because of that point those costs are passed on to the ratepayers. renewables are like a 30-year fixed rate mortgage. once you lock in your rate and you pay a price, you have every year, the same cost recovery factor. your utility bill will not change from year to year to year. right now, the big rush is to buy a cycle gas because it is really expensive. there is not dot much koppell cost to natural gas -- there is not much capital cost to natural gas. it looks great now, but suddenly the interest rate goes up in five years because the economy is up around $10 to $15 per cubic -- per thousand cubic feet. i would argue the renewables, in the right mixture of solar and wind and biofuels, can actually

processa mormore business certainty for the business is trying to find a stable energy source. host: last call. a short question, please. caller: i was just wondering what it would cause a person to buy and operate his house with. my knowledge of what these winter winds will do is not just produce power for you, but you can sell it to somebody else. plus, i need to make a statement. the american wind fellow who said that if he could not sell it here he would sell to china, well, already has this technology and is working wonderful. is a shame we can to get something going with these wind turbines. host: thank you.

we're almost out of time. guest: more and more, counties and local ordinances are being passed to permit homeowners to have their own wind turbine. these are kilowatt scales, small machines. and again, there is software on the web where you can optimize the size of the system. it is a program called homearama. -- homer. i would refer the reader to an on-site magazine called "home cowart." the june the"home choice for a e for your farm or ranch or your homestead, and even homes in urban areas, which are being encouraged, because they do a higher local installer, and they create more local activity. host: that is the first time you have referenced awea.org.

if you like to read more about the technology and understand more about the policy phase, several dollars of regulation and that sort of thing, all involved with this. george hagerman, thank you very much. guest: thank you so much for having me, and thank you to the college for their good questions. host: we will be back tomorrow morning at 7:00 eastern time with more open quote washington journal." have a great day. [captions copyright national cable satellite corp. 2010]

>> the u.s. senate has been recalled for the summer recess for a brief session this morning to passed by unanimous consent a $600 billion border security bill approved by the house earlier this week. a resolution honoring former senator ted stevens, who passed away in a plane crash this week, is also on the agenda. live coverage as the senate should be under way right about now on c-span2. after breaking away for that reason the meeting, live coverage on a summit on bullying continues on c-span2, hosted by the education departure with conversations about efforts at the local level to prevent bullying. live coverage on c-span2. >> mr. president, just before christmas in 1968, i was appointed to succeed alaska's's first senator, first senior senator, bob bartlett. next month will mark the 40th year that i have had the honor and privilege to serve in this great chamber.

>> with almost 900 appearances over 24 years, looking at the life and legacy of former alaska senator ted stevens online at the c-span video library. all free on your computer, any type is washington, your way. >> here you are, senator. not a bad desk, either. daniel webster used to use it. >> daniel webster sat here? >> harry truman said that he really despise this movie, and at the time harry truman was seen as the center from the pander guest machine in kansas city. i always wonder if he did not think at that point at least that the movie was looking at him and his relationship with the political machine back home. >> senate historian donald ritchie on washington movies and his new book, "the u.s. congress: a very short introduction," said in a on c- span's q&a.

>> this weekend on book tv, the effect of stereotypes on learning and testing at 9:00 p.m. eastern. on afterwords, peter beinart. on sunday, a former cia agent who's still requires that his identity be shielded, on how to deal with iran. also, this weekend, the 2010 fall book preview. visit book tv.org. former cuban president fidel castro made a rare appearance saturday and addressed the national assembly for the first time since undergoing a intestinal surgery four years ago he warned that tension between iran and the united states would result in a nuclear war. after speaking, he responded to questions and comments from members. this 90-minute event is courtesy of state-run television

cubavision. >> [speaking spanish]

♪

>> message to the national assembly. >> at the outset, only eight weeks ago, i believed that the imminent threat of war had no possible solution. so dramatic was the scenario we faced before us, that i saw no other alternative than perhaps the likelihood of there not being any survival by this region, that had no reason to be

a direct target. it was difficult with the knowledge that human beings always claim to the faintest hope. despite all this, i made an attempt, and fortunately it didn't take me long to realize that there was some hope. a very profound hope, in fact. additionally, without the taking advantage of this opportunity, then the disaster could lead to the worst possible consequences.

