program Revenue

642,000

12%

489,100

12%

Special Event Revenue (Net)

594,000

11%

657,625

16%

Misc. Income

199,000

4%

243,458

6%

Donated Materials and Services

381,000

7%

291,113

7%

Gain/Loss on Investments

477,000

9%

206,014

5%

5,441,000

100%

4,217,866

100%

Total

2011 Expenses Expenses

FY 11

Program Services

FY 10

3,562,000

85%

3,350,015

85%

Fundraising

336,000

8%

338,038

9%

Management and General

280,000

7%

253,194

6%

4,178,000

100%

3,941,247

100%

Total

LEADERSHIP OF THE COMMONWEALTH CLUB COMMONWEALTH CLUB OFFICERS Board Chair Maryles Casto Vice Chair Anna W.M. Mok Secretary William F. Adams Treasurer Lee J. Dutra President and CEO Dr. Gloria C. Duffy

BOARD OF GOVERNORS Dan Ashley Massey J. Bambara Ralph Baxter Hon. Shirley Temple Black* John L. Boland J. Dennis Bonney* Helen A. Burt John Busterud* Michael Carr Hon. Ming Chin* Mary B. Cranston** Dr. Kerry P. Curtis

Dr. Jaleh Daie Evelyn S. Dilsaver Lee J. Dutra Joseph I. Epstein* Rolando Esteverena Jeffrey A. Farber Carol A. Fleming, Ph.D. William German* Dr. Charles Geschke Rose Guilbault** Jacquelyn Hadley Edie G. Heilman Hon. James C. Hormel Mary Huss

Claude B. Hutchison Jr.* Dr. Julius Krevans* Lata Krishnan John Leckrone Don J. McGrath Frank C. Meerkamp Jill Nash Richard Otter* Joseph Perrelli* Hon. Barbara Pivnicka Hon. Richard Pivnicka Fr. Stephen A. Privett, S.J. Dr. Mohammad H. Qayoumi

Toni Rembe* Victor A. Revenko* Skip Rhodes* Dr. Condoleezza Rice Fred A. Rodriguez RenĂŠe Rubin* Robert Saldich** Joseph W. Saunders George M. Scalise Connie Shapiro* Charlotte Mailliard Shultz George D. Smith, Jr. James Strother

Hon. Tad Taube Charles Travers Thomas Vertin Robert Walker Nelson Weller* Judith Wilbur* Dr. Colleen B. Wilcox Dennis Wu* Russell M. Yarrow Jed York

ADVISORY BOARD Karin Helene Bauer Hon. William Bradley Dennise M. Carter Steven Falk Amy Gershoni Heather M. Kitchen Amy McCombs Hon. William J. Perry Ray Taliaferro Nancy Thompson

* Past President ** Past Chair

feb r ua ry/mar ch 2011

THE COMMO N WE AL TH

31

10/11 DONOR HONOR ROLL Thank you to our generous supporters who made donations to the Club during our fiscal year, July 1, 2010, through June 30, 2011 Julia Carpenter & Paul Marti Dona Crawford Dr. Jaleh Daie Bill & Sonja Davidow Leslie Saul Garvin & Charles Garvin $20,000 to $49,000 Milo Gates* & The Honorable & Mrs. Robin Quist-Gates William H. Draper III Marcia & John Goldman John A. Gunn & Lorrie & Richard Greene Cynthia Fry Gunn Rose Guilbault Ambassador James C. Jacquelyn Hadley Hormel & Alison & Peter Hill Michael Nguyen Beverly & Charles Huss Catherine & Dr. Sean A. Johnston Franklin Johnson Patti & Larry Kenyon Frankie & Skip* Rhodes Arthur & Toni Rembe Rock Judy McCarthy Langley & Donald Langley Skip & Linda Law $10,000 to $19,999 Pamela Martinson Anonymous Shirley & Duncan* J. Dennis Bonney* Matteson Mary B. Cranston Amy McCombs The Honorable Judith & Dr. William C. McIvor* Mr. Joseph* Epstein Lenny & Christine Mona Geller* Mendonca Dr. Condoleezza Rice Anna Mok The Honorable & Radha Narayan, in memory Mrs. George P. Shultz* of L. Jay Tenenbaum Professor Eva M. $5,000 to $9,999 Nash-Isaac, Ph.D. Richard C. Atkinson, Dr. Mohammad Qayoumi in honor of Tad Taube Dr. Mary G. F. Bitterman Dan C. Quigley Susie T. Buell Peter Redford Michael & Christine Carr Rob Rehg Maryles Casto Victor & Maggee Revenko Helen & Tom Clausen Brian D. & Jennifer Riley Diane & J. Robert* Karen & Fred Rodriguez Coleman, Jr. Richard M. Rosenberg Evelyn & John Dilsaver Kate Rowe Lee J. Dutra Paul Sack Rolando Esteverena George M. Scalise Randi & Bob Fisher Deborah G. Seymour* Edie G. Heilman & Dr. ‘Ruth A. Shapiro & Richard Weiss Michael Gallagher Leslie & George Hume Mrs. John Robert Shuman Judith Koch Lucretia & John Sias Lata Krishnan & Ajay Shah H. Marcia Smolens* Mrs. L. W. Lane, Jr. Robert K. Steel, in memory Don J. McGrath of L. Jay Tenenbaum The Honorable & James M. Strother & Mrs. William Perry Denise S. Mollen Sharon & Joseph Saunders Roselyne C. Swig* Gretchen Tenenbaum Cindy Testa-McCullagh Charles* & Elizabeth Travers Judith Wilhite Wendy & Mason* Willrich $2,500 to $4,999 Diane B. Wilsey* Anonymous (2) Kit & Russ Yarrow William Adams $500 to $999 John Boland & Jeni & Nelson Abramson James Carroll Dr. Kathleen Sullivan Alioto Helen A. Burt Marc H. Andrus Dennise & Peter S. Carter Anonymous (7) Susan & Jack Cortis Massey J. Bambara Dr. Kerry & Ms. Lynn Curtis Lydia I. Beebe & Lisa Frazier Chuck E. Doyle The Honorable Barbara & Karma Bennett The Honorable Richard Kenneth A. Bigg & Pivnicka Anne E. Rea Virginia & Robert Saldich Maureen & Tom Birdzell Michael Splinter Flo & John M. Bryan* Valari Dobson Staab Barbara & Charles* Bureker James Strother & Anne & John* Busterud Denise Mollen Alec Y. C. Chang John Cullison & $1,000 to $2,499 Diana Kissil Pat & Dan Angel Joan L. Danforth Anonymous Thomas C. Defilipps & Ann INDIVIDUALS $50,000 & Above Anonymous William K. Bowes, Jr. Nan & Chuck Geschke

O. Baskins Steven Dinkelspiel Penny Eardley & Ward Buelow Kathleen & Stan Emerson Dr. Charles W. Farrar & Judy DeWalt Carol A. Fleming, Ph.D. Devin & Danielle Gensch Rachelle Goldenberg Joanne & Richard Goodrich Arthur Graham* Nannette Griswold, in honor of Mary Cranston Susan Halliday Mary Liz & Richard Harris R. E. Hopper* Katharine H. Johnson Susan & Michael Jordan Saul L. Katz Hubert Keller Maurice & Shirley R. Kerner Matt A. Levine & Diane Duerr-Levine Robert C. Livsey, Esq. Gary E. Malazian Ph.D. Billy Manning Oona L. Marti & Sarah E. Diegnan Paul Marti & Julia Carpenter Lore Harp McGovern Barbara McMillin & Richard Smith Dan McNamara Carole & Fred* Middleton George A. Miller & Janet McKinley Susanne Monary-Wilson & John D. Wilson Ruediger Naumann-Etienne Susan Nycum John D. O’Connor Walter D. Olmstead Janet & George* Pasha III Cathleen & Rodney Peck Paul F. Pelosi Ann Marie McBirney & Joseph* Perrelli Harriet Meyer Quarre* Dr. Sudeep M. Rao The Honorable & Mrs. William K. Reilly Ms. Barbara F. Roach Sam Singer Sher G. Singh Katherine A. Strehl & Bill Dempsey Annemarie & Jim Tanner Bruce Tenenbaum Phyllis & Max* Thelen, Jr. Nancy Thompson & Andy Kerr Steve G. Veglia & Debra Brady Gail & Bob Walker Ronald Warnick Deborah E. Weisinger Jane & Nelson* Weller Robert T. Weston Mrs. Milton Wilson, Junior Marcia & Paul* Wythes David Zebker $125 to $499 Renata & James Allen Anonymous (4) Barbara Arnold Terry L. Atkinson

Barbara & Gerson* Bakar Tom Bedecarre Desa C. Belyea Igor R. Blake* Timothy D. & Claudia J. Bolling Lewis H. Butler Michael R. Cabak Mr. Michael Calder Eleanor Canova-Davis Claudio Cipollina Barbara K. & Richard Clapp Marie G. Clyde Phyllis & James Coulter Thomas C. Danhakl* Annette Dobbs Joseph J. & Dale E. Dominguez Mike Duffy William Dutra Dr. George J. Elbaum & Ms. Mimi Jensen Shoshana & Shalom Eliahu Gretchen & Richard Evans Farrel Farhoudi & Shannon Kilgore James Garrett Georgette & Hazen Gehue Arthur Gensler Teresa B. & Mike Gerringer Marion Getz Robert H. Giebeler Eldridge Gray, in memory of L. Jay Tenebaum Jeffrey Haas Todd Hansen William Harmon G. R. & Imogene M. Hilbers Teri Hollowell James R. Holman & Phyllis Swanson Howard T. & Sherry Hoover Tanya Howett Raleigh E. Hughes Howard* A. & Margot K. Jacobs Bruce R. James* Cynthia S. Jamplis* Dorothy & Bradford Jeffries Thomas M. Jenkins III* Seymour F. Kaufman Jack S. & Irene Kaus Gretchen B. Kimball* Heather M. Kitchen William & Marion Kleinecke Joe Laluz Donald C. Leddy* Feysan J. Lodde Richard Lompa Hazel Y. Louie Gregory P. Luth & Shilin Jiang Ms. Laura Malik Joseph A. Mark Karen & George McCown Bruce L. McFarlane Deborah S. McNeil Carol L. Meyer Joyce E. Miller James D. Milliken Gwendolyn Mitchell Dr. Su H. Newton Anne Nunan Gregory Osorio Thomas K. Oxman Marci Palatella, in memory of L. Jay Tenenbaum Leanne Palmer

Lisle & Roslyn Payne Kim Perdikou Kevin M. Pursglove Pamela Rafton Jacob & Maria E. Ratinoff David L. & Judy L. Redo Lois & John Rogers Javier E. & Gabriela M. Rojas Dan Y. Rosenberg* Dr. Bernard Ross* J. D. Rowell Allison & Robert Ruggles Joan K. Ryder, M.A. Joshua Rymer Margaret C. S& Dr. Stanley Seifried Catherine J. Silva Howard Simon Ms. Linda Sisler Susanne Stevens Patricia Strong Jay D. Thomas Evelyn Tregoning John Tuttle Lorene Van Sickle Dr. Robert Violante Stella & George Von Klan Evelyn Wang Merna & Dr. Howard Wechsler Alice Whitson Dr. Colleen B. Wilcox Charles J. Williams Shelley & Barbara Williams Mordechai Winter Richard Wolfe Caroline Wood Stephen E. Wright Josephine T. Wunderlich Walter G. Zimmerman, Jr. Emil Zollinger

Richard & Rhoda Goldman Fund Visa USA, Inc. The Wallace Alexander Gerbode Foundation W. K. Kellogg Foundation $10,000 to $24,999 AAA of Northern California, Nevada & Utah Accenture LLP Applied Materials Inc Charles Schwab Foundation Deloitte & Touche LLP Ernst & Young LLP The George & Judy Marcus Family Foundation Gordon & Betty Moore Foundation The Hellman Family Foundation Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP Robert W. Baird & Co. Incorporated Silicon Valley Bank The California Wellness Foundation The Energy Foundation

