The Commonwealth October/November 2017

Commonwealth The

THE MAGAZINE OF THE COMMONWEALTH CLUB OF CALIFORNIA

OCT./NOV. 2017

AL FRANKEN THE NEW CALIFORNIA HEALTH-CARE MODEL VINOD KHOSLA The Future of Technology

DARING TO DRIVE A Saudi Woman’s Awakening

RICHARD HARRIS & MARY ROACH Is Sloppy Science Killing Us?

IS AMERICA IN RETREAT? Film Screening and Discussion

UPCOMING PROGRAMS Complete Guide

$5.00; free for members | commonwealthclub.org

Nepal and Bhutan Myths and Legends of the Himalayas April 14-30, 2018

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Experience Nepal’s snow peaks, stupas and monasteries.

Explore Kathmandu’s temples and the artisan village of Bhaktapur.

Marvel at views of the Annapurna massif from Pokhara Valley.

Discover Bhutan’s holy Buddhist shrines and witness the Domkhar Tsechu and Ura Yakchoe festivals in the remote Bumthang Valley.

• Meet a Bhutanese family in their farmhouse and a senior monk in a monastery.

• Visit Taktsang, the sacred Tiger’s Nest monastery which hangs 2,000 feet above Paro Valley. $6,990, per person, double occupancy

Brochure at commonwealthclub.org/travel | 415.597.6720 | travel@commonwealthclub.org

CST: 2096889-40

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

Programs

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18

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Panelists explain what’s at stake.

Program Listings 36

23

Late-breaking events 53

A Saudi woman explains why she went to jail for posting a photo of herself driving a car.

Volume 111, No. 6

EDITOR’S DESK

THE COMMONS

Short news of the Club.

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LETTERS

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ALL FRANKEN

In conversation with LaDoris Cordell The Minnesota senator discusses the colleagues he likes—and the one he doesn’t—plus health care, his party, and more.

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NEW CALIF. HEALTH CARE

DARING TO DRIVE

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AMERICA IN RETREAT

Should America exit NATO?

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SLOPPY SCIENCE

With Richard Harris and Mary Roach How research has gone wrong.

In conversation with Nellie Bowles

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The venture capitalist talks about the future of artificial intelligence.

Dr. Gloria C. Duffy President and CEO

VINOD KHOSLA

INSIGHT

Program Information 33 Two-month Calendar 34

October/November 2017 On the Cover

Al Franken relates a story to moderator LaDoris Cordell.

Photo by Ed Ritger

On this page

Al Franken and LaDoris Cordell Photo by Ed Ritger

The Trump base is [the GOP’s] base, ... a conservative Republican base. So until his base abandons Trump, Republicans are afraid to abandon Trump, because they will get punished.

AL FRANKEN

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Living in the Digital World

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he digital era has officially hit the Club. Of course we have been making use of email, the web, social media and other digital platforms for many years to distribute our programs, keep in touch with members and promote the Club and its programs. Even this magazine has been available in digital form since 2010 (see it at issuu.com/thecommonwealth). But now the digital world has met the live, on-stage world in a more concrete way: the digital backdrop on the main stage of our new building at 110 The Embarcadero.

Our video producer, Valerie Castro, took the photo at the top of this page in early September, when our building was buzzing with various tech folks setting up and testing systems, including the giant set of screens on our stage. These nine screens unite to display the backdrops of our programs and can display other digital images and videos.

In addition to that giant display as our new backdrop, the main auditorium features a digital screen on either side of the stage.

These, too, will display pertinant information for the program—sometimes including video of the program itself, helping people see closeups of the speakers at the front of the room.

What I like most about this incorporation of digital technology into our programs is that it doesn’t replace the live interaction. We have always cared about speakers’ words on

our stage—to each other, to the audience, sometimes to themselves.

Social media and other online systems have often been about shrinking, shortening, abridging. Why watch an hour-long program when you can get the highlights in a viral 30-second clip? The Club has had its share of viral videos, most recently when Senator Dianne Feinstein discussed her approach to dealing with President Donald Trump. But the Club is about depth and insight, about that hour-long discussion that gives you the nuances and background and additional information that is often missing from the quick-dive of social media. That won’t change about the Club, even with our shiny new digital screens. corrections: We misspelled Garry Kasparov’s first name last issue. Kasparov, the former chess champion and current author and human rights activist, spoke to the Club about artificial intelligence. And, yes, we accidentally misspelled his first name “Gary”—in the big headline text.

And on page 50 of the same issue, we misidentified two people on the left side of a photo. The correct names are, from left to right, Heather McLeod Grant and Tess Reynolds.

JOHN Z I P P E R E R VP, ME DIA & ED I T O RI AL

E AB S TA L KS HOAFR ETDH EI D C LU Photos by James Meinerth

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It Was Grand

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he long-awaited day finally arrived on Tuesday, September 12, 2017: Board members, generous donors, and other dignitaries joined Club members, staff, members of the press (and some curious neighbors) for the grand opening celebrations at the Club’s new home at 110 The Embarcadero.

Just a few days later, hundreds of Club members filled the building to get their first look at their new home.

ABOVE: Board of Governors Chair Richard Rubin and President and CEO Gloria Duffy cut the ribbon, surrounded by major donors and supporters of the building project.

BELOW, clockwise from upper left: Former San Francisco

Mayor Willie Brown attended the festivities; Former Secretary of State George Shultz and San Francisco Chief of Protocol Charlotte Shultz congratulate the Club on its long-sought new home (George Shultz joked that his wife now had “one more venue from which to run things”); fireboats provide a dramatic water display in front of the building; Board of Governors member Colleen Wilcox and Vice President of Programs George Dobbins join the procession to the new building, cheered on by 49ers cheerleaders and Niners Noise drummers; and Board of Governors member Dr. Carol Fleming poses with Michael Smith, who composed the original “Fanfare for The Commonwealth Club” that was performed for the first time at the grand opening by four members of the San Francisco Symphony.

O C TO B E R/N O V E M B E R 2017

LETTERS

Pop Gore

I found most of today’s interview with Al Gore and the filmmakers valuable and excellent, but as always there were exasperating questions from pop culture that made me plain angry. [“Al Gore and An Inconvenient Sequel: Truth to Power,” February 12, 2017.] They were an affront to people with far more important things to do than watch movies and television to develop an opinion about such trivial and silly questions.

Besides showing lack of respect to your guests, they waste time that could be spent asking questions that would elicit challenging and engaging opinions and information. I’ve been annoyed by such questions on previous occasions, but these were just extreme, obviously an embarrassment to Mr Gore, and no way relevant to what he had been invited to talk about. Please remove that segment from your show!

Lin Griffith KQED Listener

Real or Fake Science?

I would like to call your attention to the talk given on August 17, 2017, by Beth Greer titled “Good Health Starts in Your Home”.

While I appreciate The Commonwealth Club invites speakers with differing points of view to present, Ms. Greer’s talk was filled with known

inaccurate and in the case of electricity and WIFi she was presenting known fraudulent studies on the health effects as fact. A speaker like this undermines the credibility of The Commonwealth Club’s and it’s speakers. ...

How do we and Ms Greer know the WiFI [studies] are fraudulent? The most conclusive studies showing WiFi caused health problems in humans was conducted at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. As peers around the world reviewed the studies, inconsistencies were found in the data. When the scientist who authored the studies was questioned he admitted to making up the data. Lawrence Berkeley Lab and the scientist apologized for the fraud and publicly retracted the studies.

This is public information and can be verified on the web.

Ms. Greer was vague and did not cite any of the sources she used while making her claims.

So maybe Ms. Greer was referring to some of the minor studies claiming WiFi is or might possibly be dangerous to human health. I am a college professor teaching information technology at a Bay Area college. The claims of WiFi, cell phones, electricity. EMI and magnetic fields causing health problems is a commonly asked question by my students.

Instead of just proclaiming I know and telling them what the studies have shown, I turned this into a research project for my students.

In over 10 years of research my students and I have yet to find any credible studies linking health issues in humans as Ms. Greer stated.

The web is filled with stories of people who claim WiFi, electricity (etc.) is the cause of their illness, but [those] are people’s beliefs and they offer no proof other than their beliefs.

What Ms. Greer presented was not just a different point of view in trying to get at the truth but known fraudulent studies and her personal beliefs on what’s causing human illness. Why did she not present the truth?

For decades I have listed to talks given at The Commonwealth Club and have encouraged others to do the same. But Ms. Greer’s presentation on a topic I know so well has me wondering if The Commonwealth Club has lost sight of its mission of finding the truth and turning it loose in the world. I am writing to the organizers of The Commonwealth Club with a plea to return to the vision of Edward F. Adams and the founding members of the Club, “We only propose to find truth and turn it loose in the world.” Please no more junkscience presentation. In this era of alternative facts and conspiracy theories, get back to finding the truth.

Doug Spindler Foxboro, Massachusetts Email: letters@commonwealthclub.org

LEADERSHIP OF THE COMMONWEALTH CLUB CLUB OFFICERS Board Chair Richard A. Rubin Vice Chair Evelyn S. Dilsaver Secretary Dr. Jaleh Daie Treasurer John R. Farmer President & CEO Dr. Gloria C. Duffy

BOARD OF GOVERNORS John F. Allen Carlo Almendral Courtland Alves Dan Ashley Massey J. Bambara Dr. Mary G. F. Bitterman** Harry E. Blount John L. Boland Michael R. Bracco

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Maryles Casto** Mary B. Cranston** Susie Cranston Dr. Kerry P. Curtis Dorian Daley Alecia DeCoudreaux Lee Dutra Joseph I. Epstein* Jeffrey A. Farber Rev. Paul J. Fitzgerald, S.J. Dr. Carol A. Fleming Kirsten Garen Leslie Saul Garvin John Geschke Paul M. Ginsburg Hon. James C. Hormel Mary Huss Julie Kane John Leckrone Dr. Mary Marcy Frank C. Meerkamp Lenny Mendonca

Anna W.M. Mok Bruce Raabe Skip Rhodes * Bill Ring Martha Ryan George M. Scalise Lata Krishnan Shah Dr. Ruth A. Shapiro Charlotte Mailliard Shultz George D. Smith, Jr. James Strother Hon. Tad Taube Ellen O’Kane Tauscher Charles Travers Don Wen Dr. Colleen B. Wilcox Jed York Mark Zitter ADVISORY BOARD Karin Helene Bauer Hon. William Bradley

Dennise M. Carter Steven Falk Amy Gershoni Jacquelyn Hadley Heather Kitchen Amy McCombs Don J. McGrath Hon. William J. Perry Hon. Barbara Pivnicka Hon. Richard Pivnicka Ray Taliaferro Nancy Thompson

PAST BOARD CHAIRS AND PRESIDENTS Dr. Mary G. F. Bitterman ** Hon. Shirley Temple Black*† J. Dennis Bonney* John Busterud* Maryles Casto** Hon. Ming Chin* Mary B. Cranston**

Joseph I. Epstein * Dr. Joseph R. Fink * William German * Rose Guilbault** Claude B. Hutchison Jr. * Dr. Julius Krevans* Anna W.M. Mok** Richard Otter* Joseph Perrelli* Toni Rembe* Victor J. Revenko* Skip Rhodes* Renée Rubin * Robert Saldich** Connie Shapiro * Nelson Weller * Judith Wilbur * Dennis Wu* * Past President ** Past Chair † Deceased

Photos by Ed Ritger

Al Franken GIANT OF THE SENATE “If you went into a cafe, a VFW hall, you would see a flyer about having a burger bash or a spaghetti dinner [to raise money] for a family that had gone bankrupt because someone had gotten sick. I had a radio show. Elizabeth Warren was a frequent guest of mine. She talked about how half of all bankruptcies are caused by a medical crisis.”

From the program “Senator Al Franken: Giant of the Senate” in Silicon Valley on July 6, 2017. Part of the Good Lit series, underwritten by the Bernard Osher Foundation.

AL FRANKEN U.S. Senator (D-MN); Author, Al Franken, Giant of the Senate

IN CONVERSATION WITH JUDGE LADORIS CORDELL Judge (Ret.); Chair, Santa Clara County Jail Commission

LADORIS CORDELL: Senator, most people who write about their lives, either in memoir or in autobiography, have a story to tell about serious obstacles they’ve overcome. Physical disabilities, mental illness, racism, sexism. Your obstacle was humor, something that you call the funny. So the funny became a liability early on in your quest for a Senate seat. Why was that?

Al FRANKEN: Well, I’m very proud of my career as a comedy writer and comedian and satirist. What happened was, the Republican Party and my opponent, Norm Coleman, [took] everything I’d ever said or written as a comedian or a satirist and put it through a $15 million machine called a dehumorizer, which was built with very sophisticated Israeli technology. [Laughter.] Very often in satire I use literary tools like irony or hyperbole or even ambiguity.

Sometimes you take those out and you rob everything of its context and it looks horrible at the end. That was used against me very effectively. So it became a very nasty campaign. My opponent, Norm Coleman, hadn’t actually done much in the Senate, so the campaign really became about making me, sort of, unacceptable—ironic, now that we have President Trump.

[To] give you an example, I wrote an article in Playboy for the millennial issue. It was basically about virtual sex. It was a humorous article, meant with a lot of irony. And one of the ironic passages was about what a great learning tool the Internet was. If you think about it, it’s a very conservative little joke; and the joke is that the Internet is a great learning tool; my son last year did a great sixth-grade report using the Internet

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on bestiality. [Laughter.] He downloaded a lot of great visual aids, and the kids in the class just loved them. Because you know at that age, they’re just sponges. [Laughter.]

The message of the joke is: Parents, you might want to monitor what your kid’s doing on the Internet. But that turned into an ad which included [switches to deep voice] “Al Franken wrote jokes about bestiality.” It was like it came from infinity into your living room through your eyeballs to the back of your skull. My mother-in-law cried when she saw that.

So when I finally did get seated [in the Senate], which is actually eight years ago tomorrow, I basically had to not be funny for a long time and show the people of Minnesota that I was serious about the job.

You can’t litigate a joke. You can’t explain why the bestiality joke is actually a conservative joke. You just can’t do that in a campaign. I had to really prove to the people in Minnesota that I was serious about the job, and I was. So I just left the funny alone for quite a while. But I’m back.

CORDELL: Thank goodness.

FRANKEN: It’s okay now; I got reelected by a very wide margin. In 2014, the people of Minnesota kind of got it. So now I can be a workhorse, but a workhorse with a sense of humor.

CORDELL: I’ve read your book. I’m chuckling through the whole book, even though it deals with some very serious issues. And the footnotes are just awesome.

FRANKEN: Thank you.

CORDELL: So could you maybe read a footnote or two? There’s one on page two you might want to look at.

FRANKEN: On page two, basically I say that one of the reasons I wrote the book is to answer the question I get asked the most, which is, “Is being a senator as much fun as working on ‘Saturday Night Live’?” And of course the answer is no. Why would it be?

But it’s the best job I’ve ever had, because you get to do things to improve people’s lives. So I talk about how great it is to be a senator, which would often prompt people to ask, “Are you talking about the same U.S. Senate that is one of the two bodies in today’s U.S. Congress? And isn’t today’s Congress just an unrelenting horror show?”

The answer is yes. Today’s Congress is a polarized, dysfunctional body rendered helpless by partisanship more focused on scoring short-term political points than on solving our nation’s urgent problems. In short, the Washington of the past decade has been awash in nincompoopery. [Laughter.]

Then I have a superscript above it, “USS,” and then an asterisk—and the footnote explains, “Because I’m a U.S. senator, I can’t use the word bull dash, dash, dash, dash, even though Washington is indeed awash in bulls--t. [Laughter.] So throughout this volume, whenever you see a mild oath like fiddlesticks (or some gentle name-calling like numbskull or dimwit, or some old-timey synonym for bull dot dot dot, like poppycock or flimflummery) [laughter], followed by the letters USS in superscript, that means I’ve replaced something far more plainspoken with a less offensive phrase or expression.

The USS stands for United States Senate, the body in which I now serve. I feel I have a duty to both my colleagues and my constituents to make at least a token effort to

preserve its dignity and decorum. I wish I could say the same for that dunderheadUSS Ted Cruz.” [Laughter.]

And there’s the first time I mention Norm Coleman, my opponent. I have a little footnote: “Don’t worry. Former Senator Norm Coleman landed on his feet and continues to serve the people of Minnesota as a paid lobbyist for the government of Saudi Arabia.” I dislike that one because it’s mean.

[Laughter.]

CORDELL: You won your election in 2009 by just 312 votes. And then the legal challenges dragged on—was it eight months?

FRANKEN: Yeah, basically what happened was, the morning after the election, I was down by 725 votes. Norm Coleman, then-Senator Coleman, said that “if I were Franken, I’d step back and let the healing begin.” Now, in Minnesota, I was down by I think 2 hundredths of a percent at that point, and you can ask for an automatic recount at 0.5 percent. So I, of course, was going to go ahead with the recount. And in Minnesota we have—it’s not Florida—we hand recount every ballot, and it’s all done with filling-in-the-SAT thing. We knew that a lot of our voters make more mistakes than their voters, tend to be immigrants or people who haven’t taken SATs. So some people would circle the thing or put an x through it, and the machine might not read it. So we knew that we had a good shot at this, and it got down to 225 right away when you actually do this, the thing called a canvas where you reconcile all the numbers and stuff. So we were down 225 soon after, and then we did the recount.

The recount ended in time for me to be seated with my colleagues in that class. And that’s when Norm Coleman decided to take the anti-healing position. [Laughter.] And he stuck with that for quite a while. So we had what’s called an election contest, which is a legal proceeding. You might know about that, judge. After that, he appealed to the Minnesota state supreme court. Finally, they decided everywhere along the way it was unanimous [against] him.

CORDELL: What was your biggest takeaway from that campaign? Lesson learned?

FRANKEN: Lesson learned was, in 2008, it was hard to run having done comedy. I mean, that’s not much of a broad lesson for anybody.

[Laughter.]

But it’s a les-

son for me in retrospect. It’s kind of useless, but I do talk about it because I had never served in public office, and I write a lot about learning these sort of political, these odd things that you learn to do, like pivot.

Pivoting is not answering a question, is basically what it is. I could not do that.

Press would ask me a question and I’d answer it. I would give a fulsome answer, instead of pivoting to what I wanted to talk about; that’s what you do. So a pivot would be: Early in the campaign, if someone said, “You’re behind Norm Coleman by 15 percentage points in the polls, how can you convince DFLers”—that’s the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party of Minnesota—“that you’re the guy to beat him?” And the pivot is, “When I go around Minnesota, Minnesotans don’t talk about polls. What they talk about is health care and whether they’re going to go bankrupt if someone in their family gets really sick or in an accident. They talk about educating their kids.” That’s a pivot, right?

CORDELL: Spoken like a politician.

FRANKEN: Yeah, that’s what you do. I could not figure [it out]. I had always been told by my parents and my teachers to “answer the question.” And like an idiot, I would do that. [Laughter.]

So the day I finally figured it out, this is what happened. I go to New Ulm, Minnesota. New Ulm’s a beautiful town in south-central Minnesota. It was founded by Germans from Ulm probably. [Laughter.] So it’s New Ulm, and I was speaking to a picnic of DFLers. But there was a tracker O C TO B E R/N O V E M B E R 2017

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there. A tracker is something else—you have to learn how to deal with trackers; they’re always there taping you.

CORDELL: From the opposition?

FRANKEN: Yeah, they’re tracking you, so if you say something like, if you tell a baby you’re gonna raise their taxes or you knock over an elderly person, they’ll have it.

[Laughter.]

So a tracker’s there. In New Ulm they have a statue to Arminius, who is a German, I guess a hun or something, who defeated the Romans in 9 A.D. in a battle and killed a lot of Romans. And, this is like when Christ was just a little tot. [Laughter.]

So that’s a 25-foot statue on a 75-foot pedestal, and so I’m speaking in the shadow of Herman the German—that’s what they call him. They call him Herman the German—that’s what you call Arminius there.

So I’m from St. Louis Park, Minnesota. St. Louis Park is the Jewish suburb of Minneapolis. By that, it’s like 25 percent Jewish.

But in Minnesota, that’s a lot of Jews. That’s a shtetl in Minnesota. [Laughter.]

Everybody knows St. Louis Park is the Jewish suburb of Minneapolis. So, I went

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right to my head while I’m standing in the shadow of Herman the German, saying “I grew up in St. Louis Park. And we had a statue there too: Stu the Jew.” [Laughter.]

But I didn’t say it. I didn’t say it because there was a tracker there. I didn’t want them to go [switches to deep voice] “Al Franken blames the Holocaust on the people of New Ulm.” [Laughter.] I didn’t know what they were going to do. So I didn’t do it, and I tell my team, “I didn’t do Stu the Jew.” They didn’t know Stu the Jew; it was in my head.

But they went, “Good for you, you didn’t do that.” [Laughter.]

So then a week later New York magazine comes into Minnesota to do a story on me running for the Senate. “Franken running for the Senate, no joke.” Every headline. So at one point the writer says, “Is there ever a time when you thought of a joke, and that you didn’t use it?” [Laughter.]

And I go, “Oh, yeah, Stu the Jew.” [Laughter.] And of course, the article starts with Stu the Jew, and my team is going “Why?”[Laughter.] “Why the hell did you not pivot? Or just say, ‘Hmm, I can’t think of one right now?’ You know that’s pretty

easy.” So I realized I’ve got to learn to pivot.

And then I had to be trained to pivot. I’ve gotten pivot training. [Laughter.]

Then the next interview I had was a guy that interviewed me several times before, a journalist in Minneapolis. He asks me a question and I pivot. And he doesn’t seem to mind it at all. So then he asked me the next question, and I pivot, and he doesn’t mind at all. Next question, I just say [to myself ], This is fun, I’m gonna just pivot egregiously and see his reaction—and no reaction whatsoever. I do it three more times. The interview’s over, and he turns to my press secretary and says, “He’s getting very good.

I think he’s got a shot. He’s got a real shot.”

[Laughter.]

So I learned a lot about how to put the nuts and bolts of a campaign and how to run. A lot of it is about—what I really learned running was how great the people of Minnesota are. And what I really learned was that people cared about health care.

This is before the Affordable Care Act, of course. Everywhere I would go in the state, if you went into a cafe, a VFW hall, you would see a flyer up on there about having a

burger bash or a spaghetti dinner for a family that had gone bankrupt because someone had gotten sick. I would go to these bean feeds; in Minnesota the DFL organizing principle is bean feeds. You go to these bean feeds, and you’d hear from people about that. I knew that. I had a radio show on Air America; Elizabeth Warren was a frequent guest of mine. She talked about how half of all bankruptcies are caused by a medical crisis. I knew that intellectually, but it became personal when I toured round Minnesota, because it was personal with the people of Minnesota. So that’s why right now, right this minute, defeating what the Republicans want to do [on health care] is so crucial.

CORDELL: So Senator, we know that you are a giant of the Senate because you’ve told us. Do you know some giants of the Senate, other than yourself? [Laughter.]

FRANKEN: I gave a copy to every other senator, and I said, “From one giant to another.” To every senator, except for Ted Cruz. To Ted I just wrote, “Ted, I’ve emphasized your negative qualities for humorous effect. I hope you don’t mind.” [Laughter.]

CORDELL: One last thing though, on the

impulse control on the funny. Your staff— FRANKEN: I have impulse control. I was not funny [Laughter.] for a long time.

CORDELL: Well, when it came— FRANKEN: Publicly, publicly.

CORDELL: Well, when it came to writing notes to your constituents.

FRANKEN: Yes. So you write notes to constituents congratulating them on being named to this, on your retirement, or whatever. So we had a woman my first day in office—a woman in Minnesota was turning 110. Ruth Anderson. I get this [suggestion to] write a note to Ruth Anderson for her 110th birthday. I wrote, “Dear Ruth, you have a bright future.” [Laughter.] My chief of staff gets it, and he goes, “What is this?”

I went, “It’s a joke. I thought she might enjoy it.” [Laughter.]

He goes, “Yeah, you think her family’s going to enjoy it? You think her grandchildren are going to enjoy it?” I went, “Yeah, you’re right.”

CORDELL: So what about your draft of a press release following the Supreme Court’s ruling?

