Skip to main content

tv   Fareed Zakaria GPS  CNN  August 10, 2014 10:00am-11:01am PDT

10:00 am
be sure to watch us or set your dvr so you don't miss a moment. fareed zakaria "gps" starts now. this is "gps" global public square. welcome to all of you in the united states and arranged the world. i'm fareed zakaria. the middle east on fire. in iraq the united states conducts air drops and airstrikes. does this mark a return to war? in israel and gaza, on again/off again cease-fires. we will take you live to the region and then bring in a great panel to ask where does this all end. also, a few reasons to be optimistic about the state of the world. really, i'll explain. then, caught in the middle
10:01 am
of the new cold war between the west and russia is the u.s. space program which, believe it or not, relies on russia for transportation. unintended consequences. but, first, here's my take. the situation in iraq today is perilous but also chaotic and confusing. should the united states do more to help the communities under threat of destruction? if it does intervene for humanitarian reasons here, then why not in a place like syria, which has seen many terrible atrocities and massacres as well? how to think through the issue. i have been cautious about getting the united states back into iraq, but i believe that in the current circumstances the obama administration should intervene more forcefully and ambitiously, use air power, offer training, support, and weaponry if needed. why? the humanitarian crisis unfolding in iraq is terrible enough, but sometimes as in syria it is unclear whether u.s. military intervention could really help matters.
10:02 am
whether there is a clear plan that would work. in iraq now there is such a path, one that also offers the strategic rationale for u.s. action. what is now at stake in iraq is crucial to u.s. interests, the survival of the kurdish region in that country. since 1991, for 23 years the united states has protected the kurds of iraq from being attacked and destroyed as a community. in that period the kurds have built up a modern, increasingly liberal pro western, pro american oasis in the middle east. the kurdish region of iraq has become a forward looking place with a booming economy. construction cranes, car dealership and fast food chains sprout up. the american university is a place marked by a modern educational outlook and open
10:03 am
dialogue. kurdish leaders have worked to end kurdish terrorism and helping syrian refugees. they have been a force for stability in a region of chaos. one of the lessons of american foreign policy over the last six decades has been that interventions work when the locals are led by popular legitimate leaders and they want to fight for their cause. think of south korea. they don't work when the locals simply will not fight. think of south vietnam. the kurds want to fight for their freedom, for their independence. they had a strong, well trained army. their leaders are popular and legitimate. they have been close allies of the united states. now they urgently need america's help. the obama administration should answer their call. let's get started.
10:04 am
first let's get a sense of what is going on on the ground. joining me now from iribil, iraq, is cnn's anna coren. anna, is the united states' humanitarian aid working? >> reporter: fareed, it's certainly effective. we understand there's aid drops of food and water in the last few days. the british have delivered aid. the french foreign minister has arrived who will be overseeing france's contribution to the humanitarian effort, but there is a crisis at mount sinjar. that's where 40,000 yazidis, who isis have thought to be devil worshippers. this he have been there without food, without water, without water.
10:05 am
as you know, the heat here is absolutely excruciating. you know, dozens if not hundreds have perished. so we know that this aid is getting to them. we're hearing that from the u.s. military. these airstrikes also have been very effective insofar as taking out certain isis positions. we also understand that the kurdish forces have been allowed to move in to mount sinjar because of the airstrikes and open up a safe passage, however, that is only to one side of the mountain. to the other side, the south, it is still a dire situation. but the airstrikes are welcomed by the kurdish government. we sat down with the chief of staff with kurdistan's president. they welcome the airstrikes. they need more help. they have the troops and forces to fight isis, but they need the weapons. they're calling on the international community to give them the weapons.
