The Nuclear Threat | Jack Matlock | TEDxNCSSM
Ambassador Jack Matlock, former ambassador to the Soviet Union under President Reagan and one of the architects of Cold War negotiations between Reagan and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev, talks about his experiences and viewpoints of Cold War history, and relates his experiences to the current state of relations between the United States and Russia. Jack Matlock is a former Ambassador and current Visiting Scholar and Rubenstein Fellow at Duke University. He spent 35 years in the American Foreign Service, in which he served as the Ambassador to the Soviet Union and Czechoslovakia,
as well as the Special Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs. Prior to this, Ambassador Matlock also served in three tours at the American Embassy in the Soviet Union and had Foreign Service assignments across the world, including in Vienna and Dar es Salaam. Since his retirement, Ambassador Matlock has held academic posts at Columbia and Princeton University, and has authored a number of books on the Soviet Union. He and his wife now divide their time between Booneville, Tennessee and Durham, North Carolina. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at www.ted.com/tedx
Fabulous then, and again today 2020
This gentleman seems like a representative of a superior alien race. No relation to how we behave now, in the diplomatic sphere or anywhere else. His instinctive humility, genuine respect for other peoples/cultures and sharp intelligence at the service of his fellowmen seem like qualities of another era. Or maybe it’s just that the corporate takeover of our country weeds out gems like Ambassador Matlock
A man truly guided by wisdom. It's a shame how American culture and society has degenerated through the years. Instead of producing great thinkers and stacking upon the wisdom of old, we surrendered our minds to be entertained. Instead of learning from the past we mock them as 'old thinkers' and seek 'progress at any cost'. Well my generation is here, grown, and incapable of looking past their own biases. My generation speaks of toleration but cheers for the suppression of dissenting opinions. My generation is motivated not by consequence (because we lack responsibility) but by the thought of moral good. Ignore rationalism and give in to your feelings. Giving money to a homeless person might make you feel good but all you did was tell the person to come right back tomorrow because it works. I fear for our future. We are in a cold war whether you like it or not. This one is much more dangerous than the one before it only because it's on Russia's borders and not Berlin. Demonization of Russia's leadership is dangerous because it pollutes any sort of discussion and makes it very difficult to advocate any position that might be held by Russia. Like Matlock says here: Appealing to their own interests is how the cold war ended before. I thank Mr. Cohen & Mr. Matlock for their wisdom. Friends, we don't have to like our enemies but when mutual destruction is on the line, sometimes you have to make deals and deals need to be done in both parties interests.
It's only deranged ideologues who are in today's government.
Word of wisdom
I wish we had people in the state dept. as smart, as prepared and as humane as Jack Matlock. When I listen to this man speak, my thoughts go to the horrible way that we are dealing with Russia today. Why can't we have diplomats and foreign service people like Jack Matlock ? Why is our President using rude and insulting language when publicly referring to other world leaders ? Why is the U.S. becoming a war monger ?
Of course, no one wants to hear this talk. We must have an enemy? We must have a way to create fear. We can only learn by death and destruction. We have lost our leaders, we have abandoned God, there is no truth. Maybe we have lost our minds?