$5,000 to $9,999 Ann & Gordon Getty Foundation Blue Shield of California BNY Mellon Wealth Management Casto, The Travel Company KGO-TV Dominican University of California Juniper Networks KPMG LLP Levi Strauss & Co. Lockheed Martin Space CORPORATIONS Systems Company $100,000 to $260,000 National Semiconductor California HealthCare Corporation Foundation Orange France Telecom Chevron Corporation Group Koret Foundation San Francisco Giants Stephen Bechtel Fund Sand Hill Group, LLC Taube Foundation for Sierra Steel Trading, LLC Jewish Life & Culture The David B. Gold The Bernard Osher Foundation Foundation The J. David Gladstone The David & Lucile Packard Institutes Foundation University of California, Davis $50,000 to $99,999 USF The School of Bank of America Management ClimateWorks Foundation Warburg Pincus LLC Microsoft Corporation $2,500 to $4,999 San Francisco 11th Hour Project Business Times Dodge & Cox The Travers Family Fleishman-Hillard Foundation GreenLeaf Produce Wells Fargo & Company Paul Hastings, Janofsky & $25,000 to $49,999 Walker Bank of the West Sidley Austin LLP The Energy Foundation Stanford University Ernst & Young Tetra Tech, Inc. General Motors $1,000 to $2,499 Mineta Transportation Berkeley Research Group Institute Kieve Foundation Oracle Corporation McKinsey & Company, Inc. Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP $500 to $999 Pacific Gas & Electric Catholic Healthcare West Company

eBay, Inc. The Health Trust $125 to $499 Goldman, Sachs & Co. Google In Kind 111 Minna 209 Gin Adobe Systems Incorporated American Leadership Forum Silicon Valley Andrew Lane Wines Babeland Bike Basket Pies Black Kite Cellars Bravium Wine Carica Wines CatHead’s BB! Center for the Next Generation Comcast Local Edition Dashe Cellars Denovo Wines Eno Wines Eve Good Vibes J. Lohr Vineyards & Wines Kaiser Family Foundation Kopriva Wine Magic Curry Cart Markkula Center for Applied Ethics Montalvo Arts Center NovaScotia Crystal Onigilly R & B Cellars Radio Africa Kitchen Rock Wall Wine Company San Francisco Giants San Jose Library Foundation San Jose Rep San Jose State University Shepard Mullin Sobrato Foundation Pat & Mike Splinter Stop Badware Sweet Constructions Tayerle Wines The Enchanted Garden Florist Thomson Vineyards Toasty Melts Urban Legend Cellars WMS media, Inc. Matching Gift Ayco Charitable Foundation Bank of America Foundation BitMover, Inc. Charles Schwab Foundation Chevron Corporation The Clorox Company Genentech Employee Giving Program Microsoft Giving Campaign

Every effort has been made to list donors accurately. If your name or your organization’s name has been listed improperly in any way, or if you believe that a gift is missing from this list, please contact Oona Marti, vice president of development and membership, at (415) 597-6714 or omarti@commonwealthclub.org. Tax-deductible contributions can be mailed to The Commonwealth Club of California at 595 Market Street, 2nd Floor, San Francisco, CA 94105, or you can make a secure donation online at commonwealthclub.org/donate. Thank you to all of our supporters.

32

THE COMMO N WE AL TH

F ebr uary/mar ch 2011

We D 0 4 | S a n F r a n c i s c o

W E D 04 | San Francisco

T H U 05 | San Francisco

Humanities West Book Discussion: The Fires of Vesuvius: Pompeii Lost & Found,

by Mary Beard

Robert Shiller: Finance and the Good Society

Freedom’s Cap: The United States Capitol and the Coming of the Civil War

Join us to discuss historian Mary Beard’s account of the destruction of Pompeii in A.D. 79. Vesuvius’ eruption preserved for millennia our best evidence of daily life in the Roman Empire. The discussion will be led by Lynn Harris.

MLF: Humanities Location: SF Club Office Time: 5:30 p.m. program Cost: : $5 standard, MEMBERS FREE Program Organizer: George Hammond Also know: In association with Humanities West.

Columnist, The New York Times; Professor of Economics, Yale University; Author, Finance and the Good Society

New York Times best-selling economist Shiller is no apologist for the sins of finance. He is possibly the only person to have predicted both the stock market bubble of 2000 and the real estate bubble that led up to the subprime mortgage meltdown. In his important and timely book, Finance and the Good Society, Shiller argues that, rather than condemning finance, we need to reclaim it for the common good.

Guy Gugliotta, Author, Freedom’s Cap

Hear the fascinating story of the design, engineering and construction of the U.S. Capitol building during a time of heated politics, sectional conflict and imminent civil war. Filled with larger-than-life characters like Jefferson Davis, future president of the Confederacy, Gugliotta’s tale is “an engrossing and surprising chronicle” (Booklist), and “a historical gem” (Publishers Weekly).

Location: SF Club Office Time: 5:30 p.m. networking, 6 p.m. program, 7 p.m. book signing Cost: $20 standard, $12 members, $7 students

MLF: Humanities Location: SF Club Office Time: 5:30 p.m. networking, 6 p.m. program, 7 p.m. book signing Cost: $20 standard, $8 members, $7 students Program organizer: George Hammond

T H U 0 5 | S i l i co n Va l l e y

M O n 09 | San Francisco

M O n 09 | San Francisco

Jonah Lehrer: How Creativity Works

Saving San Francisco

Barb Stuckey: Understanding the Science and Senses of What You Eat

Contributing Editor, Wired; Author, How We Decide and Imagine: How Creativity Works

Acclaimed science writer and popular blogger Lehrer helped us learn about our decision making process in his best-selling book, How We Decide. Now he delves into the human mind to decipher the anatomy of imagination and explore the new science of creativity with Imagine.

Location: Schultz Cultural Hall, Oshman Family JCC, 3921 Fabian Way, Palo Alto Time: 6:30 p.m. check-in, 7 p.m. program, 8 p.m. book signing Cost: $20 standard, $12 members, $7 students Also know: In association with the Oshman Family JCC

Andrea Rees Davies, Assistant Professor of History at California State University, Northridge; Author, Saving San Francisco

Monday Night Philosophy dips into social history, near the anniversary of the 1906 earthquake, as historian and former firefighter Davies challenges the long-lived myth that the earthquake erased social differences as it leveled the city. New evidence from the relief camps exposes how preexisting social fissures influenced relief services and the reconstruction of our fair city.

MLF: Humanities Location: SF Club Office Time: 5:30 p.m. networking, 6 p.m. program, 7 p.m. book signing Cost: $20 standard, MEMBERS FREE, $7 students Program organizer: George Hammond

Author, Taste What You’re Missing

Professional food developer Stuckey shares her vast knowledge to help us better understand the psychology and physiology of taste. Learn how to develop and improve your tasting palate by discerning flavors, detecting ingredients and creating new taste combinations.

Location: SF Club Office Time: 5:30 p.m. check-in, 6 p.m. program, 7 p.m. book signing Cost: $20 standard, MEMBERS FREE, $5 students (with valid ID) Also know: Photo by Patricia Goodman & Mark Bohrer

a pr i l/may 2012

THE COMMO N WE AL TH

33

April 09 - 16 M O n 0 9 | S i l i co n Va l l e y

MOn 09 | East Bay

T U E 10 | San Francisco

Vino Vino!

John Gray: Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus, 20 Years Later

Ed Lee: What’s Next for San Francisco

Ph.D., Author, Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus and Venus on Fire, Mars on Ice

After serving for a year as the appointed mayor of San Francisco, Ed Lee now begins his first full term as the city’s top elected official. Challenged with job creation, neighborhood revitalization, stimulating economic growth, balancing the budget and more, Lee must now decide how to move the city forward. Don’t miss the opportunity to hear the mayor talk about the many issues still facing San Francisco today.

Collin Cranor, Winemaker, Nottingham Cellars

Join us at Vino Vino in downtown San Jose’s new San Pedro Square Market for an evening of “wine without attitude.”

Cranor, winemaker for Nottingham Cellars, will walk you through a tasty flight of wine in a casual relaxed atmosphere while you nosh on some delicious treats from Vino Vino’s own kitchen.

Location: Vino Vino, 87 N San Pedro St, #105, San Jose Time: 6:15 p.m. check in, 6:30 p.m. program Cost: $40 standard, $35 members Also know: Space is limited. All guests must be 21+ years old.

Twenty years ago, Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus rocked the relationship world. Join us as Gray dishes on the secrets of relationship success and provides his tools to make your partnership less rocky and more fulfilling.

Location: Lafayette Veterans Memorial Hall, 3780 Mt. Diablo Blvd. Lafayette Time: 5:45 p.m. check-in, 6:30 p.m. program Cost: $22 standard, $12 members

Mayor, San Francisco

Location: SF Club Office Time: 5:30 p.m. networking, 6 p.m. program Cost: $20 standard, $12 members, $7 students; Premium seating $45 standard, $30 members

T U E 10 | San Francisco

T h u 12 | San Francisco

Make It So: What Design and Science Fiction Can Learn from Each Other

Ballet Balanchine Style: Thoughts and Reflections

Chris Noessel, Managing Director, Interaction Design, Cooper; Co-Author, Make It So: Interaction Design Lessons from Science Fiction Interfaces Nathan Shedroff, Dean of Design MBA, California College of the Arts; Co-Author, Make It So: Interaction Design Lessons from Science Fiction Interfaces Kevin O’Malley, President, TechTalk / Studio – Moderator

Beth Genné, 2012 Visiting Scholar, San Francisco Ballet; Historian of Art and Dance

A five-year investigation of science fiction television shows and movies has yielded practical lessons that apply to online, social, mobile, and other media interfaces across domains as far-reaching as medicine, health care and education. Leading design thinkers present lessons for designers and science fiction fans – and any of those who use and love technology – featuring extensive and colorful samples and video clips from the history of science fiction.

MLF: Business & Leadership Location: SF Club Office Time: 5:30 p.m. networking reception, 6 p.m. program, 7 p.m. book signing Cost: $20 standard, $12 members, $7 students (with valid ID) Program Organizer: Kevin O’Malley

34

THE COMMO N WE AL TH

ap r il/may 2012

The San Francisco Ballet’s 2012 Visiting Scholar Genné, will appear at the Club in tandem with the Ballet’s opening night performance of an homage to choreographic legend George Balanchine. Genné will present her reflections and perspectives on neoclassical ballet and, more specifically, on the Balanchine style as defined by its synergy of music, art and dance within a precise historical context.

Location: SF Club Office Time: noon program Cost: $20 standard, $8 members Program Organizers: Anne W. Smith and Cecelia Beam Also know: See website for SF Opera House April 12 performance discount.

Thu 12 | San Francisco

T H U 12 | San Francisco

F r i 13 | San Francisco

San Francisco Architecture Walking Tour

Rachel Maddow

Week To Week

SOLD OUT

See website for panelists

Explore San Francisco’s Financial District with historian Rick Evans. Hear about the famous architects who influenced the building of San Francisco after the 1906 earthquake. Discover hard-to-find rooftop gardens, Art Deco lobbies, unique open spaces and historic landmarks. This is a tour for locals, with hidden gems you can only find on foot! For those interested in socializing afterward, we will conclude the tour at a local watering hole.

Location: Lobby of Galleria Park Hotel, 191 Sutter St. Time: 1:45 p.m. check-in, 2–4:30 p.m. tour Cost: $40 standard, $30 members Also know: Tour operates rain or shine. Limited to 20 people. Participants must pre-register.

The tour covers less than one mile of walking in the Financial District. Involves stairs.

Rachel Maddow, Host, “The Rachel Maddow Show”; Author, Drift In Conversation with Daniel Handler, aka Lemony Snicket, Author; Screenwriter; Accordionist

This year the sassy and smart-as-a-whip host of MSNBC’s politico program, “The Rachel Maddow Show”, joins the literary fold and takes on what she believes to be the debate between civilian life and the war machine in her new book, Drift. Join us for an organ intro, popcorn munchies, and an exclusive interview with Rachel Maddow.

Location: The Castro Theatre, 429 Castro St., San Francisco Cost: See website Time: 6:30 p.m. check-in, 7:30 p.m. program, 8:30 p.m. book signing

Join us for informative and fun commentary on the week’s news, featuring our expert panelists, an in-depth look at a topic in the news, audience discussion of the week’s events, a news quiz, and a look at the week ahead. It’s a new experience from The Commonwealth Club, a recurring program offering timely insight and commentary on the news of the world, the nation, and the Bay Area.

Location: SF Club Office Time: 11:30 a.m. check-in and lunch, noon program Cost: $10 standard, MEMBERS FREE; Premium (includes lunch): $22 premium standard, $12 premium members

M O n 16 | San Francisco

M on 1 6 | S i l i c o n V a l l e y

Aging Gracefully Maintaining Dignity, Independence, and Quality of Life

Rebuild the Dream Van Jones, Senior Fellow, Center for American Progress; Author, Rebuild the Dream

Linda Leary, LVN, Owner, Reliable Caregivers Pamela Sharkey, RN, MHA, LNC Talya Onorato, Gerontologist

Aging is inevitable. So we might ask ourselves, how will it be for us as we age or question why we should even look at it now? Perhaps there is an older loved one ready to make a decision about a lifestyle change. This program will provide a better understanding of the aging process, what changes one may face, and ways to prepare to enjoy life to the fullest.

MLF: Grownups Location: SF Club Office Time: 4:45 p.m. networking reception, 5:15 p.m. program Cost: $20 Standard, MEMBERS FREE, $7 students (with valid ID) Program organizer: John Milford Also know: In association with San Francisco Village

Van Jones, one of the nation’s leading evangelists for ecological equality, is switching gears. A cofounder of three non-profits and a former advisor to President Obama, Jones is now building a movement grounded in tough-minded American idealism to “take back the American Dream.” Get a glimpse of how his plot for change has thickened since last summer.