10:06 am
they're not just fighting an army, they are fighting a state in a very well-resourced, well-equipped state. they need that assistance and they need it very soon. fareed. >> thank you, anna. it must be very hard to watch that humanitarian nightmare. thank you for your reporting. let's dig deeper into the military strategy. joining me now from washington, d.c., is david kilcullen, one of the country's leading experts. he served as an advisor to general david petraeus and was one of the leading architects of the u.s. troop surge in iraq. david, describe what the effect in strategic terms would be if, as president obama suggested, these airstrikes will just continue for weeks, perhaps even longer. >> well, i think the most important strategic effect is that it changes the calculus for isis. if we think about how the
10:07 am
predecessor to isis, al qaeda and iraq operated during the iraq war, it was covert, underground, guerrilla warfare strategy. civilian clothes, operating at night, bombings, killings, so on. that couldn't be more different from how isis is operating in the blitz that it's been operating in iraq for the last several months. it's operating in the daylight, tanks, rumors of helicopters, people swarming across the desert in what we call technicals, pickup trucks with heavy weapons. it's operating in a much more conventional state-like sort of light cavalry tactical framework. that works when there's no air threat. as soon as you introduce the risk of precision airstrikes into the mix as the president has done in the last 48 hours or so, that has to fundmently change the calculus for a group like isis.
10:08 am
that leads to two options, one, drop back to the guerrilla warfare and the other is to take cover in the cities. obviously either of those are going to slow down their ability to expand which could have very significant strategic consequences for isis. one of the reasons why people support them is because of the military success. if there's a break in the military success, you may find that support beginning to fracture. >> david, if the airstrike has the effect you're describing, which is to destroy isis's current strategy, out in the open, heavy and light armor, frontal assaults, presumably the iraqi army should then be able to finish the job in a sense. one puzzle, i think for most people, is the iraqi army is several hundred thousand strong. isis is perhaps 20,000 strong. the iraqi army has tens of billions of dollars of weaponry provided by the united states. why can it not defeat isis.
10:09 am
>> a number of reasons go into that. we've seen a stark, deep professionalization of the iraqi army since u.s. forces left in 2011 so that we now have commanders who are appointed on the basis of political loyalty to shia sectarian regime, we have people who don't trust their commanders, a lot of maintenance and logistics and training problems and a lot of the best commanders being dismissed, not only in the military but also in the police. and so it's -- an army is not just a matter of equipment, it's a matter of fighting spirit, tactical cohesion and battle experience and those three things are sharply lacking in the iraqi military right now. more importantly, of course, there's no consensus at the top in terms of the future of iraqi politics. that's in part i think why washington has been insisting that any expansion or continuation of these strikes is going to retire significant
10:10 am
political change in baghdad, which i think is the right call. >> david killcullen, always a pleasure to have you on. next on "gps" the ethnic and religious struggles. we'll talk to some great experts when we come back. this bed, my stress just goes away. [evie] i go up...heeeeyyy... [donna]our tempur-pedic is the best thing in our house, 'cept for my husband. [lauren] wait,wait,where are you going? [announcer] visit your local retailer and discover how tempur-pedic can move you.
10:11 am
10:12 am
10:13 am
10:14 am
the battle in iraq is a humanitarian tragedy, of course, you but as a battle it is between isis and the kurdish army. we're going to try to delve deeper into that. we have one of the most distinguished diplomats. author of "the end of iraq." over the past two decades he has
10:15 am
helped iraq's kurdish leaders carve out that awe tonneau muss existence. thank you, both. peter, first explain to us, we thought the kurdish militia was tough and strong. why did they collapse? >> first, they didn't collapse. they were not able to hold positions in the border lands between what the curd disstan region and iraq and there are a number of reasons for it. perhaps the most important is they didn't have the arms that matched isis. isis was armed through the united states through the iraqi army. this he have armored american humvees. when you're using small arms against these humvees, they're pretty ineffective.
10:16 am
that's a major reason. the units didn't collapse as the iraqi army did, they withdrew. they are intact. they didn't give up their arms and that's why now with airstrikes the pashmirga can be effective. >> one of the reasons they don't have arms is there is an arms embargo on giving arms directly to the peshmerga. it's seen as a violation of iraq case sovereignty. >> the u.s. was arming the iraqi army. they ended up going to the isis. now the u.s. is directly arming the pashmirga. >> should the kurdish leaders declare independence? >> yes, and they will. president barzani has announced that there will be a referendum. the parliament will set a date when that vote is taken, it will be nearly unanimous. i've been involved with the kurds for 30 years. never met one who preferred iraq having an independent state. there were three impediments to independence.