there would therefore be no hope for the salvation of the human species. nevertheless, i am now sure that it will not end this way. quite the contrary, pirelli we see conditions that are developing that could lead to a situation that would have been unforeseeable until very recently. one man will have to make the unprecedented decision. the president of the united states, who surely because of

his multiple concerns has not yet realized that, although his advisers are now beginning to understand this,, we can see this unfolding through very simple steps taken. such as the tortures inflicted on geraldo that stopped. this is a situation that had not occurred in over 12 years of its implacable hatred. the efforts both against cuba and against him. today, we can state that the

next step will be authorizing adriana to visit him, or his immediate release or maybe both. i found out from her that his spirits -- his spirits are higher than they have ever been in the last 12 years of unjust and cruel imprisonment. given that iran will not give up one that of the demands of the united states and israel, and that several of the combat resources available have already been mobilized, and that an attack would be launched as soon

as the deadline has been agreed by the security council on the night of june 9, 2010, stipulating the norms and requirements established. all of man's plans cannot be exceeded. in this critical scenario, president barack obama would issue the order of this preannounced and harold attack -- and heralded attack following the norms of the large empire.

in addition, and that same point, in which the order would be issued -- that is, in addition, the only -- it could only -- it could lead to an incalculable number of nuclear weapons accumulated in an absurd competition between the powers. he would be ordering the instantaneous death not only of hundreds of millions of people, including an incalculable number of inhabitants in his own country, in an edition to the

cruise of all of the ships that make up the u.s. fleet deployed on the seas surrounding iran, simultaneously. the conflagration would spread in the near and middle east as well as throughout eurasia. it was a coincidence that at this specific moment, the president of the united states is a descendant of africans and whites.

of muslims and christians. if this is achieved, and we need to be aware that that is what we're doing here. the leaders of the most powerful nations on the planet, both allies as well as adversaries, with the exception of israel, would urge him not to do this. the world would then render all the honors that he deserves. the current order, the current

world order would not survive, and inevitably it would collapse. it would collapse immediately. the so-called convertible currencies would lose their value as instruments of the system that has imposed, both sweat and sacrifice without limit on the peoples. new modes of distribution of resources and services,

education and the direction of social processes would come to the surface easily, but if war were to break out, then the current social order would suddenly disappear and the price would be infinitely greater, and the non renewable resources could be preserved. climate change could be prevented the useful efforts of all human beings could be insured to be attended to. the essential body of knowledge,

culture, science, that is at the service of mankind could be ensured, children and adolescents and young throughout the world would not perish in a nuclear holocaust. this is what is desired, it is deemed comrades of our national assembly. now i am here to respond for my comments. i am also here to respond to any questions that you may have. i am ready to listen to your opinions. thank you very much.

[applause] >> before i offer the floor to those representatives that would so ask for it, i would just like to say one thing.

and i am fully convinced that i speak on behalf of all of us. i'm going to say this as briefly and specifically as possible, as brief and specific as an order said at the time said, "thank you, commander, for giving me the pleasure of you, as you and see ne large as life as ever. i would now like to offer the floor to my comrade." >> dear commander in chief, raul, distinguished

representatives, guests. today we participate in a historic event in our national assembly. the commander in chief, representative fidel castro is here, seated in his place. he was never absent. he was always here as a shining beacon supporting us, guiding us, from his sick bed as he was convalescing, always a identifying himself with the people, through his remarks, who is present here, addressing and denouncing terrible events where the fate of our country and mankind are threatened. this is not the first or the third world we are speaking of. the threat is faced by our entire planet, and it is only you, as an internationally