Location: Adobe Systems, 345 Park Ave, San Jose Time: 6:30 p.m. check in, 7 p.m. program, 8 p.m. book signing Cost: $20 standard, $12 members, $7 students Also know: Van Jones will also be speaking in San Francisco on 4/17

a pr i l/may 2012

THE COMMO N WE AL TH

35

April 16 - 23 M on 1 6 | S i l i c o n V a l l e y

T u e 17 | San Francisco

A Conversation with the Mayors of San Jose

Van Jones

Hon. Chuck Reed, Mayor of San Jose (2007-2014) Hon. Ron Gonzales, Former Mayor of San Jose (1999-2006) Hon. Susan Hammer, Former Mayor of San Jose (1991-1998) Hon. Janet Gray Hayes, Former Mayor of San Jose (1975-1982) Dr. Terry Christensen, Professor at San Jose State University; Commonwealth Club Silicon Valley Advisory Council Member - Moderator

Senior Fellow, Center for American Progress; Author, Rebuild the Dream

The city of San Jose has changed dramatically from orchards and farms to become home to Silicon Valley tech companies and the 10th largest city in the United States. Join us for an in-depth conversation with four mayors who oversaw over four decades of change. They will reflect on some of their greatest achievements and challenges while serving in San Jose’s highest elective office.

Location: Engineering Room 189, San Jose State University, One Washington Square, San Jose Time: 7:00 p.m. program Price: FREE Also know: Part of San Jose State University’s Don Edwards Lecture

T u e 17 | San Francisco

T H u 19 | San Francisco

Paddle to the Sea: An Outdoor Adventure from the Sierras to the San Francisco Bay

The Private Law Office

Jessie Raeder, Director, Paddle to the Sea Eric Wesselman, Executive Director, Tuolumne River Trust

A special yearly Tuolumne adventure, Paddle to the Sea, starts in Yosemite National Forest with one of the best whitewater-rafting runs in California, continues with canoeing through the Central Valley, and finishes with sea kayaking and sailing in the Delta and Bay.

THE COMMO N WE AL TH

Location: SF Club Office Time: 6 p.m. check in, 6:30 p.m. program, 7:30 p.m. book signing Cost: $20 standard, $12 members, $7students Also know: Van Jones will also be speaking in Silicon Valley on 4/16

Vaughn Walker, Retired Chief U.S. District Judge for the Northern District of California, 1989-2011

Having delivered rulings on such controversial cases as the NSA warrantless wiretapping, the Apple Computer, Inc. v. Microsoft Corporation copyright infringement case, and most recently the constitutional challenge of California’s Proposition 8, Judge Vaughn R. Walker is one of the most influential judges of our time. As the debates around the government’s terrorist surveillance programs and Prop 8 continue after recent rulings of the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals upholding Judge Walker’s rulings, the former judge will discuss issues and challenges facing the legal profession and courts.

Location: SF Club Office Time: 11:30 a.m. check-in, noon program Cost: $20 standard, $12 members, $7 students (with valid ID) Also know: Part of the Geschke Family Series on the U.S. Constitution in the 21st Century

MLF: Environment & Natural Resources Location: SF Club Office Time: 5:30 p.m. networking, 6 p.m. program Cost: $20 standard, $8 members, $7 students Program organizer: Ann Clark

36

Van Jones, one of the nation’s leading evangelists for ecological equality, is switching gears. A cofounder of three non-profits and a former advisor to President Obama, Jones is now building a movement grounded in tough-minded American idealism to “take back the American Dream.” Get a glimpse of how his plot for change has thickened since last summer.

ap r il/may 2012

T H U 19 | San Francisco

Podcasting

Power Poll

Subscribe to our podcasts! Receive a new program recording each week. It’s free!

Donnie Fowler, Clean Tech Strategist Dave Metz, Pollster, FM3

Do Americans consider the environment and clean energy when they vote for politicians? Conventional thinking says even environmentalists cast ballots based on the economy and delivery of government services that directly affect their lives. That explains why some politicians privately acknowledge concern about the climate but don’t utter the word in public. It doesn’t pay, especially when opponents of the topic are actively promoting their views. Are their lobbying efforts creating a disconnect between how elected officials vote and the interests of their constituents?

What is the connection between campaign funding and energy policy? Join us for a discussion about money in politics and America’s energy future.

For more information, visit commonwealthclub.org/podcast

Location: SF Club Office Time: 5:30 p.m. check-in, 6 p.m. program, 7 p.m. networking reception Cost: $20 standard, $12 members, $7 students (with valid ID)

F R I 20 | San Francisco

M on 2 3 | S a n F r a n c i s c o

Human Trafficking: Slavery 2012

Russian Hill Walking Tour

David Batstone, Founder & CEO, Not For Sale; Professor of Business, USF Mimi Chakarova, Photo Journalist, Filmmaker, Price of Sex 2011; Correspondent, Center for Investigative Reporting Dolores Donovan, Ph.D.; Professor & Director of International Programming, USF School of Law; Author, Law Review & Journal Articles on Human Rights, Developing Law Systems and Criminal Justice Systems Joel Brinkley, Professor of Journalism, Stanford University; Pulitzer Prize-Winning Journalist. Authour, Cambodia’s Curse – Moderator

Join a more active Commonwealth Club Neighborhood Adventure! Russian Hill is a magical area with secret gardens and amazing views. Join Rick Evans for a twohour hike up hills and staircases and learn about the history of this neighborhood. See where great artists and architects lived and worked, and walk down residential streets where some of the most historically significant houses in the Bay Area are located.

The distinguished panel of activists and experts will discuss the tragedy of human trafficking and efforts to combat what has been described as the fastest growing criminal industry, second only to drug trafficking in profitability, in the world. Human trafficking, considered a modern form of slavery, has historical roots in the Middle East, where it still thrives.

MLF: Middle East Time: 11:30 a.m. check-in, noon program Cost: $20 standard, MEMBERS FREE, STUDENTS FREE Program organizer: Celia Menczel

Location: Meet in front of Swensen’s Ice Cream Store located at 1999 Hyde Street at Union. Tour ends about six blocks from the Swensen’s Ice Cream Shop, at the corner of Vallejo and Jones.

Time: 1:45 p.m. check-in, 2– 4 p.m. tour Cost: $45 standard, $35 members Program Organizer: Kristina Nemeth Also know: Steep hills and staircases, parking difficult. Limited to 20. Must pre-register. Tour operates rain or shine.

a pr i l/may 2012

THE COMMO N WE AL TH

37

April 23 - May 02 M on 2 3 | S a n F r a n c i s c o

M on 2 3 | S a n F r a n c i s c o

tue 2 4 | S a n F r a n c i s c o

David Callahan: America’s Cheating Epidemic

Covering Electric Cars

Crash Course

Senior Fellow, Demos; Author, Fortunes of Change and The Cheating Culture David DeCosse, Director of Campus Ethics, Markkula Center for Applied Ethics, Santa Clara University – Moderator

Cheating has become more common in nearly every sector of our society: business, education and sports. Come hear how this epidemic of cheating threatens the level playing field so central to American democracy.

Location: SF Club Office Time: 5:30 p.m. networking, 6 p.m. program, 7 p.m. book signing Cost: $20 standard, MEMBERS FREE, $7 for students (with valid ID) Also know: Part of the Charles and Louise Travers Series on Ethics and Accountability

Ucilia Wang, Reporter, Forbes Katie Fehrenbacher, Editor, Earth2Tech

The EV industry is experiencing birthing pains and consumers are confused by a raft of new technologies and terms. How are EVs being received in the market? Is the smart grid a bunch of hype? How are mainstream media outlets covering the rebirth of electric cars? Join us for a conversation with reporters covering the new generation of cars and the technology in and around them.

Location: SF Club Office Time: noon program Cost: $20 standard, MEMBERS FREE, $7 students (with valid ID)

Chris Martenson, Ph.D.; Futurist; Author, The Crash Course

The combination of financial market volatility and depleting resources (notably peak oil) present a challenging outlook for investors. Building wealth is even more daunting when considering how delicate government figures about how the economy can be. Join us for a conversation with a noted futurist about charting a course to prosperity.

Location: SF Club Office Time: 5:30 p.m. check-in, 6 p.m. program, 7 p.m. reception Cost: $20 standard, $12 members, $7 students

t u e 24 | San Francisco

th u 2 6 | S a n F r a n c i s c o

T h u 26 | San Francisco

Net Smart: How to Thrive Online

A Day in the Life of an Archaeologist at Pompeii

Howard Rheingold, Lecturer, Stanford University; Author, Net Smart: How to Thrive Online

Stephanie Pearson, M.A. in History of Art, Ph.D. candidate at UC Berkeley

Are You Ready for the Big Shift?

Thoughts on Navigating the New Stage Beyond Midlife

Like it or not, knowing how to make use of online tools without being overloaded with too much information is an essential ingredient to personal success in the 21st century. How can we use digital media so that they make us empowered participants rather than passive receivers? In Net Smart, author and Stanford lecturer Rheingold shows how to use social media intelligently, humanely, and, above all, mindfully.

MLF: Science & Technology Location: SF Club Office Time: 5:30 p.m. networking, 6 p.m. program, 7 p.m. book signing Cost: $20 standard, $8 members, $7 student Program organizer: Chisako Ress

38

THE COMMO N WE AL TH

We all know that real archaeology does not even remotely resemble an Indiana Jones movie. Understanding the process by which we gain knowledge about the ancient Roman world is as important as understanding the remains themselves, because that process profoundly affects our interpretation of the ancient evidence. Pearson will draw on her experience in Pompeii to explain.

MLF: Humanities, Arts, International Relations Location: SF Club Office Time: 5:30 p.m. networking, 6 p.m. program Cost: $20 standard, $8 members, $7 student Program Organizer: George Hammond Also know: In association with Humanities West.

ap r il/may 2012

Marc Freedman, Founder and CEO of Civic Ventures; Author, The Big Shift

Drawing on powerful personal stories, Freedman will introduce the notion of a new stage of life between midlife and anything approximating old age.

MLF: Grownups Location: SF Club Office Time: 5:30 p.m. networking, 6 p.m. program Cost: $20 standard, $8 members, $7 students Program Organizer: John Milford Also know: In association with The Transition Network; San Francisco Village; Coming of Age: Bay Area; Civic Ventures

F r i 27 | San Francisco

s at 2 8 | S a n F r a n c i s c o

mon 3 0 | S a n F r a n c i s c o

Week To Week

Tony Derose

Middle East Discussion Group

See website for panelists

Senior Scientist and Research Group Lead, Pixar Animation Studios

Make your voice heard in an enriching, provocative and fun discussion with fellow Club members as you weigh in on events shaping the face of the Middle East. Each month, the Middle East Member-Led Forum hosts an informal roundtable discussion on a topic frequently suggested by recent headlines.

After a brief introduction, the floor will be open for discussion. All interested members are encouraged to attend. There will also be a brief planning session.

Join us for informative and fun commentary on the week’s news, featuring our expert panelists, an in-depth look at a topic in the news, audience discussion of the week’s events, a news quiz, and a look at the week ahead. It’s a new experience from The Commonwealth Club, a recurring program offering timely insight and commentary on the news of the world, the nation, and the Bay Area.

As a senior scientist, DeRose is responsible for helping create the technology behind Pixar’s groundbreaking animation. He takes us behind the scenes and explains how wide arrays of math topics are central to Pixar’s film production process Location: Los Altos High School Eagle Theatre, 201 Almond Ave, Los Altos Time: 1 p.m. check-in; 1:30 p.m. program Cost: $20 standard, $12 members, $7 students (18 and under) Also know: In association with the Youth Science Institute

MLF: Middle East Location: SF Club Office Time: 5:30 p.m. program Cost: FREE Program Organizer: Celia Menczel

mon 3 0 | S a n F r a n c i s c o

mon 3 0 | E a s t B a y

w ed 0 2 | S a n F r a n c i s c o

Learning from the Octopus

The Taste of Place

Investing in Girls : Hope or Hype?

Rafe Sagarin, Ph.D.; Marin Ecologist and Environmental Policy Analyst, University of Arizona; Author, Learning from the Octopus

Daniel Paterson, Chef and Owner, Coi, Plum, and Il Cane Rosso

Location: SF Club Office Time: 11:30 a.m. check-in and lunch, noon program Cost: $10 standard, MEMBERS FREE; Premium (includes lunch): $22 premium standard, $12 premium members

Despite the billions of dollars that have poured into wars, homeland security and disaster response, are we fundamentally no better prepared for the next terrorist attack or unprecedented flood than we were in 2001? Sagarin argues that we can learn from observing how nature is organized, how organisms learn, how they create partnerships, and how life continually diversifies on this unpredictable planet MLF: Science & Technology Location: SF Club Office Time: 5:30 p.m. networking, 6 p.m. program, 7 p.m. book signing Cost: $20 standard, MEMBERS FREE, $7 students Program organizer: Chisako Ress

Paterson has long been the poster child for the innovative spirit characteristic of Northern California’s food scene. His culinary artistry invokes all aspects of the palette as well as the distinct flavors of the region. Join us as Patterson dishes on his boundary-pushing techniques, capturing the taste of place and the ever-evolving face of California cuisine.

