>> from our studios in new york city, this is charlie rose. charlie: francis arrived in washington today, coming from cuba for a visit to the united states. president xi jinping of china came to the united states. his first stop is seattle. cyber security and china's actions in the south china sea will be on the agenda during bilateral talks. in syria, russia stepped up its support for the assad regime. the kremlin says it is a campaign against isis. more than 4 million syrians have fled the country.

european union ministers approved a plan to relocate 120,000 refugees despite opposition by some member countries. the united states promised to accept 85,000 refugees in 2016 and 100,000 in 2017. ian bremmer is the president and founder of the political risk analysis firm eurasia group. i am pleased to have him at this table. let's start with xi jinping. clearly, there are issues that need to be resolved and at the top, cyber security. ian: it is so interesting, the first stop is to talk to all of the american technology ceo's on the west coast. look, the fact is, the chinese are an incredibly important

market, the most important market in the world. the chinese made it very clear, they have twisted a bunch of arms, they have told these executives, you are coming. we want you to pledge to adhere to chinese national security concerns if you want to keep doing business in this country. the american government does not really do industrial policy. turley: there was talk about -- charlie: there was talk about sanctions being imposed before he came. the chinese did not like that and it did not happen. ian: the chinese privately said they would turn right back around. they said they were not going to attend the summit. the shanks and have -- the sanctions have not been taken off the table. i do see we will -- i do think we will see a breakthrough agreement. i think they will announce, it has been after, but there has been progress. they will pledge not to attack

each other's critical infrastructure with cyber. at the same time, it does not address the concerns the americans have about the chinese engaging in espionage. this relationship is getting more politicized on the economic front. the chinese feel across the board that we will not treat them as equal partners. the americans feel like the chinese are getting away with reckless abandon and not having ruled of law and using their rules and lack of rules to benefit chinese corporations. really not coming to an agreement here and we have a political pressure in the united states because it is election season, many candidates talking about this. the chinese are under more domestic pressure. they have had all of this market volatility.

charlie: whether their reaction was appropriate. ian: xi jinping feeling confident in terms of his position globally, but not willing to take criticism domestically. charlie: the pope is going to .ake a speech everybody wants to see and hear and touch the pope. he is going to congress and some people do not want to. his message. about what we need to do about refugees, about immigrants, ofut having a strong sense our brothers and sisters around the world. ian: congress is great at ceremony. a lot of people did not want to see netanyahu.

in the case of the pope, everybody is going to go. congressman fall over themselves -- fall all over themselves to see who is more christian. none of the things he says will be overtly political when it comes to congress. he will not embarrass everybody, but the charisma behind this guy -- charlie: he has had messages people find, there is some pushback. you have to admire how he has used his own personality to be a tiring figure. he shuns the apartment and always insists on having the least attractive things for himself. constantly says, it is not about me, it is about jesus.

at the same time, he is heightening, offering a social critique about the way the world works. ian: this is a country that is craving authenticity. we are only getting it and people like trump and bernie sanders. pope francis brings authenticity to an entire different level. he asked the way he believes -- acts the way he believes. the catholic church represents a whole host of things that could not be implemented in advanced industrial economy, some of the anti-science perspectives in response to climate change. it would be dangerous, but actively hurtful. we fundamental messages that are all equal, refugees have to be taken care of, yes. how can you not be excited?

no one is saying, oh, my god, he went to cuba first. this isricans think precisely what america has been lacking. we no longer know what america stands for. charlie: were we embarrassed by the fact that europe was accepting many more refugees than we were? ian: i think we were embarrassed by the headlines and the fact we were nowhere on this. the europeans are largely nowhere on this, with the exception of germany. ian: the pope took some -- charlie: the pope took some families into the vatican. ministerfinished prime brought in one of the families ish prime minister brought in one of the families.