prestigious figure who does not know lies, who has no debt with anybody. only you can denounce these events, knowing that with certainty the empire can ever be satisfied with the reality of its defeat. is ready for any infamous act, including a holocaust. comrade, in 1885, jose marti said i know the monster because i am in it. in july, 1958, from the sierra , a headline appeared in the newspaper that was always in the office of the minister, hanging on her wall,

that was an inspiration, according to her, for working until the very end. having seen the rockets that were launched, i swear that the americans will pay dearly for what they are doing. when this war ends, there will be a new and longer war, a greater war, the war that i will launch against them. i realize that that will be my true destiny. carefully, a genocidal policy to defeat us will be launched against us. my question, commander -- will

obama be capable of the cruelty of giving the orders to launch a nuclear war, given the imminent likelihood of the collapse of the empire, and also freeing the five heroes? >> not if we can persuade him. >> comrade josefina iredia.

>> i am the representative from guantanamo. here, commander in chief, fidel castro, representatives, today we feel profoundly please because our commander's health has improved as he recovers, and every day he shares his knowledge and examples to help us develop our social socialist programs and our main triumphs of the cuban political system. commander, received on behalf of the people of cuba and what,, our love and -- of cuba and guantanamo, our love and admiration, the youth that see you as a guide, that you are still never abandoning the ideas of our leader after celebrating the 100th anniversary. all of you, and your colleagues,

continue to live in the hearts of the cuban people, the people remember and read their tribute to you, and we still maintain a live our expressions defending our principles, your words are manifest in our daily lives among our children and adults, in our urban centers among our people. all of these ideas came from the deepest sense of your heart, and they continue to be disseminated through your examples of dignity, brotherhood. we wish you utmost success and congratulations, working for our country. we know that your colleagues in the barracks, these ideals continue to remain current in your book on strategic victory, recalling the victories in the sierra maestra.

it is a continuous trouble recognizing the commanders, the captains, the lieutenants, those who have articulated their ideals, principles, disseminated with transparency, recognizing those who have launched against the enemy's offensive. this book is a source of pride to us, and we ensure that everyone will be familiar with the struggles, our history, your struggles on behalf of our people. that will be passed on to the next generation. i would also like to say that we greatto receive this regif gift, and when will we be able to read and analyze this book? we would just like to express our heartfelt love and appreciation. thank you. pablo has the floor.

>> dear comrade, commander in chief, commander of our armed forces, and the president of the council of ministers. esteemed representatives of the national assembly and special guests, based on the recent information -- let me reiterate that as a result of the recent weeks provided through the leaks that has a broader public in the u.s., we have learned about the

crimes that have been committed as well as the corruption that this has led to. that have become a concern within the u.s. as well as the measure -- as well as the major financial crisis that has been manifest with many closures of businesses, bankruptcies, loss of jobs, loss of homes, of social security, and that we are seeing a disappearance of the middle class, also threatening the american way of life. although it is true, as a u.s. member of congress said, that wars are a disaster, that u.s. troops are of greater numbers. on the other hand, an increasing

number of u.s. members of congress, but a minority that is honest about their own roles, a group of them, 52 out of 114, have stated, and i quote, "the wars in iraq and afghanistan have cost the u.s. more than $1 trillion in direct cost, and more than $3 trillion in total." at one point where our national debt, according to the statement, exceeds $13 trillion, we cannot allow for any more of these wars to take place. it is time for congress to reject any funding that is not

focused on returning our men home." so the messages that wars have led to adverse situations. aren't there moral, ethical, and political considerations to oppose war? and in this context, it would appear that war does not concern as much, that it has generated crimes, created corruption, that the economy has gone from bad to worse, the bankruptcies have taken place, that unemployment levels have increased. people have lost their homes. we have seen a diminishing of the middle-class, and young americans have lost. we need to ask, would it be different if the war were not

successful, if it were not a disaster and that casualties were light and only in combat, that there were no corruption by any parties, that the economy were prosperous, that the middle-class remain stable, sound? would we need to ask ourselves, if it were successful, would that the justification to continue with wars? would we oppose wars, as was done from the very beginning by barbara lee from california? the u.n. has lost these wars within their own boundaries. what they need to do is withdraw from these territories of countries that have been attacked. we forget that wars of aggression per se are crimes against people, where more