FRANKEN: This is after I won the damn

election. After the Coleman campaign, they had a dehumorizor. I had to build a dehumorizor myself, once I was in the Senate, which was my staff. I would always come up with stuff that they go, “No, you can’t do that.” The marriage decision was a 5-4 ruling that marriage is a fundamental right for everybody, for same-sex couples. Justice Scalia just wrote this really unhinged dissent, describing the majority ruling as a judicial putsch. I wrote a statement that I wanted our communications office to put out. It was, “Senator Al Franken of Minnesota today applauded the Supreme Court’s decision, and described Justice Anton Scalia’s dissent as ‘very gay.’” [Laughter.] That one was such a fight, because I had already been reelected, and I was going, “Come on.”

[Laughter.] “It’s really funny.”

I lost. They just were adamant, and I didn’t get that.

CORDELL [reading radio script]: This is the Commonwealth Club of Silicon Valley.

FRANKEN: I’m sorry, I apologize then— CORDELL: I am LaDoris Cordell— FRANKEN: —for the tenor.

CORDELL: —in conversation with Sena-

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tor Al Franken.

FRANKEN: I thought you were reprimanding me.

CORDELL: No, no, no. Not yet. [Laughter.] So Senator, ... you’ve already mentioned Ted Cruz before, but you write in your book, “Ted is extremely smart.”

FRANKEN: Yes, he is.

CORDELL: “I don’t begrudge him that.

There are plenty of Senators who are smarter than I am. For example, my own senior senator Amy Klobuchar or my friend Sheldon Whitehouse or Lindsey Graham. I like them all because none of them is a sociopath.” [Laughter.]

FRANKEN: Right.

CORDELL: What is to be done about all the lying?

FRANKEN: Well, Ted is a special case, and I make that very clear. I am very careful in the book when I talk about a private conversation I’ve had with any other member to observe protocol. Which is, if you have a private conversation with another member, and he or she could look bad because of it, you had to get permission from them to [use it]. So I did that with Tom Coburn, for example. But Ted had violated protocol so many times and had lied to me personally.

I justify everything I do with Ted. Ted’s like an exception to the rule. He’s just a toxic co-worker; he’s like the guy who microwaves fish in the lunchroom. [Laughter.]

I like my Republican colleagues. And having a sense of humor, even though I

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wasn’t funny publicly, with the other senators I was funny. And they understood right away. I had used so much of my humor to heap scorn and ridicule on Republicans that they were wary of me when I came in. But it took like a day for them to figure out, “I get it. He’s funny and he likes to laugh.” And so Jim DeMint, remember him?

CORDELL: Yeah.

FRANKEN: He was a very conservative senator from South Carolina and then went on to head the Heritage Foundation. I get sworn in. He comes up to me after I’m sworn in and says, “How are things on the far left?” And I say “They’re great. How are things on the nutcase right?” [Laughter.]

And he laughed, and we had a very friendly relationship based on that.

A lot of my colleagues are very funny.

Lindsey Graham is very funny. When he was running 15th out of the 17 Republican candidates in the 2016 primaries, I ran into him in the bathroom. I said, “Lindsey, if I were voting in the Republican primaries, I’d vote for you.” And without hesitation, he said, “That’s my problem.” [Laughter.]

So most everyone has a sense of humor.

But Tom Coburn—really no sense of humor. He’s called Doctor No. He’s retired, he’s Oklahoman. He’s called Doctor No for two reasons: He was an obstetrician gynecologist, doctor. And “No” because he would put holds on a lot of legislation because he was a very extreme federalist. He believed that everything should be done

by state governments and not the federal government. And so my first three or four interactions with him we just missed, completely missed. So I went up to him one day and I said, “Tom, can I take you to lunch?”

Then he said, “Tell you what? Take me to breakfast.”

So we went to breakfast a couple of days later, and we sat down about 8:00 in the morning. I said, “For the next 40 to 45 minutes—whatever it is—let’s just have fun, okay? We can talk about anything. We can talk about our families. We can talk about politics. We can talk about our careers, but let’s just have fun, okay?” And he goes, “Okay, fun.”

I said, “Okay, careers. Let me ask you something. To be a doctor in Oklahoma, do you have to have any formal education?”

He explodes; he goes: “Yes! You’ve got to go to medical school.” I said, “Okay—that was a joke. That’s what I used to do in my career, you see.” [Laughter.] So that settled [him] down, and we had a nice time, and I explained what jokes were and what the proper reaction is to jokes, and we had fun.

And he wrote me a note saying he had fun.

So then when I’m writing the book, I told you the rule, the protocol, so I call him up. He’s retired. He’s in Oklahoma, and I call him up and I go, “Tom, it’s Al Franken.” “Well, how you doing, Al?” “Good, good. I’m writing a book, and do you remember that breakfast we had? The first breakfast we had and the thing about

the any formal education?”

“Yeah, yeah.”

“Okay, okay. Well, I wondered if it’d be okay with you if I use that story in the book?”

And he said, “We have a First Amendment! You can write anything you want!”

[Laughter.]

I went, “Well okay, I understand that. I was just trying to be collegial—” “Well, you’re a gentleman, but we have a First Amendment. And if I write a book, I’m going to write anything I want!” [Laughter.]

So he had less of a sense of humor than my other colleagues.

CORDELL: According to a Terry Gross interview, you said that your Republican colleagues are scared to cross Trump. What do you think about that?

FRANKEN: The Trump base is their base.

It’s a conservative Republican base, basically.

So until his base abandons Trump, Republicans are afraid to abandon Trump, because they will get punished. Most Republicans in the Senate basically fear getting primaried from the Right. I think they feel like if they abandoned Trump, that’s what will happen to them. Most of them are in very red states, or quite red states, and they feel like it’s more likely for them to lose. And they know the Koch brothers will go after them. The Koch brothers aren’t big fans of Trump, but if you lose the base, that very, very conservative base, then you’re in trouble. The Koch brothers have a little bit dif-

ferent overlap of that base, but because of Citizens United they can put $10, 20, 30 million behind you like that.

We’ll see if the base sticks with him. Unfortunately in this country we have very different universes of where we get our information. This is why I wrote Rush Limbaugh Is a Big Fat Idiot and Other Observations, because of right wing radio. Then I wrote Lies and Lying Liars Who Tell Them: A Fair and Balanced Look at the Right. Both those books are about lying. Rush was also about Newt Gingrich and the coarsening of our civil discourse. This has led to Trump, to what we have right now. It’s almost adorable that I could write books about people lying and people would buy them and go like, “Wow, they really lie.” [Laughter.]

You don’t pay a price at all for lying. It helped Trump, I think. His supporters went like, “It’s more entertaining. It’s like a movie based on a true story, but it’s more interesting, with some lies in it.” I don’t think he pays any price for it.

CORDELL [Asking an audience question]: Can you please tell us where you think the Democratic Party is going? It appears to be sailing along rudderless in the biggest undermining of America’s social and economic history.

FRANKEN: I understand that critique. I don’t think it’s true. I know my colleagues in the Senate. I know the frustration with this; we’re not very good with messaging. I say in the book that our bumper stickers al-

ways end with "continued on next bumper sticker."

In my book, I start off basically saying why I’m a Democrat. I’m a Democrat because I grew up in Minnesota, in St. Louis Park, Minnesota. My dad didn’t graduate high school; he was a printing salesman. My brother and I and my parents grew up in a two-bedroom, one-bathroom house. I felt like the luckiest kid in the world, because I was. I was growing up middle class, at the height of the middle class in America, in Minnesota, in St. Louis Park. I thought I could do anything. And I think that people don’t feel like that anymore, and for very good reason. I think that’s why we lost this election, because there are so many people angry about 40 years of that.

My wife, whom I met in my freshman year college, she grew up very differently. Her father, a decorated World War II vet, died in a car accident when she was 18 months old.

She had a three-month-old sister then and three older siblings. And her mom was 29 years old and widowed with five kids. She had a high school education. And they barely made it. They made it because of Social Security survivor benefits. Sometimes they were hungry. Sometimes they turned the heat off in the winter—and this is Portland, Maine. But they made it.

Every one of the four girls in the family went to college on combinations of scholarships and Pell Grants. At that time, a full Pell Grant paid 80 percent of a public colO C TO B E R/N O V E M B E R 2017

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lege education. Today it pays about 35 percent. One of the big issues in my first campaign was the affordability of college, and it still continues. We fight on that, but we’re not in the majority. That’s a lot to do with how much the states can kick in on public education. When the baby [in my wife’s family], Bootsie, went to high school, my mother-in-law got a GI loan, $300, to go to college. She got three more loans, graduated from college, became a grade school teacher.

Because she taught Title I kids, poor kids, she had all her loans forgiven. My brotherin-law went into the Coast Guard. Every member of that family became a contributing member of our society, middle class.

That’s why I’m a Democrat. They tell you in this country you have to pull yourself up by your bootstraps. First you have to have the boots, and the government gave my wife’s family the boots. And that’s why I’m a Democrat.

[Former Senator] Paul Wellstone said, “We all do better when we all do better.”

That is true. We’re strongest when there’s a strong middle class. You can see [that in]— what is this health-care bill about?

AUDIENCE MEMBERS: Taxes.

FRANKEN: It’s about a tax cut for the wealthiest Americans, for the people who need it the least, and taking health care

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away from the people who need it the most.

That should be telling the Trump base that he isn’t looking out for them at all, and that he was lying when he said, “I’m not gonna cut Medicaid.”

CORDELL: Will you consider running for president? And if you do, who would be your running mate? And is this country ready for a Jewish president?

FRANKEN: I’m not going to run for president. But if I did, I want a balanced ticket.

I’m a Reform Jew; I’d pick an Orthodox Jew. [Laughter.]

CORDELL: Is it realistic to hope that moderate Republicans will work with Democrats on things such as health care and tax reform?

FRANKEN: Yeah, it is, and we should have been working on this.

We should be working on strengthening the Affordable Care Act. We should be focusing on strengthening what works and shoring up what’s not working. The exchanges have spiked in costs and it’s insidious. The Republicans have done everything they can to undermine the exchanges, from state officials not helping people sign up to getting rid of the risk corridors. I don’t wanna get real weedy here, but the risk corridors were if an insurance company got a risk pool that was worse than actuarilly had been

anticipated, they had paid into a fund and they would get money back to protect these insurance companies. When that got taken away, then insurance companies left the exchanges. And you have to have a mandate.

We didn’t have a health-care system in this country. If you were in Medicare or Medicaid, you’re in the Canadian system. If you’re in the VA or in the military, you’re in the British system, socialized medicine. If you’re getting it from your employer, you’re in the German system. If you didn’t have insurance, you’re in the Cambodian system.

[Laughter.] The ACA was about getting people from the Cambodian system into one of the other systems, either the single payer or the private. There were some of us who wanted a single payer at the time. Bernie Sanders led that, but we needed 60 votes and we were about 55 votes short.

I have a very comprehensive pharmaceutical bill to address the cost of pharmaceuticals. Everybody here knows that the price of pharmaceuticals has shot up in the last three years, and there are reasons for that.

We need to address that, and we should be working on that together. We’ve finally got some hearings going on in the Health Committee on that. And we should have a public option, where everybody can get health insurance through a public option.

VINOD KHOSLA THE FUTURE OF TECHNOLOGY

How much will society (and jobs) change because of advances in artificial intelligence?

And what could it mean for the future of democracy and capitalism? From the July 20, 2017 program “Vinod Khosla: the Future of Technology,” in Silicon Valley.

VINOD KHOSLA

Founder, Khosla Ventures; Entrepreneur; Investor IN CONVERSATION WITH

NELLIE BOWLES

Reporter, The New York Times

M O N T H/M O N T H YE A R Photos by Rikki Ward

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NELLIE BOWLES: What would you like to see replaced by robots? A lot of jobs are going to be replaced by robots; we all know this.

VINOD KHOSLA: The vast majority of jobs, definitely north of 50 percent of jobs that exist today, will not exist at some point in the future because they’ll be replaced by AI [artificial intelligence].

BOWLES: Which one are you most excited about, which one’s most interesting? I know you’ve talked about health care; where would you like to put your money?

KHOSLA: The world doesn’t have enough oncologists. The CTO of the White House told me that less than 50 percent of cancer patients in this country get the level of treatment that the new med school student would know to provide a cancer patient. There’s a problem there, because their knowledge is old. You go to India, it’s worse. You go to Papua New Guinea, it’s really bad. We need to scale knowledge everywhere.

BOWLES: You’ve predicted that 80 percent of what doctors do will be replaced by robots eventually.

KHOSLA: At some point, yes, and I still believe that. I didn’t say, and this gets misreported a lot, 80 percent of doctors will be replaced. I said 80 percent of what doctors do will be replaced.

BOWLES: That’s what I just said.

KHOSLA: It gets misreported. Humans should do what humans are good at, which is the human element of care. In fact, about three or four years ago, I was talking to the

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dean of the medical school at Harvard. I said, “You ought to change your admissions criteria. Don’t select for IQ. It’s so hard to get into Harvard med school or Stanford med school; you’re selecting for IQ. What you need to select for is EQ” [emotional quotient]. I literally said, “You really should look at the admissions criteria for USC Film School and use that. Those are the guys and gals ... who are empathetic. That’s what you want in a human doctor.”

BOWLES: If you were starting your first business today, what would it be?

KHOSLA: So I answered this question on Quora about a year ago. I think nothing about medicine needs to stay the same. We have to get away from the idea [of using] symptoms to diagnose disease. Data science should diagnose disease.

So the startup I would do, I [would] take a million people, measure hundreds if not thousands of variables in their blood, in their microbiome, in their physiology every week for a year. I’d have 50 million data points. each data point being thousands of data points in itself. That’s the data set I could [use to] predict most disease, diagnose most disease. That’s the startup I would do and get excited about doing.

I’m working on bits and pieces of it. For lots of reasons, it’s very complex and can’t be done, but we will get there. I jokingly told a Stanford Medical School audience about three years ago, if I wanted to be a really good doctor in 15 years, I would not go to the

med school, I’d go to the math department.

I truly, fully believe—not that it’s in 15 years or 30 years. I don’t know the answer and it’s all speculation, and timing is near impossible to predict, and it’s not near-term—but almost certainly, data science and AI will do much better diagnosis than any human can. It’ll do much better prescription, whether it’s prescribing a drug or a procedure—should you have bypass surgery or a stent?

Most of that medicine [involves] pretty crappy evidence, and it’s really, really biased evidence. We should have real science behind medicine. Medicine is much better than it has ever been. We have to acknowledge every aspect of medicine has improved over the last 10, 30, 100 years. But that doesn’t mean it’s as good as it can be. When AI does medicine, it’ll be so much better.

BOWLES: Your next company would [tackle] how to live forever.

KHOSLA: Well, rejuvenating society is important, and the cycle of life and death is actually good. I’d like to live longer, but I think society benefits from the way organisms have life spans.

Look, here’s the facts. If you give a doctor 5,000 data points, then we know how to diagnose you. If you give a system 5,000 data points [it would] say, “I can do really good diagnosis. And if you have 50,000 more, it’d be bad.” Take a simple example. There’s a small company that we had a tiny investment in called Applied Proteomics. They take every blood sample and fractionated [them] into

300,000 data points of biomarkers.

That should in general be done for every disease. They’ve turned this data science project into one to say most people who need colonoscopy don’t get it, because [it’s] so difficult and unpleasant. And can we get enough information to recommend whether you really, really are at high risk and should get a colonoscopy? It’ll get better and eventually replace colonoscopy.

That’s just the beginning of this path to a 40-, 50-year vision. I think we should all be excited about it. The people who object to this don’t realize that at least 3 billion of the 7 billion people on this planet have never seen a doctor, have no access to one, couldn’t afford one, definitely couldn’t afford the drugs that Merck and Pfizer and others put up. It’s criminal that they can’t, especially when it’s possible to do. I hope the best of you work on these kinds of problems.

BOWLES: What is something that you believe that nobody else agrees with? [Laughter.]

KHOSLA: I just said this! [Laughter.]

I get so much flak for believing machines and systems can do medicine better than humans. That’s just one of many. Or that most jobs will be replaced. People forget— BOWLES: That’s a good one.

KHOSLA: The vast majority of jobs in the year 1900 in the U.S. were in agriculture. By the year 2000, it was something like 2 percent of all jobs. So most jobs got displaced. Now, it can happen again.

I looked at the top 20 job categories in the United States. It was very clear that at least 15 of them will have more than 50 percent of the jobs replaceable—whether it’s in 25 years or 50 years, I don’t know. It depends on which entrepreneur takes it upon themselves to go innovate that job category.

That’s dramatic. That’s dramatic social change and makes all economic metrics that everybody in Washington pays attention to that are mostly meaningless look great. It will feel very painful to the people that are affected. That’s the inclusiveness part. This is where I worry about technology. I’m a technology optimist, but there are consequences and side effects that aren’t great that we should all worry about. We will have the resources to address them adequately.

BOWLES: Do you think our society will be organized enough to distribute those resources? If San Francisco’s any example—San Francisco’s had the greatest wealth creation

machine and more inequality than almost anywhere in the world.

KHOSLA: Let me give you the optimistic view. Look, if the tea party doesn’t like the world today, they will hate the world 30 years from now.

BOWLES: That’s optimistic? [Laughter.]

KHOSLA: The optimistic piece is the following: Capitalism was a great system when economic production efficiency was the main goal. We’ve gotten very, very good at economic efficiency in production. We are now in this phase where capitalism is creating demand by convincing you [that] you want to carry the same handbag that Kim Kardashian does. Right? It’s demand creation.

BOWLES: I carry an old backpack.

[Laughter.]

KHOSLA: So it’s demand creation. I don’t think it’s value added to society. When you want to convince me to buy $400 jeans instead of $50 jeans, to me that’s false creation of demand. And there capitalism does not serve a great purpose.

The original reason capitalism made sense, the optimistic piece, is capitalism is by permission of democracy, and nobody should forget that. And if capitalism doesn’t serve the majority of the people, permission for capitalism will be revoked, and that may be a good thing. I’m a total capitalist, so don’t get me wrong.

BOWLES: You’ve benefited from capitalism.

KHOSLA: Either capitalists will automatically adjust to be more inclusive or the permission for capitalism will be revoked by democracy. That’s a great thing about democracy; it has to benefit most of the people.

BOWLES: I would be skeptical that it would be such a civilized revoking of capitalism.

[Laughter.]

KHOSLA: What do you think the Trump election was about? A constituency that felt left out was voting not to be politically correct. The fact is there’s a bunch of people.

More people voted for Trump than for Hillary, and they were angry about something.

BOWLES: Technically not more, but with the Electoral College system, yes, he won.

KHOSLA: Yeah, okay. [Laughter.] Yes, technically correct. But the fact is, even if it was close, there was a message in there that some things need to be fixed, that some people are really angry. We should take that message and address it. That’s where democracy can revoke permission for capitalism. There are countries

in Europe where that is very much true. That are much more socialist. I’d hate to see us go there, but the issues they’re concerned about we need to address.

BOWLES: We’ve talked a lot about the negatives; we’ve obviously got into some debates.

I still think you’re not going to come out on the right side on Martins Beach, but looking forward— KHOSLA: I’m not saying I will. I’m just saying it’s a legal question that the law courts need to decide. And principles matter, not misinformed press that doesn’t even know the facts.

BOWLES: You’re just not going to win that one.

KHOSLA: Principles are important, whether I win or lose.

BOWLES: Say the one thing to make the world better right now.

KHOSLA: Well, there’s no one idea, there’s a hundred ideas. The way to look at the world is 700 million people or so on the planet have a rich lifestyle. It’s energy-rich, it’s resource-rich, it’s health-care-services rich, it’s transportation-rich. It’s a rich lifestyle.

Seven billion people want it. Can we do 10 times as much of everything the same way?

The answer’s no. Technology is the necessary though not sufficient resource multiplier. It’s the only thing that can multiply resources.

That’s the opportunity for this audience. I think that’s where technology can solve the world’s problems.

Now, politics can still screw that up. That’s why I say technology is necessary and the only thing that can multiply resources, but it’s not sufficient. But that’s the opportunity. This is why I’m so bullish about the role Silicon Valley can play in meeting social needs—and it’s fun to do and do it in a noninstitutional way. By noninstitutional way, I mean Citibank won’t solve financial inclusion; Square will, if anybody does it.

BOWLES: So quit your jobs, is what you’re saying.

KHOSLA: Volkswagen and GM won’t solve transportation; whether it is Waymo or somebody else who does it, it will be a technology-driven noninstitutional let’sbreak-the-rules radical kind of approach.

This non-institutional way of doing things, though less predictable, is much more fun and exciting—and probably the main way we will get 7 billion people the kind of lifestyle they all want.

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Photos by Sarah Gonzalez

The New California Health-Care Model

Left to right: Lanhee Chen, Anna Gorman, Mitchell Katz, Anthony Wright, and Alice Chen

How the health-care world is changing. From “The New California Health-Care Model,” held July 26, 2017, in San Francisco. Sponsored by the Blue Shield of California Foundation.

LANHEE CHEN

Ph.D., David and Diane Steffy Research Fellow, Hoover Institution; Director of Domestic Policy Studies, Stanford Univ.

ANNA GORMAN

Senior Correspondent, Kaiser Health News; Former Health Care Correspondent, LA Times

MITCHELL KATZ

M.D., Director, Los Angeles County Health Agency; Former Director and Health Officer, San Francisco Department of Health

ANTHONY WRIGHT

Executive Director, Health Access California

ALICE CHEN

M.D., Professor, UCSF School of Medicine; CMO, San Francisco Health Network—Moderator 18

THE COMMO N WE AL TH

ALICE CHEN: We have California on the one side, which is by some accounts the sixth largest economy in the world. On the other [side], the health-care industry is more than 17 percent of GDP. So we are really fortunate to have four accomplished panelists tonight representing a diverse set of perspectives.

Anna, can you give us a brief timeline of repeal and replace efforts this year, kind of from the beginning of the year til say, 5 o’clock today? [Laughter.] Since the last time I checked my phone.

ANNA GORMAN: Things change minute by minute, but I will try to give a very quick recap. Really quickly, the Affordable Care Act, as you know, passed in 2010 without any Republican support. Immediately Republicans began the first of many attempts to repeal and replace it. Then this year with Republicans in control of Congress, the House passed the American Health Care Act. It would overhaul the ACA by cutting Medicaid, eliminating the tax penalty for people failing to have insurance, modifying tax credits people get to buy insurance, and give states the option of eliminating benefits like mental health and maternity care. The Congressional Budget Office determined

that indeed the plan would reduce the deficit significantly, but it would leave 23 million more Americans uninsured. Then the Senate introduced their own bill, the Better Care Reconciliation Act, but just last week, several senators said they wouldn’t support it, so it didn’t go forward.

So this has been really dramatic the whole time. Yesterday, a procedural vote occurred that allowed the Senate to move forward.

That only happened because it was 51 to 50, with Vice President Pence tipping it over and John McCain coming back after being diagnosed with brain cancer, giving an impassioned speech and voting in favor of moving forward. So they moved forward, and last night they failed to pass a comprehensive repeal and replace. Today they failed to pass a “just repeal,” so most likely moving forward may now be what they call a skinny repeal, which they would take just a few pieces away.

But big pieces like the individual mandate, the requirement that we have insurance there’s no consensus, because there’s a lot of disagreement within the Republican Party of how much, if any, of Obamacare should stick. [Ed. note: The “skinny repeal” also failed to pass.]

ALICE CHEN: All right. [Laughter.]

GORMAN: Seven years and one minute.

ALICE CHEN: Exactly. [Laughter.] You touched on a lot of the political twists and turns. Maybe we should level this at the group in terms of what’s at stake here. What does California look like because of the ACA? What’s at stake?

ANTHONY WRIGHT: California, before the ACA, had one of the highest rates of un-insurance in the nation. We were seventh from the top, nearly 20 percent—about 7 million Californians—were uninsured, and as a result lived sicker, died younger, were one emergency away from financial ruin.

There were also just massive problems with our health-care system, specifically and most acutely in our individual market, where people could be denied for pre-existing conditions, charged differently. It was sort of the wild wild West, where folks were all alone at the mercy of the insurance industry.

The Affordable Care Act made huge strides—with more work to do—on dealing with these issues. In particular, we have, because we both implemented and improved upon the law, reduced the number of insured by over half. So we [went] from 7 million to somewhere under 3 million uninsured.

The CDC statistic was that we’re now down to 7 percent uninsured, and probably had more to go in that direction. We now have an individual market, where people can buy coverage without regard to their health status; they can not charge differently based on their

medical conditions, because they are women, because of other factors.