it is a tiny percentage of what is a very small fraction of syrian refugees. 95% of the syrian refugees are not in the eu. they are in turkey, iraq, jordan, lebanon, egypt. the proposals coming from the eastern european countries, close the borders and let's give some money to the jordanians, the turks, the lebanese so we do not have to deal with this issue. i do not think the americans are feeling embarrassed by the europeans. the americans are feeling embarrassed by dead children washing up on shores and boats of migrants that have nowhere to go. i am embarrassed. i am stunned that you had the republican debate, three hours, and i watched all three, and we talked about immigration, the mexican well. nobody asked about the syrians.

it is a long way to swim to the united states. ,harlie: within your realm foreign policy, who in the republican side seems to be most savvy? ian: the one that -- the to that of been most impressive so far, marco rubio, his ability to display coherence and understanding of the international issues has impressed me. international trade, certainly terrorism, a general fluency. lindsey graham has been well up to speed, well before the presidential campaign started. while both of them have moved toward speaking -- wrapping

themselves up in the flag talking about leadership, i think both are pretty credible on foreign policy. charlie: what about trump? ian: i have a hard time saying policy, butdible on he has no interest in talking about trump -- talking about policy. there is only one person who will destroy trump, and that is trump. trump is interesting and captivating for the american media and voter. he is getting boring. not interested in watching him when he has nothing new to say. it is repetitive and it got repetitive after three hours. i will be stunned if the next time you and i sit down at this table, he will still have the numbers charlie:. let's turn to the president of russia.

they have begun to send new tanks,, planes, .nti-defense systems questions were raised about why he was doing it, how far he wanted to go. he said it was because he wanted contribute effort -- to the effort to stop isis. and to support the assad government. because he believes some kind of strong state is necessary. otherwise, you have anarchy. ian: might as well have one you have some control over. he and theween iranians, the iranians providing money and the russians providing

brute military force, assad was losing momentum and territory. that is when you start thinking about the potential of splits within the military, a palace coup, and all the rest. that meant, the ability for the international community takes syria seriously as opposed to focusing on iraq. if the russians want to engage, this is the time to do so. charlie: because aside was losing territory -- assad was losing territory? ian: he was not going to fall tomorrow, but he was losing momentum and territory. and the iran deal was done. the russians and the iranians

together can play geopolitics. charlie: what role do the iranians play? ian: they are the most important supporters of the regime and they can provide financing. charlie: the financing is the money they will get from the sanctionsrom the being lifted? ian: no question it will create more flexibility. charlie: in russia, yesterday, benjamin netanyahu. about what their intention might be and how it might conflict with what israel's intention -- ian: the israelis have historically been willing to attack the syrians on a dime when they see a threat. they go win very quickly in the last thing they want to do is inadvertently hit a russian.

i need to make sure they have communications. those can medications were set up before netanyahu's trip. takene: can medications place -- communication taking place between the united states and russia? ian: it is a tough one for the americans. vladimir putin understands the europeans are more concerned today about syria and the refugee crisis than they are about ukraine. he is very pleased by it and he has -- the cease-fire in ukraine has actually held for the last four weeks. i do not think that is coincidence. i think putin has given the word on the ground for those fighting in favor of the separatists, saying let's keep ukraine in stasis. let's get rid of these sanctions and we can push the americans on

syria. i think he has played this masterfully. and the americans who have said bashir al-assad must go, they now say they are flexible on timing. we do not have the willingness to put the force in place to remove him ourselves and no one else is going to do it for us. russia is going to be calling the tune on the ground in syria. charlie: putin fears what would happen if so -- if assad was not there. it is a legitimate fear. the number of forces, jihadist forces, and who would be in control and what kind of fight you would see in damascus. charlie: to the russians fear this more than the germans? there are a lot of countries

worried about syria falling apart. the rushes are willing to put force on the table because prudent does not have any domestic particle -- kitchen does not have any -- because weimer pugin does not have any -- vladimirtraints putin does not have any domestic restraints. the economy, the currency, which has been all over the place, has stabilized recently. notwithstanding the oil prices and sanctions. the russians have been able to take it, they have been cutting back on spending, with the exception of defense. we should not be setting redlines on syria again just as we should not have before. charlie: how do you think the u.s. policy is evolving? ian: i think we are reluctantly