civilians always die then come back -- always divan come back -- always die then come back. the dow castro indicated that the world can be free of nuclear weapons. fidel castro indicated that the world can be free of nuclear weapons. today we remember that we think of the launching of two atomic bombs in the history of mankind -- we should remember the words of president franklin delano roosevelt on generates 6, 1941, when he gave his address -- on

january 6, 1941, when he gave his address to congress during the state of union, when he explained that he understood fear,hey beiby being free from free from fear, which translated in global terms meant a reduction of weapons to the point and to such a specific level that no nation should have the capability of launching acts of aggression against neighboring countries, no matter where on the planet. the americans should read more their history, to be more aware of the recommendations made by their own past leaders. we need to avoid wars, and that is only possible through total

disarmament. we need to conquer wars, and that can only be done by practicing peace. if this does not happen, then we will not be standing on the hill to be able to see the new dawn of mankind. thank you very much. [applause] >> thank you. before i offer the floor to other representatives who have asked to speak -- can you hear me? i am going to offer the floor to the rest to speak.

but let's try to be as concise as possible. i think i give an example that this can be done. i just wanted to say, let me clarify. obama would not issue the order if we persuade him. that effort to persuade the president of the united states is something that we are hoping that this would serve as a contribution to that persuasive effort. today, for example, we are doing something that is never done. we are, first of all,

broadcasting this assembly meeting through cubavision. we are broadcasting this event through all of our media, and it's not just the cuban media. we have invited the most renowned journalists, a tv journalists, from venezuela. we have walter from telesul. they are broadcasting this event simultaneously.

>> mario is also here. we invited him and he is also broadcasting this live through venezuelan television. we have alesa, who is broadcasting live these proceedings here. the first half-hour was even being broadcast by cnn -- in other words, the major news networks, those that we want to have listened to this, are broadcasting does. i can give you a quick calculation, and i would say if we were and to -- probably this broadcast would cost $100 million a minute if we had to pay for it. of course, we are aware of that. we could continue speaking here

so that we can assure that our words will have these repercussions, these impacts. [applause] >> commander, one thing i do not want to lose sight of, and first of all we wish you a happy birthday. we know that you continue to be younger and younger, and all of our young people are supporting you and that we are their heart and soul supporting you in this struggle. you asked if we had questions. i wanted to ask one.

you experienced the flow of exchange to groups from the united states that show solidarity with cuba. we agree that within that society, there are significant human values. we believe that this is one of the reasons why we agree with your comments, this message that you have conveyed, that this is the time for persuasion and president obama should hear us in u.s. society, cmdr. we continue to hear people from different political and ideological groups, and they all agree ultimately, although they expressed themselves differently, but they agree that there needs to be a new perspective, vis a vis the rest of the world. you say that president obama has as his own makeup,

president, he represents two different cultures. isn't this the time that we need to intensify and delve further into this, and as a result find solutions for many of the challenges that the world is facing today? thank you, cmdr. >> let me just respond by saying that we have very little time for dialogue, although i consider them to be indispensable. but they need to be brief without wasting a moment. i tried to explain in my message that everybody should work in that direction. i have no doubt that the chinese are also moving in that direction. because they are very aware about the current international situation. i have no doubt that the

russians are also moving in that direction. i see it, i perceived it, i feel it. so i'm talking about two major powers. in addition, in the case of the u.s.s.r., they are facing currently a major disaster as a result of climate change. the same thing we stated when we addressed the documentary at home produced by the french filmmaker where he worked with their bodies corp. -- with everybody's cooperation. we have more details here. looking at we have now temperatures of 40 degrees centigrade in that country.