10:17 am
first, the disputed territories. that's over. the kurds are in control. the people will vote to be part of kuristan. second is they've developed their own oil resources. and, finally, turkey. turkey had been totally opposed to kurdish independence or autonomy a decade ago. now they have excellent relations with the kurdistan government. and they may not recognize them but they said clearly they understand that's the reality. the truth is you cannot have people who unanimously don't want to be part of a country in a country. that's the experience of yugoslavia. >> the united states should recognize that? >> of course. it is democratic, pro american and tolerant. that's a really important point. this is a place whose culture prides itself on its tolerance and diversity.
10:18 am
the kurdistan government includes yazidi. they've built churches and not mosques. they've been protecting the yazidis. i've talked to my kurdish friends and they are appalled at what's happened to those communities and frankly disappointed that they weren't better able to protect them. >> let's get a broader perspective. you understand all the various communities here. one of the questions i think a lot of people have is how is isis become so strong? we understand the military side. they got ahold of american arms. do they have a political base? >> well, as you know, fareed, we keep comparing the islamic state or isis to al qaeda. that's a terribly mistaken comparison. this is a different beast. think when you talk about isis
10:19 am
or the islamic state, it's battling on multiple front. it's battling the iraqi army, syrian army, kurdish forces in iraq and syria and it's battling also fellow militant islamists, guess what, it's winning on almost every front. not only against the same kurdish forces, it's winning against the same army, the iraqi army. this tells you that what we're talking about here, we're talking about a different beast. it has been able to create a social system to embed itself with local communities, to portray itself with sunnis, against a sectarian base government. it has command and control. we talk about the kurds and motivation. if you're talking about motivation and ideology, the reason why the islamic state is winning battles, had is high inspiration, high motivation.
10:20 am
leadership effort. it's not just about arms. you're talking about really the numbers of isis are between 10 and 15,000. you're talking in terms of power. you're talking about 100,000 in terms of military prowess without driving a wedge. between isis and the islamic state and local communities. this will take years, years to basically dislodge isis from various communities, not just in iraq, but syria. we talk about iraq. the headquarters of isis is in syria. >> can i interrupt you for a second? i want to ask you very quickly, the obama administration says we will not provide unqualified support to the iraqi government until it broadens itself and opens itself up to true national unity government with sunnis. is that the right strategy? >> absolutely. what does the u.s. government need? it means taking the fight to isis. it means bringing in this
10:21 am
affected communities into the political process and basically once you drive a wedge between the local community and isis, the battle basically will be won in a few months, and this is the way to proceed as opposed to american air power. american air power cannot defeat isis because it's deeply -- it has deeply infiltrated and penetrated local communities both in iraq and syria. >> thank you so much. stay with us. peter galbraeth, thank you very much. we will delve into the u.s. strategy, both in iraq and israel and gaza when we come back. the k that's keeping you from the healthcare you deserve..
10:22 am
at humana, we believe the gap will close when healthcare changes. when frustration and paperwork decrease. when healthcare becomes simpler. so let's do it. let's simplify healthcare. let's close the gap between people and care. life with crohn's disease ois a daily game of "what if's". what if my abdominal pain and cramps come back? what if the plane gets delayed? what if i can't hide my symptoms? what if? but what if the most important question is the one you're not asking? what if the underlying cause of your symptoms is damaging inflammation? for help getting the answers you need, talk to your doctor and visit crohnsandcolitisinfo.com to get your complimentary q&a book, with information from experts on your condition.
10:23 am
10:24 am
could help your business didavoid hours of delaynd test caused by slow internet from the phone company?