coming to understand that we are not going to make money -- much progress in wars where we ultimately do not care nearly as much as the outcomes than the people we are fighting. we learned that in afghanistan, iran, iraq. we are learning it in russia and ukraine. the willingness -- charlie: if our enthusiasm for it is greater than the people we came to support. ian: right. no question. at the end of the day, if we had known the size of the isis threat, we never would have withdrawn as many troops. charlie: from iraq? i would think the president

would say that. there is also the question of the iran nuclear deal. it is going to be a reality. what impact will it have? ifrlie: if you look -- ian: you look at the media, it implies that you either did this deal or it is war. not thei know that is truth. john kerry had spent a long time trying to get this done and people were tired. even though we had to back off at the last minute, we decided -- charlie: it was p5 plus one. in the halls of congress, the difference came with the democrats who were persuaded to stay with the president. from all of those foreign ministers who said, this is the best deal, we did the best we

could. it is a good deal. ian: the difference between the europeans and the p5 plus one and the russians and the chinese. the willingness to push for the end, the premature end of the arms embargo, ballistic missiles and the rest, that was thrown into the mix i the russians at the last minute. they did not like that at all, but the americans to get. the saudi's are upset by the deal, but they do not have allies on this issue except for israel, who do they -- who they do not publicly talk to. charlie: what is going to happen to the president in brazil? ian: i do not think she will get impeached. i do not see the support and the brazilian congress to make that happen.

her approval ratings are through the floor. charlie: why do they blame her? ian: you do not want to be running brazil when the economy is doing so badly. this investigation has hit everybody close to her. just bringing down more and more and more. near-term, the scale of this corruption campaign is a mess. the brazilian riau is that -- is at historic lows against the dollar. a lot of capital flight and no one thinks the markets have hit bottom yet. she is not getting impeached, but there is no end in sight for this investigation. you are looking at another 12-18 months. charlie: what about alexis cyprus and greece -- alexis tsi

rpas in greece? he still has to watch -- .arch 2 merkel's own tune he is developing some experience in governing. he got rid of the left forces. is -- thethis austerity being asked of them is not easy. as we look out over the next couple of years, there is a decent chance of a greek exit. what do you think of the new labor leader? ian: he is irrelevant, he cannot

win. the fact that labor has made itself politically irrelevant means the conservative party in britain, hard left labor leaders, it means suddenly, david cameron's conservative party has nothing to worry about. that means all of the eurosceptic backbenchers suddenly do not have to align themselves with cameron. this referendum on britain staying in the eu has just become much harder. is forcing this leadership role with accepting all of these refugees, it is very unpopular in germany. cameron is going to have a harder time getting his folks onside. the possibility that the brits leave the eu is more real.

charlie: what is the most important topic of discussion at the united nations general assembly meeting? clearly, syria. ian: it has to be the refugees. it has to be syria and the refugee issue. putin is coming. you have merkel saying publicly, the west will have to work with russia on the ground in syria. is russia in or out with working with the west? does that change? what does europe look like? how do we react to the refugee crisis? none more visible, none more immediate. states, we doited not see it, we do not smell it, we are hosting the united nations. ian: great to have you -- charlie: great to have you.

back in a moment. ♪

charlie: don henley is here, he has a combined eight grammy awards as both a solo artist and founding member of the eagles. his career has redefined what it means to be a drummer. his hit songs have included "hotel california," "desperado,"

"dirty laundry," and "boys of summer." he is set to release his first solo album in 15 years. here is the trailer for "cass county." don: my first memory of music is lying in my crib and hearing my mother softly singing as she did her housework. my grandmother singing hymns in her rocking chair. my grandpa listening to his big old wooden radio. ♪ when i was a young boy ♪ copper pennies on the rail ♪ locomotive come and squash them flat ♪ there was always music. my grandparents' house and my house and my dad's car. ♪ when i start dreaming this album is a reflection of the sounds and images i have carried with me for 67 years.