they are suffering the consequences of this. this is seen worldwide. if the world -- and we need to make sure that the world moves forward and we have made some progress along these lines. that is our duty. this is not something that should be praising us for this. this is our responsibility. we need to move forward, and that is what we are trying to do. the dialogue between civilizations is wonderful, but that is a dialogue over four years. we are talking about a dialogue that must be addressed in just a few weeks. at least that is my opinion. it is not going to be done right

away, and it is not just these problems that need to be addressed with this new scenario. the number of problems are infinite, but i hope that the most outstanding, most intelligent human beings do what they can and at least make those first steps in reality, and not grow up in the dark. otherwise, what is going to happen? do we see the end of the empire? the empire that is sustained through the use of force and wars? wars of no longer -- are no longer instruments for sustaining the empire. the advantage with obama is that he is not a nixon. nixon was a cynic. that country has had presidents. many of them were cynical. others were ignorant. reagan was a total ignoramus.

we had president carter, who was a decent human being. or president roosevelt. with roosevelt, two atom bombs would not have been watched over hiroshima and nagasaki. they were dropped by truman, who was ignorant and irresponsible. there was no need to drop the bombs. the japanese were already defeated. the emperor had already made the decision to put an end to that war. before nuclear weapons were dropped. one was dropped, then a second one. do you know the power that nuclear weapons possessed that are accumulated worldwide? for example, just comparing the destructive capacity of those

first two bombs and those that are today stockpile by mankind, and the two most powerful nations, the u.s. and russia, the explosive power of the weapons accumulated worldwide are equivalent to 450,000 times greater power than the two weapons that destroyed hiroshima and nagasaki. it may appear -- it does not seem very meager. it is so destructive. what is left after that destructive power? nothing. thank you. >> comrade yolanda gomez. >> glenn beck gomez from the

province. dear, it -- yolanda gomez from the province. we feel enormous satisfaction to be here. once again, seeing you after all the time that has elapsed since your recovery, we have always been thinking of you, with us day-by-day. you have been our open reference tthat we can consult. you have kept us up-to-date and informed about the evil causes and effects of current capitalism. you have warned us of the dangers that the human species faces with the deterioration of the environment, and in recent days you have reflected upon the real possibility of the large- scale conflict that we still cannot imagine, the world of

contradictions and a compulsive one. commander, we have placed all our hopes in the latin american and the caribbean. that is why we would like you to discuss ou-- your perspectives about the political scenario for latin america over the next few years, that in some countries we will see elections coming up, presidential elections. thank you very much. >> well, comrade, by at the outset thought that a war would be unleashed, and on the basis of that, i thought it would be unavoidable, and i tried to imagine who would be scared pared-- who would be sca

this, who would be spared in the and total destruction. i realize there was one region in the world that did not have nuclear-weapons and it would be no reason to launch nuclear weapons against them. i am referring to latin america and the caribbean. stretching from the u.s. border all the way down to patagonia. i do not think the falklands would merit being hit by bombs. i do not know. latin america does not possess any weapons, as well as a part of africa. we have our medical brigades deploying near australia, in east timor. there, we have deployed

physicians. we hope that they will not be effected, but today we discussed what are the effects of the spread of radioactive emissions? we know that in the desert in the united states -- arizona, nevada, throughout that region -- the americans conducted many atmospheric tests without telling anyone. there were damages, but they were not destructive. i remember once when khrushchev exploded a 20-megaton bomb, which is 100 times more destructive than the bomb over hiroshima and nagasaki. it was launched into the atmosphere, and there were radioactive emissions over many areas but how many of those kinds of tests have taken place?

i do not know whether there would be the hope for survival. when i spoke with economists' from the center for the global economy, they were asking, "what can be done, given a situation like that?" a very challenging d question. one of my colleagues said what you think of this scenario, and it seemed like a science-fiction scenario. what if everything were destroyed? what if the latin american countries were spared this? if you are in a situation like that as an economist, a scientist, what would you recommend kgiven this kind of scenario? that was a question i posed to economists. i reached this conclusion.