10:25 am
that's enough time to record a memo. idea for sales giveaway. return a call. sign a contract. pick a tie. take a break with mr. duck. practice up for the business trip. fly to florida. win an award. close a deal. hire an intern. and still have time to spare. go to comcastbusiness.com/ checkyourspeed if we can't offer faster speeds - or save you money - we'll give you $150. comcast business. built for business. and we are back, and now we're going to talk about is this all barack obama's fault. i am joined once again by fawr and brett stevens, the pulitzer prize winning columnist for the wall street journal. thanks, all. so is there something, brett, here that ties these two things
10:26 am
that are happening simultaneously? iraq and israel/gaza together in your view in terms of how the obama administration is handling things? >> look, when obama became president he very clearly told americans he wanted to pivot away from the middle east. there was a view where the middle east was a view of where nothing good could happen with american interests. the less we intervene, the less we were involved the better generally speaking. we're seeing some of the consequences of that world view playing out. >> it's true, nothing good is coming out of the middle east. >> no, much worse things are coming out of the middle east. you see this in the plight of desperate people in northern iraq facing a terrorist regime, a state now really in northern iraq that is simultaneously threatening the kurds, the very existence of the state of iraq, syria, isis is moving in to lebanon. so the president has been playing this game in which he says, i want to be as little involved in this region and as
10:27 am
reluctantly involved and as a result american policy has consistently been a matter of too little -- >> but then with israel you feel like he pushed bebe netanyahu too much, i assume? >> kerry made a grave mistake by insisting on putting israel/palestine, the peace process at the center of the beginning of his concerns as secretary of state, but his biggest mistake, really quite fair and accurately, in the case of israel is not remembering the old dictum which is you need to be seen in political affairs as a true friend and a thorough foe. the way the obama administration has been playing this war is to act as a soccer referee handing out yellow cards to israelis for this strike or to gazans for the other strike. the administration has to recognize that israel is its friend, egypt is its friend, saudi arabia is its friend. to pursue or back it against a terrorist entity trying to start
10:28 am
another middle east war. >> peter, how do you grade obama on all of this? >> i think on iraq there are some significant problems. i agree with brett, believe it or not. they wanted to let malaki be in power. he was becoming more and more sectarian. people were telling the obama administration he's alienating the sunnis and that will make it easy for another jihadist threat to emerge. malaki wanted us to go. he wanted us to go so he could be more sectarian. still i think it's striking that the obama administration never even spoke out about his growing sectarianism. on that front, yes, i think there's some criticism. on israel, obama threw in the towel on israel as early as 2010 because he didn't want to struggle with an israeli prime minister. that's the bottom line. >> you point out that in the course of this conflict
10:29 am
bebe netanyahu has said something very significant which suggests that he really is not contemplated two-state solution. >> three weeks ago benjamin netanyahu said israel will require permanent or indefinite control of the west bank. there will be no independent palestinian state. that's what he said under kerry. this may be the most significant outcome of this war because if you have no conceivable past wars on a two-state solution, you have no political strategy against hamas. you have destroyed politically mahmoud abbas. >> first of all earlier in the show we were praising the kurds for the restraint they've shown without pushing the state hood button and the kurds would be an excellent model for the way the palestinian culture should have developed. remember, in 2009, just when he returned to the office as prime minister bebe gave a speech at a right of center university
10:30 am
saying we need to accept the fact that there is -- that we -- that there should be a two-state solution. this was a radical step for someone like bebe to say. facts on the ground have changed in a significant way. it's impossible for the prime minister of the israeli country to not take that into account. when israel was shut off from international air travel because a rocket managed to go from gaza to close to the only international airport in israel, bebe had to take that into account. what's at issue here is palestinian political culture and if hamas is allowed to survive in gaza, if it's seen with coming out with some kind of victory, the ultimate cause of the palestinian state, a decent state that can live in peace is going to be set back. >> i have to go. faws, what would destroy hamas in your view? you've studied the palestinians
10:31 am
for decades. >> fareed, the alternative to hamas is the islamic state which we have been talking about a few minutes ago. in fact, i'm going to say something very shocking to your guests. hamas has come much further than the iraq and israel in terms of the acceptance of a two-state solution. it has been demonized in the united states. it's not my cup of tea. i like the palestinians a poor progressive political movement. hamas is the other side of the coin, of the right and israel is itself. but let me just say a few words about american foreign policy and israel and palestine. if the establishment of a palestinian state serves the american national interests as the foreign policy establishment has been so, then barack obama must take political risks and not allow the tail to wag the dog as benjamin netanyahu has been doing.