Location: Lafayette Library and Learning Center Time: 5:45 p.m. check-in, 6:30 p.m. program Cost: $22 standard, $12 members, $7 students Location: Lafayette Library and Learning Center

Wanjiru Kamau-Rutenberg, Ph.D.; Assistant Professor, University of San Francisco; Founder and Executive Director, Akili Dada

Dr. Kamau-Rutenberg has led Akili Dada to be a leadership incubator that is empowering the next generation of African women leaders by investing in high-achieving girls from underprivileged Kenyan families.

MLF: International Relations Location: SF Club Office Time: 5:30 p.m. networking, 6 p.m. program Cost: $20 standard, $8 members, $7 students Program organizer: Paul Clarke Also know: Assisting Organizations: University of San Francisco, Akili Dada, Priority Africa Network, United Nations Association, Truman National Security Project Educational Institute, and NorCal Peace Corps Association

a pr i l/may 2012

THE COMMO N WE AL TH

39

May 02 - 09 w ed 0 2 | S a n F r a n c i s c o

w ed 0 2 | E a s t B a y

T h u 03 | San Francisco

Why the World Needs American Values

California: The Not So Golden State

Eastern Europe 20 Years After Communism

Dennis Prager, Radio Host; Author, Still the Best Hope: Why the World Needs American Values to Triumph

Prager makes a sweeping argument about the future of civilization and the need for American values to triumph. If we do not, he believes, the result will be chaos and barbarism for America and the world.

Location: SF Club Office Time: 5:30 p.m. check-in, 6 p.m. program, 7 p.m. book signing Cost: $20 standard, $12 members, $7 students Also know: Part of the American Values Series, sponsored by the Taube Family Foundation and Koret Foundation. Photo by Robert Antal, Hollywood Pro Photography.

Larry Gerston, Professor of Political Science, San Jose State University; Author, Not So Golden After All

Is the Golden State a lost utopian dream? Can California’s former glory be restored? Join us as Gerston takes an indepth look at the issues that have driven California to its current state of disrepair.

Location: Lafayette Library and Learning Center, 3491 Mt. Diablo Blvd., Lafayette Time: 5:45 p.m. check-in, 6:30 p.m. program Cost: $22 standard, $12 members, STUDENTS FREE (with valid ID)

Francis Tapon, Author, The Hidden Europe

Tapon spent nearly three years traveling and backpacking in 25 Eastern European countries, starting with five months in 2004 and returning for nearly three years in 2008. Now that he’s back, hear Tapon’s views on the history, the current status and the future of these fascinatingly complex cultures, and about how he has turned his wanderlust into WanderLearn.

MLF: Humanities Times: 5:30 p.m. networking, 6 p.m. program, 7 p.m. book signing Cost: $20 standard, $8 members, $7 students Program organizer: George Hammond

th u 0 3 | S i l i c o n V a l l e y

fr i 0 4 | S a n F r a n c i s c o

M on 0 7 | S a n F r a n c i s c o

How Your Unconscious Mind Rules Your Behavior

Week To Week

Book Discussion

See website for panelists

Interested members please check the website after March 5th for the book title selected for this discussion.

Leonard Mlodinow, Ph.D.; Professor, California Institute of Technology; Author, The Drunkards Walk and Subliminal

To help us uncover and understand how the human mind works, Dr. Mlodinow explains why every aspect of our life plays out in two versions: our conscious and unconscious. He discusses the profound ways our perception, behavior, memory and social judgments are shaped by our subliminal minds and how that drives our relationships and interactions with others.

Join us for informative and fun commentary on the week’s news, featuring our expert panelists, an in-depth look at a topic in the news, audience discussion of the week’s events, a news quiz, and a look at the week ahead.

Location: SF Club Office Time: 11:30 a.m. check-in and lunch, noon program Cost: $10 standard, MEMBERS FREE; Premium (includes lunch): $22 premium standard, $12 premium members

Location: Schultz Cultural Hall , Oshman Family JCC, 3921 Fabian Way Palo Alto Time: 6:30 p.m. check-in, 7 p.m. program, 8:00 p.m. book signing Cost: $20 standard, $12 members, $7 students (with valid ID)

40

THE COMMO N WE AL TH

ap r il/may 2012

MLF: San francisco Book Discussion Location: SF Club Office Time: 5:30 p.m. program Cost: $5 standard, MEMBERS FREE

mon 0 7 | S a n F r a n c i s c o

mon 0 7 | S a n F r a n c i s c o

t u e 08 | San Francisco

Bernini’s Rome

The New Middle East and Israel

Power and Piety in Burma’s New Political Landscape

Jojo Capece, Author, All Roads Lead to Rome

Akiva Tor, Consul General, Israel, Pacific North West Region John Diaz, Editorial Page Editor, San Francisco Chronicle

In the 17th century, Rome was revitalized by the pope displaying the wealth of the resurgent counter-reformation Church. Bernini’s immense talents as an architect, painter and sculptor helped define the unique visual style of the Baroque Age. Come hear Capece speak about her love affair with the art of the Eternal City.

MLF: The Arts Location: SF Club Office Time: 5:30 p.m. networking, 6 p.m. program, 7 p.m. book signing Cost: $20 standard, $8 members, $7 students Program organizer: Anne Smith

The deep instability in today’s Middle East beckons a revisiting of previous strategic assumptions. Can Iran’s nuclear weapons program be stopped, and what steps must the international community take to confront this threat to global security? What are Israel’s abiding strategic pillars in the shifting sands of the new Middle East? Join Consul General Tor and Diaz as they tackle these difficult questions.

Donld Stadtner, Burma Scholar; Author, Ancient Pagan and Sacred Sites of Burma

The repression of the democracy movement in the late 1980s prompted a wave of unprecedented government sponsorship of Buddhist building projects.

Certain key pagodas were hastily restored and re-gilded soon after the shooting ceased. What did the military government achieve by fostering these projects?

How have ordinary people viewed these changes? Stadtner will speak on the country’s history and possible future.

MLF: Middle East Location: SF Club Office Time: 11:30 a.m. check-in, noon program Cost: $20 standard, $8 members, $7 students Program Organizer: Celia Menczel

Location: SF Club Office Time: 5:30 p.m. networking, 6 p.m. program Cost: $20 standard, $8 members, $7 students Also know: Dr. Stadtner is the study leader on the Club’s trip to Burma and Laos, October 14-27, 2012.

t u e 08 | San Francisco

w ed 0 9 | S a n F r a n c i s c o

w ed 0 9 | S a n F r a n c i s c o

ExxonMobil and American Power

Humanities West Book Discussion: The Last Days of Pompeii, by Baron Edward Bulwer Lytton

The Presidents Club

Steve Coll, President, New America Foundation; Former Managing Editor, Washington Post; Author, Private Empire In Conversation with Greg Dalton, Climate One, The Commonwealth Club

Two-time Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Coll will discuss his investigation of ExxonMobil Corp, believed by many to be the most powerful private corporation in the United States.

Location: SF Club Office Time: 6 p.m. program Cost: $20 standard, $12 members, $7 students

Join us to discuss the classic Victorian tale of the last days of Pompeii. Poets, flower-girls, gladiators and tribunes fill the baron’s tale of the lives, loves and tragic fate of Roman citizens living in the shadow of Mount Vesuvius. The discussion will be led by Lynn Harris.

MLF: Humanities LocatIon: SF Club Office Time: 5:30 p.m. program Cost: $5 standard, MEMBERS FREE Program organizer: George Hammond

Michael Duffy, Washington Bureau Chief, Time Magazine; Co-Author, The Presidents Club Nancy Gibbs, Executive Editor, Time Magazine; Co-Author, The Presidents Club

Following the lives of the previous 13 presidents, Duffy and Gibbs dive into the world’s most exclusive fraternity, The Presidents Club. It’s sole requirement of entry: to sit within the Oval Office. Though they did not always get along, holding one of the most powerful positions in the world brought camaraderie to the group. Come learn about the silent feuds behind smiling faces, and which presidents enlisted their predecessors for political and sometimes personal gain.

Location: SF Club Office Time: 5:30 p.m. check-in, 6 p.m. program, 7 p.m. book signing Cost: $20 standard, $12 members, $7 students

a pr i l/may 2012

THE COMMO N WE AL TH

41

May 10 - 16 th u 1 0 | S a n F r a n c i s c o

th u 1 0 | S a n F r a n c i s c o

fr i 1 1 | S a n F r a n c i s c o

North Beach Walking Tour

Capturing Ancient Wonders in 3D

Botswana: The Desert Country that Blossomed with Independence

Join another Commonwealth Club Neighborhood Adventure! Explore vibrant North Beach with Rick Evans during a two-hour walk through this neighborhood with a colorful past, where food, culture, history and unexpected views all intersect in an Italian “urban village.” In addition to learning about Beat generation hangouts, you’ll discover authentic Italian cathedrals and coffee shops.

Ben Kacyra, Founder, CyArk

Location: Saints Peter and Paul Church, 666 Filbert, between Columbus and Stockton.

Please meet at 1:45, depart by 2.

Time: 2-4 p.m. tour; no-host optional socializing to follow Cost: $45 standard, $35 members Also know: Limited to 20 people. Must preregister. Operates rain or shine.

Ancient monuments give us clues to astonishing past civilizations, but they’re under threat from pollution, war and neglect. Kacyra invented a groundbreaking 3D laser scanning system and is using his invention to scan and preserve the world’s heritage in archival detail.

His nonprofit organization, CyArk, is now launching the 500 Challenge, an ambitious goal to “digitally preserve” 500 heritage sites.

MLF: International Relations / Science and Technology Location: SF Club Office Time: 5:30 p.m. networking, 6 p.m. program Cost: $20 standard, $8 members, $7 students Program Organizer: Chisako Ress

Charles Frankel, Honorary Consul General of Botswana

With almost 70-percent of the country covered by the Kalahari Desert,with a per capita GDP of approximately $70 and a small number of college graduates, the future of Bechuanaland, at its 1966 independence, was not expected to be favorable. However, today Botswana has one of the world’s fastest-growing economies, a highly advanced banking system and a 50-year history of democratic government. Frankel discusses the factors that have contributed to Botswana’s success relative to the rest of Africa.

Location: SF Club Office Time: 11:30 check-in, noon program Cost: $20 standard, MEMBERS FREE, STUDENTS FREE (with valid ID)

fr i 1 1 | S a n F r a n c i s c o

mon 1 4 | S a n F r a n c i s c o

mon 1 4 | S a n F r a n c i s c o

Don’t Go Through Cancer Alone

Chinatown Walking Tour

Yes, We Kant: Mozart and the Sublime

Nancy Novack, Clinical Psychologist; Founder, Nancy’s List

Enjoy another Commonwealth Club Neighborhood Adventure. Join Rick Evans for a memorable midday walk and discover the history and mysteries of Chinatown. Explore colorful alleys and side streets. Visit a Taoist temple, an herbal store, the site of the first public school in the state, and the famous Fortune Cookie Factory. There is a short break for a tea sample during the tour.

Steven Machtinger; Attorney; Violist, San Joaquin River School of Music

Novack offered the Bay Area community an opportunity to serve and support the many who are living with cancer, and those who love and care for them. The mission of Nancy’s List is, “No one will ever go through cancer alone.” Research supports a growing body of evidence that a cancer patient’s adaptive style in the face of life-altering trauma can be advanced by targeted psychological therapeutic care, support systems, family bonding experiences, and new friends through broadened horizons.

MLF: Health & Medicine Location: SF Club Office Time: 11:30 a.m. check-in, noon program Cost: $20 standard, $8 members, $7 students

42

THE COMMO N WE AL TH

Location: Meet at corner of Grant and Bush, in front of Starbucks, near Chinatown Gate Time: 1:45 p.m. check-in, 2–5 p.m. tour Cost: $45 standard, $35 members Also know: Temple visit requires walking up three flights of stairs. Limited to 12 people.

Participants must pre-register. Operates rain or shine.

ap r il/may 2012

Monday Night Philosophy connects Kant’s idea of the sublime (what we feel when we confront a fearsome and overwhelming reality that we know from reasoning but can’t ever directly experience with our senses) with Mozart’s musical expression of the sublime, demonstrated with excerpts from the Quintet in G minor, K. 516, performed by members of the San Joaquin River School of Music.

MLF: Humanities Location: SF Club Office Time: 5:30 p.m. networking, 6 p.m. program Cost:$20 standard, MEMBERS FREE, $7 students (with valid ID) Program organizer: George Hammond

tu e 1 5 | S a n F r a n c i s c o

w ed 1 6 | S a n F r a n c i s c o

w ed 1 6 | S i l i c o n V a l l e y

Willie Brown: 2012 Annual Lecture on Political Trends

Cal vs. Harvard Debate

China Airborne

Cal Debate Team Harvard Debate Team

James Fallows, National Correspondent, The Atlantic; Author, China Airborne

What steps should November’s presidential victor take to encourage and sustain economic recovery in the United States?

In this year’s Cal-Harvard debate, we’ll be discussing next steps in the economic recovery: What policies will be most conducive to growth? Must taxes be higher on the top income bracket? Do we need another stimulus package? You won’t want to miss this engaging discussion on how to best solve some of the most pressing problems facing the country.

