But the at [inaudible conversations] good evening everyone. Good evening and were welcomed to the conversation tonight with d. Michael lindsay view from the top an inside look at how people in power see and shape the world. We are thrilled by the turnout tonight if you are Still Standing there are a few seats rights over a year. Feel free to make your way to where you can sit comfortable for the rest of the evening. We are excited to partner this evening to post the presentation. Thank you to the staff for their willingness to partner and we are joined tonight baia our trustees as well as treated before rum0 รท Board Members and advisory Board Members and academy trustees. I am also delighted so many alumni and gordon alumni are here tonight. Man and we are excited each and everyone if you are here. He will find this discussion very compelling and since there is not enough time to answer all questions may want to let you know, we do have a life plods you can follow along on the base bu
Go away. One of the things i focus on his policies abroad in the United States and other countries do not have been a main feature of the war on drugs. One feature on the war on drugs is the demand side of the United States has not been as addressed with equal amounts of absurd and energy and resources. How is the worst change since 1970s come at a time. I looked at . Is only growing in size and scope. The dea i created in 1973 have continued to grow as an organization. I remember he reported number of years ago in the New York Times that the dea now had an Intelligence Network that was coming in, only second to made the cia that they have this vast Intelligence Network across the globe. Its an example of how the drug war has grown. The militarization of the drug war, the militarizing of Drug Enforcement police forces, special antinecrotic units started in the 70s and that has continued to grow a person and is still a nice day today. This is police action. But your weapons down. So the
Going back many, many years and having lived there as the Time Magazine correspondent and now i almost go every year but my publisher actually i finish my previous book and he gastight take a year and write about it. I started to look through years and i thought about 1938 as an interesting year is in china, 1944, the year that Joseph Stilwell was kicked out of china and barbara took care of that topic forever. So i started to look at 1945 through the end of world war ii and a few months after world war ii. A and i realized to thing is. One, it was a good topic, and whenever watershed moment as well as chinese history but i like to think of this book as more American History than chinese history. And number two, the was a certain prevailing conventional wisdom about what happened at that time. I thought i would write a book that would substantiate that conventional wisdom that i would just write it in a very readable way to bring this incredible cast of characters to life but i wouldnt
Standard tropes of publishing a book is it has to answer the question why did you write about this topic in the question in the first place . You are supposed to have a thoughtful answer about how you had a lifelong interest in this topic and you always dreamed about exploring it more deeply. This topic was proposed to me by my publisher. I had a lifelong interest in china or almost a lifelong interest, having studied it, studied chinese going back many years and how they lived there a few years, and travels even today i go almost every year but my publisher actually finished my previous book and asked me to pick a year and write a book about it in china. Started looking through years and ive thought about 1938, interesting year in china. 1944, the year kicked out of china by shanghai check but Barbara Tuchman that topic, forever. So i started looking at 1945 until the end of world war ii until the an end of world war ii. It was a good topic. Really truly upset seminole watershed in Am
Only one. For a while i didnt think i was going to make it. Thank you all for coming. And again thank you to politics and prose for having me. One of kind of a standard tropes of publishing the book is that you have to answer the question why did you write about this topic in the first place. And you are supposed to a thoughtful answer about how youve had a lifelong interest in this topic and youve always dreamed about exploring it more deeply. In fact, this topic was supposed to be by my publisher. I have had a lifelong interest in china, almost a lifelong interest, having studied it studied chinese going back many many years and having lived there for a few years as the Time Magazine correspondent their, and traveled to there. Even today i go almost every year. But it was my publisher actually. I finished my previous book and he asked me to pick a year and write a book about in china. And so started looking through years, and i thought about 1938. Thats a very interesting year in chi