Spencer J Eggers/The Daily Campus
Former Secretary of State James A. Baker, III and Editor-at-large of TIME Fareed Zakaria kicked off the 30th anniversary of the Tate Lecture Series with a lively discussion regarding the American economy and the biggest issues facing our country today.
David Gergen, a senior political analyst for CNN, moderated the discussion in McCord Auditorium Tuesday night.
This is Gergen’s 16th appearance on the Tate Lecture Series circuit.
“Tonight these are difficult times for America and we should start right there,” Gergen said. “Where are we as a nation?”
Gergen’s lead question set the tone for the rest of the discussion. Baker spoke mainly from his extensive political experience, while Zakaria drew from his international background to answer Gergen’s questions.
“I’m very pessimistic about the immediate term, but I am optimistic about the mediate term and the long term,” Baker said.
Despite the serious subject matter, both Zakaria and Baker were able to use humor to get their point across.
“Growing up in India I had fantasies of America,” Zakaria said. “My American dream resembled the opening credits of the TV show means.”
The speakers helped unpack complicated economic policies for the audience.
“We need to be shifting this economy from an emphasis on consumption to an emphasis on investment,” Zakaria said.
“We cannot continue forever to keep living above our means,” Baker said.
The topic of war also made its way into the forefront.
“We seem to find ways into wars of choice,” Baker said. “I don’t know that we have the luxury of doing this