♪ when you spend all your time ♪ it is rooted in the rural america that i knew. the family, the friends, the neighbors, and the countryside. ♪ take a picture ♪ this is me leaving ♪ take a picture of his ♪ this is me walking away charlie: going back to your roots, are you? don: i grew up in very remote rural county in northeast texas, the entire population is about 30,000 people. it was named after a senator from michigan, lewis cass. there are nine cass counties in the united states, all named after him. he was a prominent senator in michigan and then he went to washington and became secretary of war for president jackson.

there are many states named after him, but the one in texas is the one i come from. charlie: why does it take you 15 years? don: the eagles never stopped touring. we have been on the road constantly every year all over the world. that and i busy with also have three teenagers at home and being their father is the most important job. charlie: you are on the road. don: when i am not on the road, i am at home. i am focused solely on those children in my home life. i am right there at home. charlie: would you do it if all the money was not there? don: yes, i like doing it. it is what i do. it keeps me -- it is

therapeutic. it keeps me sane. i do it because i have to do it. charlie: you think of yourself as a vocalist, songwriter, or a drummer? don: i am all of those things. singer andbetter songwriter that i am a jimmer -- a drummer. drumming is where i started and i happen to become the lead singer. charlie: that was because of the quality of your voice? don: i assume so. charlie: being a musician got you win, having a great voice got you to the vocals. don: biology. charlie: you knew this from a young age?

perfect pitch? don: i am not sure i have perfect pitch. the structure of the vocal cords is something we have nothing to do with. structure is it that leads to great voices? don: i had the advantage of singing in a great different styles growing up. we were a top 40 cover band. in my first band, they want today variety of tunes. we did everything from soul music, country music, rock music. eventually, if you do that long enough, you find your own voice. charlie: try everybody else's and come to the point where you have your own? don: exactly. charlie: it takes you so long to

write because you are so busy? don: i have never been able to write on the road. charlie: maybe you did not have anything you wanted to say? don: i always have ideas. i wake up every day with some kind of music in my head. i am very disorganized in that respect. i wake up with an idea and i turned to the night table and there is no pen or paper. there is another young singer-songwriter named jason isbel and he was talking about his process the other day. we write things down on scraps of paper and we throw them in a cardboard box. when it comes times -- when it comes time to do an album, you dig out all of that paper. don: is the audience changing? -- charlie: is the audience

changing? don: we are delighted to see younger people in her audience. -- in our audience. some of them come with their parents and some of them come with friends. the thing that is changing, the greatest thing that is changing is the addition of the cell phone and the texting that goes on and the distractions that go on. charlie: you don't like it? don: a lot of artists don't like it. we were one of the first groups to protest that and we got a lot of flack for it. there is a whole movement in the artist community. texting is distracting to people around you. charlie: it is happening in the theater, too. politelysk people as

as we know how, to be with us in the moment. we all have trouble being in the present these days. we ask them to please forgo the phones and to be there with us in a moment and to enjoy the concert with her eyeballs instead of through a viewfinder. it is working. people are starting to get on board. charlie: looks like vinyl to me. don: it probably is. my new album will also be in vinyl. charlie: people realize that vinyl is a unique sound. pristine, but as it has a warmth, a coziness and a personality that is more fun to listen to. people are going back to it in droves. it is a wonderful thing. charlie: how else is the

business changing? pandora and spotify an apple music. the digitization of music and intellectual property is killing a lot of industries. it is doing great harm to the music industry because it is making it possible for music to be so easily stolen. there is a new generation with a new mindset that believes everything on the web is free for the taking. it is affecting journalism, film, anything that can be digitized. there is really not much money to be made in selling records anymore. it is now just an advertisement

for your tour. charlie: is this? don: pretty much. i spent over a million dollars making the record. i very much doubt i will see a profit. charlie: you will not see a profit for five years? don: if i see a profit at all. that is what it has come to. charlie: because you are talking to people like me, people will want to see you? don: i hope so. we have all of the services you mentioned, pandora and spotify, but they pay a fraction of a cent to the artist. i could do a whole hour on youtube and how much of the content on youtube is a copyright infringement and