In 2011, China announced its five-year plan to spend a quarter of a trillion dollars to jumpstart the next phase of its aerospace industry. The country currently has many airports under construction and recently acquired two American companies specializing in small propeller planes. As the country continues to lead the charge to become the new leader in aviation power, Fallows discusses the scale of China’s ambitious plans and what that would mean, not only for the United States, but the rest of the world.

Former Mayor of San Francisco; Former Speaker of the California State Assembly The inimitable former San Francisco mayor and renowned pundit gives his annual take on the political scene as we approach the presidential election.

Location: SF Club Office Cost:$25 standard, $15 members, $7 students; Premium: $45 standard, $30 members Time: 5:15 p.m. check-in, 6 p.m. program Also know: MEMBERS ONLY + 1 paying guest

Location: SF Club Office Time: 5:30 p.m. check-in, 6 p.m. program Cost: $20 standard, $12 members, $7 students

w ed 1 6 | S a n F r a n c i s c o

Location: Cubberley Theatre, 4000 Middlefield Road Palo Alto Time: 6:30 p.m. check-in, 7 p.m. program, 8 p.m. book signing Cost: $20 standard, $12 members, $7 students

w ed 1 6 | S a n F r a n c i s c o

Andy Cohen, Bravo’s Reality TV Mogul: From Project Runway to Top Chef to The Real Housewives

Mrs. Judo: Be Strong, Be Gentle, Be Beautiful Keiko Fukuda, Judo practitioner

Andy Cohen, Executive Vice President of Development and Talent, Bravo; Executive Producer, “Top Chef,” “The Real Housewives,” and “Watch What Happens: Live”; Author, Most Talkative: Stories from the Front Lines of Pop Culture

A voracious consumer of pop culture since his early youth, Andy Cohen has risen rapidly within the ranks of reality television over the past several years, appearing among TV Guide’s “25 Most Influential People in Television” in 2010. In addition to producing and developing the wildly successful “The Real Housewives” and the awardwinning “Top Chef ”, Cohen has hosted such guests as Jerry Seinfeld, Tracey Ullman, Anderson Cooper and Sarah Jessica Parker on his late-night talk show “Watch What Happens: Live.” Cohen’s forthcoming book, “Most Talkative”, continues in the pithy narrative style of his talk show to bring to life his encounters with, and experiences of, the world of television and celebrity.

Location: SF Club Office Time: 7:30 p.m. networking reception, 8 p.m. program, 9 p.m. book signing Cost: $20 standard, $12 members; Premium (with book ): $45 standard, $30 members Also know: Underwritten by The Bernard Osher Foundation

Standing less than five feet tall and weighing less than 100 pounds, Fukuda is one of only four Judo practitioners in the world (and the only woman) to currently hold 10th Dan, Judo’s highest degree black belt; she is also 99 years old and still teaches in San Francisco.

She is the last surviving student of Dr. Kano, the founder of Judo. With excerpts from director Yuriko Gamo Romer’s documentary, Mrs. Judo: Be Strong, Be Gentle, Be Beautiful, and live demonstration from her students at the Soko Joshi Judo Club.

Location: SF Club Office Time: 6 p.m.

Cost: $20 standard, $8 members, $7 students Program organizer: Sylvie Grillet-Rivera

a pr i l/may 2012

THE COMMO N WE AL TH

43

May 18 - 24 fr i 1 8 | S a n F r a n c i s c o

fr i 1 8 | S a n F r a n c i s c o

M on 2 1 | S a n F r a n c i s c o

We Can All Do Better

Week To Week

Middle East Discussion Group

See website for panelists

Bill Bradley, former U.S. Senator (D-New Jersey); Author, We Can All Do Better

Bradley will offer his unique perspective on issues from foreign policy to election reform and the economy, and he will provide his view on the path out of the political stalemate that grips Washington and has frustrated Americans of every political stripe.

Location: SF Club Office Time: 11:30 a.m. luncheon, 12:30 p.m. program, 1:30 p.m. book signing Cost: Luncheon $50 standard, $40 members; With book: $70 standard, $60 members Also know: Luncheon attendees must register by noon on Wednesday, May 16th

Join us for informative and fun commentary on the week’s news, featuring our expert panelists, an in-depth look at a topic in the news, audience discussion of the week’s events, a news quiz, and a look at the week ahead.

Location: SF Club Office Time: 11:30 a.m. check-in and lunch, noon program Cost: $10 standard, MEMBERS FREE; Premium (includes lunch): $22 premium standard, $12 premium members

Make your voice heard in an enriching, provocative and fun discussion with fellow Club members as you weigh in on events shaping the face of the Middle East. Each month, the Middle East Member-Led Forum hosts an informal roundtable discussion on a topic frequently suggested by recent headlines.

After a brief introduction, the floor will be open for discussion. All interested members are encouraged to attend. There will also be a brief planning session.

MLF: Middle East Location: SF Club Office Time: 5:30 p.m. program Cost: FREE Program Organizer: Celia Menczel

M on 2 1 | S a n F r a n c i s c o

M on 2 1 | E a s t B a y

Science & Technology Planning Meeting

Captain Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger: Stories from American Leaders

Join fellow Club members with similar interests and brainstorm upcoming Science & Technology programs. All Commonwealth Club members are welcome. We explore visions for the future through science and technology. Discuss current issues and share your insights with fellow Club members to shape and plan programs for the months ahead.

MLF: Science & Technology Location: SF Club Office Time: 6:15 p.m. planning meeting Cost: FREE Program Organizer: Chisako Ress Also know: Photo by flickr user Sapperlott

44

THE COMMO N WE AL TH

Captain Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger, Retired Airline Pilot; CBS News Aviation and Safety Expert; Author, Making a Difference: Stories of Vision and Courage from America’s Leaders

The hero who landed the plane on the Hudson discusses the qualities that make for great leadership. He reveals his own advice as well as the details of recent conversations with notables that include legendary baseball manager Tony La Russa, Costco founder Jim Sinegal, and educator Michelle Rhee, among others.

Location: Lafayette Veterans Memorial Hall, 3780 Mt. Diablo Blvd, Lafayette Time: 5:45 p.m. check-in, 6:30 p.m. program Cost: $20 standard, $12 members, $7 students (with valid ID); Premium: $40 standard and members (includes a copy of the book & seating in the front) Also know: Capt. Sullenberger will also be speaking in San Francisco 5/30

ap r il/may 2012

mon 2 1 | S i l i c o n V a l l e y

t u e 22 | San Francisco

The Blueseed Project

Paul Krugman: End This Depression Now

Max Marty, CEO, The Blueseed Project

Paul Krugman, Columnist, The New York Times; Professor of Economics and International Affairs, Princeton University; Author, End This Depression Now!

Projected to be the first floating city in international waters, The Blueseed Project is dedicated to harvesting entrepreneurship by creating a place where the world’s top tech minds can collaborate.

Twelve miles off the coast of Northern California, residents would not be subject to work visa limitations. Called the “Googleplex of the Sea,” The Blueseed Project is awakening a host of complex issues including immigration policy, visa limitations, international policy, social entrepreneurship and more.

Nobel Laureate economist Krugman believes that the U.S. and world economies are not getting better. He says we are still in the midst of a depression rather than a recession, and that “nations, rich in resources, talent, and knowledge, all the ingredients for prosperity and a decent standard of living for all, remain in a state of intense pain.” Yet he also believes that a quick, strong recovery is but one step away.

Come hear his thoughts on what political leaders can and must do.

Location: Hotel Nikko-Ballroom; 222 Mason St. San Francisco Time: 5:15 p.m. check-in, 6 p.m. program, 7 p.m. book signing Cost: $35 standard, $20 members, $10 students (with valid ID); Premium: $70 standard, $50 members (includes book and priority seating in the front) Also know: Photo Credit: Fred R. Conrad/The New York Times

Location: Adobe, 345 Park Ave, San Jose Time: 6:30 p.m. program Cost: $20 standard, $12 members, $7 students

t u e 22 | San Francisco

w ed 2 3 | S a n F r a n c i s c o

th u 2 4 | S a n F r a n c i s c o

New Morrocan

On Assignment with National Geographic

The Golden Gate Bridge at 75: What Makes an Icon

Edwin Dobb, Knight Center for Science and Environmental Journalism, U.C. Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism Additional Panelists TBA

Kevin Starr, California State Librarian, Emeritus; History Professor, University of Southern California; Author, Golden Gate John Harper, Historian, Chevron Corporation Additional Panelists TBA

Mourad Lahlou, Chef, Aziza, Author, Mourad: New Morrocan

Arriving in California from Marrakesh in 1985 to go to college, a homesick, young Lahlou began to channel memories of watching his mother and aunts as they prepared traditional Moroccan dishes at home. In 2001, he opened Michelinstarred Aziza in San Francisco, named after his mother, where he adopts traditional Moroccan dishes in stunningly creative ways. In 2009, he won “Iron Chef America” by the largest margin in the history of the show.

MLF: Bay Gourmet Location: SF Club Office Time: 5:30 p.m. networking, 6 p.m. program, 7 p.m. book signing Cost: $20 standard, $8 members, $7 student

National Geographic has long been a national and international gateway to the world, taking us to faraway places, introducing the universe of science, cultures, history and environmental challenges, and their work with scientists, adventurers and discoverers. Join moderator Edwin Dobb and fellow National Geographic contributors for a lively, enlightening and informative evening of fieldwork stories and studies.

MLF: Environment & Natural Resources Location: SF Club Office Time: 5:30 p.m. networking, 6 p.m. program Cost: $20 standard, $8 members, $7 students Program organizer: Ann Clark

Come take an incisive look at the history of the Golden Gate Bridge and how it’s achieved iconic status in both an aesthetic and emotional sense. At 75 years old, the Golden Gate Bridge has many meanings. A unique combination of panelists will discuss its significance to them and, in turn, to the wider community.

Location: SF Club Office Times: 5:15 p.m. check-in, 6 p.m. program Cost: $20 standard, $12 members, $7 student Also know: Sponsored by Wells Fargo

a pr i l/may 2012

THE COMMO N WE AL TH

45

May 24 - June 06 th u 2 4 | S a n F r a n c i s c o

Join The Club

U.S.-Cuba Relations and the Cuban Economy

Membership is open to all. Support for The Club’s work is derived principally from membership dues.

For more information, visit commonwealthclub.org/join

Carlos Alzugaray, Professor, University of Havana, Center for the Study of the United States Jorge Mario Sanchez Egozcue, Professor, University of Havana, Center for the Study of the Cuban Economy Margaret E. Crahan, Senior Research Scholar, Institute of Latin American Studies at Columbia University - Moderator

Since Fidel Castro turned over power to his brother Raul in 2006, Cuba and U.S.Cuban relations have undergone a variety of changes. Raul has increasingly emphasized transforming the Cuban bureaucracy and economy in an effort to eliminate inefficiency and lack of competitiveness in the international market. The discovery of oil off the north coast of Cuba has opened the possibility for Cuba to become a major oil and gas producer. The overhaul of the domestic economy allows more space for small domestic entrepreneurs and encourages foreign investment, especially in tourism and agriculture. While European, Asian, and Latin American investors are increasingly exploring opportunities in Cuba, the U.S.-Cuban economic and political relations stagnate. What’s next for the Cuban economy and U.S.-Cuban relations?

MLF: International Relations Location: SF Club Office Time: 12:30 p.m. check-in, 1 p.m. program Cost: $20 standard, $8 members, $7 students (with valid ID) Program Organizer: Norma Walden

t u e 29 | San Francisco

w ed 3 0 | S a n F r a n c i s c o

Nancy Pelosi, Democratic House Leader: Commemorating 25 years in Congress

David Westin: Exit Interview

U.S. House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi will headline a special Commonwealth Club conversation in which she will reflect on 25 years of representing San Francisco in Congress, her rise to become the first woman speaker of the House, and her continued efforts to represent the American people.

President and Chief Executive Officer, NewsRight; Former President, ABC News; Author, Exit Interview

Location: Fairmont Hotel, 950 Mason Street, San Francisco Time: 11 a.m. check-in; noon program Cost: $25 standard, $15 members; Premium: $45 standard, $30 members; $7 students (with valid ID)

During his 13 years of leadership at ABC News, David Westin stood at the helm of reporting on a host of monumental national and international events. At the same time, his exhaustive career has been characterized by the need to navigate a series of critical shifts in the industry of journalism itself. Written following his departure from ABC in December 2010, Westin’s book, Exit Interview, offers a unique look inside the field of journalism and at the people who comprise it.