Obviously there was more to do, but we were making progress, getting to an improved health-care system. What is so distressing about the debate in D.C. is that it’s about taking huge steps backward. The House bill or the Senate bill, or frankly any bill that the Congressional Budget Office has called, suggests that there would be at least 22 million more uninsured as a result of those bills than if nothing was done. In many cases, premiums would rise or deductibles would rise and it would be a loss—depending on which bill you’re talking about—of various consumer protections and patient safeguards that have been newly introduced. Frankly, some of the bills went even further. Not even undoing the progress of the last five years but the last 50, cutting and capping the Medicaid program, which covers a third of our state—14 million Californians. A third of our state, half of our children, and two-thirds of our nursing home residents. It’s hard to overstate the impact of what those proposals would do, and [they] are continuing to hold a sword of Damocles over our health-care system.

LANHEE CHEN: Let me provide a slightly different perspective. [Laughter.]

I think there’s a couple of things to bear in mind. First of all, the assessment that Anthony provided with respect to California makes lot of sense in a lot of ways. I do think the ACA was a seminal event for California and for Californians. And I think that one of

the things about the ACA is the difference, if you look at the implementation of the ACA, in how much the outcomes varied based on what states did and didn’t do. I think that is one thing that was really quite staggering about the ACA. So, certainly in California, our perspective of the ACA is probably very different than you might find in some other states. The health of our marketplace in California is far better than in some other states. I think in some other states there is some genuine upward premium pressure, particularly from middle-income people. They are having a difficult time because of the mix of people that are participating in those marketplaces; that is putting further upward pressure on premiums.

So when you hear about challenges from states like Iowa, where there are certain counties where there’s very little competition in the marketplace, rapidly increasing premiums, those concerns are very real. And I think there are some people that fall outside of the ACA subsidy structure. Fair to say the Republican proposal doesn’t subsidize them either. But the point is that they are facing some pretty significant and increasing premium pressure.

That’s one problem, I think, Republicans have tried to solve. The challenge there is that really so little nationally of the coverage conundrum we faced pre-ACA was addressed by these changes to the individual marketplace. The vast majority of the coverage gains have come from Medicaid and the expansion

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of the Medicaid program.

One of the things that we have to realize about the changes to Medicaid is that this is not the first time we’ve had a discussion about changing the structure of Medicaid funding.

In the 1990s there were concerns about the sustainability of the Medicaid program. So the notion of placing the Medicaid program on some kind of federal fiscal diet, if you will, where the federal government’s contribution to the Medicaid program would be capped, was an idea initiated by President Clinton and people who worked with him.

There was actually a very vibrant debate at the time between President Clinton and his administration who argued for the system known as per-capita caps, which is actually what made it then into the Republican bill, and a system of order known as block grants, which would be a more sort of closed-ended grant to the states.

The notion of a per-capita cap, the reason why Democrats fought so strongly in favor of it—Democrats, including a guy named Henry Waxman, he’s quite progressive—the reason why they supported that was because it continued Medicaid as an entitlement program for certain constituencies. So it was actually quite a dramatic concession for Republicans to say, 20 years later, they were willing to retain the entitlement structure of Medicaid by keeping the system of per-capita caps. If you look, going forward, at the Congressional Budget Office estimates of what accounts for the reductions in Medicaid

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spending, the vast majority of it doesn’t have anything at all to do with the transition to the system of per-capita caps. It has everything to do with the question of who is eligible for Medicaid. That previously had been a state-level decision. The ACA federalized that by expanding Medicaid to anybody making less than 138 percent of federal poverty.

Under the revised financing structure Republicans are proposing, the challenge really does lie with states to make a determination about how they spend that money they get.

Yes, some states are going to cut eligibility, some states are going to cut programs. But ultimately then it becomes the states’ responsibility to determine how they’re going to finance their Medicaid program. It could be with increased taxes; it could be with benefit cuts. But the reality, just to give you a sense of what the Republican conservative idea on this is, is about shifting that decision-making from Washington to state capitals.

ALICE CHEN: Actually, I’d love to hear, Mitch, if you have any thoughts, given that L.A. probably has the largest number of Medicaid patients. What would a shift from the federal level to state level do to a place like L.A.?

MITCHELL KATZ: It’d be extremely hard.

One of the things that the Medicaid expansion has allowed is that the public systems that traditionally took care of people without insurance were starved for dollars, making it hard to do the infrastructure improvements.

Have modern phone systems, have modern

electronic health records. Medicaid has been a huge infusion of money.

What I found most frustrating is, I’ve been a physician for 30 years. I have no idea, of the tens of thousands of patients I’ve taken care of, who is a Democrat and who is a Republican. I have no idea; no one’s ever said it; I’ve noticed no differences in how people who are sick respond. There doesn’t seem to be a Democratic way of being sick or a Republican way. I’ve worked with lots and lots of doctors and nurses over the years.

Some are Democrats, some are Republican.

I’ve never noticed anybody whose political feelings affected either their desire to take care of somebody who is sick or [a patient’s] desire to get better or what they wanted from a doctor. It’s so sad in both the ACA and the repeal that we’re having a fight between Democrats and Republicans when there seems to be almost no political issue about the care of sick people.

ALICE CHEN: I want to go a little philosophical here. A Pew survey earlier this year found that 60 percent of Americans believe that the federal government should be responsible for ensuring that all Americans have health coverage. So that’s up from 51 percent last year, the highest percentage in a decade. What is the role of individual responsibility versus the government and society in ensuring not just access to health but health?

LANHEE CHEN: Look, let’s just start with the basics of what’s in the Affordable Care Act. The Affordable Care Act includes

a mandate that requires individuals to carry a certain amount of coverage. If they don’t, they face a tax penalty. The notion that individuals ought to be responsible for some element of their own health care—actually, I consider that to be a relatively conservative principle. I think that that makes a lot of sense. Now you can bicker with whether the individual mandate did it well or poorly.

The individual mandate actually hasn’t been particularly good at compelling coverage, as it turns out.

So that leads one to question whether in fact that makes sense or not. In terms of what that means as a value proposition, you can argue the federal government has not played a significant role in a lot of aspects of health care until the Affordable Care Act. The flip side of that argument is Medicaid and Medicare, which are responsible for a whole lot of people, are both in some ways federal programs. Medicaid’s got a state element to it as well, so— KATZ: But isn’t the only difference between the old Medicaid and the new Medicaid is that in the old Medicaid under [President Lyndon] Johnson, we care about you if you’re sick, but we don’t want to keep you healthy.

In the new ACA, if you’re poor and therefore don’t have the money—we’re talking about people at poverty or below, they’re not going to buy insurance, they’re either going to be uninsured or not—we either do want to provide you with preventive care and take care of your diabetes before the amputation and the

heart disease or we want to wait until then. I mean, it’s the same program, Medicaid.

LANHEE CHEN: Well, yeah.

KATZ: It’s just the eligibility and the line where you want to do it.

LANHEE CHEN: The specifics of every program differ by the state, so California has a relatively innovative Medicaid program. You go to some other states, and that’s not the case. There aren’t the same kinds of incentives in place in Medicaid to keep people healthy, which we absolutely need to be doing more of. I agree with you 100 percent on that.

But I would say the one thing to note about what the ACA did to Medicaid and just the financing of it is it created a much stronger funding stream for what’s known as the expansion population than it did for traditional Medicaid populations, which arguably are the populations we need to be financing at higher levels: the disabled, the aged, kids with disabilities. That’s the traditional population of Medicaid we need to be paying more attention to. What the ACA did is create a somewhat perverse incentive for states to over-subsidize this sort of expansion population; some call them able-bodied adults. That’s the population that the ACA arguably created more generous subsidies for.

GORMAN: But you can’t underestimate how important Medicaid is in a state like California. The government is responsible for providing this care. [In] California, like Anthony said, there’s nearly 14 million people who are on Medicaid now. It’s no longer

just a program for the poor, it’s a program for middle-income Americans and middle-income Californians. The ACA enabled people who could not get health insurance before to be able to get [it].

I’m on the street a lot doing reporting and writing stories and talking to people. I’ve met a lot of people who were formerly homeless or currently homeless or who have mental health issues or are coming out of jail, who could not get health insurance before because they didn’t have kids and they were poor.

So they’ve been able to get that, and that is provided squarely by the government.

That indeed has brought people to preventive care. And that has brought people to doctors’ offices and getting able to get diagnosed earlier. But on the flip side, this is a very expensive program. There’s no doubt that state governments, including California, have got to figure out some way to rein in costs. They try to do that, but it’s unsuccessful. Governors are trying to figure out what they can do when they have ballooning Medicaid costs. What does that mean for education and for other state government programs if Medicaid continues to grow so dramatically? That’s what’s facing folks in Washington right now and folks in state capitals across the country.

ALICE CHEN: Can I just make a quick editorial comment about it being for the not-poor? I would say 138 percent of FPL [federal poverty level]—do people know what 138-percent FPL for a single person is? That’s O C TO B E R/N O V E M B E R 2017

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$16,600 a year, which honestly in my book is still pretty poor, particularly in California.

If you actually take into account the cost of living in California, we actually have the highest rates of poverty in the nation, which I think is one of the reasons we have such high Medicaid coverage. But not to quibble, just to say I actually think it is covering [people] who actually do not have a lot of resources.

WRIGHT: But in defense of Anna’s comment, I think Medi-Cal did become under the ACA a safety net for all of us.

GORMAN: Yes. WRIGHT: It became a safety net that any one of us who loses income has now a place to go to be able to get the coverage that they need while they’re between jobs, while they’re trying to pick themselves up there. So it’s not like a program that has 100 different aid codes of very specific people that you could qualify for if you were a child, a parent, a senior, a person with disability, or all sorts of other very specific instances. We say no, if you are below this income or without income that there is some basic access to health care.

The California Department of Health Care Services did an analysis of both the House bill and the Senate bill. The Senate bill that was proposed would be a $30 billion cut to Medi-Cal and the state budget by the tenth year. To give you just a sense of scale, our entire state budget is $120 billion. If California had to backfill that, that’s the equivalent of everything that California spends on all of higher education, all of corrections and

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THE COMMO N WE AL TH

prisons, and all of state parks combined. So that’s why so many of us have our hair on fire in this particular moment, because it would be just such a massive cut. And lots of those cuts are because it would eliminate the coverage, the Medicaid expansion that was being talked about that now covers 4 million Californians. But there are additional cuts being proposed that would over time ratchet the program down to make severe cuts to the populations of seniors, children, people with disabilities. It just is crazy to try to figure out how California would be able to deal with that.

LANHEE CHEN: But I think policy makers have the opportunity to bring those decisions before voters. Some states said, Look, one way we’re going to deal with this is to increase taxes significantly. Some taxpayers may say that’s an acceptable price: “I am willing to pay that price to ensure that those benefits should continue.” So should people from other states be subsidizing decisions that Californians are making or should Californians be subsidizing decisions that Californians are making? That is one of the fundamental equity questions at play when you think about the financing of Medicaid.

KATZ: But how, in equity, do we deal with— so the person in Louisiana, they just die on the street even though they’re an American citizen, because we don’t support our [commitment to] keep everybody alive?

LANHEE CHEN: Well, no, because they’re given a certain amount of support by the

federal government. In fact, right now they’re actually given a larger percentage of support than California is.

KATZ: I meant your proposal. If we just said each state gets to do what it wants, then as a country, we have no standard. If a particular state is not worried about their poor people— LANHEE CHEN: That’s setting up a false choice in my mind. States will have the ability to set their own standards. Yes, absolutely. I don’t think it’s the case, quite frankly, that you would go to a state like Louisiana, or you would go to a state like Texas and the answer would be, “We’re gonna let people die on the streets.” I think that is a ridiculous assertion.

KATZ: From what I’ve read, though I’m not an economist, if you counted what California delivers to the federal level versus what we get, we would actually have more money coming to us.

LANHEE CHEN: Yeah.

WRIGHT: We actually wouldn’t have to raise the taxes. Because actually with such a productive state, I don’t actually mind more money going out of California; I’d say we’re a richer state. I’m happy if my money helps low-income people in states that don’t have the same economic engine as California.

But I think if you’re going ultimately to argue that it’s each state for itself, we would do better to be [on our own]. We would not send any money to the feds. We would keep what we had, and we wouldn’t have to raise taxes, but I don’t think that’s really the proposal.

DARING TO DRIVE A SAUDI WOMAN’S AWAKENING

She was imprisoned for posting a photo of herself driving. Why did she do it? From the June 19, 2017, Middle East Forum program “Daring to Drive: A Saudi Woman’s Awakening,” in San Francisco.

MANAL AL-SHARIF

B.S., Computer Science; Women’s Rights Activist

BANAFSHEH KEYNOUSH

Ph.D., International Law and Diplomacy— Moderator BANAFSHEH KEYNOUSH: What’s fascinating about your book and your character to me was the way you embrace a challenge. Were there any women in your family that you felt you could confide in?

What was your outlet? How did you find your voice?

MANAL AL-SHARIF: My mother.

KEYNOUSH: Tell us more.

AL-SHARIF: To leave the house, a woman has to ask the husband for permission. Mom never asked dad for permission. [Laughter.]

I found Mom a very strong woman. I always admired her. She was a really tough woman. But it was amazing to me that all the rules that apply to society didn’t apply to her. She made her own money.

She was very independent financially. She would make decisions in the house. She is the one who registered us in school. I think that’s how I found my voice. When one of my girlfriends come to me complaining, the first question I ask her, “What did you do about it? If you’re here just to complain, and you didn’t try to fix it, if you didn’t try to do something about it, do not complain.”

There is always a way to overcome challenges no matter what. If you really want something, you will find a way to get it. I’ve been

through things, like when I had to do an exam in a room full of men. In [Saudi Arabia] we have apartheid between the men and women; they put me next to the door, away from all the men. They put a partition around me, so I did the exam alone. I could cheat all I wanted. [Laughter.] I insisted to take the exam.

“But we don’t take women.”

“I’m here, and I’m taking the exam,” [I said]. It was given only twice a year in my country.

So there is always a way to overcome the challenges. You have no clue to the extent [of what] Saudi women go through to overcome challenges that are manmade. It’s not like God created women without hands, without feet, without sight. No, they take these things away from you, and they throw you in the sea and they say, “Swim.”

KEYNOUSH: One of the questions from the audience is “There’s nothing in Islam that says women can’t drive, so let’s disassociate this issue from Islam.” I believe you do this throughout your book. You make a clear case that not only is this nothing necessarily to do with the religion itself, perhaps some interpretation of it. But you can tell us more about that. Furthermore, there’s nothing in the Saudi law that specifically and strictly prohibits women from driving. So can you speak a little bit more about these topics?

AL-SHARIF: It’s very complicated. Do you have the rest of the evening? [Laughter.]

This goes back to 1990, when 47 women took their cars in a protest, the first women’s protest in my country. They were arrested by the religious police, cars confiscated, fired from their jobs, and banned from leaving the country. They didn’t have social media that O C TO B E R/N O V E M B E R 2017

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we have today to speak up for themselves. The story we heard about them: They took off their hijab, they burned it; they were dancing with American troops that were there for the Gulf War. The grand mufti, Sheikh bin Baz, issued a fatwa saying driving is un-Islamic. The Ulema are the highest knowledgeable clerics in Saudi Arabia. So when they issue a fatwa or a religious opinion, they have to agree, all of them, and when it comes it would have all the signatures. In 1990, the grand mufti issued a fatwa by himself, and it said it’s haram [forbidden by Islamic law] for women to drive. He mentioned a lot of reasons why it’s haram. The government ... get their power from the religious establishment. The Ministry of Interior issued a statement based on this fatwa. The Ministry of Interior in Saudi Arabia, they cannot pass laws. They’re not legislators. So they had to issue that statement—and it’s illegal to have that statement, because it’s not part of the law. If you read the traffic law in Saudi Arabia, it does not specify the gender of the [driver].

Because of 1990 and the backlash against these women, more women were discouraged. In Saudi Arabia, if you go to the desert and the suburbs—I mean the remote areas—women drive. Women even use guns, by the way. No, really, I’m not kidding. They have guns. So what happened to the women in the city? Because of the intimidation in 1990, they could not go through the extent of pain and, I would say, shaming, and ostracizing from the society, like what happened to the 1990 [women].

It became a taboo for 21 years. We could not talk about it, no one should do anything about it. There have been some very [small attempts] to change the ban. But I think until the 2011 movement, the June 17 movement, where we actually took the roads and drove again in the street, that created the dialogue. People started talking about it. And it is un-Islamic, really, un-Islamic; because when they say women drivers are whores and prostitutes in the Friday sermons, you are calling 1.5 billion Muslims [names when] they drive.

So when we took a study, signed by 3,500 citizens, mentioning all the problems that we’re facing because women can’t drive in my country, and all the benefits that we will gain when women are allowed to drive in my country, they refused that study. They rejected it. And they accepted a study from a doctor, a college professor. And that study says that societies where women drive are prone to illegal children, more adultery, more divorce rates than societies where women don’t drive. [Laughter.]

And I’m like, if you look at the globe, there are only two societies where woman don’t drive and drive. Don’t drive—Saudi Arabia. The rest of the world is the other society. [Laughter.]

Then he says in his study [that] if women are allowed to drive in Saudi Arabia, there would be no more virgins in 10 years. [Laughter.]

He made up the statistics. So it was really ridiculous that we have to face such a mentality. We did mock that study. And we found out that nothing strips away your oppressor of his power more than mockery.

KEYNOUSH: I want to bring your attention to a line that was handed to our distinguished speaker when she was caught driving, basically saying on the ticket that she has violated some apparent law that doesn’t exist, which is really “driving while female.”

AL-SHARIF: Yes, that was my charge when I went to jail: driving while female.

KEYNOUSH: Driving while female—I may just stick that on my own car and drive around San Francisco for a while.

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AL-SHARIF: It’s fun. When I tell people, the first time they meet me, they don’t know who I am. When I was in jail and they look at me, “She’s a convict.” I take the suspense away when I tell them, “Yeah, I went to jail for driving while female.”

KEYNOUSH: And our speaker is also speaking about an event at June 17, which she organized to rally many women to come out and drive in different cities across Saudi Arabia, and some did after her arrest. She was arrested— AL-SHARIF: Some did when I was in jail.

KEYNOUSH: How did you leave Saudi Arabia, and what is your current status in Saudi Arabia? Are you threatened or not? How do you feel about that?

AL-SHARIF: I don’t know, really. So I keep speaking up. I receive harassments online, but that’s the farthest it goes, so far. I go back to Saudi Arabia because I have a son who lives there, and he cannot visit me. They used text from 1,000 years [ago] to ban him from leaving the country, claiming he could die on the road—which is only a one-hour flight. I do go back to Saudi Arabia. Things have recently been really tough for women activists; many of them are in jail for reasons that are really ridiculous. But I think we should just keep talking. This is the only way to change things in my country.

KEYNOUSH: Tell us more about the power of networking.

AL-SHARIF: The driving is a symbol, of civil disobedience. It’s very obvious when you see a woman outside driving, as obvious as when a woman would ride a bike. Very obvious: She’s in the street, she’s in public. That’s why the main issue of the source of all evil, I call it, is the male guardianship system. Let me go back to the Civil Rights Movement. Every time I read [about it], it gets under my skin—the similarities. I watch a lot of documentaries and a lot of movies.

The last one was Hidden Figures, about the ladies in NASA. I was crying watching that movie, because of all the similarities. Because she’s black, she was not allowed to even mix with the engineers who are white. I’m like, “Wow, that was me.” I couldn’t, just for being a woman. The Rosa Parks story—also the segregation between the black and white. You actually have a term called driving while black.

It’s exactly like driving while female.

KEYNOUSH: It’s striking in your book; you don’t seem very hopeful that it’s an imminent issue—that driving will come for Saudi women as a right very soon.

AL-SHARIF: I am hopeful.

KEYNOUSH: Are you hopeful that it will happen soon?

AL-SHARIF: I’m hopeful the state will enforce it.

KEYNOUSH: Good.

AL-SHARIF: I’m hopeful that millennials will enforce it, will make it to reality.

KEYNOUSH: Have you been in touch with other feminist groups or other feminists in countries across the Arab world?

AL-SHARIF: I have living heroes: a lot of Arab and non-Arab feminists, especially the women of the 1990 movement. We call them “6 November,” that was the day they drove, and my book is dedicated to them. So I’m in contact; we have our own small groups, whether in Saudi Arabia or outside when I go to conferences, and I meet with them. And it’s amazing—the similarities that we learned. For me as Saudi and for you [Keynoush] as Iranian, we come from patriarchal society, we should unite. ...

And as Arabs say, the rain begins with a single drop.

IS AMERICA IN RETREAT?

Left to right: Johan Norberg, David R. Henderson, Elan Bentov, and Kip Perry

Photos by Rikki Ward

Panelists explore the United States’ role in the world, and whether Americans still have an appetite to sustain it. From the June 22, 2017, program in San Francisco, “Is America in Retreat?”

KIP PERRY: The film Is America in Retreat? examines a central foreign policy question, which is: How involved should America be in the world’s affairs, and how should American leaders deal with a rapidly changing world order? Since the Second World War, the United States has been at the forefront of a Pax Americana, a period of relative peace guaranteed by U.S. military might. Today many believe that peace is threatened by an ambitious and aggressive foreign policy in China, Russian territorial claims and occupations in Eastern Europe, as well deteriorating conditions in the Middle East and North Korea.

More than half of Americans polled today believe we should mind our own business. Is there a downside to retreat, or does the world still require American global leadership?

Johan, you are a Swede, not an American. I want to ask you what Sweden’s view of America’s involvement in world affairs is now, or has been recently.

JOHAN NORBERG: Being a Swede, I have a particular perspective on things, because the closest capital to Stockholm, the capital of Sweden, is Tallinn, Estonia’s capital just across the Baltic Sea, which once upon a time used to be part of the Swedish empire and we still have very close cultural and personal and economic links with Estonia.

It’s a small country that’s being threatened by Russian ambitions. It has [a] substantial Russian-speaking minority in Estonia, and with the new philosophy of geopolitics from Vladimir Putin—that all the Russian speakers, all the Russians are in some way subjects of Russia, and that Russia always preserves the privilege and the duty to go in and “protect” those people wherever they might be—they constantly feel like there’s a threat from the big bully in the neighborhood.

Obviously it’s not just Estonia. It’s Sweden as well. We’ve had a

long period of peace in Europe that’s been kept because countries based on the rule of law and free-market economics, based on democracy and individual freedom, have stuck together. It’s only been possible because America has been part of that. [America] has worked very hard to create an alliance between these democracies and told the bullies in the neighborhood that an attack on any one of these countries is an attack on everybody.

I think without that it would have been impossible to keep that peace, and without that kind of guarantee for a country like Estonia it would be impossible for such a place to form its own identity and create its own path to the future. That is important, not just to them; I think it’s important for America as well. Because if we want the ideals of freedom, of Western civilization, of rule of law to prevail on this planet, we also have to help the countries who want to choose that path in the future, because otherwise, if that’s not the case, it might not be that they’re invaded by Russia or China. But they definitely know who is the big power around, and then they will begin to appease that power step by step.

So that’s the Swedish, European perspective on America’s role in the world. It’s not really about throwing its weight around, or intervening. It’s about creating this alliance of independent democracies who really stick together and look out for each other in bad times.

PERRY: We live in a country that has pretty nice neighbors. But when you’re in the northern part of Estonia in Narva and you can look at these castles, if you will, facing each other across the Narva River, you see how close they are to one another; you get a much more sense of foreboding. David, your background is in economics; what’s your take on the issue at hand? What happens if America retreats?

O C TO B E R/N O V E M B E R 2017

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Kip Perry Executive/Director, Is America In Retreat?—Moderator

Elan Bentov Co-director and Writer, Is America In Retreat?

David Henderson Professor of Economics, Naval Postgraduate School; Research Fellow, Hoover Institution

Johan Norberg Senior Fellow, Cato Institute; Senior Fellow, European Centre for International Political Economy in Brussels; Executive Editor, Free to Choose Media

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DAVID R. HENDERSON: The title of the film is Is American in Retreat? My answer is no, but it should be.

Take the example [the question] about why [isn’t] Sweden in NATO? Well, then the Russians would have been closer to the other side, so Finland was an issue. I don’t know if you recall that when West Germany and East Germany merged in 1989, there’s a lot of controversy about this. Did Secretary of State James Baker or didn’t he make a verbal agreement with Gorbachev that they would not expand NATO east? Gorbachev claims in his memoirs that they did make that agreement. Other people deny it.