and i have absolutely no doubt that when you ask me a question about, with this scenario, that i have assumed, and i met with the center, about a month ago, and i have been reading constantly the news coming from other areas. today the objective has to be even greater and more lofty because if there is a nuclear war, and if we are able to preserve our scientific knowledge, a lot of what is today in existence, never have we seen a similar situation in history. there has never been another

instance where we have seen any other species like human beings. human beings were the first and only date back a few thousand years, as we see it today. we know that we also had the big bang theory, and all of these scientific advances have, for the geologists -- the religious theologians know this, that the series is harder -- the theory is harder and harder to sustain, that they have to reinterpret their teachings. i pointed this out in an article that talks about the evolution of man.

it has been 18,000 years of evolution. well, evolution does not just go back 18,000 years. 18,000 years ago there was just fire and matter. evolution began on the planet with the first microorganisms. that is not diminished a theologian's interpretation. but regarding the notion of time, what is the notion of time? time is something invented by man. man invented time. how do we explain the beginning of time? that is what science has contributed to through this body of knowledge. we know that the sun not

eternal. even the angels talk about the final extension of the sun. of course, that would end our sources of energy. that is where we get our energy from. therefore, if we are going to situate our cells properly, some of these previous concept that were mentioned do not contribute to a solution to the problem. we all hope that we are realistic in the way we view the problem. let's not try to focus our solutions, our approaches with old ideas. we need to look at the real nature of these threats, and we need to find new approaches to the problems.

alexis nevatative .. has the floor. >> good morning. commander, i just wanted to say that i and everyone else who have come here to listen to you, to learn from you, and frequently you have said that that hitler had a people like the cuban people, he would never have done what he did. i think through your examples, through your teachings, through your inspiration, and with a highly educated people, you can overcome the most malicious threat, which is u.s. imperialism. i want to continue to listen to your contact -- to your

comments. >> well, thank you. for your comments. >> you are welcome. >> you send me a picture with your children yesterday, and i want to thank you for that. i heard you at the monument. you spoke there. you have picked up on these new ideas. that is the issue. you have your ideas, but all i am saying, i am warning that we need to make sure we make the most of our time. sometimes we talk and talk and we are at the midnight hour and we have still not addressed the

truth, the true challenges. i never thought i would have to reiterate this so often, and that is why i would like to offer the floor to the next speaker. >> commander in chief, president raul castro, colleagues, and going to be very brief. we have been reviewing some historic documents and i found the biography of alfred nobel. i want to read two lines from his writings in his will and

testament. he said "what is left of my fortune will be distributed in the following ways -- the capital will be invested in stock and this will serve as a fund whose interest will be distributed every year through prizes. the prizes will be for those who in the previous year have been responsible for providing the greatest benefits to mankind. -- after he talked about literature, he said "the last part of my will will be given to those who worked most arduously and diligently in strengthening the brotherhood and reducing and

eliminating existing armies and celebrating and promoting peace process these -- ps processes." , now we find a nobel peace prize that mankind is facing right now. we have shimon peres from israel is facing threats in our own country in our hemisphere. we're facing the situation in custer rica where we have a nobel laureate and we know many challenges are being faced in terms of weapons of destruction. you, comrade, without being a nobel laureate, you are working

to spare mankind from these threats and i also asked what is the role of all of the nobel laureate's worldwide in this struggle that you are so involved in? what would the nobel foundation say -- i think the walter said that our only -- i think that walter is going to have to add to his report -- this is my opinion, commander. >> thank you, that is very interesting.

let me be specific on this point -- a specific point at think we need to analyze. i'm being very straightforward. i have three questions. that i would like to pose to you. everything hinges on these three questions. this is a question for all of you who are present here. the representatives, those who are represent the press to consider -- i know they cannot comment openly, but this is a

question for everyone. those of you who are here can respond. the powerful empire, if it were to withdraw its demand that iranian merchant ships be inspected, that is a question. my next question, for all of the cubans at this meeting, not for everyone who is here -- does anyone think that the iranians,

a thousand year-old culture which is much more closely associated with the concept of death than we are, do you think they would not show the courage that we have shown to oppose the demands of the united states. let me reiterate -- does anyone think the iranians, a thousand year-old culture, which is more closely related to the concept of death that we are, do you think they will not show the same courage we have shown in

opposing the demands of the the devastates? -- of the united states? a third question would be for everyone present here -- are there any solutions to this contradiction? i would add -- i'm not going to say exactly what i at -- exactly what i added, but i would like you to try and answer these questions because i think everything hinges on these.