Location: SF Club Office Time: 5:30 p.m. networking, 6 p.m. program, 7 p.m. book signing Cost: $20 standard, $12 members, $7 students

46

THE COMMO N WE AL TH

ap r il/may 2012

Wed 3 0 | S a n F r a n c i s c o

th u 3 1 | S a n F r a n c i s c o

Captain Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger: Stories from American Leaders

San Francisco Architecture Walking Tour

Captain Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger, Retired Airline Pilot; CBS News Aviation and Safety Expert; Author, Making a Difference: Stories of Vision and Courage from America’s Leaders In conversation with Dan Ashley, News Anchor, ABC 7 TV; Member, Commonwealth Club Board of Governors

The hero who landed the plane on the Hudson discusses the qualities that make for great leadership. He reveals his own advice as well as the details of recent conversations with notables that include legendary baseball manager Tony La Russa, Costco founder Jim Sinegal, and Educator Michelle Rhee, among others.

Location: SF Club Office Time: 11:15 a.m. check-in, noon program, 1 p.m. booksigning Cost: $20 standard, $12 members, $7 students (with valid ID); Premium: $40 standard and members (includes a copy of the book & seating in the front) Also know: Capt. Sullenberger will also be speaking in Lafayette on 5/21

th u 3 1 | S a n F r a n c i s c o

The Truth, the Whole Truth, and Just a Few Minor Exaggerations Will Durst, Political Satirist

Famed political satirist and five-time Emmy nominee Will Durst, hailed by The New York Times as “possibly the best political comic in the country,” has configured a career spanning multiple forms of media commentary and over 800 television appearances. Join him at The Commonwealth Club as he gives an undoubtedly entertaining account of his life and work.

Location: SF Club Office Times: 5:30 p.m. check-in, 6 p.m. program Cost:$20 standard, $12 members, $7 students

M on 0 4 | S a n F r a n c i s c o

Explore San Francisco’s Financial District with historian Rick Evans. Hear about the famous architects who influenced the building of San Francisco after the 1906 earthquake.

Discover hard-to-find rooftop gardens, Art Deco lobbies, unique open spaces and historic landmarks. This is a tour for locals, with hidden gems you can only find on foot! For those interested in socializing afterward, we will conclude the tour at a local watering hole.

Location: Lobby of Galleria Park Hotel, 191 Sutter St. Time: 1:45 p.m. check-in, 2–4:30 p.m. tour Cost: $40 standard, $30 members Also know: Tour operates rain or shine. Limited to 20 people. Participants must pre-register. The tour covers less than one mile of walking in the Financial District. Involves stairs.

w ed 0 6 | S a n F r a n c i s c o

Thriving Through and Beyond Trauma: Adjustment to Acquired Disability Gary Karp, Author, Life on Wheels and Disability & the Art of Kissing

Karp injured his spinal cord and became paraplegic in 1973 at the age of 18 in a fall from a tree. Now he is an internationally recognized voice for what he terms the “Modern Disability” experience. The author of two books and a highly active public speaker and trainer, Karp sheds light on the innate drive in us all to reach for life and potential. Karp believes success depends on factors such as access to services and a strong support network.

David Walker, Former U.S. Comptroller General: Correcting America’s Fiscal Imbalances Founder, President and CEO, Comeback America Initiative; Author, Comeback America

Through his efforts with Comeback America Initiative, Walker aims to remain a non-partisan voice for lawmakers in the hopes of correcting America’s federal, state and local fiscal imbalances.

Location: SF Club Office Times: 5:30 p.m. check-in, 6 p.m. program Cost:$20 standard, $12 members, $7 students

MLF: Psychology Location: SF Club Office Time: 4:45 p.m. networking, 5:15 p.m. program Cost: $20 standard, MEMBERS FREE, $7 students

a pr i l/may 2012

THE COMMO N WE AL TH

47

Club Leadership

T h u 07 | San Francisco

81st Annual California Book Awards Since 1931, the California Book Awards have been honoring literary excellence among authors in the Golden State. At our special awards ceremony, we will bestow gold and silver medals in several categories, including: fiction, nonfiction, first fiction, poetry, young adult, juvenile, Californiana and contribution to publishing. Hear from some literary giants and amazing writers. See you at the ceremony!

Location: SF Club Office Time: 5:15 p.m. pre-program reception, 6 p.m. awards ceremony, 7:15 p.m. book signing and dessert reception Cost: $20 standard, $15 members Also know: Underwritten by The Bernard Osher Foundation. Special thanks to Dr. Martha Cox and the late Ambassador Bill Lane for their generous endowment, allowing the California Book Awards to take place. Sponsored by Bank of the West. To purchase tickets by phone, please call (415) 597-6705.

Late Breaking

Exhibits at the Club

For details on these late-breaking events, visit commonwealthclub.org

May 08- July 05

May 31: Einar Enevoldson: The Perlan Project Climate Science and Altitude Record San Francisco 6 p.m. program April 06: Joseph Martin San Francisco noon program

“Far From Home” Artworks by Shane Weare This exhibition of etchings by British born Weare spans the period from his student days in London at the Royal College of Art, to settling in California as an alien resident, raising a family, becoming a U.S. citizen and head of printmaking at Sonoma State University. Weare has exhibited his work both nationally and internationally, and his work has been collected by over 50 major museums and universities.

April 10: Mike Pereira, Fox Sports Analyst Silicon Valley noon program April 17: Why is Religious Liberty the First Freedom Silicon Valley noon program June 05: Robert Muller San Francisco 6 p.m. program

MLF: The Arts Location: SF Club Office Cost: FREE Time: Regular SF Club Office hours

June 13: Writer Gail Collins Silicon Valley noon program Frank Deford: My Life as a Sportswriter SF Club Office 6 p.m. program June 18: Lev Grossman: Master Magician Silicon Valley 7 p.m. program E.J. Dionne Jr.: Our Divided Political Heart San Francisco 6 p.m. program

48

THE COMMO N WE AL TH

ap r il/may 2012

OFFICERS of The Commonwealth Club of California Board Chair Maryles Casto Vice Chair Anna W.M. Mok Secretary William F. Adams Treasurer Lee J. Dutra President and CEO Dr. Gloria C. Duffy BOARD OF GOVERNORS Dan Ashley Jill Nash Massey J. Bambara Richard Otter* Ralph Baxter Joseph Perrelli* Hon. Shirley Temple Black* Hon. Barbara Pivnicka John L. Boland Hon. Richard Pivnicka J. Dennis Bonney* Fr. Stephen A. Privett, S.J. Helen A. Burt Dr. Mohammad H. Qayoumi John Busterud* Dan C. Quigley Michael Carr Toni Rembe* Hon. Ming Chin* Victor A. Revenko* Jack Cortis Skip Rhodes* Mary B. Cranston** Dr. Condoleezza Rice Dr. Kerry P. Curtis Fred A. Rodriguez Dr. Jaleh Daie Renée Rubin* Evelyn S. Dilsaver Robert Saldich** Lee J. Dutra Joseph W. Saunders Joseph I. Epstein* George M. Scalise Rolando Esteverena Connie Shapiro* Jeffrey A. Farber Charlotte Mailliard Shultz Dr. Joseph R. Fink* George D. Smith, Jr. Carol A. Fleming, Ph.D. James Strother Lisa Frazier Hon. Tad Taube William German* Charles Travers Dr. Charles Geschke Thomas Vertin Rose Guilbault** Robert Walker Jacquelyn Hadley Nelson Weller* Edie G. Heilman Judith Wilbur* Hon. James C. Hormel Dr. Colleen B. Wilcox Mary Huss Dennis Wu* Claude B. Hutchison Jr.* Russell M. Yarrow Dr. Julius Krevans* Lata Krishnan * Past President ** Past Chair Don J. McGrath ADVISORY BOARD Karin Helene Bauer Hon. William Bradley Dennise M. Carter Steven Falk Amy Gershoni

Heather M. Kitchen Amy McCombs Hon. William J. Perry Ray Taliaferro Nancy Thompson

ee W k toWeek the current affairs program from

the commonwealth club

Your newest reason to make it through the week It’s our new ongoing series: Come to Week to Week for a lively discussion of the week’s news, buy a boxed lunch (or bring your own) and spend an enjoyable hour engaging with people like you, people who love talking and hearing about current events.

Politics, the economy, arts & culture, breaking news at home and abroad – our panel covers it all.

For more information, including upcoming Week to Week program dates, visit: commonwealthclub.org/w2w

The Big Picture Larry Golder performing at Climate One’s Stephen H. Schneider Award Ceremony Who else would play guitar during our presentation of the first Climate One Stephen H. Schneider Award (given to Dr. Richard Alley on December 6, 2011)?

That’s Stanford University economics professor Dr. Lawrence H. Golder doing the guitar honors. photo by Ed Ritger

Tashkent n Samarkand n Bukhara n Khiva n Ashkhabat

Legacy of the Silk Road

Uzbekistan & Turkmenistan October 6-20, 2012

Explore the modern incarnations of the fabled cites along the world’s great trade route.

Trip Highlights

• In Tashkent, discuss Central Asia’s

Central Asia expert, Ambassador John Ordway.

current affairs with a representative of the U.S. Embassy, then visit the studio of a sixth-generation Uzbek ceramicist.

• In Samarkand, marvel at the

• Meet the Senior Advisor for

• Learn from study leader and

intricate blue tiles of the Registan.

Visit Bibi Khanum Mosque and tour Uleg Bek’s Observatory, one of the most advanced in the ancient world.

Bukhara’s Art Museum and learn about the education system in Uzbekistan during our visit to a local school in Khiva.

• Enjoy an archaeologist-led tour of UNESCO-listed Nisa, a major center of the ancient Parthian Kingdom.

• Take in vistas of the ancient Silk Road and visit a farm devoted to the renowed Akhal–Tekke horse.

• Experience traditional Central

Asian music and dance; explore Bukhara’s Jewish Quarter; and explore Ashkhabad’s Tolkuchka Bazaar.

Trip Cost:

$4,995 per person, based on double occupancy CST: 2096889-40

For Information & Reservations: visit commonwealthclub.org/travel call (415) 597-6720 email travel@commonwealthclub.org

Nuclear Threat (Continued from page 13) PERRY: What led to that meeting was the first meeting we had. I met offline with the former Pakistani defense minister. I asked him why he was willing to go through so much trouble to come to these meetings and discuss these issues. He said, “Because I think we are heading for a nuclear war.” Not just terrorism, but a nuclear war. He said, “I think it’s likely that somebody in Pakistan now is plotting a Mumbai II. If that happens, the Indian government this time will not show restraint. They will send a military force into Pakistan to punish them. The Pakistani army will be humiliated, defeated, and then the Pakistani military leaders will go to the president and say, ‘We can solve this problem by using nuclear weapons on the Indian army.’” They have a theory that if they use nuclear weapons only within Pakistan, that the Indians will not respond with nuclear weapons – which is a crazy theory, but they believe it.

That caught my attention very seriously.

TAUBMAN: Senator Nunn, the programs you and Senator Lugar put into place have played a major role in trying to secure vulnerable fissile materials around the world. How do you see the threat of nuclear terrorism?

NUNN: I consider it the most dangerous threat we face, because if a terrorist group got the bomb or the material to make a bomb – some of them are suicidal, but they wouldn’t have a return address. Our whole principle in the Cold War was to deter a country, knowing that we would know if they shoot missiles at us where they came from, and therefore they’ve got a return address and would suffer retaliation. Terrorist groups don’t have that. Some of them would like nothing more than to basically cause a conflict even to escalate between countries based on a perceived terrorist attack and attribution to a particular country.

You’ve got the ingredients here for a perfect storm. You’ve got nuclear weaponusable material around the globe. Our organization, the Nuclear Threat Initiative, just did an index rating 32 countries on about 18 different aspects on how they are securing their weapon-usable nuclear material. The most important thing is keeping that material out of the hands of terrorists. They’re not

52

THE COMMO N WE AL TH

going to be able to make enriched [uranium] themselves, but if they get highly enriched uranium or plutonium, then they could make a bomb. So you’ve got material, you’ve got terrorists who would like to use it, you’ve got the technology that we thought only a state could master 30 or 40 years ago that is now available in intelligible form on the internet, and you’ve got a real growing possibility that could happen.

There’s good news here, too. You’ve already mentioned the Nunn-Lugar program.

Bill Perry and [Commonwealth Club Presi-

“The former Pakistani defense minister said, ‘I think we are heading for a nuclear war.’”

–William Perry dent and CEO] Gloria Duffy had a huge effect. Gloria was the lead in negotiating with three countries that were in the former Soviet Union to give up their nuclear weapons: Ukraine, Belarus and Kazakhstan.

That was in the 1990s. It was huge. So there are good things going on. We now have a stronger IAEA, though not nearly strong enough. We have UN Resolution 1540 that requires every nation to take care of its nuclear material. We have a lot going on.

One of the things Gloria and her team helped negotiate [was that] the Ukrainians didn’t want to give up their weapons without getting some economic benefit. Highly enriched uranium is worth money. You can blend it down into low-enriched uranium, you can convert that into nuclear fuel and burn that in nuclear power plants. The deal made in the early 1990s was that we would work with Russia to get the weapons back from those countries, and in Russia they would blend down the highly enriched uranium from the weapons into lowenriched uranium, and we would buy the low-enriched uranium over 20 years. Right now, 20 percent of the electricity in America comes from nuclear power, 50 percent of that material we burn today in American nuclear power plants comes from highly

A p r il/may 2012

enriched uranium that was in the form of bombs aimed at us during the Cold War. TAUBMAN: Secretary Shultz, when you went to Reykjavik with Ronald Reagan in 1986 to meet with Mikhail Gorbachev, at that time, roughly speaking the United States and Soviet Union had a total of about 70,000 nuclear warheads. Today, the United States has 5,000, the Russians have more than that. When you were in Reykjavik, you talked about eliminating nuclear weapons altogether. But a lot of people ask, how can we risk giving up nuclear weapons? Aren’t they very important in preserving the peace?