Does anyone know what percentage of the Soviet population was killed in World War II, or what fraction? It was one-seventh. If we had that same loss today, we would lose 45 million people. I’m not defending them at all, but the Russians have always seen this need to have a buffer. So when Clinton said in 1999 we’re going to have Poland, Hungary and the Czech Republic as part of NATO, Russia saw that as a threat. When junior Bush expanded it further, that was even closer.

[People have said] here’s this aggressive nation—and certainly Russia is aggressive. The question though is would it be as aggressive if it didn’t perceive this threat close to its borders? My strong gut feel is no. I don’t think they would have been.

When I look at foreign policy, I see unintended consequences all over the place. I mean, why did the Iranians take over the embassy in 1979? They were upset at the American government, the CIA helping to overthrow Mohammad Mosaddegh in 1953. And why did the United States choose Iraq as an ally? Because they saw Iran as an enemy, so they were allied with Saddam Hussein. How well did that work out? It’s always important to go back a little historically, and you can kind of trace the unintended consequences.

PERRY: What are some of the potential unintended consequences of retreat, though?

HENDERSON: The unintended consequence, I will admit, could be that certain countries are threatened in ways we don’t like. I could certainly imagine that we could lose Estonia. I could certainly imagine that we could lose Latvia.

But Lithuanians have a bit of a plan, so I’m not sure about that one. They’ve been very clever on that. But certainly that could happen. But here’s my basic viewpoint, and that is that the purpose of the United States foreign policy should be to defend America. Not American interests—America.

Brett says no one else can do it. I look at some, I saw this film a few days ago. I looked at some GDP figures. Do you know that Russia’s GDP is not only less than half of Germany’s, it’s well below England’s, France’s, Italy’s? I am from Canada, eh?

I’m not saying pull out of NATO right away, but I do think we should pull out of NATO in say five years. And just give notice, and not like Trump is doing, where he wants them to increase their spending or else, and we aren’t clear on the or else. Just say in five years, we’re pulling out; you decide how much you want to put into defense.

THE COMMO N WE AL TH

ELAN BENTOV: That’s ultimately the question at the very end of the entire project that is presented. There’s the assertion that whatever role America has, it doesn’t have it by some right. It’s a role that is filled and maintained out of self-interest. And, if it were to go away, what would replace it? It could be something better; the question is what? And is it worth finding out? Maybe it is, I don’t know.

PERRY: Let’s take a question from our audience. We’ve been speaking about NATO, and the question is, “I’d like to understand more about American allies and NATO’s role in collectively making these decisions on behalf of world peace. Also given Russia’s strategies of undermining democracies around the globe including here in America, what footing does America truly have to interfere? How do we escalate without heading down the path of nuclear war, especially with our current, hot-headed president?”

[Laughter.]

HENDERSON: So I mean, I don’t think there’s much evidence that Russia intervened in our election, if that’s what’s being referred to. I just don’t see the evidence. So I think the premise is faulty.

NORBERG: It seems like the intelligence services think they do or are convinced they do.

PERRY: Let’s talk a little bit about the first part of the question, which was NATO’s role in collectively making these decisions on behalf of world peace.

BENTOV: I suppose the question is, What gives NATO the right? On paper my understanding is the role of NATO is to protect itself. And it seems like more and more outward threats with no direct impact on NATO members are perceived as potential threats, which I think involves a fair amount of questionable predicting of what the consequences will be of leaving a hot spot untouched or uninterfered with.

There’s the idea that NATO is overextending itself, that NATO is continuing to grow. You see members like Turkey— HENDERON: They allowed Montenegro in[to NATO] a month or two ago.

BENTOV: Turkey is a great example of a NATO member that is pursuing interest that in many situations are completely countered to the desires of other NATO members.

And can potentially lead to potential harm to other NATO members. And you can see that that sort of expansion of NATO can potentially lead to a conflict even within itself.

HENDERSON: And can I just add, [Senator John] McCain in pushing for Montenegro—and he really attacked Rand Paul for opposing it—I think he doesn’t understand the difference between a U.S. ally and a dangerous liability.

Who here wants to go to war to defend Montenegro? By the way, while we’re talking about NATO—notice that Ukraine is not part of NATO. And so when Brett Stevens advocates lethal aid to Ukraine, how does that fit with NATO? Wasn’t the whole idea [about] collective security, an attack on one is an attack on all? So then you owe us if we get attacked. Ukraine owes us nothing.

SEPTEMBER 7-16, 2018

PORTUGAL & SPAIN

ITINERARY Friday, September 7 U.S. / Porto Portugal

Depart on flights from the U.S. to Porto, Portugal.

Saturday, September 8 Porto

Arrive in Porto this morning and transfer to our hotel, beautifully situated on the waterfront in the heart of the world heritage site of Porto’s old town. In the late afternoon visit Grahams Port Lodge, for a tour and tasting. Our welcome dinner is at Feitoria (The Factory House) which is styled like a gentleman’s club and is still the meeting place for the British port shippers in Porto. Pestana Vintage Porto (D)

Sunday, September 9

Ponte de Lima / Portevedra, Spain

Head north to the vinho verde region. En route we stop in Ponte de Lima, Portugal’s oldest town. We also stop at Melgaco, the alvarinho sub zone of the vinho verde region.

Enjoy a tour, tasting and lunch featuring Bisaro pork and ham dishes at Soalheiro.

After lunch continue to the northwest Celtic corner of Spain where the echo of pipes and green misty valleys defy the Spanish stereotype. Finally, arrive at the university town of Pontevedra, in the heart of the Rias Baixas. Tonight enjoy a walk through town, along with a tapas dinner of Galician wines and specialties. Parador Pontevedra (B,L,D)

Monday, September 10

Pontevedra / Santiago de Compostela

Visit Val do Salnes, part of the Rias Baixas region that revolutionized Spanish white wines in the 80s and 90s and sets the

standard for great delicate albariños.

Enjoy Pazo de Señorans, an old Galician country house that makes one of the very best albariños. We then continue north to Santiago de Compostela, the resting place of Saint James the apostle and one of the world’s best loved pilgrimage destinations.

Experience a tapas lunch with Galician specialties - octopus, shrimp, padron peppers, scallops and conclude with Galicia’s classic dessert, the almond based Tarta de Santiago. Take a guided tour of the town, including the cathedral that is the end point of the Camino de Santiago.

Parador Pontevedra (B,L)

Tuesday, September 11 Braga, Portugal / Pinhao

Visit Braga, historically Portugal’s religious center. View the dramatic Bom Jesus Monastery and its famous Baroque stairway.

Enjoy some modern Portuguese cuisine, and a tapas style lunch. Continue to the Douro River wine region, a world heritage site and the oldest demarcated wine region in the world. Dinner tonight includes wines from the Douro, as well as ports.

Vintage House (B,L,D)

Wednesday, September 12 Pinhao / The Douro River

Visit Quinta do Noval, a port producer since 1715. Under the guidance of Christian Seeley, Noval remains a great traditional port name.

(Their Nacional 1931 was listed as the 2nd best wine of the 20th century, according to Wine Spectator.) Enjoy a boat ride on the Douro to our lunch destination, Quinta dos Malvedos.

After a visit and tasting, we make our way to the private family house for a very special lunch featuring traditional Douro dishes such as duck rice. The evening is free to enjoy on your own.

Vintage House (B,L)

Thursday, September 13

Sunday, September 16

Travel to Coimbra, a Roman city that was once a Moorish and Jewish center in the Middle Ages. The University of Coimbra is the oldest in all of Portugal and we visit the Baroque university library, home to over 300,000 books and widely acknowledged as one of the most stunning libraries in the world. Continue to the Bussaco Palace Hotel, a Neo Manueline Palace built by the last king of Portugal on the estate where the Duke of Wellington slept after the Battle of Bussaco against Napoleon’s troops.

Enjoy dinner with Bussaco wines, made and sold solely on location from Bairrada and Dao grapes. Palace Hotel Bussaco (B,L,D)

After breakfast at the hotel, transfer to the airport for your flight home. Or stay on additional nights and enjoy Lisbon on your own. (B)

Coimbra / Bussaco

Friday, September 14 Tomar / Ribatejo / Lisbon

En route to Lisbon we stop in Tomar, site of the Convento de Cristo, constructed in 1160. Its Templar Church was modeled on Jerusalem’s Holy Sepulchre. Continue to the Ribatejo wine region, and to Casa Cadaval, home to great wines, as well as Lusitano horses. We’ll enjoy a tasting, lunch and horse demonstration before continuing to Lisbon. Dinner tonight is at a wine bar in the Chiado district.

Hotel Avenida Palace (B,L,D)

Saturday, September 15 Lisbon

Take a guided walking tour of central Lisbon, including the Alfama district, the Rossio, and Praca do Comercio Square. Sample the country’s famed custard tarts, pastel de nata.

Enjoy an independent lunch and afternoon.

In the early evening visit Belem before our dinner at Feitoria, one of only 3 restaurants in Lisbon to hold a Michelin star.

Hotel Avenida Palace (B,D)

Lisbon

TOUR LEADER JEREMY SHAW, the managing director of

Iberian Wine Tours, splits his year between a family dairy farm in the hills near Saintfield in County Down, Northern Ireland and a home in the Spanish student city of Salamanca.

He studied at the Sorbonne, put up by his aunt and French uncle from Bordeaux, which provoked an interest in good wine.

This was stimulated further when Jeremy worked as a stagiaire at Steven Spurrier’s much renowned Academie du Vin in Paris followed by several jobs in the wine industry.

He received a distinction in the WSET Advanced Certificate in Wines and Spirits, achieving the highest score in Northern Ireland in 2005. Today he leads wine tours all over the world, with a particular focus on Spain and Portugal.

WHAT TO EXPECT To enjoy this program travelers must be in overall good health and able to walk 1-2 miles a day (on average) and be able to stand for several hours during touring.

Participants should be comfortable walking on uneven surfaces such as cobblestone streets, and getting on and off tour buses without assistance. Drive times are 2 ½ to 3 hours on days we move hotels. Dinners in Spain and Portugal are usually served late and are lively affairs.

DETAILS DATES: September 7-16, 2018 GROUP SIZE: Minimum 12, Maximum 25 COST: $5,495 per person, double occupancy $800 single room supplement

INCLUDED: Tour leader and food and

wine expert Jeremy Shaw; activities as specified; airport transfers on designated group dates and time; transportation throughout; accommodations as specified (or similar); meals (B=breakfast, L=lunch, D=dinner) per itinerary; wine at lunches and dinners; bottled water on buses and during tours; special guest speakers; local guides; gratuities to local guides, driver, and for included group activities; pre-departure materials.

NOT INCLUDED: International air; meals not specified as included; optional outings and gratuities for those outings; alcoholic beverages beyond wine at lunches and dinner; travel insurance (recommended, information will be sent upon registration); items of a purely personal nature.

Phone: (415) 597-6720 Fax: (415) 597-6729

RESERVATION FORM SEPTEMBER 7-16, 2018 Name 1

Name 2

Address

City / State / Zip

Home Phone

Cell Phone

E-mail Address SINGLE TRAVELERS ONLY: If this is a reservation for one person, please indicate:

We require membership in the Commonwealth Club to travel with us. Please check one of the following options:

___ I plan to share accommodations with _____________________________

___ I am a current member of the Commonwealth Club.

OR ___ I wish to have single accommodations.

___ Please use the credit card information below to sign me up or renew my membership.

OR ___ I’d like to know about possible roommates.

___ I will visit commonwealthclub.org/membership to sign up for a membership.

I am a ___ smoker / ___ nonsmoker.

PAYMENT: Here is my deposit of $__________ ($1,000 per person) for ____ place(s).

____ Enclosed is my check (make payable to Commonwealth Club). OR ____ Charge my deposit to my ____ Visa ____ MasterCard ____ American Express

Expires

Card Number Authorized Cardholder Signature

Security Code Date

Mail completed form to: Commonwealth Club Travel, 110 The Embarcadero, San Francisco, CA 94105, or fax to (415) 597-6729.

For questions or to reserve by phone call (415) 597-6720. ___ I / We have read the Terms and Conditions for this program and agree to them.

Signature

TERMS AND CONDITIONS The Commonwealth Club (CWC) has contracted with Iberian Wine Tours (IWT) to organize this tour.

Reservations: A $1,000 per person deposit, along with a completed and signed Reservation Form, will reserve a place for participants on this program. The balance of the trip is due 90 days prior to departure and must be paid by check.

Cancellation and Refund Policy: Notification of cancellation must be received in writing. At the time we receive your written cancellation, the following penalties will apply: • 91 days or more prior to departure: $250 per person • 90-60 days to departure: $1,000 deposit • 59-1 days prior to departure: 100% fare Tour can also be cancelled due to low enrollment. Neither CWC nor IWT accepts liability for cancellation penalties related to domestic or international airline tickets purchased in conjunction with the tour.

Trip Cancellation and Interruption Insurance: We strongly advise that all travelers purchase trip cancellation and interruption insurance as coverage against a covered un-

foreseen emergency that may force you to cancel or leave trip while it is in progress. A brochure describing coverage will be sent to you upon receipt of your reservation.

Medical Information: Participation in this program requires that you be in good health. It is essential that persons with any medical problems and related dietary restrictions make them known to us well before departure.

Itinerary Changes & Trip Delay: Itinerary is based on information available at the time of printing and is subject to change. We reserve the right to change a program’s dates, staff, itineraries, or accommodations as conditions warrant.

If a trip must be delayed, or the itinerary changed, due to bad weather, road conditions, transportation delays, airline schedules, government intervention, sickness or other contingency for which CWC or IWT or its agents cannot make provision, the cost of delays or changes is not included.

Limitations of Liability: CWC and IWT its Owners, Agents, and Employees act only as the agent for any transportation carrier, hotel, ground operator, or other suppliers of services connected with this program (“other providers”), and the other providers are solely responsible and liable for providing their respective services. CWC and IWT shall not be held liable for (A) any damage to, or loss of, property or

injury to, or death of, persons occasioned directly or indirectly by an act or omission of any other provider, including but not limited to any defect in any aircraft, or vehicle operated or provided by such other provider, and (B) any loss or damage due to delay, cancellation, or disruption in any manner caused by the laws, regulations, acts or failures to act, demands, orders, or interpositions of any government or any subdivision or agent thereof, or by acts of God, strikes, fire, flood, war, rebellion, terrorism, insurrection, sickness, quarantine, epidemics, theft, or any other cause(s) beyond their control. The participant waives any claim against CWC/IWT for any such loss, damage, injury, or death. By registering for the trip, the participant certifies that he/she does not have any mental, physical, or other condition or disability that would create a hazard for him/herself or other participants. CWC/IWT shall not be liable for any air carrier’s cancellation penalty incurred by the purchase of a nonrefundable ticket to or from the departure city. Baggage and personal effects are at all times the sole responsibility of the traveler. Reasonable changes in the itinerary may be made where deemed advisable for the comfort and well-being of the passengers.

CST# 2096889-40

Is Sloppy Science Killing Us?

WITH RICHARD HARRIS & MARY ROACH How common are mistakes in science? How can they delay real cures for diseases? From the July 13, 2017, program “Is Sloppy Science Killing Us?” in San Francisco.

RICHARD HARRIS

Science Correspondent, NPR; Author, Rigor Mortis: How Sloppy Science Creates Worthless Cures, Crushes Hopes, and Wastes Billions In conversation with

MARY ROACH

Author, Packing for Mars and Grunt MARY ROACH: We so often read news about drugs that are showing great promise, whether it’s Alzheimer’s or cancer or heart disease, and then it’s the last we hear—something’s showing great promise in mice and then we don’t hear anything.

While it’s great news for the mouse community [Laughter], it’s kind of disheartening. So I want to talk a little bit about preclinical trials, the mouse studies and the cell studies and what’s going on.

Why do those show such great promise and then is it 9 out of 10 new drugs end up failing in clinical trials in humans?

RICHARD HARRIS: Well, it turns out that mice are not just simply furry little people, though we often tend to think of them as such. We think, they’re mammals, we’re mammals, what could possibly go wrong?

The answer is a lot can possibly go wrong. They’re useful for getting some basic ideas about what’s going on, but we shouldn’t literally take what we see in a mouse and assume that it’s going to work in a person.

So that’s one thing. The other thing is that scientists who use mice

often don’t use enough mice, because it turns out to be expensive to do some of these experiments. If you’re a university scientist and you have a grant that gives you a certain amount of money, if you can’t afford 100 mice for your experiment, you’ll do 12 mice and say it’s a pilot study. You’ll cross your fingers that if you had done it with the right number of mice, you would get the same results.

So that’s a problem, partly because of funding constraints and partly because scientists make the best with what they have, and sometimes that’s enough. Often it’s not enough.

And then scientists are sometimes kind of sloppy in the way they use mice in experiments.

ROACH: Right. You mentioned even the kind of bedding that’s used for mice in one experiment or one part of it might be different, or this group of mice will be more stressed out than this group of mice, and so many little things.

HARRIS: There’s so many subtle things that can go wrong, exactly.

If you put 10 from the same litter in one part of your experiment and 10 from another litter in another part of your experiment, the difference may not be that the experiment is different one to the other, it may be that you’ve got different litters.

So the answer is a scientist should know that they should mix them up so that some from one litter go in each side of the experiment.

But those sorts of things don’t always dawn on scientists.

ROACH: Yeah, and cell lines. I remember, I mean, probably a number of you here have read The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks.

I remember reading that and learning about this cell line from a cervical tumor, correct?

HARRIS: Right.

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ROACH: [It was a] very virulent tumor, and it’s the first time that scientists were able to keep cells growing and multiplying outside a body and it was very exciting. Now you have these cells that you could test drugs on, but I didn’t realize that not only are they immortal, but they’re kind of out of control.

HARRIS: Yeah, they’re kudzu in a way, because they grow like crazy and they outcompete anything. So if you are not entirely careful in your lab and you get one HeLa [named after Henrietta Lacks] cell in your experiment that’s supposed to be maybe a liver cancer cell, before you know it, the HeLa have crowded them out and you’re studying HeLa cells. You’re studying cervical cancer when you think you’re studying melanoma or liver cancer or whatever else it is, and it’s a huge problem.

It’s been known for decades. In 1986, a colleague of ours named Michael Gold wrote a book on this very topic and talked about the frustrating efforts of a scientist named Walter Nelson-Rees, who was in Oakland, to try to call attention to this problem that HeLa cells were taking over the world, practically, of laboratory research.

People were not being careful enough to make sure that they were using the cells they thought they were using.

ROACH: Wasn’t there something like 12,000 papers that had been done based on misidentified cells? In other words, they thought they were procured as one type of cell and they turned out to be probably HeLa. HARRIS: Yeah, it’s a huge problem. Somebody said, “We’re gonna keep a list of cells that are called one thing but are actually something else. Some aren’t even human cells; some are guinea pig cells or whatever, that over the years have gotten mistaken for human cells but they end up in laboratories.” And there’s a list of more than 400 of these cell lines that are imposters. If you take the time to look at the list, you realize I thought I was using a breast cancer cell. It turns out this is a liver cancer cell. But people don’t look at the list.

ROACH: Right.

HARRIS: The journals that publish don’t necessarily look at the list.

And more than 100 of those 400-plus are HeLa cells, so if you’re using a cell line, for example, called Chang liver, guess what that is.

ROACH: HeLa. HARRIS: HeLa, yeah.

ROACH: Even if you have the right cells—it was fascinating that some tumor cells grow more quickly than others, and a scientist— correct me if I’m wrong—may be testing a drug and think, My God, look it’s growing so slowly; the drug is working. But in fact, it’s just a slow growing cell, and just— HARRIS: So many things to think about that.

ROACH: So many ways to go wrong.

HARRIS: Yeah, it is amazing. I’m in awe of scientists, because clearly they do things right also, right? And we get results that are helpful that come out of these labs. But as I was exploring the topic in this book, I realized how many ways there are to get it wrong, how many ways there are to fail. And how hard it is to get it right.

ROACH: As with mice cells, even human cells—a cell in a flask or outside of the body—it’s not necessarily a good stand-in for a cell in a body, doing the things that cells do in bodies.

So you kind of have an intuitive sense that a mouse and a human are probably not the best match. But in fact, these human cells cannot be the best predictors.

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HARRIS: Right. And it turns out a cell such as HeLa, when you think about it, is evolved to live in a test tube. It is evolved to live in a plastic dish. Some people argue that HeLa isn’t even a human cell anymore, because it evolved so much to this new environment, which is living in a plastic dish, getting these special nutrients and so on, that basically there’s an open question about how human it is.

The chromosomes were all screwed up. It’s a very different-looking kind of cell than you would think.

ROACH: Yeah, I remember I was working on one of my books. I was going on about the first fecal transplant. I talked to the guy in the ’60s, I think it was Ben Iseman who did the first fecal transplant.

And I said, “Well, how did that come about?” And I was imagining the mouse study with the fecal transplant on a little mouse. [Laughter.] And he said, “Mary, back then, if it seemed like something might work, we just gave it a try.” And obviously, a fecal transplant is a lot more benign than some of the—you wouldn’t want to try a drug that way, but—[Laughter.]

HARRIS: Not that you should try it at home.

ROACH: Not that you should try this at home.

But I just thought that was fascinating that there was a time when you didn’t start out with mice or zebrafish or cells. You kinda just tried it out.

HARRIS: It’s true, and I think a lot of the progress in biomedical research has slowed down a little bit. One reason is that sometimes that was really dangerous. You’re trying to experiment on a human being, and maybe it was a really bad idea. And now it’s like, “Whoa, we can’t do that.” And for understandable reasons, but it also means that if you’re trying it on a mouse and then you’re trying it on a cell line, you try it on a dog and various other [animals], it takes a long time. There’s more ways to mess up.

ROACH: You talk in the book a little bit about just how progress has kind of slowed down in terms of new drugs, the number of diseases and the number of actual drugs that work, and how we don’t seem to be coming up with them as quickly as we used to.

You could talk a little bit about how much of a crisis state it’s reached.

HARRIS: Yeah, well, clearly part of it is that it’s a good thing that we’re not just experimenting so willy nilly on human beings. But the downside—this is one of the consequences of that.

There’s also people who have been really wondering about this because it’s harder and harder to develop a new drug. It costs more and more money, and a lot of the exciting drugs were discovered in the ’50s and ’60s and ’80s and earlier on. And it’s a complex set of reasons.

One [reason] has been referred to as, “the problem is better than the Beatles.” So all of these great discoveries from before, it’s like, so what can you do to top penicillin? It’s like, well, you know, penicillin is pretty good. And so that’s part of the reason that this has slowed down. But it’s also concerning because if scientists are making errors that are avoidable, that’s also slowing the process. So the stakes are higher now than they have been before, and it’s one reason to focus on these preventable errors. Science is hard, and people are always going to go up blind alleys.

And it’s not reasonable to expect perfection from any scientist.

But let’s focus on the things that they can do better to reduce the drag on the process of discovery.

PROGRAMS 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 in San Francisco, Silicon Valley, Marin County, and the East Bay. Standard programs are typically one hour long and frequently include panel discussions or speeches followed by a question and answer session. Many evening programs include a networking reception with wine.

PROGRAM DIVISIONS

CLIMATE ONE Discussion among climate scientists, policymakers, activists, and citizens about energy, the economy, and the environment.

COMMONWEALTHCLUB.ORG/CLIMATE-ONE

INFORUM

MEMBER-LED FORUMS

Inspiring talks with leaders in tech, culture, food, design, business and social issues targeted towards young adults.

Volunteer-driven programs that focus on particular fields. Most evening programs include a wine networking reception.

COMMONWEALTHCLUB.ORG/INFORUM

COMMONWEALTHCLUB.ORG/MLF

RADIO, VIDEO, & PODCASTS Watch Club programs on the California Channel every Saturday at 9 p.m., and on KRCB TV 22 on Comcast. Select Commonwealth Club programs air on Marin TV’s Education Channel (Comcast Channel 30, U-Verse Channel 99) and on CreaTV in San Jose (Channel 30). View hundreds of streaming videos of Club programs at fora.tv and youtube.com/commonwealthclub

Subscribe to our free podcast service on iTunes and Google Play to automatically receive new programs: commonwealthclub.org/podcasts.

Hear Club programs on more than 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.

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

KRCB Radio (91.1 FM in Rohnert Park) Thursdays at 7 p.m.

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

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

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

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

TuneIn.com Fridays at 4 p.m.