10:32 am
he has been creating facts on the ground. he has been playing for time. he never believed in a two-state solution. and the reality is barack obama has proven to be a politician who accepts basically the dysfunctional american political system when it comes to israel and palestine. >> very quickly, gentlemen, 15 seconds each, will the situation in gaza result in the destruction of hamas as a political entity? >> if hamas chooses a war of attrition, ultimately it will. it's been weakened. its military resources are infinite. >> no, hamas is not going away, unfortunately. the question is can you politically weaken hamas by showing palestinians that nonviolence and mutual recognition gets somewhere. when you further and further subsidize israeli settlement
10:33 am
growth to destroy a palestinian prime minister, then you ere strengthen hamas. >> gentlemen, fascinating conversation. of course, we will have more of it. next on "gps" despite all the turmoil in the middle east, i see reason to be optimistic in global affairs. i am not kidding. i will explain when i come back. when folks think about what they get from alaska, they think salmon and energy. but the energy bp produces up here creates something else as well: jobs all over america. engineering and innovation jobs. advanced safety systems & technology. shipping and manufacturing. across the united states, bp supports more than a quarter million jobs. when we set up operation in one part of the country, people in other parts go to work. that's not a coincidence. it's one more part of our commitment to america.
10:34 am
the ca♪illac summer collection is here. ♪ during the cadillac summer's best event, lease this 2014 ats for around $299 a month and make this the summer of style.
10:35 am
10:36 am
10:37 am
now for our what in the world segment. wherever you look these days the world seems like it's on fire. new hot spots like russia and ukraine are competing with the old ones like gaza and conflicts like those in syria and iraq, especially iraq getting much worse. even afghanistan which seemed in better shape than the other places had a setback this week.
10:38 am
so is there any good news out there? in fact, there is. some of the most important countries in the world are making remarkable progress affecting at least 1.5 billion people. let's start with indonesia, the largest muslim country in the world. it has more muslims than egypt, iraq, syria, libya, jordan, lebanon, saudi arabia and all the gulf states put together. only 10 years ago the great fear was that the islamic militants were taking over the country, that it was an economic mess and an unreliable crisis spot in the region. the country has defied all skeptics and last month it took a big step forward. the election of a new president marks the consolidation of a new democracy. he defeated an iconic member of indonesia's old guard, a former general, former son-in-law of
10:39 am
the president and entirely enmeshed in the ways of the past. he's contesting the result. he ran on a platform of economic development with virtually no references to populism, nationalism. he tackled a taboo at the start. country's huge fuel subsidies which are inefficient to start the market and are a crippling burden on the national budget. the other good news is in india. india's elections could mark a turning point for the country and beyond. the country has been mired in deadlock and paralysis for years because of a weak coalition government, ineffectual leadership, obstructionist opposition. so people voted for a single party to take power for the first time in 30 years and gave the new prime minister a mandate. modi campaigned brilliantly and
10:40 am
effectively and his message was unrelenting, development, development, development. despite his party's roots in hindu fundamentalism, he chose to appeal to the country's hunger for independent growth. if he can maintain that, it's sure the hindu agenda, cutting subsidies and encouraging competition, he will likely return india to a path of high growth, thus, lifting hundreds of millions of people out of poverty. halfway around the world from india, mexico took a big, bold step this week. the mexican congress passed an ambitious energy reform proposal of the president ending 75 years of state control of the energy sector. it has the potential to be a game changer bringing investment, new technology and hundreds of thousands of jobs to mexico. if he continues to have the courage to keep enacting major reforms as he has, mexico will slowly but surely be transformed into a middle class country. the result will be a sea change
10:41 am
in its relations with the united states, which will finally see mexico not as a problem but as a partner. it's already happening on the ground. for example, between 2005 and 2010 there was no net migration from mexico into the united states. perceptions take a while to change, especially in washington, but once they do, north america, america, mexico and canada will become the world's most important vibrant and interdependent economic unit. so that is what's actually happening in the world while the news about rockets, bombs, assassinations and terrorism takes up the front pages. for more go to cnn.com/fareed and read my washington post column this week. next on "gps" the moon, the stars, and mars and the unintended consequences and the
10:42 am
strife between the u.s. and russia. a conversation when we come back. >> announcer: fareed zakaria gps brought to you by charles schwab. own your tomorrow.
10:43 am
10:44 am
making sure you pay the right price for a new car just got a whole lot easier. introducing the kelley blue book price advisor. the powerful tool that shows you what should pay. it gives you a fair purchase price that's based on what others recently for the same car and kelley blue book's trusted pricing expertise. it all adds up to the confidence that you'll get a great deal. that's just another way kbb.com helps you make a smart new car decision.
10:45 am
that's why i always choose the fastest intern.r slow. the fastest printer. the fastest lunch. turkey club. the fastest pencil sharpener. the fastest elevator.