SHULTZ: Actually, they haven’t been as good of a deterrent as they seem to be cracked up to be. Think in the Cold War of the things that nuclear weapons did not deter. They didn’t deter the Soviets from going in and crushing Hungary back in 1956, didn’t deter them from squashing the Prague Spring, didn’t deter them from creating the conditions that led to the Berlin airlift, didn’t deter them from encouraging the Korean War, didn’t deter them from invading Afghanistan. So an awful lot happened. And why did nuclear weapons not deter? Because there is a realization that it is very unlikely they will be used.

Deterrence is a very good concept. You want to use deterrence to create a situation where somebody doesn’t attack you. It’s better than having a war. So we don’t want nuclear to steal the concept of deterrence, and it’s sort of done that. We need to get our brains out and think of other ways to deter.

TAUBMAN: Fukushima showed that complex systems can fail in unexpected ways.

Have we had any close calls on nuclear weapons, and can you discuss them?

PERRY: We had quite a few close calls during the Cold War. We used to carry nuclear bombs around in bombers that flew patrols. More than once, those bombers crashed with nuclear bombs on them. We never had a nuclear detonation, but it was very risky. Secondly, we have had several false alarms, two of which I was personally familiar with, where I would get calls in the middle of the night telling me that the computers are showing 200 missiles on the way from the Soviet Union. This really gets your attention.

This program was made possible by the generous support of Fleishman Hillard

Burma and Laos

Kingdoms of the East October 14-27, 2012

Trip Highlights • Join renown author and scholar Dr. Donald Stadtner as we being our journey in Yangon.

• Visit temples, pagodas, and

sacred Buddhist shrines. Admire the decaying colonial facades, and enjoy a reception at the U.S. ambassador’s residence.

• Visit Mandalay the economic hub of Upper Burma and considered the center of Burmese culture.

• Discover the remarkable ruins Pagan, the ancient capital of the country and once a vast and populous kingdom.

• Experience charming Luang Prabang,

a UNESCO site, and a treasure trove of the nation’s greatest artistic achievements.

• Visit Wat Xiang Thong and take a boat ride on the Mekong River.

• Lectures and briefings will focus on sacred sites, history, economic development and contemporary issues.

Trip Cost: $5,495 per person, based on double occupancy CST: 2096889-40

Our study leader Dr. Don Stadtner’s recent books include Ancient Pagan: Buddhist Plain of Merit and Sacred Sites of Burma: Myth and Folklore in an Evolving Spiritual Realm.

Come hear him speak at the Club on May 8 at 6 p.m.

For Information & Reservations: visit commonwealthclub.org/travel call (415) 597-6720 email travel@commonwealthclub.org

The POOR, UNFORTUNATE

Frank admits being baffled by the reaction to economic catastrophe – in which the victims demand more of the same. What’s the matter with the United States? Excerpt from “Thomas Frank,” January 26, 2012.

Thomas Frank Founding Editor, The Baffler; Author, What’s the Matter with Kansas? and Pity the

Billionaire: The Hard Times Swindle and the Unlikely Comeback of the Right

W

e’re living in a time when Americans rose up against imaginary threats and rallied to economic theories that they only understood in the gauziest sort of terms. I’m going to talk about a country where fears of a radical takeover became epidemic, even though radicals themselves had long since ceased to play any role in the national life. A land where ideological nightmares conjured up by TV entertainers came to seem more vivid and more compelling than the contents of the news pages themselves. And that’s my jaundiced

54

THE COMMO N WE AL TH

liberal perspective.

If you think about it in another way, this is a miraculous time that we’re living in. This is a period of another “great awakening,” as one pundit put it. It’s a revival crusade in which the gospel is the old-time religion of the free market. We’re living through the era of a grassroots rebellion and the incredible recovery of the conservative political movement from the gloomy depths of defeat. Let me confess that there is indeed something miraculous, something astonishing about this recovery. Consider the barest facts, OK? This is the fourth successful conservative

A p r il/may 2012

uprising to happen in my lifetime, each one of them [full of ] populist bluster, each one standing slightly rightward of its predecessor [in] the last 40 years or so.

Think about it this way: As of this year, it’s been 32 years since the supply-side revolution conquered Washington, D.C., and since the free-market faith became the dogma of our country’s ruling class, shared by large numbers of Democrats as well as Republicans. Since then we have lived through decades of deregulation, de-unionization, privatization, free-trade agreements. The free market ideal has been

live these days, all of these sort of wise men agreed on the direction in which the nation was traveling. They had seen this movie before, and they knew how it was supposed to go. The plates were shifting; conservatism’s decades-long reign was at an end, and an era of liberal activism was at hand. This was supposed to be the unambiguous mandate of history itself, as unmistakable as the gigantic crowds that gathered to hear Barack Obama speak as he traveled the campaign trail.

The thinking behind all this wisdom and punditry was straight forward cause-andeffect stuff. The 2008 financial crisis had clearly discredited the conservative movement’s signature economic ideas. Scandal and incompetence had wrecked the movement’s ethical claims, and conservatism’s taste for strident rhetoric was supposed to be repugnant to a new generation of postpartisan voters. Remember those guys?

We had just been through a replay of the financial crisis of 1929, the pundits thought, and now the automatic left turn of 1932 was at hand with the part of FDR played by the newly elected Barack Obama. The pundits also had a series of recommendations for the Republican Party. The script went like this: The Republicans had to moderate themselves or face a long period of irrelevance. So what the polite thinking world expected from the leaders of the Right was repentance. That Republicans would confess their errors and make haste for the political center. The world expected contrition.

Now what the world got, of course, was exactly the opposite, delivered on the point of a bayonet. Instead of complying with the new speed limit, the strategists of the Right hit the gas. Instead of seeking accommodation, they went on a quest for ideological purity.

Instead of elevating the remaining centrists to positions of power, they purged those guys. And instead of acknowledging that they had enjoyed their 30 years

behind the wheel, they declared that what had really happened is, they had never really gotten their turn in the first place, the true believers had never actually been in charge – the conservative ascendancy that never really existed. All the journalistic and historical work on the subject had been so much liberal propaganda. Therefore the disastrous events of recent years cast no discredit on conservative ideas themselves. So the solution wasn’t to reconsider deregulation, it was to double-down and to work even more energetically for that laissez-faire utopia.

You remember Glenn Beck, the TV host who had his very brief moment of fame. For me he was sort of the emblematic figure of that public outrage in 2009 and 2010.

Glenn Beck used to ritually claim to be a “man beyond partisanship.” For example, he’s deliberately imitated Martin Luther King’s 1963 March on Washington and at one point he suggested that he might have voted for Hillary Clinton had she won the Democratic nomination for the presidency.

If you watched his TV show closely in the old days – he’s off the air now – you will find that Beck would sort of constantly pilfer left-wing imagery

a pr i l/may 2012

THE COMMO N WE AL TH

55

Frank photo by Ed Ritger, Monopoly by Steven Fromtling All Monopoly characters and other materials are the property of Hasbro.

projected into every corner of the nation’s life. Universities try to put themselves on a market-based footing these days, so do hospitals, electric utilities, museums, the post office, the Central Intelligence Agency – so does the U.S. Army, even.

After all of this has been going on for decades, we suddenly have a people’s uprising demanding that we embrace the free market ideology, right? And this only a short time after that selfsame ideology led the world into the greatest economic catastrophe in memory. Yes, amazing is the right word for this. Unlikely would also be right. Preposterous would be even righter.

In 2008 the country’s financial system suffered an epic breakdown that was largely the result, as nearly every serious observer agrees, of the decades-long effort to roll back bank supervision and encourage financial experimentation. The banks’ stumble, in turn, quickly plunged the nation and indeed the entire world into the worst recession since the 1930s. Yet, as I stand here tonight, the main political response to these events are a campaign to roll back regulation, to strip government employees of the right to organize – out in Wisconsin and Indiana – and, of course, to clamp down on federal spending. So let us give these rebels their due. Let us acknowledge that the conservative comeback of the last couple of years is indeed something unique in the history of American social movements. A mass conversion to free market theory as a response to hard times, OK? Before this present economic slump, I had never heard of a recession’s victims developing a wholesale taste for Chicago School of Economics or a spontaneous hostility to the works of Franklin Roosevelt.

Before this current recession, people who had been cheated by bankers almost never took the occasion of their being cheated by those bankers to demand that those bankers be freed from the burden of red tape and the scrutiny of the law. Before 2009 the man in the bread line did not customarily weep for the man lounging on his yacht.

Now, the achievement of all this stuff is even more remarkable when we recall the prevailing opinion climate of 2008.

Remember, after the disasters of the George W. Bush presidency had culminated in the catastrophe on Wall Street, the citizens of “beltway consensus land,” which is where I

in arguments. He had this critique of the upon investigation, this turned out to not be public relations industry that seemed to true. In fact, I looked into and I discovered come straight out of the pages of Noam that neither federal nor state governments Chomsky, for example. Or his famous have ever mounted a campaign to criminalcharge of racism against President Obama, ize the free market faith. But I also found which was this sort of clumsy attempt to use that they have used force over the years to a weapon that conservatives feel is always break up strikes, imprison labor organizers, directed against them. keep minorities from voting and disrupt This newest Right that I am describing anti-war protests back in the Vietnam days. also glories to imagine themselves as victims. Today though, it suits the resurgent Right For example there is this kind of entire hate to imagine itself as the real victim of state geography of persecution that hovers like persecution, which, no doubt, helps to a halo around the person of Sarah Palin, enhance the movement’s aura as the sort of right? This is her brand image, I mean this dissident movement taking on a merciless is what Sarah Palin is about. There is a bi- establishment. [Pauses as police cars drive past ography of her that came out a couple years the auditorium windows.]Now this is where ago that’s actually called The Persecution of we let the squad cars go by – you know, on Sarah Palin. This fantasy of victimization their way to break up that Tea Party rally sometimes becomes rather baroque. Think down the street. about Glenn Beck’s 2010 novel, The Overton Look, it’s a lot of fun to poke holes in Window, which truth be told is an exciting the dumb things conservatives say. And Lord read; I kinda liked it. But in this book, knows, I have a built a career out of doing conservative activists are imagined to be the this, right? These guys blow off the facts victims of everything that Big Brother can when they feel like it, they swipe symbols throw at them. They get tossed in jail on the from the other side, they illustrate their arflimsiest of charges, they endure these savage guments on economics with fairytales. The beatings by the cops, the book’s hero gets reasoning you hear on their favorite radio waterboarded after he signs up for this sort shows seems like something from a brainof patriotic resistance movement. They have washing session at Lubyanka prison. It is prethis fictional posterous. It version of the is contemptTea Party and ible. But you their meetknow what “It is preposte ings are infili t ’s b e t t e r rous. It is trated by pothan? It is contemptible . But you lice spies and better than know what it then broken nothing. ’s better up by these I want to than? It is mysterious remember agent provoone more .” cateurs. time, the And you original catafind similar clysms whose fears to this memories toall the time in the larger conservative move- day still poison our every political moment: ment culture. In 2009, for example, the the financial crisis and the bailouts. I want populist Right was swept with this panic you to remember that the culprits of those that the new Democratic administration cataclysms, the people who wrecked our was preparing concentration camps for economy, were not punished for what they conservatives. Do you remember this? Now, did. They were rewarded. I don’t mean that

better than nothing

56

THE COMMO N WE AL TH

A p r il/may 2012

they got away with a slap on the wrist. I mean they were laden down with billions and our blessings. Today they are rich in a way that you and I will never be able to understand. All of this happened, remember, courtesy of our government. “The bailout money will be recouped,” they tell us. “Nothing to see here; walk on by.” “The experts understand these things.”

You could not have contrived a scenario better calculated to destroy public faith in American institutions. What is the point of hard work, of scrapping for a few dollars more, some crappy hourly wage when dishonest financial [activity] is so profitable?

Why play by the rules when they obviously don’t apply to everyone? When louts and bullies and crooks take home society’s greatest rewards? The bailouts created a perfect situation for populism in the old Jacksonian tradition, for old-fashioned calamity howlers, like we used to call them in Kansas, for Jeremiahs raging against the corrupt and the powerful. One of our two political factions in this country took to that task immediately and with relish. They tossed inconvenient leaders overboard – see George W. Bush, “not a part of our movement anymore.” They declared war on what they called the “ruling class.” They assembled with their megaphones out in the park and gave voice to the people’s outrage. But the other faction, the actual political descendents of Jackson and Harry S. Truman and Franklin D. Roosevelt, did not seem to get it. They failed to rise to this occasion, to take this opportunity, they could not understand that the circumstances now called for something different. They could not embrace the requirements of the moment, even though responding to hard times was once their party’s very reason for being.