google takes no responsibility for that. you have to complain, the burden of proof is on the owner of the copyright. it is completely backwards. the government is not too interested -- google is very powerful. they spend about $11 million to $13 million on lobbying every year. charlie: you are a savvy businessman? don: i became one over the years. you have to be. i certainly was not when i started out. i was completely naive. we learned over the years and we have had to learn since the digital revolution came along, we had to learn about this new paradigm. we spend money making these records and there used to be a thing like -- people were audio

philes. now people -- we spent all this money making -- they listen with little earbuds on a device about this big and you do not get all the sound that went into this record. charlie: can you argue that more people are hearing it? don: that is the argument the digital companies make, that it is about convenience. giving people their music whenever and wherever they wanted. charlie: what are you going to do? are you going to fight it? don: we have tried, you cannot really find it. the artist community is not organized. we never have been because we are artists.

frank sinatra tried to organize the artist community back in his day. he failed in organizing the artist community into a cohesive powerful voice in washington. we tried several years ago, sheryl crow and i created something called the recording artist coalition. we testified before senate committees. it came to little. companies are very big and powerful. charlie: when you hear sinatra's voice, what do you hear? don: his phrasing is incredible. nobody can phrase like him. there might've been better singers in terms of dean martin or sammy davis junior, but sinatra was the king of phrasing and delivering a certain sort of

feeling that you did not get from any other singer. paintersi have had talk about the art of creating and they are constantly going to museums and going to galleries and looking and examining and saying, what is this artist doing? how is color, texture? examine it clinically. do you do that? don: yes, i have done that for a long time. that at thend i did outset of the eagles. we were both students of music and of the history of music and of the history of recording and the method of production and the sounds of the instruments and what instruments were used.

i partner stan lynch, he and and my former partner are all students of music and we listen to other people's records, especially older records. we study those production techniques and we study songwriting. if you are going to be a good artist, you have to learn about what came before. and we do that. charlie: did danny ever work with james taylor? don: absolutely, yes. man.bright and talented charlie: what do you think of the political season? don: oh, lord. charlie: you have been politically active all your life. don: i wish they could elevate the debate instead of arguing

like schoolboys. it is shameful and counterproductive. the name-calling, i do not like what i see. it is hard for me to watch, actually. it is hard for me to get passionate about getting into the game. i used to be much more involved in politics than i am now. charlie: what candidate were you most involved with? don: back in the day? i supported bill clinton, of course. charlie: a fellow musician. don: a fellow musician. off considerably because of the tawdry-ness of the debate. charlie: what about trump? don: funny you should mention him. charlie: why is it funny?

watched the stephen colbert show. histerjected his name into -- into a song, a song called "too much pride." the egotism and -- we need to talk about the issues. we are not even talking about the right issues. it is like a bunch of schoolboys arguing. charlie: can you talk about issues in your music? don: people do not want to be lectured or preached to. i did get some issues into songs on this new album. there is a song called "praying for rain." it is sung about -- from the point of view of a humble farmer

. he talks about how things have changed. there is also a song called "no thank you" who is a tribute to buck owens. i loved his music. i love the way he sang and the way he wrote in that song is a tribute song to him. states, talksit about republicans and democrats and says, i am sick of all of you. none of the above, it says. ♪

charlie: the question is, did you have to go through being east, west, north, south in order to get to where you are now? those: that is one of rhetorical questions. maybe. maybe i did and maybe i did not. we are receiving the kennedy honors this year. charlie: congratulations. pantheon ofmarkable great americans and you will be there. don: we are proud and grateful

to been chosen to receive that honor. mean a lot tothat you? don: it means something. it is a very american honor. the wonderful thing is that we do not have to perform. charlie: generally, when they have musicians, they end because that means they can sing us out. don: i did that for my friend billy joel the year before last. billy is a good man. he has to a lot for the working people. his empathy and his efforts on behalf of of the fisherman and his song about allentown, pennsylvania. he is very aware of the plight of the blue-collar worker in this country. him, mythat with