TICKETS Prepayment is required. Unless otherwise indicated, all events—including “Members Free” events—require tickets. Programs often sell out, so we strongly encourage you to purchase tickets in advance. 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. Select events include premium seating, which refers to the first several rows of seating. Pricing is subject to change.

HARD OF HEARING? To request an assistive listening device, please e-mail William Blum seven working days before the event at wblum@commonwealthclub.org.

O C TO B E R/N O V E M B E R 2017

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5:30 pm Reading Californians Book Discussion Group FM 5:30 pm Save Your Sanity: Dealing with Jerks at Work and Elsewhere 5:30 pm John Yoo: War with the Machines

5:30 pm 5:15 p.m.The Blinding PatFlash ofInstinct: terning the Obvious A 6:30 p.m.

Cultural History Ben Frankof lin Circles FM Humanity’s Search 6:30Meaning for p.m. Changemakers: 5:30 pm Movement Muhammad LeadersDoing Yunus: on Civil Good Rights in an Uncertain in an Uncivil Time FM World 7:45 p.m. The Future of America’s Political

11:30 am A Pause That Refreshes!

1:30 pm Longevity Explorers Discussion Group FM 5:30 pm Julie Lythcott-Haims 6 pm Socrates Café FM 6:15 pm Silicon Valley Week to Week

5:45 pm Joe Simitian: Listening to Trump’s America 6:15 pm Van Jones: Beyond the Messy Truth

11:30 am John Adams, Peter Sellars and Girls of the Golden West 5:30 pm Middle East Forum Discussion FM 5:30 pm Defeating Domestic Violence: Perspectives for Societal Change

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5:30 pm The Rise and Fall of Adam and Eve 5:30 pm Reversing Poverty One Job at a Time, with Leila Janah

11:30 10 a.m. am Chinatown Charles Walking Sykes: How Tour the Right 6:30 Its Lost p.m.

Mind Sallie Krawcheck: 5:45 pm Give The MePower of Women, Shelter: How the Work Bay and Wallet Area Is Tackling Its 7 p.m. Gopi Housing Crisis Kallayil: Brain, Body and Consciousness

11:30 am A Natural Approach to Treating Osteoarthritis 4:45 pm Solitary: The Inside Story of Supermax Isolation and How We Can Abolish It 5:30 pm An Evening with Ron Chernow

5:30 pm Can We Talk? Breaking the Silence Between Patients, Families and Physicians Near the End of Life 5:30 pm Getting Real with Gabrielle Union

11 am Steve Forbes 6 pm Oppressive Heat: Climate Change and Civil Rights 5:30 pm Week to Week Politics Roundtable and Social Hour

San Francisco

East/North Bay

4:45 pm Memory Fun 101 for Baby Boomers 6 pm Ben Franklin Circles FM 7 pm Solving Your Doggy Dilemmas

6 pm An Evening with Music Legend Art Garfunkel

5:30 pm Creating Great Choices 5:30 pm Anne-Marie Slaughter 6:30 pm Humanities West Book Discussion FM

11 am Walter Isaacson: Cracking Leonardo da Vinci 5:30 pm The Startup Way with Eric Ries

Silicon Valley

5:30 pm There Is No Good Card for This 5:45 pm Inside the Human Mind with Tali Sharot

11 am Journalist Ellen Goodman 5:30 pm Tom Stienstra 5:45 pm General Robert Brown 6:30 pm Raj Patel

11:30 am Dan Buettner 5:30 pm The Clean Money Revolution 5:30 pm DeRay Mckesson

11:30 am The Immigration Impasse 1:45 pm San Francisco Architecture Walking Tour 5:30 pm The Sierra Club at 125 years 5:45 pm One Russia, Two Taubmans 6:30 pm Matthew Walker

FM Free for members

11:30 am A Practical Approach to Intractable National Problems

FE Free for everyone

Saturday, 5 pm Sir Richard Branson: Finding My Virginity

MO Members-only

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5:30 pm The Road to Sleeping Dragon: Learning China from the Ground Up 5:30 pm Policing in America: Force, Surveillance and the Future

11:15 am White House Correspondent Kenneth Walsh: An Insider’s Look at the Presidency 5:30 pm Rebooting the Enlightenment in the Age of Trump 5:30 pm Week to Week Politics

6 pm Socrates Café FM

5:30 pm Week to Week Politics Roundtable and Social Hour

5:30 pm Whistleblowers, Drone Warfare and Surveillance: A Graphic History

5:30 pm A Holiday Toast to the 2017 Wine Harvest: Sustainable Practices and Pairings 5:30 pm An Introvert’s Guide to Getting Out There

5:30 pm The Nature of Change: An Ecological Journey of the Presidio 6 pm Pete Souza: An Intimate Portrait of President Obama

commonwealthclub.org/events

4:45 pm Dog as My Doctor, Cat as My Nurse 6 pm Celebrating the Life and Work of Oliver Sacks

5:30 pm Climate Game Changer: How San Francisco’s Compost Could Heal the Planet 6 pm Jeff Goodell: The Water Will Come

11:15 am White House Correspondent Kenneth Walsh 11:30 am Humanities West Book Discussion FM 5:30 pm Fault Lines in the Constitution 6 pm MSNBC’s Lawrence O’Donnell

9:45 am Chinatown Walking Tour 5:30 pm State Bird Provisions in Your Kitchen

5:30 pm Improving Sleep

1:45 pm North Beach Walking Tour 5:30 pm The Younger Protocol 5:30 pm Birth, Health and Equity 6:30 pm Dan Ariely and Jeff Kreisler

11:30 am Trauma and Resilience: Why Some Female Survivors Are More Resilient Than Others

11:30 pm Dr. Victoria Sweet: Slow Medicine 4:45 pm Middle East Forum Discussion FM

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For current prices, call 415.597.6705 or go to commonwealthclub.org

Save Your Sanity 10/2

MONDAY, OCTOBER 2 READING CALIFORNIANS BOOK DISCUSSION GROUP: THE PORTABLE VEBLEN Elizabeth McKenzie’s novel is set in and around Palo Alto, amid the culture clash of new money and old (antiestablishment) values.

A young couple on the brink of marriage—the charming Veblen and her fiancé, Paul, a brilliant neurologist—find their engagement in danger of collapse. Along the way they weather everything from each other’s dysfunctional families to the attentions of a seductive pharmaceutical heiress to an intimate tête-à-tête with a very charismatic squirrel.

SAN FRANCISCO • Location: 110 The Embarcadero, San Francisco • Time: 6:00 p.m. program • MLF: Reading Californians Book Discussion • Program organizer: Betty Bullock

SAVE YOUR SANITY: DEALING WITH JERKS AT WORK AND ELSEWHERE

Robert Sutton, Ph.D., Professor of Management Science and Engineering, Professor of Organizational Behavior (by courtesy), Stanford Univ.; Co-Founder, Stanford Technology Ventures Program; Co-Founder, d.school

Are you stuck in a position where you need to handle demeaning and disrespectful people (i.e., jerks)? If so, you need to attend this talk by Stanford professor Robert Sutton. Besides being hilarious, Sutton’s talks are insightful, clear and useful. Sutton will teach us field-tested, evidence-based techniques for dealing with the jerks in our lives—especially bosses, co-workers and customers. He’ll discuss how to escape, endure, outwit, battle and disempower people who leave us feeling demeaned, disrespected and de-energized. He’ll also address how to keep our own inner jerk from rearing its ugly head. He will draw on his new book, The A-hole Survival Guide: How to Deal with People

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John Yoo: War With the Machines 10/2

Who Treat You Like Dirt.

SAN FRANCISCO • Location: 110 The Embarcadero, San Francisco • Time: 5:30 p.m. networking reception, 6 p.m. program, 7 p.m. book signing • MLF: Business & Leadership, Personal Growth • Program organizer: Eric Siegel

JOHN YOO: WAR WITH THE MACHINES

John Yoo, Law Professor, UC Berkeley; Former Deputy Assistant U.S. Attorney General; Co-Author, Striking Power: How Cyber, Robots, and Space Weapons Change the Rules for War In Conversation with Quentin Hardy, Head of Editorial, Google Cloud

The way we wage war is changing. There are various national security challenges in our modern world, such as international terrorism and the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. The advent of new technologies such as drones, autonomous robots and cyber weapons are quickly developing in response to these threats. What are the consequences of using these new technologies? Are they an effective means of solving complex security problems?

SAN FRANCISCO • Location: 110 The Embarcadero, San Francisco • Time: 5:30 p.m. checkin, 6:30 p.m. program, 7:30 p.m. book signing • Notes: Attendees subject to search

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 3 THE RISE & FALL OF ADAM AND EVE

Stephen Greenblatt, Cogan University Professor of the Humanities, Harvard University; Pulitzer Prize-Winning Author, The Swerve, Will in the World and The Rise and Fall of Adam and Eve

Stephen Greenblatt investigates the literary, artistic and cultural life of one of humankind’s greatest stories: Adam and Eve. With the insight, eloquence and erudition that have characterized his previous award-winning and best-selling books, Greenblatt looks at the origins of this biblical story, tracking its first written from back to the Hebrews’ exile in Baby-

Memory Fun 101 for Baby Boomers 10/4

lon. He animates the sexual and moral conflicts that led Augustine to enshrine the story at the center of Christian faith. Greenblatt also limns the narrative’s diverse offspring: rich allegory, vicious misogyny and astonishing artistic representation.

SAN FRANCISCO • Location: 110 The Embarcadero, San Francisco • Time: 5:30 p.m. networking reception, 6 p.m. program, 7 p.m. book signing • MLF: Humanities • Program organizer: George Hammond

REVERSING POVERTY ONE JOB AT A TIME, WITH LEILA JANAH

Leila Janah, Founder and CEO, Samasource; Co-Founder and CEO, LXMI; Author, Give Work: Reversing Poverty One Job at a Time Laura D. Tyson, Ph.D., Distinguished Professor of the Graduate School, Haas School of Business, UC Berkeley—Moderator

Serial social entrepreneur Leila Janah believes giving work is the most effective means of reducing poverty, and she and her company Samasource are a big part of the solution. They go into some of the world’s poorest communities—from here in California all the way to Kenya—and train individuals in digital work for tech titans. Samasource’s model—which addresses the causes, not just the symptoms, of poverty—gives work, not aid, helping individuals access dignified, steady, fair-wage work and ensuring they can gain the tools to change their own lives for the better.

SAN FRANCISCO • INFORUM PROGRAM • Location: 110 The Embarcadero, San Francisco • Time: 5:30 p.m. check-in, 6:30 p.m. program, 7:45 p.m. book signing

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 4 MEMORY FUN 101 FOR BABY BOOMERS

Chester Santos, Memory Training Expert

Memory is absolutely fundamental to learn-

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Solving Your Doggy Dilemmas 10/4

ing at any age, so improving one’s memory has a profound positive impact on one’s career and personal life. In this fun and entertaining presentation, Chester Santos, winner of the USA Memory Championship, will teach audience members the basics of memory improvement. Members will learn a number of memory-boosting methods that will exercise their imagination and awaken their creativity. You will be shown how to utilize both sides of your brain to make information stick and become unforgettable, and you will participate in enjoyable exercises and feel your memory ability improving throughout the presentation.

SAN FRANCISCO • Location: 110 The Embarcadero, San Francisco • Time: 4:45 p.m. networking reception, 5:15 p.m. program • MLF: Grownups • Program organizer: John Milford

BEN FRANKLIN CIRCLES Join us for a 21st-century version of Ben Franklin’s mutual improvement club. One evening a week, for more than 40 years, the founding father discussed and debated with his friends the 13 virtues that he felt formed the basis for personal and civic improvement, a list he created when he was 20 years old. The virtues to which he aspired included justice, resolution and humility. (But don’t misunderstand Ben on that one—his explanation of humility was “imitate Jesus and Socrates.”)

SAN FRANCISCO • Location: 110 The Embarcadero, San Francisco • Time: 6 p.m. check-in, 6:30 p.m. program • MLF: Humanities • Program organizer: George Hammond

SOLVING YOUR DOGGY DILEMMAS

Melissa Bain, DVM, DACVB, DACAW, M.S., Department of Medicine and Epidemiology, School of Veterinary Medicine at UC Davis Jeannine Berger, DVM, DACVB, DACAW, CAWA, Vice President of Rescue and Welfare, San Francisco SPCA

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There Is No Good Card for This 10/5

Doug McConnell, Television Journalist, Host, “OpenRoad” on NBC–Bay Area—Moderator

Got a tough pet problem? Two of the world’s preeminent dog behaviorists join us to provide insights and advice. You’ll get a better understanding of why dominance is a myth and how to communicate with your dog, modify naughty behaviors and build a stronger relationship with your pet. Whether it’s separation anxiety, aggressive behaviors, pulling on leash, fear/anxiety or other doggy dilemmas you’d like to change, this conversation will teach you how to behave so your dog behaves.

NORTH BAY • MARIN CONVERSATIONS PROGRAM • Location: Outdoor Art Club, One West Blithdale, Mill Valley • Time: 7 p.m. check-in and light hors d’oeuvres, 7:45–9 p.m. program • Notes: Cash bar available; sponsored by Relevant Wealth Advisors and an anonymous donor

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 5 THERE IS NO GOOD CARD FOR THIS

Kelsey Crowe, Ph.D., Author; Speaker; Founder, Help Each Other Out Lucy Kalanithi, M.D., Widow of Paul Kalanithi; Internist, Stanford School of Medicine In Conversation with Rebecca Soffer, Co-Founder and CEO, Modern Loss

Join Kelsey Crowe, Ph.D., and Lucy Kalanithi, M.D., in a humorous, poignant and practical conversation about the need for identity, gratitude and compassion when forging connections in life’s scary, awful and unfair moments. Sharing personal stories and research, Crowe and Kalanithi will unpack idiomatic expressions in the world of suffering and offer practical tips about being there for the people we care about when it matters most.

SAN FRANCISCO • Location: 110 The Embarcadero, San Francisco • Time: 5:30 p.m. networking reception, 6 p.m. program, 7 p.m. book signing • MLF: Health & Medicine • Program organizer: Shoshana Ungerleider, M.D.

Tali Sharot 10/5

INSIDE THE HUMAN MIND WITH TALI SHAROT

Tali Sharot, Associate Professor of Cognitive Neuroscience; Founder and Director, the Affective Brain Lab at University College London; Author, The Influential Mind: What the Brain Reveals About Our Power to Change Others In Conversation with Christina Farr, Technology and Health Reporter, CNBC

We all have a duty to help and affect others—from the classroom to the boardroom to social media. But how skilled are we at this role, and can we become better? While many people rely on data and debate, neuroscientist Tali Sharot explains that our instincts can fail us. She argues that appealing to our emotion and curiosity are more compatible with how our minds work.

Join us for a discussion on the power of influence and behavior in our increasingly interwoven world—and how we can all make our minds work better.

SAN FRANCISCO • Location: 110 The Embarcadero, San Francisco • Time: 5:45 p.m. checkin, 6:30 p.m. program, 7:30 p.m. book signing • Notes: Photo by Michael Lionstar

MONDAY, OCTOBER 9 THE PATTERNING INSTINCT: A CULTURAL HISTORY OF HUMANITY’S SEARCH FOR MEANING

Jeremy Lent, Founder and President, the Liology Institute, Author, The Patterning Instinct

Monday Night Philosophy looks into the widespread concern that the same underlying patterns of western thought that gave us the benefits of science are also driving us to possible catastrophe. Are our cultural values the reason why our civilization is facing a climate change crisis and is driving species to mass extinction?

Jeremy Lent argues that we need to understand the underlying mind-set that has brought us OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2017

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Muhammad Yanas 10/9

to this place, as only then can we consciously shape our values to create a sustainable, flourishing future of shared human dignity. With rigorous scholarship and deep insight, Lent investigates how different cultures have made sense of the universe and how their underlying values have changed the course of history. From the first farmers to Chinese sages to the trailblazers of the scientific revolution, Lent shows how humanity’s unique instinct to pattern meaning into the cosmos has constructed the world we live in today.

SAN FRANCISCO • Location: 110 The Embarcadero, San Francisco • Time: 5:30 p.m. networking reception, 6 p.m. program, 7 p.m. book signing • MLF: Humanities • Program organizer: George Hammond

MUHAMMAD YUNUS: DOING GOOD IN AN UNCERTAIN WORLD

Muhammad Yunus, Ph.D., Winner, 2006 Nobel Peace Prize; Founder, Grameen Bank; Author, A World of Three Zeros: The New Economics of Zero Poverty, Zero Unemployment, and Zero Net Carbon Emissions In Conversation with Ruth Shapiro, Ph.D., Founder and Chief Executive, Centre for Asian Philanthropy and Society; Member, Commonwealth Club Board of Governors

As the world’s wealth shifts into the hands of the few, a new system is emerging to address the inequality, unemployment and environmental destruction that Muhammad Yunus says goes hand in hand with capitalism. Yunus, the pioneer of microcredit, has seen the transformative results of his economic experiments help people escape poverty. He believes that today’s economic system is broken and must be reformed to provide opportunity for all.

SAN FRANCISCO • Location: Mark Hopkins Hotel, Peacock Court, 999 California St., San Francisco • Time: 5:30 p.m. check-in, 6:30 p.m. program, 7:30 p.m. book signing • Notes: Photo by Nasir Ali Mamun, Yunus Centre

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Give Me Shelter 10/10

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 10 CHARLES SYKES: HOW THE RIGHT LOST ITS MIND

Charlie Sykes, Contributor, MSNBC; Author, How the Right Lost Its Mind In Conversation with John Zipperer, Host, Week to Week Political Roundtable

Once at the center of the American conservative movement, best-selling author and radio host Charlie Sykes is a fierce opponent of Donald Trump and the right-wing media that enabled his rise. Sykes will present an impassioned, regretful and deeply thoughtful account of how the American conservative movement came to lose its values, asking: How did a movement that was defined by its belief in limited government, individual liberty, free markets, traditional values and civility find itself embracing bigotry, political intransigence, demagoguery and outright falsehood?

Sykes addresses: Why so many voters are so credulous and immune to factual information reported by responsible media; why conservatives decided to overlook, even embrace, so many of Trump’s outrages, gaffes, conspiracy theories, falsehoods and smears; whether conservatives can govern or if they are content merely to rage; and how the Right can recover its traditional values and persuade a new generation of their worth. Come hear from a leading conservative about how the conservatives and the nation as a whole got to where it is today.

SAN FRANCISCO • Location: 110 The Embarcadero, San Francisco • Time: 11:30 a.m. checkin, noon program, 1 p.m. book signing

GIVE ME SHELTER: HOW THE BAY AREA IS TACKLING ITS HOUSING CRISIS Speakers TBA

A safe and secure shelter, one of humanity’s

An Evening With Art Garfunkel 10/11

most basic needs, has eluded far too many people in this resource-rich region. In the past five years, Bay Area home prices have surged by an astounding average of 72 percent. This is one reason why even six-figure household incomes are considered “low income” in certain parts of the Bay Area and why homeless tent encampments and the number of RVs lining the streets of cities across the region are growing dramatically. Currently, 1.5 million households in the Bay Area pay more than half of their income in rent, and people of color and seniors are being hit the hardest.

But for the first time, the public, private, nonprofit and philanthropic sectors are working together on creative solutions to produce, preserve and protect affordable homes for all residents.

SAN FRANCISCO • Location: 110 The Embarcadero, San Francisco • Time: 5:45 p.m. check-in, 6:30 p.m. program • Notes: This program is generously supported by the San Francisco Foundation’s Bay Area Leads Fund; it is the latest in the People, Place and Power series

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 11 AN EVENING WITH MUSIC LEGEND ART GARFUNKEL

Art Garfunkel, Musician; Author, What Is It All but Luminous: Notes from an Underground Man

The sounds of Art Garfunkel’s iconic harmonies are part of some of the greatest songs ever recorded. From “Mrs. Robinson” to “The Sound of Silence,” the music of Garfunkel and his then-singing partner, Paul Simon, stands tall at the summit of American pop culture.

Now, join the golden-haired, curly-headed half of Simon & Garfunkel for an intimate conversation at the historic Castro Theatre as he celebrates the release of his new memoir, What Is It All but Luminous. Hear his stories of meeting Simon in school, becoming Simon

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Ellen Goodman 10/12

& Garfunkel, and taking the world by storm.

Garfunkel will also discuss the decades since those successful years. He’ll share his inspirational and heartbreaking journey in this rare program with a true American icon.

SAN FRANCISCO • Location: The Castro Theatre, 429 Castro St., San Francisco • Time: 6 p.m. check-in, 7 p.m. program • Notes: This program is part of our Good Lit series, underwritten by the Bernard Osher Foundation

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 12 JOURNALIST ELLEN GOODMAN: THE MOST IMPORTANT CONVERSATION AMERICANS AREN’T HAVING

Ellen Goodman, Pulitzer Prize-Winning Journalist; Founder, the Conversation Project

Welcome to the “longevity revolution,” with all of its dilemmas. Modern medicine enables us to live longer, but it also means that the end of life will often come with hard decisions—decisions we’re reluctant to face until they’re upon us. Ninety percent of us realize it’s important to talk with our loved ones about end-of-life care, but only 27 percent of us have done so.

Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Ellen Goodman had plenty of experience writing about these issues, but her mother’s dementia left Goodman facing excruciating end-of-life decisions that stunned her. Regretting her failure to discuss these issues with her mother when she still could, in 2012 Goodman founded the Conversation Project, a public engagement campaign dedicated to having everyone’s wishes for end-of-life care expressed and respected. The project believes that the place for these discussions to begin is at the kitchen table with the people we love, before it’s too late—not in the intensive care unit. More than a million people, from all 50 states and 175 countries, have used the con-

commonwealthclub.org/events

General Robert Brown 10/12

versation starter kit over the past five years.

Come learn how to start this crucial conversation with those you love.

SAN FRANCISCO • Location: 110 The Embarcadero, San Francisco • Time: 11 a.m. check-in, noon program • Notes: Part of our End-of-Life series

WATERFRONT WALKING TOUR Join Rick Evans for his new walking tour exploring the historic sites of the waterfront neighborhood that surround the location of the new Commonwealth Club headquarters.

Hear the dynamic stories of the entrepreneurs, controversial artists and labor organizers who created this recently revitalized neighborhood. This tour will give you a lively overview of the historic significance of this neighborhood and a close look at the ongoing development.

SAN FRANCISCO • LOCATION: Boulevard Restaurant, 1 Mission St., San Francisco • Time: 1:45 p.m. check-in, 2-4:30 p.m. walk • Notes: The tour operates rain or shine; limited to 20 participants; tickets must be purchased in advance and will not be sold at check-in

TOM STIENSTRA: CATCH AND RELEASE FOR HUNTING AND FISHING Tom Stienstra, Emmy Award Winner

Tom Stienstra is a local hero and one of the nation’s best-known outdoorsman. He will share his outdoor adventure plans for young people to learn how to hunt and fish using catch and release principles, cameras and photography. Stienstra’s look, see and learn focus is an essential bridge for young people to engage in natural surroundings and help protect the habitats that are critical for the survival of wildlife now and for generations to come.

SAN FRANCISCO • Location: 110 The Embarcadero, San Francisco • Time: 5:30 p.m. networking reception, 6 p.m. program • MLF:

Raj Patel 10/12 Environment & Natural Resources • Program organizer: Ann Clark

GENERAL ROBERT BROWN: SECURITY IN THE INDO-ASIA PACIFIC

Robert Brown, Commanding General, U.S. Army Pacific

In recent years, the Pacific region has garnered attention related to international security, with hot spots such as North Korea and the South China Sea looming large in the public mind. Since 2016, Gen. Robert Brown has overseen the U.S. Army’s largest service component command. Headquartered at Fort Shafter, Hawaii, with portions of the command forward deployed and based throughout the Indo-Asia Pacific, 106,000 active, reserve soldiers and civilians support the nation’s strategic objectives and commitment to the region. Brown will discuss the current security dynamics in the Pacific from the perspective of land forces throughout the region, with emphasis on the centrality of leadership and the U.S. Army’s emerging concept of multi-domain battle.

