World Affairs Council - Speaker Disappoints

Part of the packed house. WAC Hilton Head

Right side of Presbyterian Church where events are held.

I thought we had an exciting speaker to open the 2014-15 World Affairs Council-Hilton Head  season but came away disappointed. Jane Harmon president and CEO of the Woodrow Wilson Center in Washington and former congresswoman from California for 18 years, spoke only for about 20 minutes (most speakers talk 45-50 minutes) and then went into a Q&A with the audience. Her first ten minutes was a speech she has probably given a zillion times and recounted her touch with history at the 1960 Democratic Convention which nominated John F. Kennedy. This was where the Harvard Law graduate got her inspiration for the political life, she said. The next ten minutes was a summary of news that anyone who kept up with current events by reading the papers, magazines and staying abreast of the news was familiar with.

The speaker in her Q&A time

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Harmon decried the lack of harmony and accomplishment in the congress over the last couple of years. She said California had adopted a non-partisan committee to draw congressional districts and this offered some hope for less partisan approach. This contentious idea, however, is in use elsewhere and is on the Supreme Court short list of issues likely to be decided during this term. The terrorist threat in the Middle East is not just one group but many off-shoots of Al Qaeda. Harmon said some nations, Saudi Arabia, for example play both sides--while they fight terrorists their rich citizens financially support them. She warned an upcoming threat will be plastic bombs which can evade metal detectors at airports.

Complete blog here.

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