passion lies with the farmers and people who work on the land. most of my ancestors were farmers. charlie: something you and willie share together. are there other passions u.n. willie share? -- you and willie share? don: i got through that one a long time ago. a long time ago. charlie: you are a happy man. don: i am. charlie: you went through all the temptations of fame. don: i was reading the other day, a friend of mine sent me an article. there is a theory in the west that great art has to come from misery and suffering. in the east, they do not believe that. in eastern civilizations, they believe great art comes from balance and enlightenment. they asked several artists that

question, do you have to suffer? ellis walker said an interesting thing -- allis walker said an interesting thing. as i got older, i just kept getting happier and yet i was still writing, and writing well. musicians and painters and writers who thought they had to suffer from their art, but i have found as i've gotten older, it is not the case. they asked the dalai lama the question and he did not even understand the question. charlie: most great artists have say it is hard work. don: writing is 10% inspiration and 90% perspiration. to finish a great work, you might get an up tiffany -- it tiffany -- epiphany.

after that, you sit down and sweat it out. it is hard work. people who steal songs, they have no idea the work that goes into it. it is a real job, not a hobby. it is a calling and a lot of people do it for a living who don't get to tour. they make their money solely from that song. of course, we have the interactive crowd who go win and think they can take a song -- go in and think they can take a song and change it up. djs, people who sample, mostly younger people. they think they can take someone's finished work and temper with it. they -- and temper with it -- to

it.er with it is not right. the internet is slowly killing the idea of copyright. there was a law, bless his heart, president clinton signed it into law. it has a loophole in it called the safe harbor clause that is abused daily. , the millennium copyright act, needs to be done away with or rewritten. it is allowing safed in the billions -- theft in the billions. we do not get much response from government because the big boys are there with their lobbyists. task.iting is a difficult it is not easy to write a song

and you spend a lot of time and money and effort recording a song properly, and then performing it. people need to have a little more respect for the job. charlie: the great ed bradley told me a story. he imagined dying, he tragically died too young. go into heaven, whoever meets you in heaven would say, what makes you believe, mr. bradley, that you belong here? hornyou seen my li na interview -- lena horne interview? [laughter] you know where i am going. if it is you -- don: did you know the astronauts california" up in

the space capsule? that is our best known song all over the world, even in china. in the remote regions of china. i went one year with the care organization to the jungles of outuras and they took us into the middle of nowhere. we landed in one of the major cities and we drove for hours in jeeps up the mountain sides. these roads were so narrow, i was afraid the right tire was off the edge. we drove up to the top of a mountain, where there was a wildlife preserve. there was some woman up there who was a cult leader. she had taken her tribe and move them up to that mountaintop to -- i don'tay from

know -- the difficulties of civilization down below and they lived up there without electricity and plumbing and running water. literally, and grass huts. we had been there in that tiny village for about 10 minutes. a young man disappeared into one of those grass huts and came out holding an old cassette player boombox and pointed to it any pointed to me and said, you. i looked at it and it was "hotel california." these people did not have electricity. i guess the thing ran on batteries. there is no place i can go on the planet to escape. out, on the inside looking it is difficult. it means that music is a very

powerful thing that transcends cultural and political boundaries, international, geographic boundaries. music is america's -- one of america's most important exports. it brings people together who have very different lifestyles and beliefs. that is something we should never forget in our culture, what a powerful bonding force. the fact that we were able to play in moscow, cape town, dubai. the fact that we were able to do that and got permission from the chinese government, they sent two guys to follow us. we are not sure if they are here to protect us or to protect the chinese from us. powerful thing.

i am just grateful that i can be a part of creating part of the soundtrack of my time. i feel very grateful for that. charlie: a great place to end. thank you. always great to see you. don henley, the eagles, new solo album called "cass county." thank you for joining us. see you next time. ♪

angie: boeing unveils the biggest china investment and lands $8 billion in jet orders as the president pays a visit. engulfed by scandal, volkswagen ceo martin winterkorn steps down by acknowledging deliberate in mission cheating -- emission cheating. welcome to "first up."