10:46 am
the fastest speed dial. the fastest office plant. so why wouldn't i choose the fastest wifi? i would. switch to comcast business internet and get the fastest wifi included. comcast business. built for business. main gear touchdown. >> three years and one month ago the space shuttle atlantis landed at kennedy space center. >> houston. >> and with those words, the space shuttle program ended and with it america's ability to get to space on its own. for now the u.s. is reliant on, guess who, russia to get its astronauts to the international space station, which might have sounded like a good idea until this. and this. now u.s. and russian relations have all but broken down so what happens to our space program?
10:47 am
our astronauts? joining me now is one of my favorite guests neal tyson who is an astro physicist, the host of "cosmos". >> thanks for having me back. more like a regular now. >> what does happen with our astronauts and that ability to do something routine and regular in space? >> nasa is working on a sling shot. i have no idea. one of the great challenges -- there's the great coombaya moment that we feel when we say let's go into space together. when you conceive of such a plan different countries and different organizations would be responsible for different links in the chain of getting from earth's surface to wherever you will go. and on the surface that sounds great. the costs are shared, it promotes international relations, but with them derived from human conduct tells us that this is not always a harmonious
10:48 am
world and politics can force you to behave in ways that maybe you don't want to behave because you have other interests and other agendas. we want to go into space. something is happening on the ground that's somehow going to tell me who i can be friends with and who i can't in space? that's just embarrassing. >> and we don't have the kind of funding in place to do this by ourselves by a long shot? >> well, no, not -- well, i mean, there's talk of getting private enterprise to serve our needs getting back and forth to station. >> what do you think of that idea? >> i think it's great. it should have been going on decades ago. >> will it solve the research function? >> if you have research needs you would say, okay, the research funds will then get access to space. so you rely on a private carrier who can do it efficiently and effectively on time and you worry about the frontier, and that frontier doesn't always have a capital market valuation. >> right. >> and so governments take those first steps. >> and that's mars?
10:49 am
>> anywhere in space. i can think of -- look at the resources sitting there doing nothing other than threatening us being as colliders on asteroids. they're nothing but natural resources. there's a set of elements on earth that we call rare earth elements. they're called that because they're rare on earth. there are places where you can hand pick asteroids where this is quite common. i can see a business case ultimately to withdraw minerals and resources to withdraw resources from asteroids. as you expand your frontier, somebody has to do it first. that's typically expensive. you don't know what the return will be so government investments are typically how that goes. >> what is the orion spacecraft that nasa is talking about doing? >> all of these efforts are trying to get us back into space
10:50 am
on the -- with the goal of possibly sending humans to the mars system, mars and the moons and the like. and if you had that capacity, then you'll have the capacity to go many other places. you could visit comets, you could go to the moon easily once you've configured that. so these are the things that have been discussed, but i don't see it happening in a real but i don't see it happening in a real tangible way. in the 1960s, we were going to the moon and every couple months you saw the next spacecraft ready on the launch pad. you led off with the ending of the shuttle program. for many people that was sad. and it should not have been sad because had cards been played right, on the next launchpad would have been the next vehicle to continue this adventure in space. and you say, okay, it served us well. mothball it, but here's what's next. no one was sad at the end of the mercury program because the gemini rockets were ready right there on the launchpad. and no one was sad when gemini ended because the mighty saturn 5 was ready to go. >> have we fallen out of love with space in that sense?
10:51 am
>> perhaps. i think it's because the -- when you stop moving a frontier, you forget what's on the other side of that frontier that could titillate explorers -- the explorer gene built within us. on top of that, that could help transform how we live and what we know of the physical world. it's the fact that we have explored since we've left the cave that has enabled civilization to be what it is. the people talking on their cell phone and following gps instructions for where grandma's house is saying i don't need space. excuse me. that's how you know where grandma lives and when to make the left turn. there's directv, there's satellite radio. there's all these things that involve space. and you're going to say we don't need any more space? there's nothing else i need? there's a whole universe! and i as an astrophysicist smell, feel the universe every day. for people to say i'm cool, i'm right here. that's all i need. now let's live. i say that's how to die.