SAN FRANCISCO • Location: Marines’ Memorial Club, 609 Sutter St., Commandant’s Ballroom, 10th floor, San Francisco • Time: 5:45 p.m. check-in, 6:30 p.m. program • Notes: In association with the Marines’ Memorial Association; attendees subject to search

RAJ PATEL: A GUIDE TO CAPITALISM, NATURE AND THE FUTURE OF THE PLANET

Raj Patel, Activist, Research Professor, Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs, University of Texas–Austin; Co-Author, A History of the World in Seven Cheap Things: A Guide to Capitalism, Nature, and the Future of the Planet

Nature, money, work, care, food, energy and lives— Patel says these are the seven things that have made our world and will OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2017

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Richard Branson 10/14

continue to shape its future. But at what cost? Throughout history, rebellions and uprisings have prompted fresh strategies to make the world cheap and safe for capitalism. And while technology and commerce have modernized and transformed society, our planet has paid a hefty price. Patel will issue an urgent call for innovative and systematic thinking to help reclaim our world and save us before it’s too late.

SILICON VALLEY • Location: Cubberley Community Theatre (near Montrose and Middlefield), 4000 Middlefield Rd., Palo Alto • Time: 6:30 p.m. check-in, 7 p.m. program, 8 p.m. book signing

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 14 SIR RICHARD BRANSON: FINDING MY VIRGINITY

Sir Richard Branson, Founder and Chairman, the Virgin Group; Author, Finding My Virginity In Conversation with Stacy Brown-Philpot, CEO, TaskRabbit

This program is sold out.

SAN FRANCISCO • Location: The Castro Theatre, 429 Castro St., San Francisco • Time: 5 p.m. check-in and premium reception, 6 p.m. program • Notes: Attendees subject to search; Part of our Good Lit series, underwritten by the Bernard Osher Foundation

MONDAY, OCTOBER 16 A PAUSE THAT REFRESHES! HOW TO TAKE A BREAK THAT ACTUALLY WORKS

Rachael O’Meara, Sales Executive, Google; Transformational Leadership Coach

Startup stress burning you out? Between jobs and dreading the next one? Overwhelmed by the stresses of life? Maybe it’s time for a pause or an intentional shift in behavior. It doesn’t need to be time consuming; even a moment,

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A Pause That Refreshes! 10/16

minute or hour can work wonders. Senior account manager at Google and leadership coach Rachael O’Meara’s best-selling book, Pause: Harnessing the Life-Changing Power of Giving Yourself a Break, weaves together old philosophies and current research. She thereby lays out a step-by-step, extraordinarily detailed, proven plan for how to take pauses and restore your sense of balance in the world, increasing your ability to take a risk and maybe even find a more fulfilling job and path in life.

O’Meara says, “Taking a pause [is] the perfect excuse to step away from your everyday life and not focus on what is ruling your thoughts. ... Part of what’s gained in the pause process is courage; pausing means being okay knowing you’re uncertain of an outcome.”

SAN FRANCISCO • Location: 110 The Embarcadero, San Francisco • Time: 11:30 a.m. checkin, noon program, 1 p.m. book signing • MLF: Personal Growth • Program organizer: Eric Siegel • Notes: This program is also sponsored

by INFORUM.

LONGEVITY EXPLORERS DISCUSSION GROUP: BETTER AGING. YOU. YOUR PARENTS. Richard G. Caro, Ph.D., Facilitator

This regular discussion group will be exploring new and emerging solutions to the challenges of growing older. Not only will we be uncovering interesting new products at the intersection of aging and technology, we will also conduct a series of ongoing deep-dive discussions into topics such as brain health, apps for seniors, hearing and wearables for seniors. The results of our discussions will be shared with a larger community of older adults interested in improving their quality of life through our partner in this initiative, Tech-enhanced Life, PBC. The discussions will be facilitated by Richard Caro, whom many of you have heard speak at prior

Longevity Explorers Discussion Group 10/16

Grownups forum events.

SAN FRANCISCO • Location: 110 The Embarcadero, San Francisco • Time: 1:30 p.m. checkin, 2-3:30 p.m. program • MLF: Grownups • Program organizer: John Milford

JULIE LYTHCOTT-HAIMS: WHAT IT MEANS TO BE AMERICAN

Julie Lythcott-Haims, New York Times Best-Selling Author, Real American and How to Raise an Adult In Conversation with Judge LaDoris Hazzard Cordell (Ret.)

Julie Lythcott-Haims is the author behind the “anti-helicopter parenting” manifesto How to Raise an Adult. She’s also a biracial black woman who’s experienced the highs and lows of race relations in America. In her new memoir, Real American, Lythcott-Haims focuses her discerning eye on relations both in and out of the home to help us all fearlessly grow into our best selves. Join Julie Lythcott-Haims as she returns to the Club and reveals how she’s navigated through the heavy, forceful blows of racism and the small, sharp cuts of “micro” aggressions. She’ll discuss the importance of a generous and wise community as a healing power to fractured race relations and what we can all do to make America a better place for everyone.

SAN FRANCISCO • Location: 110 The Embarcadero, San Francisco • Time: 5:30 p.m. checkin, 6:30 p.m. program, 7:30 p.m. book signing • Notes: Part of our Good Lit series, underwritten by the Bernard Osher Foundation

SOCRATES CAFÉ One Monday evening of every month the Humanities Forum sponsors Socrates Café at The Commonwealth Club. Each meeting is devoted to the discussion of a philosophical topic chosen at that meeting. The group’s facilitator, John Nyquist, invites participants

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Julie Lythcott-Haims 10/16

to suggest topics, which are then voted on.

The person who proposed the most popular topic is asked to briefly explain why she or he considers that topic interesting and important. An open discussion follows, and the meeting ends with a summary of the various perspectives participants expressed. Everyone is welcome to attend.

SAN FRANCISCO • Location: 110 The Embarcadero, San Francisco • Time: 6 p.m. check-in, 6:30–8 p.m. program • MLF: Humanities • Program organizer: George Hammond

SILICON VALLEY SPECIAL: WEEK TO WEEK POLITICS ROUNDTABLE AND SOCIAL HOUR 10/16/17 Panelists TBA

Week to Week returns to Silicon Valley to explore the latest news and events from the world of politics — local, state and national.

We’ll discuss the biggest, most controversial and sometimes the surprising political issues with expert commentary by panelists who are smart, are civil and have a good sense of humor.

Join our panelists for informative and engaging commentary on political and other major news, audience discussion of the week’s events, and our live news quiz! Come early before the program to meet other smart, engaged individuals and discuss the news over snacks and wine at our member social (open to all attendees).

SILICON VALLEY • WEEK TO WEEK PROGRAM • Location: Oshman Family JCC, Schultz Hall, 3921 Fabian Way, Palo Alto • Time: 6:15 p.m. wine-and-snacks social, 7 p.m. program

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 17 A NATURAL APPROACH TO TREATING OSTEOARTHRITIS

Steve Blake, Sc.D., Faculty Nutritional Biochemist, Hawaii Pacific Neuroscience; Research Scientist; Author, Arthritis Relief, Understanding Fats and Oils: A Scientific Guide to

commonwealthclub.org/events

Treating Osteoarthritis 10/17

their Health Effects, Vitamins and Minerals Demystified, A Nutritional Approach to Alzheimer’s Disease; Co-Author, Mosby’s Drug Guide for Nurses, 4th Edition

One in five adults and half of those over 65 have arthritis. In this program, you will learn why certain foods aggravate inflammatory joint conditions and how reducing inflammation is the key to reducing pain. Discover how we can use spices and herbs to reduce inflammation, how food fats can powerfully decrease or increase the risk of arthritis pain, and what supplements can be helpful. Steve Blake will also cover which vitamins and minerals help build collagen to support healthy cartilage. This program is designed to teach you how to retain healthy cartilage and regain mobility. Come and find out more about foods that support the lubrication of joints.

SAN FRANCISCO • Location: 110 The Embarcadero, San Francisco • Time: 11:30 a.m. networking reception, noon program, 1 p.m. book signing • MLF: Health & Medicine • Program organizer: Bill Grant

SOLITARY: THE INSIDE STORY OF SUPERMAX ISOLATION AND HOW WE CAN ABOLISH IT

Terry Allen Kupers, M.D., Psychiatrist and Professor Emeritus, the Wright Institute Graduate School of Psychology; Author, Solitary (Forthcoming)

In the U.S., there are approximately 100,000 inmates held in supermax prisons and isolation units, confined in 8 feet by 10 feet windowless holes for 23–24 hours a day. Terry Allen Kupers, one of the world’s leading experts on the effects of solitary confinement, takes us inside the minds of some of the thousands of inmates in these cells. He provides constructive rehabilitation alternatives for solitary confinement.

SAN FRANCISCO • Location: 110 The Embarcadero, San Francisco • Time: 4:45 p.m. network-

An Evening with Ron Chernow 10/17 ing reception, 5:15 p.m. program • MLF: Psychology • Program organizer: Patrick O’Reilly, Ph.D.

AN EVENING WITH RON CHERNOW, PULITZER PRIZE-WINNING HISTORIAN

Ron Chernow, Pulitzer Prize-Winning Author, Alexander Hamilton and Grant

Celebrated historian Ron Chernow’s biography of Alexander Hamilton inspired Lin-Manuel Miranda’s wildly popular “Hamilton.”

Now America’s preeminent biographer turns his attention to the Civil War and Reconstruction with a new biography of one of our most compelling presidents, Ulysses S. Grant. Grant has one of the most complicated legacies of any Civil War hero. Though a successful general, he failed at business and was a notoriously corrupt president. According to Frederick Douglass, Grant was “the vigilant, firm, impartial, and wise protector of my race,” but he was a virulent anti-Semite. He vanquished the Confederacy and yet was continually defeated by his alcoholism. Join us for a nuanced psychological portrait of the man Walt Whitman called “nothing heroic ... and yet the greatest hero.”

SAN FRANCISCO • Location: Marines’ Memorial Theatre, 2nd Floor, 609 Sutter St., San Francisco • Time: 5:30 p.m. check-in, 6:30 p.m. program, 7:30 p.m. book signing • Notes: Chernow photo by and copyright Beowulf Sheehan; part of our Good Lit series, underwritten by the Bernard Osher Foundation

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 18 CREATING GREAT CHOICES: A LEADER’S GUIDE TO INTEGRATIVE THINKING

Jennifer Riel, Adjunct Professor, the Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto Roger Martin, Acclaimed Author; Consultant; Professor; Director of the Martin ProsOCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2017

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Creating Great Choices 10/18

perity Institute, the Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto

Based on a decade of teaching and practice with integrative thinking, Roger Martin and Jennifer Riel offer us a practical methodology for how to tackle vexing business challenges that demand new answers and new ways of thinking; you’ll hear inspirational stories about leaders from all walks of life—from CEOs to school kids—who leveraged a new thinking tool to create great choices in the face of seemingly inevitable trade-offs.

SAN FRANCISCO • Location: 110 The Embarcadero, San Francisco • Time: 5:30 p.m. networking reception, 6 p.m. program, 7 p.m. book signing • MLF: Business & Leadership • Program organizer: Elizabeth Carney

HUMANITIES WEST BOOK DISCUSSION: SICILY: AN ISLAND AT THE CROSSROADS OF HISTORY Join us for a discussion of Sicily: An Island at the Crossroads of History by John Julius Norwich. “Sicily,” said writer Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, “is the key to everything.”

It is the largest island in the Mediterranean, the stepping-stone between Europe and Africa, the link between the Latin West and the Greek East. Sicily’s strategic location has tempted Roman emperors, French princes and Spanish kings. The subsequent struggles to conquer and keep it have played crucial roles in the rise and fall of the world’s most powerful dynasties.

Norwich weaves the turbulent story of Sicily into a spellbinding narrative that places the island at the crossroads of world history. The discussion will be led by Lynn Harris.

SAN FRANCISCO • Location: 110 The Embarcadero, San Francisco • Time: 6:30 p.m. program • MLF: Humanities • Program organizer: George Hammond

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Anne-Marie Slaughter 10/18

ANNE-MARIE SLAUGHTER: TECHNOLOGY FOR THE PEOPLE

Anne-Marie Slaughter, President and CEO, New America In Conversation with Megan Rose Dickey, Reporter, TechCrunch

In the tech world and beyond, government is often seen as slow and tech illiterate—the antithesis to innovation. However, this misperception is rapidly changing. Governments in San Francisco and cities across the nation are starting to harness the power of technology to tackle the biggest problems we face today. By partnering with technology, government becomes more accessible and efficient, and citizens can engage in change like never before.

Anne-Marie Slaughter has seen firsthand how this innovation is possible. She served as the director of policy planning at the State Department under Secretary Hillary Clinton and is currently the president and CEO of the nonpartisan think tank New America. She will talk about local changemakers and how civic technology can be the best way to encourage citizens to organize, participate and act in government.

SAN FRANCISCO • Location: 110 The Embarcadero, San Francisco • Time: 5:30 p.m. check-in, 6:30 p.m. program • Notes: In association with New America California

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 19 DAN BUETTNER: SECRETS OF THE LONGEST LIVING PEOPLE ON EARTH

Dan Buettner, Founder of Blue Zones; Author, The Blue Zones of Happiness: Lessons From the World’s Happiest People

In our fast-paced world, how do we live longer, healthier lives? New York Times best-selling author Dan Buettner believes he has discovered the secret. He believes we must embrace the lifestyles of those in “blue zones,” geographic

The Clean Money Revolution 10/19

areas where people live the longest. In his new book, The Blue Zones of Happiness: Lessons From the World’s Happiest People, Buettner reveals the surprising secrets of the world’s happiest places—and gives us the tools to achieve true happiness and longevity in our lives.

SAN FRANCISCO • Location: 110 The Embarcadero, San Francisco • Time: 11:30 a.m. checkin, noon program, 1 p.m. book signing

THE CLEAN MONEY REVOLUTION: REINVENTING POWER, PURPOSE AND CAPITALISM

Joel Solomon, Chairman, Renewal Funds In Conversation with Esther Park, CEO, Cienega Capital

The largest intergenerational wealth transfer in history is underway, and the ramifications will remake the world. Pioneering clean money investor and change agent Joel Solomon shares insights from his new book, The Clean Money Revolution. In the book, he explores this massive economic shift and explains how you can ride the $40 trillion wave to create the new, ethical and sustainable businesses that power local economies, restore ecosystems, and build social and financial equity. A must read for investors, aspiring business leaders and entrepreneurs looking to align values with assets and chart a unique and profitable life course, Solomon will provide a roadmap and a set of insights into this major emerging movement.

SAN FRANCISCO • Location: 110 The Embarcadero, San Francisco • Time: 5:30 p.m. networking reception, 6 p.m. program, 7 p.m. book signing • MLF: Business & Leadership • Program organizer: Elizabeth Carney

DERAY MCKESSON: POWER OF THE PEOPLE

DeRay Mckesson, Host, “Pod Save the People”; Civil Rights Activist and Organizer Dan Pfeiffer, Vice President of Commu-

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DeRay Mckesson: Power of the People 10/19

nications and Policy, GoFundMe; CNN Contributor; Co-Host, “Pod Save America”; Former Senior Advisor for Strategy and Communications for President Barack Obama—Moderator

DeRay Mckesson has become one of the most recognizable faces in the fight for racial and social equality through his work as a Black Lives Matter leader.

Mckesson leverages his extensive social media network to encourage others to speak out online and to turn out in the streets to protest police brutality. His work has inspired people from Ferguson to Baton Rouge and beyond to discover their power and to push back against injustices in their communities and fight for their rights. Last year, Mckesson gained national notoriety as one of more than 100 people arrested in Louisiana during a protest in response to the police shooting of Alton Sterling.

SAN FRANCISCO • INFORUM PROGRAM • Location: 110 The Embarcadero, San Francisco • Time: 5:30 p.m. check-in, 6:30 p.m. program

MONDAY, OCTOBER 23

JOE SIMITIAN: LISTENING TO TRUMP’S AMERICA

Joe Simitian, Santa Clara County Supervisor, Former California State Senator In Conversation with John Diaz, Editorial Page Editor, San Francisco Chronicle

Supervisor Joe Simitian notes that the Bay Area and much of California is a bubble, where just 32 percent of people voted for Donald Trump. Only 21 percent of people voted for Trump in Santa Clara County, while 12 percent voted for him in Palo Alto, Simitian’s hometown. Simitian says that in the immediate aftermath of the election, some were inclined to dismiss Trump voters as racist, sexist, homophobic, misogynistic or xenophobic.

But is it fair to claim that 46 percent of the American electorate fits this profile? Simitian

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Joe Simitian 10/23

didn’t believe so, but he did wonder what prompted a large portion of the electorate, some of whom had previously voted for President Obama, to vote for President Trump.

To get some answers, Supervisor Simitian traveled to three counties, in three states: Robeson County, North Carolina; Cambria County, Pennsylvania; and Macomb County, Michigan.

There, Simitian had more than 100 conversations in places that had historically voted for Democratic candidates for president (including President Obama), but many of these voters “flipped” in 2016, voting for President Trump.

Supervisor Simitian spent a week in each place, talking with cops, teachers, librarians, labor leaders, business people, academics, bankers, journalists, retirees, elected officials and party activists from both parties. Come hear what he learned about America beyond the Bay Area.

SAN FRANCISCO • Location: 110 The Embarcadero, San Francisco • Time: 5:45 p.m. check-in, 6:30 p.m. program

VAN JONES: BEYOND THE MESSY TRUTH

Van Jones, Political Contributor, CNN; Author, Beyond the Messy Truth: How We Came Apart, How We Come Together Evan Low, California Assembly Member, District 28—Moderator

CNN political contributor Van Jones has been hailed as one who tries to “fight the right way.” He draws on his years of activism and political analysis to take aim at the failures of both parties and to show the nation how to focus on practical answers to problems that affect us regardless of region or political ideology.

Join us as Jones shares his blueprint for the fight we must wage as a nation. He asks us to abandon the politics of accusation and set fire to the traditional ways of political problem-solving. Jones will challenge us to change the way we think about politics so we can all

Van Jones: Beyond the Messy Truth 10/23

get down to the vital business of solving—together—some of our nation’s toughest problems.

SILICON VALLEY • Location: Villa Ragusa, 35 S. 2nd St., Campbell • Time: 6:15 p.m. check-in, 7 p.m. program, 8 p.m. book signing

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 24 CAN WE TALK? BREAKING THE SILENCE BETWEEN PATIENTS, FAMILIES AND PHYSICIANS NEAR THE END OF LIFE

Katy Butler, Author, Knocking on Heaven’s Door Haider Warraich, MBBS, Author, Modern Death; Senior Cardiology Fellow, Duke University School of Medicine In Conversation with Dawn Gross, M.D., Ph.D., Hospice and Palliative Medicine Physician, UCSF Medical Center; Host, 91.7 FM KALW’s “Dying to Talk”

Why is it so hard to talk about our own mortality, especially with doctors and people we love? The more death is medicalized, the more a conspiracy of silence seems to reign over these vital discussions. As a culture, we have become far more at ease talking about how to ward off death than how to prepare for a peaceful one. As a result, many families have distressing experiences. They wind up wishing that key conversations had been more realistic—or that they had happened at all. Whether you’re a patient or doctor, spouse or adult child, each of us has different reasons for avoiding this difficult issue. This program will explore how to break the conspiracy of silence and begin to have honest, meaningful and even reassuring conversations about what matters most near life’s end.

SAN FRANCISCO • Location: 110 The Embarcadero, San Francisco • Time: 5:30 p.m. networking reception, 6 p.m. program, 7 p.m. book signing OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2017

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Gabrielle Union 10/24

GABRIELLE UNION’S REAL LIFE BOOK CLUB TOUR

Gabrielle Union, Actress; Executive Producer, “Being Mary Jane”; Serial Entrepreneur; Activist; Author, We’re Going to Need More Wine

When rape allegations against Gabrielle Union’s co-star Nate Parker surfaced a month before the release of the film The Birth of a Nation, Union made headlines when she spoke out about her own experience of being raped as a young woman, and she urged compassion for other survivors of sexual assault. Today, Union is an important and powerful voice for rape survivors, and she advocates against sexual violence while also juggling her work in Hollywood, her many business endeavors and life with her family.

In her debut book, We’re Going to Need More Wine, Union shares stories and essays on race, gender, feminism, sexuality, fame, marriage, beauty and more, all with the trademark honesty and humor her fans have loved for years.

Join Union and INFORUM and get real over a glass of wine.

SAN FRANCISCO • INFORUM PROGRAM • Location: 110 The Embarcadero, San Francisco • Time: 5:30 p.m. networking reception, 6:30 p.m. program, 7:45 p.m. book signing • Notes: Part of our Good Lit series, underwritten by the Bernard Osher Foundation

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 25 WALTER ISAACSON: CRACKING LEONARDO DA VINCI

Walter Isaacson, President and CEO, the Aspen Institute; Author, Leonardo da Vinci and Steve Jobs

In his profiles of great innovators, biographer Walter Isaacson, author of Steve Jobs, explores how humanism can inspire scientific achievement. With a new biography of Leonardo da Vinci, the original Renaissance man, Isaacson

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Cracking Leonardo da Vinci 10/25

revives a pivotal moment in history in which people felt encouraged to question authority and investigate their surroundings. He explores how da Vinci’s variegated studies of anatomy, mathematics, archaeology, ornithology, botany, geology, weaponry, painting and theater were actually facets of a larger project. Isaacson introduces his readers to da Vinci’s high-flying imagination with vividness and clarity that is sure to inspire the polymath in us all.

Come hear from a writer with both a brilliant, historical mind as well as a progressive, innovative outlook on the world.

SAN FRANCISCO • Location: 110 The Embarcadero, San Francisco • Time: 11 a.m. check-in, noon program, 1 p.m. book signing • Notes: Isaacson photo by the Aspen Institute; this program is part of our Good Lit series, underwritten by the Bernard Osher Foundation

THE STARTUP WAY WITH ERIC RIES

Eric Ries, Entrepreneur; Author, The Startup Way: How Modern Companies Use Entrepreneurial Management to Transform Culture and Drive Long-Term Growth and New York Times Best Seller The Lean Startup Todd Park, Former U.S. CTO—Moderator

In his first book, The Lean Startup, Eric Ries laid out a new road map to success for startups of all shapes and sizes, kick-starting a movement that quickly spread across the industry and inspired a generation of entrepreneurs. Now he’s back with his latest, The Startup Way, examining different kinds of companies and organizations beyond the startup and how they can leverage key entrepreneurial tactics and principles to grow and create impact in today’s fast-paced economy.

Case studies include icons such as General Electric (GE) and Toyota, tech heavyweights such as Amazon and Facebook, and Silicon Valley darlings such as Airbnb and Twilio. They also include nongovernmental organizations

The Immigration Impasse 10/26

(NGOs) and governments. Whether you’re an entrepreneur, a startup employee, a consumer or just plain curious, Ries has insights for you!

SAN FRANCISCO • INFORUM PROGRAM • Location: 110 The Embarcadero, San Francisco • Time: 5:30 p.m. check-in, 6:30 p.m. program, 7:45 p.m. book signing

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 26 THE IMMIGRATION IMPASSE

Sasha Polakow-Suransky, Former Op-Ed Editor, The New York Times; Senior Editor, Foreign Affairs; Author, Go Back to Where You Came From

Socially dangerous views on immigration were once confined to the margins of political discourse. Now, in the wake of refugee crises and terrorist attacks, many believe these sentiments have become politically more acceptable, helping propel Donald Trump to the White House, influence the vote on Brexit and make Marine Le Pen popular in France.

Go Back to Where You Came From explains how we got here and why the extreme Right has grown stronger in countries that have historically been defenders of human rights and models of tolerance. By combining narrative history and on-the-ground reporting, including interviews with refugees, alt-right activists, the rising stars of the new Right and the intellectuals who enabled them, Sasha Polakow-Suransky shows how this phenomenon has quickly reshaped the political landscape.

SAN FRANCISCO • Location: 110 The Embarcadero, San Francisco • Time: 11:30 a.m. checkin, noon program, 1 p.m. book signing • MLF: Humanities • Program organizer: George Hammond

SAN FRANCISCO ARCHITECTURE WALKING TOUR Explore San Francisco’s Financial District with historian Rick Evans and learn the his-

For current prices, call 415.597.6705 or go to commonwealthclub.org

The Sierra Club at 125 Years 10/26

tory and stories behind some of our city’s remarkable structures, streets and public squares. Hear about the famous architects who influenced the building of San Francisco after the 1906 earthquake. Discover hardto-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!

SAN FRANCISCO • Location: Galleria Park Hotel, 191 Sutter St., San Francisco • Time: 1:45 p.m. check-in, 2–4:30 p.m. walk • Notes: The tour involves walking up and down stairs but covers less than one mile of walking in the Financial District; operates rain or shine; limited to 20 participants; tickets must be purchased in advance and will not be sold at check-in.