Take the bailouts again. Look, there were a hundred different ways that that situation in 2008 could have been dealt with, and each one of those ways was less of an outrage than the way actually chosen by Bush

and Hank Paulson. But upon taking office, what did Barack Obama do? He didn’t break with Paulson’s campaign, he didn’t lay plans to reduce investment banking’s power over American life like Franklin Roosevelt did. Instead he took pains to let the world know that he embraced the Paulson strategy.

Almost each time the political adversity came in the following years, the Obama team compromised in the direction of Wall Street, as though that was who needed to be mollified, as though that was the power that had to be assuaged.

Question and Answer session with Joseph Fink, President Emeritus, Dominican University of California FINK: You said that Barack Obama had compromised in the direction of Wall Street. If that’s correct, why is there such hostility and disdain from Wall Street to the president?

FRANK: There is a lot of hostility and disdain from certain elements on Wall Street, and I think it’s because they think they can get a better deal. They’re screaming and crying because they know he’ll pity the billionaire. They’ve been very well served by the Obama Administration, particularly given what they should, by all rights, have been expecting, which was a second Franklin Roosevelt. We should talk about the differences between the Obama route and the Roosevelt way. It’s very instructive.

FINK: Sure, go ahead.

FRANK: The really critical points for me while I was writing Pity the Billionaire was to try to understand bailouts, because this is the trump card for the Tea Party Movement and for the conservative revival in general.

This is the point they can point to and there’s no doubt about, they say, that it is a government intervention in a huge way, and they call it socialism. Everybody knows that the bailouts were an outrage; I was outraged by them. It was loathsome, it was disgusting.

And these guys were against it. Fine.

So I start reading up on the history of spirit of bipartisanship I accept this bailout bailouts. Bailouts have a long history in program, and I’ll just continue doing it,” this country. Bailouts have, in fact, been which is exactly what Barack Obama did. done by conservative free market believers Roosevelt kept the Reconstruction many times. Ronald Reagan bailed out Finance Corporation, but they did their Continental Illinois. Herbert Hoover bailed job in a very different way under Roosout left and evelt. When right, he was they would bailing with bail out a both hands. big bank, “When Roosevelt’s bailout The head of they would Citibank, often fire the agency went into a city and Walter Wristop managethey thought all the banks ton, who is a ment. Good character in idea, right? , they there were [my earlier They fired would start a new bank.” book] One the guys at Market UnAIG, but der God bethat was the cause he was Fed. As far one of the as I can tell, sort of great theorists of sort of the cyber the Obama Administration hasn’t done libertarian form of free market theory that that at a single bank that they’ve bailed out. you saw in the 1990s, took the government’s Sometimes when Roosevelt’s bailout agency help whenever he could get it. would go into a city and they thought that In the 1930s there were huge bailouts, all the banks in that city were corrupt, they actually, if you take the dollars and adjust would start a new one. The federal governthem over time, basically about as much ment would go into a city and start a bank! as we did this time around [for] bank bail- They would bail out institutions from the outs in the 1930s. No pundits mentioned bottom up, they would go to little momthis during the bailout debate in 2008; it and-pop S&Ls and bail them out and make was never brought up. Herbert Hoover them strong. And they had compensation started the big bank bailout program and caps on Wall Street executives, on anybody was criticized in exactly the same way as that took bailout money. we criticized Hank Paulson for bailing out Combine that with Glass-Steagall, the his cronies at Goldman Sachs. The head of FDIC, the Securities Exchange CommisHoover’s bailout agency, Charles Dawes, sion. They were [saying that] Wall Street had been Calvin Coolidge’s vice president. was no longer going to be the guiding He was running the bailout agency, called genius of our economy, Wall Street was no the Reconstruction Finance Corporation, longer going to be in charge. And it was and at one point he quit and went back to successful. We lived under that system for Chicago, where he resumed his old job as 50 years. We did not have panics and runs the head of a big bank in Chicago, and he on banks and have to bail out all the S&Ls; immediately demanded a bailout and he got that system they set up was strong. it. The public was just incensed, they could I wonder if we’ll ever get a chance to do not believe that this happened, especially what Roosevelt did in the early 30s, if we’ll given that school teachers in Chicago hadn’t ever get that chance again. been paid for like two years or something.

It was this unbelievably offensive situation. This program was made possible by the Franklin Roosevelt did not say, “In the generous support of Paul Hastings.

corrupt

a pr i l/may 2012

THE COMMO N WE AL TH

57

InSight Who Will Step Up? Dr. Gloria C. Duffy Photo courtesy of Gloria Duffy

President and C.E.O.

I

t’s been a sad procession, these There is a saying in the Bay Area that if you want to get something past few years, with the pass- done, whether it is rebuilding the Stanford Quad in the wake of ing of so many of our region’s the Loma Prieta earthquake or building a new symphony hall, you most community oriented and call a certain group of people to a meeting, and among those in generous leaders. I have found the room you will be able to raise the funds needed and enlist the myself attending too many memorial services, giving too many political wherewithal to get any project done. We know who was in eulogies for departed friends and mentors. And the question left this room in the past – the folks like Bill Lane and Dick Goldman behind in their wake is: Who will step up to fill their roles not only and Warren Hellman. They got things done in our region, often as philanthropists but as leaders ready to take up a good cause, and generously opening their own pockets. lead a good fight, in the public interest?

Who will be in this mythical room in the future?

Last year we lost Bill and Mel Lane, the brothers who owned Warren Hellman’s sister Nancy Bechtle, George and Charlotte Sunset magazine for many decades. The Lanes were generous donors Shultz, members of the Haas and Fisher families and Google’s CEO to Stanford University, the California State Parks Foundation and Eric Schmidt continue to be among those who would be in any room many other causes. Mel was the first chair of the California Coastal where good things are planned and accomplished for the community.

Commission, while Bill was the first Mayor of Portola Valley.

But there is still a sense that as the older lions and lionesses of And then we mourned Walter Shorenstein, real estate mogul, philanthropy and leadership pass away, their like will not be seen creator of the Shorenstein Center again in the Bay Area. Their leadon Asia Pacific Affairs at Stanford There is a sense that as the older lions ership and financial commitment and the Shorenstein Center on have helped to make the Bay Area and lionesses of philanthropy and the Press, Politics and Public a very special place, a mecca of Policy at Harvard, and Demo- leadership pass away, their like will not care for the environment and cratic political power broker. We human well-being and a cradle be seen again in the Bay Area. lost Richard Goldman, creator of creativity from business to the of the Goldman Environmental Prize and the Goldman School of arts. They embodied the phrase Warren Hellman often used, “you Public Policy at UC Berkeley and donor to many community and give where you live.” So who will inherit their mantle, and be ready environmental organizations. And Bill Coblentz, a San Francisco to answer the phone, call their friends and write checks, when need attorney often at the nexus of good causes, recently died as well. arises or a worthy project needs help?

Most recently, Warren Hellman passed away. Descendent of As new wealth replaces old wealth, the requirements of leadership Isaias Hellman, the first major financier in California and first fall on those with new wealth. Much of this new financial capacity president of Wells Fargo Bank, Warren led efforts to improve is in Silicon Valley. We certainly have generous individuals in the Golden Gate Park, started the Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival, next generation coming along in the Bay Area. One example is Jeff and created and funded Bay Citizen, the new, non-profit news Skoll, the first president of EBay, who has created a Palo Alto founservice in San Francisco. dation that funds social entrepreneurship. The Skoll Foundation’s In the previous decade, among those we lost was Sally Lilienthal, president, Sally Osberg, is one of those who is in the room when who supported SF MOMA and founded Ploughshares Fund, a there is talk of making good things happen in the Bay Area, as are unique, San Francisco-based foundation that supports efforts to re- the presidents of the Irvine, Packard, and Hewlett foundations. duce and eliminate nuclear weapons. And we mourned Jim and Ann But professional foundation leaders alone cannot match the Compton, the twins whose grandparents founded Ralston Purina need that exists in the Bay Area for individuals with the combinaand who for six decades were generous donors to causes near and tion of wealth, political power and community influence that can far, through the Compton Foundation. These individuals paralleled get things done. the work of Walter Hewlett and David Packard in large-scale philanWho will step up? Look around, look in the mirror, and be thropy, which has both supported existing community organizations mindful that this is a question on which the future of our region and often created new and needed institutions here in the Bay Area. profoundly depends.

58

THE COMMO N WE AL TH

ap r il/may 2012

Private Events at

The Commonwealth Club

Where Venue Meets Value catered by

How long have you been cooking?

I have been cooking to make a living for 15 years, but I have been cooking in some capacity my whole life. My father is from Brussels, Belgium, and we cooked in our home growing up.

Who or what first inspired your culinary passion?

Family and friends inspired my passion.

Most family gatherings and holidays revolve around food, and this is a really common thread we share around the world.

Gathering around food, a true love to eat, and trying new things are universal.

Where and how did you learn to cook?

I am constantly learning. That is what’s great about what I do. I learned a good foundation in culinary school. The real education came from sweating in front of a stove for over a decade, eating in restaurants, and sampling street food vendors around the world.

What is your favorite local Northern California ingredient with which to cook?

This is a hard one. If I had to choose any ingredient I would say onions. They truly are the foundation of cooking. The other would be California Delta Asparagus. It

Chef Anthony

only comes around for about a month and a half, and there is nothing else like it.

travel, then travel, travel, travel! It will open your eyes and your palate.

What is your comfort food?

Asian food. Any kind. Thai, Vietnamese, Chinese, Japanese. The flavors are so delicate. The textures are crucial. When was the last time you had an overcooked vegetable in a Chinese dish? It just doesn’t happen. Plus it is great fast food. Forget about cheeseburgers and fries. I would rather have Pad See Ew!

What has been your best experience at The Commonwealth Club?

Having worked here for a few years, it is a pleasure to see how much the employees of the Club care about what they do. Providing a forum for all to access knowledge first-hand from those who are shaping our world. These forums go beyond politics, economics and social misconceptions to bring the truth to those who are willing to listen. To do that as a non-profit is amazing. Cooking for the director of the FBI was pretty cool, too.

How do you feel about seasonally available foods?

Seasonal food is where the focus of all restaurants/food establishments should be.

Not only are foods cheaper when they are in season, but they taste better too! As an added bonus, seasonal food is local. Why ship asparagus from Peru in the winter when there are so many great winter vegetables. Be patient!!

Best piece of advice for a novice chef?

Have a great attitude and focus on getting better every time you cook. You can’t teach these qualities. I would rather cook with someone with a great attitude then someone who has cooked in every four-star restaurant in the world. And if you’re able to

What has been your most amusing kitchen blooper?

Kitchens are like families, sometimes dysfunctional, but always special. With that come practical jokes. Like putting your fellow chef ’s knife bag in a container, filling it up with water and freezing it solid.

Good times!!

Reserve your next event with Commonwealth Club Private Events and treat your guests to a delicious catered meal with Chef Anthony!

To learn more, email PrivateEvents@commonwealthclub.org or visit www.commonwealthclub.org/privateevents

The Commonwealth Club of California 595 Market Street, 2nd Floor San Francisco, CA 94105

Purchase event tickets at commonwealthclub.org

PERIODICALS POSTAGE PAID IN SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA

or call (415) 597-6705 or (800) 847-7730 To request full travel itineraries, pricing, and terms and conditions, call (415) 597-6720 or email travel@commonwealthclub.org

May 2

Why the World Needs American Values

May 16

James Fallows

National Correspondent, The Atlantic; Author, China Airborne: The Dream of Aviation in Emerging China

Dennis Prager Radio Host; Author, Still the Best Hope: Why the World Needs American Values to Triumph

May 22

China Airborne

Prager identifies three key pillars that have made America great: liberty, natural rights and the melting-pot ideal of national unity; and he explains why it is essential that we not only recommit to them here but export them abroad through democratic values “missionaries.”

In 2011, China announced its five-year plan to spend a quarter of a trillion dollars to jumpstart the next phase of its aerospace industry. As the country continues to lead the charge to become the new frontrunner in aviation power, Fallows discusses the scale of China’s ambitious plans and what that would mean, not only for the United States, but the rest of the world.

for event details, see page 40

for event details, see page 43

End This Depression Now Paul Krugman Columnist, The New York Times; Nobel Laureate Economist

May 29

Commemorating 25 Years in Congress Nancy Pelosi

Minority Leader, U.S. House of Representatives

Krugman argues that we are still in the midst of a depression rather than a recession, and that “nations, rich in resources, talent, and knowledge – all the ingredients for prosperity and a decent standard of living for all – remain in a state of intense pain.”

However, he believes that a quick, strong recovery is but one step away.

Come hear his thoughts on what political leaders can and must do.

U.S. House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi will headline a special Commonwealth Club converstaion, in which she will reflect on a quarter century of representing San Francisco in Congress, her rise to become the first woman speaker of the House, and her continued efforts to represent the American people.

for event details, see page 45

for event details, see page 46