10:52 am
that's not thousand live you. >> i have to ask you, you were recently on the cover of "the national review." >> was that me or was that a caricature of me? "the national review" founded by william buckley. >> it quotes you as saying, on another television network, my great fear is that we have, in fact, been visited by intelligent aliens, but they chose not to make contact on the conclusion that there's no sign of intelligent life on earth. >> yeah. i thought, yeah. i mean, if there's a higher intelligent species out there, we would surely look like driveling fools in their presence. and it's an easy way to come to this conclusion. what is the next, quote, intelligent species after humans? maybe the chimp? we have 99% dna in common with the chimp? but what is the most brilliant chimp do? it can stack boxes and reach for a banana. made some rudimentary sign
10:53 am
language and maybe do some finger painting like our toddlers can do. our toddlers do what the smartest chimps can do. i say suppose there's another species 1% beyond us on the intelligence scale just as we are beyond the chimp. how smart would they be relative to us? and i joke about this. they would roll stephen hawking forward and say this one is slightly more smarter than the rest because he can do astro physics calculations in his head like little timmy who just came back from middle school in their alien school system. so it was a very real comment on our species. not on the -- dare i call it a profile with me on the cover of "the national review." the author wanted to believe that i made that comment referencing some other people and some i wouldn't be included in that. oh, i'm so included in the everybody's included in it! stephen hawking's included. but he had to say that because he had an article agenda that he had to fulfill.
10:54 am
>> pleasure having you on, as always. next, the intervention of art and science makes something rather, well, striking. i'll explain when we come back. the flavors, are anything but. so whether it's taste inspired by the freshness of the mediterranean... or the smoky spice of the southwest... or bold, adventurous thai flavors... ...you always get flavor that's anything but flat. and always with chicken raised without antibiotics. new flatbread sandwiches from panera... ... each 360 calories or less. try one today.
10:55 am
for over 19 million people. [ mom ] with life insurance, we're not just insuring our lives... we're helping protect his. [ female announcer ] everyone has a moment when tomorrow becomes real. transamerica. transform tomorrow.
10:56 am
10:57 am
noyou can watch live tv anytime. it's never been easier, with so many networks all in one place. get live tv whenever you want. the xfinity tv go app. now with live tv on the go. enjoy over wifi or on verizon wireless 4g lte. plus, now you get up to a $100 prepaid card when you purchase any new verizon wireless smartphone or tablet from comcast. visit comcast.com/wireless to learn more
10:58 am
this summer marks 100 years since the beginning of world war i. august 1914 was a critical time in world war i. it was during that month that germany declared war on russia and france and britain declared war on germany. it brings me to my gps challenge question of the week. which military weapon was first developed in world war i? the machine gun? napalm? pilotless drones? or agent orange? stay tuned and we'll tell you the correct answer. this week's "book of the week" is "excellent sheep: the miseducation of the american elite and the way to a meaningful life." this is a powerful book. it argues that we are teaching our youth today to value a narrow kind of achievement, grades, resumes, college acceptances instead of things that are much more important like intellectual curiosity and character. it's written in a spirited, passionate style by someone who
10:59 am
spent years teaching at yale. and now for "the last look." take a look at these images. this looks like interesting modern art hanging in a gallery, right? well, it is that, but how that art was created might be the most interesting part of all. these paintings were created using something that you wouldn't normally associate with beauty or whimsy. they were painted by a drone. maybe the future of drones isn't all scary. let's just hope this drone artist keeps to the canvas. the correct answer to our "gps challenge question" is "c," the pilotless drone. we're on a drone kick here. on march 6th, 1918, the flying bomb flew unmanned for 1,000 yards over long island, developed by inventors elmer sperry and peter hewitt for the u.s. navy, it was the first successful pilotless plane in history. the u.s. army simultaneously developed an unmanned aerial bomb, but the war ended before
11:00 am
either of these models saw any action. i bet the inventors didn't think a century later their concept would be used to make art, spy on your neighbors and perhaps even deliver pizza. thanks to all of you for being part of my program this week. i will see you next week. hello, everyone, i'm fredericka whitfield. these are the stories topping our news at this hour. a horrific tragedy in the car racing world. a young driver killed on the track last night after being hit by nascar star tony stewart in his vehicle. stewart's team director spoke today. >> it's just an unbelievable tragedy. our hearts go out to obviously kevin and his family. thoughts and prayers. this is a very tough, very emotional time for everybody.