THE SIERRA CLUB AT 125 YEARS: FROM YOSEMITE TO CLIMATE CHANGE

Bruce Hamilton, Deputy Executive Director, the Sierra Club

Founded in 1892, the Sierra Club has evolved into the most effective grassroots environmental advocacy organization in the United States. Over 125 years in action, the Sierra Club started as a group tasked with protecting the Sierra Nevada. The club expanded to work on climate change, environmental justice, gender equity, green jobs and sustainable trade, food and agriculture as well as ecosystems protection and restoration.

Over the years, the club has been a major force in efforts to support sustainability and the environment. Today, the club has rallied to head off what it sees as attempts by the Trump administration and others to dismantle years of environmental work, heritage and progress. Join us to learn more about all that the Sierra Club has done and will continue to do to protect our environment, health, safety and future.

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Matthew Walker: Why We Sleep 10/26 SAN FRANCISCO • Location: 110 The Embarcadero, San Francisco • Time: 5:30 p.m. check-in, 6 p.m. program • MLF: Environment & Natural Resources • Program organizer: Ann Clark

ONE RUSSIA, TWO TAUBMANS

William Taubman, Political Science Professor Emeritus, Amherst College; Author, Gorbachev and The Pulitzer Prize-Winning Khrushchev: The Man and His Era In Conversation with Philip Taubman, Consulting Professor, Stanford’s Center for International Security and Cooperation; Former Moscow Bureau Chief, The New York Times

Brothers William and Philip Taubman know Russia well. William Taubman’s Khrushchev won the Pulitzer Prize, and his new book, Gorbachev, is already being critically praised as a riveting story of how the leader of “the evil empire” forged a peaceful partnership with the United States. It is also a compelling history of the Soviet Union and Russia. Philip Taubman worked for The New York Times as a reporter and editor for nearly 30 years, specializing in national security issues, including intelligence and defense policies. Come for a unique conversation about Russia then and now and what William Taubman terms “the importance of leaders who understood that the value of power is its ability to create a better world.”

SAN FRANCISCO • Location: 110 The Embarcadero, San Francisco • Time: 5:45 p.m. checkin, 6:30 p.m. program, 7:30 p.m. book signing • Notes: William Taubman photo by and copyright Michele Stapleton; Philip Taubman photo by Linda A. Cicero, Stanford News

MATTHEW WALKER: WHY WE SLEEP

Matt Walker, Professor of Neuroscience and Psychology, UC Berkeley; Director, the Sleep and Neuroimaging Laboratory; Author, Why We Sleep: Unlocking the Power of Sleep and Dreams

Intractable National Problems 10/27

Alison van Diggelen, Host, “Fresh Dialogues”; Contributor, BBC—Moderator

Sleep is one of the most important but least understood aspects of our lives. It affects our wellness and longevity, and yet questions about why we sleep and its purpose have only recently been answered. Neuroscientist and sleep expert Matt Walker provides a new understanding of sleep and how it affects our ability to learn, memorize and make logical decisions. He will also answer questions about dreaming, sleep patterns, aging and disease prevention.

SILICON VALLEY • Location: Cubberley Theatre (near Montrose and Middlefield), 4000 Middlefield Rd., Palo Alto • Time: 6:30 p.m. check-in, 7 p.m. program, 8 p.m. book signing

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 27 A PRACTICAL APPROACH TO INTRACTABLE NATIONAL PROBLEMS

Rob Fersh, President and Founder, Convergence Center for Policy Resolution In Conversation with Mark Zitter, Chair, the Zetema Project

America today seems divided into increasingly polarized factions. Political parties, industries, activists, nonprofit organizations, and ethnic and religious groups not only disagree vehemently but also doubt one another’s intellect, values and sincerity. It’s hard to imagine reaching consensus on the issues that divide us if we can’t even have civil discourse.

Fortunately, there are proven approaches to getting competing players not only to talk but also to reach meaningful agreement. Since 2009, Convergence has convened people and groups with divergent views to build trust, identify solutions and form alliances for action on critical national issues. Using a structured process that typically takes 12–24 months: • leading health care experts from all political stripes developed bipartisan pathways forward on the health care debate that currently OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2017

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Girls of the Golden West 10/30

roils the nation.

• teachers’ unions, charter school advocates,

school administrators and others collaborated on a transformational vision for K-12 education.

• nutritionists, convenience stores, fast food companies and public health experts agreed on recommendations for encouraging healthy eating among Americans.

Convergence president Rob Fersh will discuss the organization’s origins, its impact so far, its “special sauce” for bridging divides, and its vision for a more collaborative, civil and productive society.

SAN FRANCISCO • Location: 110 The Embarcadero, San Francisco • Time: 11:30 a.m. checkin, noon program • MLF: Health & Medicine • Program organizer: Mark Zitter

MONDAY, OCTOBER 30 JOHN ADAMS, PETER SELLARS AND GIRLS OF THE GOLDEN WEST

Peter Sellars, Renowned Librettist and Director; Director, “Nixon in China” Matthew Shilvock, General Director, San Francisco Opera

San Francisco Opera’s world premiere of “Girls of the Golden West,” set during the 1850s California Gold Rush, was created by the renowned team: composer John Adams and director/librettist Peter Sellars. A panel of production makers and designers will interpret the mix of wildness, optimism, greed, violence, humor and racial prejudices in the stories of three Gold Rush women whose lives intersected in a small mining community in the Sierra Nevada mountains in 1850. “Girls of the Golden West” is based on factual events and persons.

SAN FRANCISCO • Location: 110 The Embarcadero, San Francisco • Time: 11:30 a.m. checkin, noon program • MLF: Arts, Humanities • Program organizer: Anne W. Smith • Notes: In association with San Francisco Opera

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Steve Forbes 10/31

MIDDLE EAST FORUM DISCUSSION The Middle East Forum discussion group, which primarily covers the Middle East, North Africa and Afghanistan, has been meeting for 10 years. We are not a debate group. We discuss timely, cultural subjects in a civil atmosphere with respect for others and their opinions.

SAN FRANCISCO • Location: 110 The Embarcadero, San Francisco • Time: 6 p.m. program • MLF: Middle East • Program organizer: Celia Menczel

DEFEATING DOMESTIC VIOLENCE: PERSPECTIVES FOR SOCIETAL CHANGE

Jill Zawisza, Executive Director, Women Organized to Make Abuse Nonexistent Inc. Additional Panelists TBA

Recent campaign scandals and celebrity arrests have brought discussions on gender quality and domestic violence to the forefront in the news. But for many Californians, domestic violence is not just a news story. In fact, a staggering 40 percent of female Californians report having been victims of domestic violence.

How can we understand this devastating societal issue and seek to address its root causes?

Join our discussion as we talk about new studies on domestic violence in California and discuss shocking new findings on racial disparities and perceptions of gender roles.

SAN FRANCISCO • LOCATION: 110 The Embarcadero, San Francisco • Time: 5:30 p.m. checkin, 6:30 p.m. program • Notes: The program is supported by Blue Shield of California Foundation

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 31 STEVE FORBES: THE ECONOMY, STOCKS, TAXES AND HEALTH CARE—WHAT’S NEXT?

Steve Forbes, Chairman and Editor-in-Chief, Forbes Media; Author, Reviving America: How Repealing Obamacare, Replacing the Tax Code, and Reforming The Fed will

Opressive Heat 10/31

Restore Hope and Prosperity John Farmer, Past Chair, Commonwealth Club Board of Governors; Retired General Partner, Goldman Sachs—Moderator

Should Americans be optimistic or pessimistic about the state of the country heading into 2018? Come hear from one of America’s leading conservative pundits. Steve Forbes is chairman of Forbes Media, which publishes Forbes magazine. In both 1996 and 2000, Forbes campaigned vigorously for the Republican nomination for the presidency. Key components to his platform included a flat tax, medical savings accounts, a new Social Security system for working Americans, parental school choice, term limits and a strong national defense. Forbes continues to energetically promote this agenda. Bring your questions.

SAN FRANCISCO • Location: 110 The Embarcadero, San Francisco • Time: 11 a.m. check-in, noon program, 1 p.m. book signing • Notes: Attendees subject to search

OPPRESSIVE HEAT: CLIMATE CHANGE AND CIVIL RIGHTS

Rev. Gerald Durley, Ph.D., Pastor Emeritus, Providence Missionary Baptist Church of Atlanta, Georgia Greg Dalton, Founder & Host, Climate One

While solar panels and electric cars are typically associated with upper-class white people, the transition to clean energy is also a civil rights issue. Communities of color often live closest to factories and refineries that spew toxic pollution. That’s one reason why polls show more African-Americans and Latinos, compared to non-Hispanic whites, say climate change is a serious concern. Rev. Gerald Durley works with preachers and activists across the country advocating for a cleaner and more inclusive economy. Join us for a conversation about the climate and civil rights movements.

SAN FRANCISCO • CLIMATE ONE PROGRAM •

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Dog As My Doctor, Cat As My Nurse 11/1 Location: 110 The Embarcadero, San Francisco • Time: 6 p.m. check-in, 6:30 p.m. program, 7:30 p.m. networking reception • Notes: Photo by Lawrence Jackson

WEEK TO WEEK POLITICS ROUNDTABLE AND SOCIAL HOUR 10/31/17

Carson Bruno, Assistant Dean for Admission and Program Relations, School of Public Policy, Pepperdine University; Author, California Realpolitik Newsletter Additional Panelists TBA

Nearly a year after Donald Trump was elected president, what has happened? What has changed? What promises have been kept and not kept? We’ll discuss the biggest, most controversial and sometimes the surprising political issues with expert commentary by panelists who are smart, are civil and have a good sense of humor. Join our panelists for informative and engaging commentary on political and other major news, audience discussion of the week’s events, and our live news quiz! Come early to meet other smart and engaged individuals and discuss the news over snacks and wine at our member social (open to all attendees).

SAN FRANCISCO • WEEK TO WEEK PROGRAM • Location: 110 The Embarcadero, San Francisco • Time: 5:30 p.m. wine-and-snacks social, 6:30 p.m. program

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 1 DOG AS MY DOCTOR, CAT AS MY NURSE

Carlyn Montes De Oca, Marin Wellness Coach; Animal–Human Health Expert; Author, Dog as My Doctor, Cat as My Nurse

Marin wellness coach Carlyn Montes De Oca, an animal–human health expert and author of Dog as My Doctor, Cat as My Nurse, will share the surprising ways that our furry best friends can make us healthier and happier.

Speaking from her book, Montes De Oca will

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Celebrating Oliver Sacks 11/1

explore the many ways our animal companions enhance our health and well-being. She will relay heart-warming stories of healing, transformation and redemption. Hoping to inspire more pet adoptions, Montes De Oca is eager to share how pets can be terrific lifelines, adding years to owners’ lives.

SAN FRANCISCO • Location: 110 The Embarcadero, San Francisco • Time: 4:45 p.m. networking reception, 5:15 p.m. program • MLF: Grownups • Program organizer: John Milford

BEN FRANKLIN CIRCLES Join us monthly, every first Wednesday, for a 21st-century version of Ben Franklin’s mutual improvement club. One evening a week, for more than 40 years, the founding father discussed and debated with his friends the 13 virtues that he felt formed the basis for personal and civic improvement, a list he created when he was 20 years old. The virtues to which he aspired included justice, resolution and humility.

(But don’t misunderstand Ben on that one— his explanation of humility was “imitate Jesus and Socrates.”)

State Bird Provisions in Your Kitchen 11/2

Tourette’s syndrome and schizophrenia to a general audience. A true polymath, Sacks explored many other topics both scientific and poetic, and he frequently turned his inquisitive mind onto his own experiences.

Sacks’ book, The River of Consciousness, is a posthumous collection of essays that reveals Sacks’ ability to make unexpected connections while also showing Sacks’ sheer joy in knowledge and uncovering his unceasing, timeless project to understand what makes us human.

SAN FRANCISCO • Location: 110 The Embarcadero, San Francisco • Time: 6 p.m. check-in, 6:30 p.m. program

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 2 CHINATOWN WALKING TOUR 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.

SAN FRANCISCO • Location: 110 The Embarcadero, San Francisco • Time: 6 p.m. check-in, 6:30 p.m. program • MLF: Humanities • Program organizer: George Hammond

SAN FRANCISCO • Location: Starbucks, 359 Grant Ave., San Francisco • Time: 9:45 a.m. check-in, 10–12:30 p.m. walk • Notes: The temple visit requires walking up three flights of stairs; operates rain or shine; tickets must be purchased in advance and will not be sold at check-in

CELEBRATING THE LIFE AND WORK OF OLIVER SACKS

STATE BIRD PROVISIONS IN YOUR KITCHEN

Bill Hayes, Writer, Photographer and Contributor, The New York Times Steve Silberman, Science Writer Victoria Sweet, Associate Clinical Professor of Medicine, UC San Francisco

Oliver Sacks, scientist and storyteller, was one of the most talented minds of our time.

He offered us some of the most compelling and seminal ideas on evolution, consciousness, creativity and more, with passion and honesty.

Sacks was instrumental in introducing autism,

Stuart Brioza, Chef and Owner, State Bird Provisions and The Progress; Author, State Bird Provisions: A Cookbook Nicole Krasinski, Pastry Chef and Owner, State Bird Provisions and The Progress; Author, State Bird Provisions: A Cookbook Jonathan Kauffman, Food and Culture Reporter, San Francisco Chronicle; Author, Hippie Food (Forthcoming)—Moderator

Chefs Stuart Brioza and Nicole Krasinski always have a line out the door for their OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2017

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Trauma and Resillience 11/3

award-winning dishes. Inspired by years of catering parties, the dynamic husband-and-wife duo adopted a casual dim sum cart style of small plates at their debut restaurant, State Bird Provisions. They expanded with The Progress, a place where the menu feels like a dinner party banquet. Both restaurants garnered critical acclaim, including multiple James Beard Awards and Michelin Stars, and their shared special event space, The Workshop, creates even more opportunities for good food and community.

Now Brioza and Krasinski want to get into your kitchen too. Join us as they discuss their first book, State Bird Provisions: A Cookbook.

SAN FRANCISCO • INFORUM PROGRAM • Location: 110 The Embarcadero, San Francisco • Time: 6 p.m. check-in and premium reception, 7 p.m. program, 8:15 p.m. book signing • Notes: This is a Food Lit event, underwritten by the Bernard Osher Foundation

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 3

TRAUMA AND RESILIENCE: WHY SOME FEMALE SURVIVORS ARE MORE RESILIENT THAN OTHERS

Rachel Lev, Psychotherapist; Junior Council Member, Safe Horizons

As the daughter of a Holocaust survivor who went into hiding, Rachel Lev has always been fascinated by the resilience of people who survive extreme trauma. Her father’s story was one reason, among others, that she collaborated on Collective Trauma, Collective Recovery: Promoting Community Resilience in the Aftermath of Disaster, a book that examines resilience in the face of political genocide and natural disaster.

After finishing this study, Lev spent years working with women who survived genocide as well as domestic and sexual violence. A question guiding Lev’s academic and therapeutic work has been: Why are some women more resilient than others?

SAN FRANCISCO • Location: 110 The Embar-

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The Road to Sleeping Dragon 11/6 cadero, San Francisco • Time: 11:30 a.m. checkin, noon program, 1 p.m. book signing • MLF: Grownups • Program organizer: Patrick O’Reilly

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 6

THE ROAD TO SLEEPING DRAGON: LEARNING CHINA FROM THE GROUND UP

Michael Meyer, Author, The Last Days of Old Beijing, In Manchuria and The Road to Sleeping Dragon: Learning China from the Ground Up; Award-Winning Travel Writer

In 1995, at the age of 23, Meyer went to live in a tiny town in Sichuan, China, as a Peace Corps volunteer. He knew nothing about China, not even how to use chopsticks. Thus began his 20-year journey of immersion into Chinese life. In his new book, Meyer captures with humor and insight what it feels like to learn a language, culture and history from the ground up. He discusses understanding the legal system from inside a Chinese courtroom; how politics functions on the ground, showing how he lobbied Wolong officials to not build a “panda coaster” in “Sleeping Dragon,” the world’s largest panda preserve; and interviewing the acclaimed political artist Ai Weiwei in his Beijing studio. In his talk, he will recount his journey via photographs and firsthand personal accounts, including the challenging but charming process of courting his future wife.

SAN FRANCISCO • Location: 110 The Embarcadero, San Francisco • Time: 5:30 p.m. networking reception, 6 p.m. program, 7 p.m. book signing • MLF: Asia-Pacific Affairs • Program organizer: Carmen Ho

POLICING IN AMERICA: FORCE, SURVEILLANCE AND THE FUTURE

Barry Friedman, Professor of Law, New York University; Director, The Policing Project; Author, Unwarranted: Policing Without Permission George Gascón, District Attorney, City and

Policing In America 11/6

County of San Francisco; Former Police Chief, San Francisco

As the debate about out-of-control policing continues, come hear a provocative discussion about threats to constitutional rights involving the use of force and surveillance by law enforcement agencies and how those threats can be kept in check. Panelist Barry Friedman, a noted authority on constitutional law, argues that the problem is not so much the policing agencies as it is the rest of us. He says we allow these agencies to operate in secret and to decide how to police us, and that it’s time for citizens to take responsibility for governing those who govern us. San Francisco District Attorney George Gascón established a blue-ribbon panel on transparency, accountability and fairness in law enforcement as an advisory body in 2015.

What should be the parameters of policing?

Bring your questions.

SAN FRANCISCO • Location: 110 The Embarcadero, San Francisco • Time: 5:30 p.m. checkin, 6:30 p.m. program, 7:30 p.m. book signing • Notes: Barry Friedman photo by and copyright Abby Cope

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 7 WHISTLEBLOWERS, DRONE WARFARE AND SURVEILLANCE: A GRAPHIC HISTORY

Pratap Chatterjee, Investigative Reporter on U.S. Warfare and Technology; Commentator, BBC, CNN, Fox and MSNBC; Journalist, The New Republic, the Financial Times and The Guardian; Author, Verax: The True History of Whistleblowers, Drone Warfare, and Mass Surveillance: A Graphic Novel Khalil Bendib, Co-Author, New York Times Best Seller Zahra’s Paradise; Co-Host, “Voices of the Middle East and North Africa”; Former Political Cartoonist, The San Bernardino Sun; Author, Verax: The True History of Whistleblowers, Drone Warfare, and Mass

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Climate Game Changer: How San Francisco’s Compost Could Heal the Planet 11/8

Surveillance: A Graphic Novel Barry Eisler, Former CIA Directorate of Operations; Author, The God’s Eye View— Moderator

Want to get the full story on post-9/11 American electronic surveillance … in the form of a graphic novel? Chatterjee and Bendib explain the many ways that governments track individuals and countries, highlighting the complicity of tech giants such as Apple, Verizon and Google in these covert operations. They also share the stories of the journalists and whistleblowers such as Julian Assange and Edward Snowden, who blew the lid off electronic surveillance operations and exposed them for the entire world to see. Finally, Chatterjee and Bendib will predict the future of electronic surveillance practices and those who choose to resist them, asking: Whose side are you on?

SAN FRANCISCO • INFORUM PROGRAM • Location: 110 The Embarcadero, San Francisco • Time: 5:30 p.m. check-in, 6:30 p.m. program, 7:45 p.m. book signing

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 8 CLIMATE GAME CHANGER: HOW SAN FRANCISCO’S COMPOST COULD HEAL THE PLANET

Robert Haley, Zero Waste Program Manager, San Francisco Department of the Environment John Wick, Rancher; Co-Founder, Marin Carbon Project; Venture Philanthropist Dana Gunners, Senior Scientist, Food and Agriculture Program at the Natural Resources Defense Council Debbie Raphael, Director, San Francisco Department of Environment

In 2000, San Francisco became the first major city in the country to offer curbside collection of food scraps and yard trimmings.

Today, the city collects nearly 700 tons of com-

commonwealthclub.org/events

postable material daily, giving these materials a second life as high-value, commercial-grade compost. Compost is sold to vineyards, farms and rangelands, creating a circular economy with big benefits. The biggest benefit, perhaps, is the recent discovery that compost applied to California rangelands and orchards is helping to pull carbon out of the atmosphere. Yet food waste, a primary feedstock for compost, continues to be the single biggest occupant of landfills in America and is a significant contributor to harmful methane emissions—a pollutant 28 times more toxic than carbon dioxide. Join us for a discussion about how zero-waste efforts such as composting and waste prevention could reverse climate change and help heal the planet.

SAN FRANCISCO • Location: 110 The Embarcadero, San Francisco • Time: 5:30 p.m. networking reception, 6 p.m. program • MLF: Environment & Natural Resources • Program organizer: Ann Clark

JEFF GOODELL: THE WATER WILL COME

Jeff Goodell, Author, The Water Will Come: Rising Seas, Sinking Cities, and the Remaking of the Civilized World Greg Dalton, Founder and Host, Climate One Additional Speakers TBA

From melting glaciers to alternating droughts and floods, water is the most visible and tangible impact of climate disruption. From Hurricane Harvey to sunny day flooding in Florida, thousands of Americans are dealing with too much storm water and rising seawater. Protecting people and property from all that water will cost unfathomable amounts of money and alter the lives of most people living on Earth.

SAN FRANCISCO • CLIMATE ONE PROGRAM • Location: 110 The Embarcadero, San Francisco • Time: 6 p.m. check-in, 6:30 p.m. program, 7:30 p.m. networking reception

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 9 THE HACKING OF THE AMERICAN MIND

Robert H. Lustig, M.D., Professor of Pediatrics, Division of Endocrinology, University of California, San Francisco; Director, UCSF Weight Assessment for Teen and Child Health (WATCH) Program

What is the difference between pleasure and happiness? These two positive emotions are often confused, yet they couldn’t be more different. Lustig says that pleasure is short-lived, visceral, usually experienced alone, and achievable with substances. Happiness, by contrast, is often the opposite—long-lived, ethereal, often experienced in social groups and cannot be achieved through substances. Pleasure is taking, while happiness is giving; pleasure relies on dopamine, while happiness relies on serotonin.

In the last 45 years—in order to sell us their junk—Wall Street, Madison Avenue, Las Vegas and Silicon Valley have conflated pleasure with happiness so that we don’t know the difference anymore. Congress and the Supreme Court have codified corporate behavior, leaving us addicted and depressed. In the process, society has become fat, sick, stupid and broke.

Some say the only way to reverse this is by understanding the science of these two ostensibly “positive” emotions—how they interact and how to modulate them. Otherwise, those who abdicate happiness for pleasure will end up with neither.

SAN FRANCISCO • Location: 110 The Embarcadero, San Francisco • Time: 5:30 p.m. check-in, 6 p.m. program • MLF: Health & Medicine • Program organizer: Patty James

IMPROVING SLEEP

Patrick J. Yam, CEO, Chairman and Co-Founder, Somnology Inc.; Former CEO, Sensei Partners LLC OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2017

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Improving Sleep 11/9

Melissa Lim, M.D., Co-Founder and Chief Medical Officer, Somnology Inc; Board-Certified Sleep Specialist In Conversation with Lenny Mendonca, Member, Commonwealth Club’s Board of Directors

Today, more than 70 million people domestically and, according to the World Health Organization, more than 1 billion people worldwide are afflicted with sleep disorders. According to a Harvard Medical School study, the economic and medical costs attributed to sleep disorders range from $65 to $167 billion annually. Yet sleep disorders remain a benign secondary consideration for most people. With the advancement of current technology, it has become less complicated to accurately monitor and assess sleep disorders on a real-time basis. Better sleep improves overall quality of life while reducing susceptibility to related comorbidities (i.e., heart disease, cognitive decline, obesity).

In collaboration with the National Institute of Health (NIH), Somnology is studying the correlation between sleep disorders and its adverse impact on metabolic diseases such as obesity.

SAN FRANCISCO • Location: 110 The Embarcadero, San Francisco • Time: 5:30 p.m. networking reception, 6 p.m. program • MLF: Health & Medicine • Program organizer: Bill Grant

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 13 WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT KENNETH WALSH: AN INSIDER’S LOOK AT THE PRESIDENCY

Kenneth Walsh, Chief White House Correspondent, U.S. News & World Report; Author, Ultimate Insiders: White House Photographers and How They Shape History

Kenneth Walsh is one of the longest-serving White House correspondents in history and has traveled to more than 70 countries as part of his job. He joined U.S. News in 1984 as a congressional correspondent and has covered

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the presidency, presidential campaigns and national politics for over three decades. Join Walsh for an insider’s view of a group of people virtually unknown to the public: White House photographers. With photos and commentary, Walsh will reveal how these visual historians can make or break a presidential administration as well as define an era.

SAN FRANCISCO • Location: 110 The Embarcadero, San Francisco • Time: 11:15 a.m. checkin, noon program, 1 p.m. book signing

REBOOTING THE ENLIGHTENMENT IN THE AGE OF TRUMP

Caroline Winterer, Professor of History and, by Courtesy, of Classics, Stanford University; Anthony P. Meier Family Professor in the Humanities; Director, Stanford Humanities Center Mark Peterson, Chairman, Department of History at UC Berkeley Peter Dale Scott, Author, The American Deep State

Monday Night Philosophy considers the variety of ways scholars are, or should be, responding to the gradual shift in norms in public discourse that social media has wrought—a shift that sped up the day Donald Trump announced that he was running for president in June 2015. Standards that have been taken for granted for many decades, with rare breaches proving the unwritten rule, seem to have disappeared overnight.

Hear our panel discuss how enlightenment values might regain the upper hand, resulting in political leaders who at least nominally favor rational discussion, facts, scientific explanations and social policies devoted to the greater good.

SAN FRANCISCO • Location: 110 The Embarcadero, San Francisco • Time: 5:30 p.m. networking reception, 6 p.m. program • MLF: Humanities • Program organizer: George Hammond • Notes: In association with Humanities West

Kenneth Walsh 11/13

WEEK TO WEEK POLITICS ROUNDTABLE AND SOCIAL HOUR 11/13/17

Carson Bruno, Assistant Dean for Admission and Program Relations, School of Public Policy, Pepperdine University; Author, California Realpolitik Newsletter Additional Panelists TBA

The past year has been a whirlwind of major news stories breaking weekly and sometimes daily.

We’ll discuss the biggest, most controversial and sometimes the surprising political issues with expert commentary by panelists who are smart, are civil and have a good sense of humor. Join our panelists for informative and engaging commentary on political and other major news, audience discussion of the week’s events, and our live news quiz! Come early before the program to meet other smart and engaged individuals and discuss the news over snacks and wine at our social hour.

SAN FRANCISCO • WEEK TO WEEK PROGRAM • Location: 110 The Embarcadero, San Francisco • Time: 5:30 p.m. wine-and-snacks social, 6:30 p.m. program

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 14 A HOLIDAY TOAST TO THE 2017 WINE HARVEST: SUSTAINABLE PRACTICES AND PAIRINGS

Beth Novak, President and CEO, Spottswoode Estate Vineyard and Winery Jake Terrell, Vineyard Manager, St. Francis Winery and Vineyards Allison Jordan, Executive Director, California Sustainable Winegrowing Alliance— Moderator

Join our distinguished panelists as they share their year-long journey toward the 2017 vineyard harvest and their commitments to environmental stewardship, social responsibility and the desire to keep land and businesses sustainable for future generations.

For current prices, call 415.597.6705 or go to commonwealthclub.org

Introvert’s Guide to Getting Out There 11/14

Following the program, continue the conversation with our panel and celebrate the holidays with a tasting of outstanding wines, including wines from Spottswoode Estate, St. Francis Winery, Francis Ford Coppola Winery and Monterey Pacific Inc. Winery.

SAN FRANCISCO • Location: 110 The Embarcadero, San Francisco • Time: 5:30 p.m. guest registration and networking, 6 p.m. program, 7 p.m. wine tasting • MLF: Environment & Natural Resources • Program organizer: Ann Clark

AN INTROVERT’S GUIDE TO GETTING OUT THERE

Morra Aarons-Mele, Founder, Women Online; Podcast Host, “Hiding in the Bathroom”; Creator, The Mission List; Author, Hiding in the Bathroom: An Introvert’s Roadmap to Getting Out There (When You’d Rather Stay Home)

Do you have to be an extrovert to be successful in today’s hyper-social world? Author Morra Aarons-Mele says no: She argues that the common belief that success can only be the result of constant networking, deal-making and “leaning in” is nonsense.

In her new book, Aarons-Mele covers how she and others approach everything from schmoozing to FOMO (fear of missing out) to open-plan offices. She demonstrates that there is more than one “type” of person and highlights how each of us can reach our goals without conforming to a one-size-fits-all lifestyle.

SAN FRANCISCO • INFORUM PROGRAM • Location: 110 The Embarcadero, San Francisco • Time: 5:30 p.m. check-in, 6:30 p.m. program, 7:45 p.m. book signing

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 15 FAULT LINES IN THE CONSTITUTION

Cynthia Levinson, Co-Author, Fault Lines in the Constitution Sanford Levinson, Professor of Government; W. St. John Garwood and W. St. John Garwood Jr. Centennial Chair in Law, Univer-

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Fault Lines in Constitution 11/15

sity of Texas at Austin; Co-Author, Fault Lines in the Constitution

Many of the political issues we struggle with today have their roots in the U.S. Constitution. Cynthia and Sanford Levinson take readers back to the creation of this historic document and discuss how contemporary problems caused by the electoral college, gerrymandering and even the Senate have their origins in an overheated room in 1787. Many of us take these features in our system for granted, but they came about through haggling, and we’re still stuck with their ramifications. In this timely and thoughtful exploration of the Constitution’s creation, the Levinsons start each chapter with a true story that connects directly back to a section of the document that now forms the basis of our society and government. They also raise important questions about what kind of civic education our children should be receiving.

SAN FRANCISCO • Location: 110 The Embarcadero, San Francisco • Time: 5:30 p.m. networking reception, 6 p.m. program, 7 p.m. book signing • MLF: Humanities • Program organizer: George Hammond

HUMANITIES WEST BOOK DISCUSSION: THE PEOPLES OF SICILY: A MULTICULTURAL LEGACY Join us to discuss The Peoples of Sicily: A Multicultural Legacy, by Jacqueline Alio and Louis Medola. Home to Normans, Byzantines, Arabs, Germans and Jews, 12th-century Sicily was a crossroads of cultures and faiths, the epitome of diversity. Here Europe, Asia and Africa met, with magical results. Bilingualism was the norm, women’s rights were defended, and the environment was protected. Literacy among Sicilians soared. It was higher during this ephemeral golden age than it was seven centuries later. Can the eclectic medieval his-

Lawrence O’Donnell Playing with Fire 11/16

tory of the world’s most conquered island be a lesson for our times? The discussion will be moderated by Lynn Harris.

SAN FRANCISCO • Location: 110 The Embarcadero, San Francisco • Time: 6 p.m. check-in, 6:30 p.m. program • MLF: Humanities • Program organizer: George Hammond

MSNBC’S LAWRENCE O’DONNELL: PLAYING WITH FIRE

Lawrence O’Donnell, Host, “The Last Word” on MSNBC; Author, Playing with Fire: The 1968 Election and the Transformation of American Politics

The 1968 U.S. presidential election fundamentally shaped modern American politics, and it was a transformative event in the life of a young Lawrence O’Donnell. Nothing went according to plan: Incumbent President Lyndon B. Johnson believed he would easily defeat Richard Nixon, former Republican vice president and California senator, until anti-war protests forced his withdrawal. The upstart Democratic candidate Robert F. Kennedy quickly secured the national spotlight, only to be tragically assassinated in Los Angeles that June.

While Nixon remained the front-runner, Hubert Humphrey, the last remaining cog of the Democratic political machine, was closing in. To defeat him, Nixon pulled off one of the greatest dirty tricks in American political history; 1968 set the tone for Watergate and all else that has followed in the new era of modern politics.

SAN FRANCISCO • Location: Marines’ Memorial Theatre, 609 Sutter St., 2nd floor, San Francisco • Time: 6 p.m. check-in, 7 p.m. program, 8 p.m. book signing

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 16 NORTH BEACH WALKING TOUR Join another Commonwealth Club neighborhood adventure! Explore vibrant North OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2017

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The Younger Protocol 11/16

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 hangouts, you’ll discover authentic Italian cathedrals and coffee shops.

SAN FRANCISCO • Location: Victoria Pastry Cafe, 700 Filbert St., San Francisco • Time: 1:45 p.m. check-in, 2–4:30 p.m. walk • Notes: Take Muni bus 30, 41 or 45; use North Beach Parking Garage on 735 Vallejo St.; tour operates rain or shine; limited to 20 participants; tickets must be purchased in advance and will not be sold at check-in

THE YOUNGER PROTOCOL: THREE BREAKTHROUGH STRATEGIES TO REVERSE “INFLAMMAGING,” RESET GENE EXPRESSION AND LENGTHEN HEALTHSPAN

Sara Gottfried, M.D., Health Expert; Author, Younger

The younger protocol shows how to recognize the warning signs of aging and inflammation (“inflammaging”)—worsening vision, weight gain, loss of muscle mass, thinner skin and faulty memory—and turn them around with evidence-based functional medicine. Recent data shows that 90 percent of disease is caused not by genes but by the environment surrounding your genes, much of which can be modified with lifestyle choices.

Applying the science of epigenetics—the interaction of genes with the environment, which leads to heritable changes in the way DNA is expressed in your body—you will learn three key strategies that modulate the genes of aging.

These strategies are taken from Gottfried’s seven-week protocol, which is the basis of her new book, Younger. The goal is to lengthen one’s healthspan—the period of time when you feel young, healthy, and in your prime—relatively

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Dan Ariely and Jeff Kreisler: Money Myths 11/16

free of disease.

SAN FRANCISCO • Location: 110 The Embarcadero, San Francisco • Time: 5:30 p.m. check-in, 6 p.m. program • MLF: Health & Medicine • Program organizer: Patty James

BIRTH, HEALTH AND EQUITY

Lateefah Simon, President, Akonadi Foundation; BART Board Director for District 7; Civil Rights and Racial Justice Advocate

Join Lateefah Simon, president of the Akonadi Foundation, BART board director for District 7, and civil rights and racial justice advocate, as she discusses how race, wealth, location and other factors affect the health and experiences of individuals and families. Simon will also discuss what we can do to level the playing field.

SAN FRANCISCO • INFORUM PROGRAM • Location: 110 The Embarcadero, San Francisco • Time: 5:30 p.m. check-in, 6:30 p.m. program • Notes: In partnership with UC San Francisco’s Preterm Birth Initiative (PTBi)

DAN ARIELY AND JEFF KREISLER: MONEY MYTHS

Dan Ariely, Professor of Psychology and Behavioral Economics, Duke University; Co-Author, Dollars and Sense: How We Misthink Money and How to Spend Smarter Jeff Kreisler, Comedian; Podcast Host; Co-Author, Dollars and Sense: How We Misthink Money and How to Spend Smarter

Dan Ariely and Jeff Kreisler explore the hidden motivations that are secretly driving our choices about money. They explain why our irrational behavior often interferes with our best intentions when it comes to managing our finances. Ariely and Kreisler cut through our unconscious fears and desires to help improve our spending habits. They offer tangible advice and lessons when it comes to credit card debt, household budgeting and holiday spending.

Learn how to make better financial choices by saving and spending smarter.

SILICON VALLEY • Location: Great America Ballrooms, Santa Clara Convention Center, 5001 Great America Parkway, Santa Clara • Time: 6:30 p.m. check-in, 7 p.m. program, 8 p.m. book signing

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 20

SOCRATES CAFÉ One Monday evening of every month the Humanities Forum sponsors Socrates Café at The Commonwealth Club. Each meeting is devoted to the discussion of a philosophical topic chosen at that meeting. The group’s facilitator, John Nyquist, invites participants to suggest topics, which are then voted on. The person who proposed the most popular topic is asked to briefly explain why she or he considers that topic interesting and important. An open discussion follows, and the meeting ends with a summary of the various perspectives participants expressed. Everyone is welcome to attend.

SAN FRANCISCO • Location: 110 The Embarcadero, San Francisco • Time: 6 p.m. check-in, 6:30–8 p.m. program • MLF: Humanities • Program organizer: George Hammond

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 27 WEEK TO WEEK POLITICS ROUNDTABLE AND SOCIAL HOUR 11/27/17 Panelists TBA

We’ll discuss the biggest, most controversial and sometimes the surprising political issues with expert commentary by panelists who are smart, are civil and have a good sense of humor.

Join our panelists for informative and engaging commentary on political and other major news, audience discussion of the week’s events, and our live news quiz! Come early before the program to meet other smart, engaged individuals and discuss the news over snacks and wine at our member social (open to all attendees).

SAN FRANCISCO • WEEK TO WEEK PROGRAM

For current prices, call 415.597.6705 or go to commonwealthclub.org

The Nature of Change 11/28 • Location: 110 The Embarcadero, San Francisco • Time: 5:30 p.m. wine-and-snacks social, 6:30 p.m. program

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 28 THE NATURE OF CHANGE: AN ECOLOGICAL JOURNEY OF THE PRESIDIO

Lewis Stringer, Supervisory Restoration Ecologist, Presidio Trust Jonathan Young, Wildlife Ecologist, Presidio Trust

Once an Army base, the Presidio of San Francisco became a national park in 1994.

Since that time, many acres of contaminated Army landfills and degraded lands have been remediated and restored to wetlands, sand dunes and grasslands that now support thriving populations of plant and animal species, some of which exist nowhere else in the world.

With the return of healthy habitat comes new and exciting opportunities to bring back locally extinct plants and wildlife to this urban park area. Join our Presidio ecologists as they discuss the transformation of nature in the Presidio’s past, present and future.

SAN FRANCISCO • Location: 110 The Embarcadero, San Francisco • Time: 5:30 p.m. check-in, 6 p.m. program • MLF: Environment & Natural Resources • Program organizer: Ann Clark

PETE SOUZA: AN INTIMATE PORTRAIT OF PRESIDENT OBAMA

Pete Souza, Chief Official White House Photographer for President Obama; Author, Obama: An Intimate Portrait

While Barack Obama’s presidency has come to a close, nearly two million photographs documenting this landmark era remain—all taken

by Pete Souza, who served as President Obama’s chief official White House photographer. In his new book, Obama: An Intimate Portrait, Souza will offer a look through his lens at what it was like to be alongside the leader of the free

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Pete Souza: An Intimate Portrait of President Obama 11/28

world in both moments of great victory and immense challenge. Souza served as the chief official White House photographer for the entire Obama administration. He’ll discuss what it was like to capture both the most important moments of the presidency as well as unguarded ones with the Obama family.

SAN FRANCISCO • Location: Marines’ Memorial Theatre, 609 Sutter St., 2nd floor, San Francisco • Time: 6 p.m. check-in, 7 p.m. program

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 30 DR. VICTORIA SWEET: SLOW MEDICINE

Victoria Sweet, M.D., Associate Clinical Professor of Medicine, UC San Francisco; Author, Slow Medicine: The Way to Healing

Since the turn of the century, new developments in technology have forever changed the way patients experience health care. From highly advanced surgical robots to quick and convenient telemedicine apps, the practice of medicine has become significantly more efficient than before. Indeed, the average time a doctor spends with a patient has been cut down to less than 10 minutes. Is this newfound efficiency leading to better health outcomes or lower costs for patients? Victoria Sweet, a veteran physician and acclaimed author, argues the opposite: that the drive for efficiency and the incorporation of new technology has actually changed American health care for the worse.

SAN FRANCISCO • Location: 110 The Embarcadero, San Francisco • Time: 11:30 a.m. check-in, noon program, 1 p.m. book signing

MIDDLE EAST FORUM DISCUSSION The Middle East Forum discussion group— which primarily covers the Middle East, North Africa and Afghanistan—has been meeting monthly for nine years. We are not a debate group. Each month we discuss timely cultural subjects in a civil atmosphere with respect for

others and their opinions.

SAN FRANCISCO • Location: 110 The Embarcadero, San Francisco • Time: 5 p.m. check-in, 5:30 p.m. program • MLF: Middle East • Program organizer: Celia Menczel

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 1 REZA ASLAN: UNDERSTANDING GOD

Reza Aslan, Author, God: A Human History Kirk Hanson, Executive Director, the Markkula Center for Applied Ethics—Moderator

Who is God? According to Reza Aslan, our desire to humanize God is hardwired in our brains, making it a central feature of nearly every religious tradition. Regardless of our actions or beliefs, Aslan says the majority of us consider God to be a divine version of ourselves. We bestow upon God not just all that is good in human nature but also our greed, bigotry and violence. All these qualities are reflected in religion, culture and government. Whether you believe in one God, many gods or no god, Aslan’s work could transform the way you think about the role of the divine in our everyday lives.

SILICON VALLEY • Location: Cubberley Theatre (near Montrose and Middlefield), 4000 Middlefield Rd., Palo Alto • Time: 6:30 p.m. check-in, 7 p.m. program, 8 p.m. book signing

LATE-BREAKING EVENTS MONDAY, OCT. 16 • SAN FRANCISCO

DETERIORATING PRESS FREEDOM IN THE MIDDLE EAST WEDNESDAY, OCT. 18 • SILICON VALLEY

RICHARD LOUV

MONDAY, OCT. 30 • SILICON VALLEY

NORTH KOREA, NUCLEAR WEAPONS AND THE THREAT OF WAR SEE WEBSITE FOR DETAILS OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2017

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INSIGHT A Sense of Place Dr. Gloria C. Duffy, President and CEO

I

n August, I visited the “mothership” of adult education and dialogue sites in the United States, the Chautauqua Institution near Lake Erie in Western New York State. Chautauqua was founded in 1784 by Methodist Bishop John Heyl Vincent and inventor Lewis Miller as a summer tent-camp to train Sunday school teachers. At that time, public education in the United States was not widespread, especially outside urban areas. Sunday schools were an important vehicle for teaching Bible studies and related knowledge such as the geography of the Holy Land, and were often the only form of education available to children of farmers and laborers.

Chautauqua was ecumenical from the start, and by the 1880s it broadened its focus to lectures and discussions on secular topics, including the arts, science and social issues. It grew from a tent camp to have permanent meeting halls, homes, guest houses, hotels, churches and recreational activities.

Chautauqua also inspired the Chautauqua Movement, through which replicas of the Institution grew up around the United States and Canada. At its height, there were several hundred “Chautauquas,” with 16 that still operate, including one in Boulder, Colorado.

Chautauqua gave rise to the Chautauqua Circuit, which toured lecturers and performers around the United States in large tents, especially to rural and industrial areas like mining communities. By 1920, more than 10,000 U.S. communities had hosted a Chautauqua meeting.

Chautauqua has always attracted interesting people. Thomas A. Edison, son-in-law of co-founder Lewis Miller, was part of its early circle. Speakers have included a litany of presidents and iconic figures such as Mark Twain, Booker T. Washington, Amelia Earhart and Duke Ellington.

I gave a Saturday afternoon Chautauqua talk entitled, “Leadership and Ethics.” It was held in the dramatic Hall of Philosophy, a replica of the Parthenon with an Adirondack-style wooden pediment atop Greek columns.

I stayed in a guest house where speakers are hosted. I was told that I didn’t need to lock the door of my room. I found the following inscription in the house’s guest book from Garrison Keillor, a prior occupant of my room who had obviously been told the same thing: The gentleman in 204 Decided to not lock his door And in came two speakers, Several truth seekers, And a drum and piccolo corps There are hundreds of buildings on the 750-acre Chautauqua campus, mostly delightfully Victorian. Many of the larger public buildings date from the Beaux Arts period of the early 20th Century, reflecting

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classical Greek and Roman architecture. There is a 6,000-seat modern wooden amphitheater at the center of the campus, used for performances of the resident Chautauqua Symphony and visiting dance, opera and other performing arts groups. There are also several theaters. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places and a National Registered Landmark District, the campus is lovingly maintained and Photo courtesy of Gloria Duffy absolutely gorgeous.

During my visit, I noticed two phenomena about Chautauqua. First, most major religions are represented with their own churches and guest houses on the campus, and Sunday morning is a melodious symphony of choir music from an ecumenical service in the central amphitheater and services at the surrounding denominational churches. But Chautauquans keep their religions, along with their politics, to themselves. They gather at talks, meals, on the decks of hotels and the porches of the small private homes that line the narrow pedestrian streets to discuss speakers, topics and concerns. But even though one may detect an undercurrent of unease, they shy away from aligning with or criticizing any particular political figure. This creates an opportunity for non-defensive, open discussion.

The other interesting thing is that Chautauqua, while not as widespread a movement as a century ago, is alive and well. More than 100,000 people attend Chautauqua programs at the New York campus each summer. I met people from all over the East Coast and Midwest, and a few from the West, who go to Chautauqua for some or all of the nine-week season. Many have been coming for years, following their parents and grandparents who attended before them.

They are as committed to learning and exchanging ideas as ever.

I was struck by how much a physical place can nurture and facilitate learning and dialogue. The Commonwealth Club cannot boast a giant historic campus. But with the opening of our first headquarters, specifically designed for the Club’s purpose and activities, we have the start of the permanence and sense of place that characterizes Chautauqua.

Our building is designed to be the best environment for dialogue we could create, including a beautiful location, formal and informal meeting spaces, state of the art sound, lighting and digital equipment, food and drink and everything else we could think of to make it welcoming and useful.

Many of our members came to one or more of the open houses last month. If you haven’t already, we encourage you to visit soon!

ANCIENT TRADITIONS OF THE

Inland Sea of Japan MAY 8 - 18, 2018

Explore Japan and South Korea during a seven-night cruise aboard the small ship m.s. L’Austral along the Inland Sea of Japan, plus two nights in Kyoto. Visit five UNESCO World Heritage sites. Explore Kyoto’s Nijō Castle; Hiroshima’s Memorial Peace Park; Miyajima’s inspiring Itsukushima Shrine; and the Buddhist wonders of Gyeongju, South Korea. Optional pre-trip extension in Tokyo and post-trip to Kanazawa’s gardens and historic Samurai residences.

From $5,995, per person, double occupancy Detailed brochure available at commonwealthclub.org/travel | 415.597.6720 | travel@commonwealthclub.org CST# 2096889-40

To purchase tickets:

The Commonwealth Club of California

visit commonwealthclub.org or call (415) 597-6705 or call (800) 847-7730

P.O. Box 194210 San Francisco, CA 94119

Periodicals postage paid in San Francisco, California

To subscribe to our email newsletter: visit commonwealthclub.org and use the simple “Be the First to Know” feature on the homepage

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 18

Details on page 42

MONDAY, OCTOBER 23

ANNE-MARIE SLAUGHTER

VAN JONES Van Jones, Political Contributor, CNN; Author, Beyond the Messy Truth: How We Came Apart, How We Come Together

Anne-Marie Slaughter, President and CEO, New America In Conversation with Megan Rose Dickey, Reporter, TechCrunch

Evan Low, California Assembly Member, District 28—Moderator

In the tech world and beyond, government is often seen as slow and tech illiterate— the antithesis to innovation. However, this misperception is rapidly changing. Cities across the nation are starting to harness the power of technology to tackle the biggest problems we face today. By partnering with technology, government becomes more accessible and efficient, and citizens can engage in change like never before.

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 31

Details on page 46

STEVE FORBES Steve Forbes, Chairman and Editor-in-Chief, Forbes Media; Author, Reviving America: How Repealing Obamacare, Replacing the Tax Code, and Reforming The Fed will Restore Hope and Prosperity John Farmer, Past Chair, Commonwealth Club Board of Governors; Retired General Partner, Goldman Sachs— Moderator Should Americans be optimistic or pessimistic about the state of the country heading into 2018? Come hear from one of America’s leading conservative pundits.

Details on page 43

Van Jones draws on his years of activism and political analysis to take aim at the failures of both parties and to show the nation how to focus on practical answers to problems that affect us regardless of region or political ideology. Jones will challenge us to change the way we think about politics so we can all get down to the vital business of solving—together—some of our nation’s toughest problems.

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 14

Details on page 51

LAWRENCE O’DONNELL

Lawrence O’Donnell, Host, “The Last Word,” MSNBC; Author, Playing with Fire: The 1968 Election and the Transformation of American Politics The 1968 U.S. presidential election fundamentally shaped modern American politics. While Nixon was the frontrunner, Hubert Humphrey, the last remaining cog of the Democratic political machine, was closing in. To defeat him, Nixon pulled off one of the greatest dirty tricks in American political history. O’Donnell says that 1968 set the tone for Watergate and all else that has followed in the new era of modern politics.