>> commander, my family, my son and i, we feel totally committed to our people, to the world, and the american people. childlike, on behalf of my family, to convey -- i would like, on behalf of my family, to convey to the american people, if you could hear me or my son, they ensure families throughout the world and families of our heroes will be able to come back and enjoy their families as we do. thank you.

[applause] >> i would like to offer the floor to the next rep. >> commander-in-chief, fidel castro, president of the council state, raul castro, representatives, special guests, friends. you, commander, have discussed the need to persuade barack obama and you have given us the inspiration we need for

affecting this change. what you have said this morning is you have provided us with a change for renewing our hopes to ensure things can change. i would like to just briefly refer to what happened during the previous people's assembly meeting where comrade alarcon called us to mobilize and we did that. we've received in our e-mail's very quickly and immediate call to action. we received the document passed by the english, french, and spanish and we were able to distribute it to many organizations worldwide. these messages were quickly disseminated.

it was a very rapid mobilization and the results were obvious. you, commander, are calling on us to mobilize in order to prevent this nuclear war. that is a call to action and we need to ask ourselves what needs to be done. the three questions depots are very clear. currently, the world council of churches and the secretary general, the basis of what you mentioned at hiroshima and nagasaki, have mentioned a declaration against nuclear war and the commission on international affairs has also addressed these issues very directly. last year, the evangelical women's conference sent a letter to barack obama because on thanksgiving, the u.s. releaset can't issue a

for r five heroes. we thought -- for our five heroes. we thought that would be forthcoming. we have the next thanksgiving coming up and we're going to ask again that our next five heroes be released again. i would say we need to analyze, and i don't know if the commission on international affairs, i don't know if a special commission could guide us in terms of the mobilization efforts that need to be conducted immediately after this assembly with all our resources, muster our resources, what specific actions need to be answered that include answering the questions you have posed to us that refer to the resistance by the iranian people and, if

those people will resist the way we did. we need to focus on new actions that need to be carried out within the commission of international affairs, as cubans within the executive, all the effort 20 to move forward with after your inspiring words this morning where you call on us almost with the same urgency as the efforts for combating illiteracy that cuba was involved in. yes, we can, we can mobilize been forces to prevent nuclear war and joined ranks with those countries on the verge of war and do what we need to do. i would like to hear your words

and guide us on the initiatives to -- that we undertake today as members of the assembly, numbers of the party, or a citizens of this country. thank you. [applause] >> you responded very well. i'm very satisfied with the answer. you have pointed out what needs to be done we need to continue with the maximum amount of energy, following what you said, to try to spread the word with as many people as possible to convey that message. you also talked about -- you were hoping for example that the comrades would have been released by that date.

i saw at that will -- i thought that one week is too little time. december is too long. [applause] >> dear comrade, colleagues from the council of ministers,

president of the assembly, representatives, guests, i wanted to take the floor and speak on behalf of the cuban university students who are very joyful to see our commander here once again, leading our people in such complex challenges faced by mankind. i speak on behalf of the 22 athletes that represent a dark country and -- who represented our country at the recent university international competition. they just a little while ago were crowned champions. in the international year of youth students and progressives throughout the world are waiting to celebrate the 16th anniversary of the students for peace, solidarity, and social transformation, and we will overcome materialism, we will

develop in the african continent, a defense devoted to two important figures in history, nelson mandela and fidel castro. [applause] commander, what message would you impart on the thousands of young people and students that will be in that continent? >> it would be the same message more or less that i convey to the cuban news leaders, that i conveyed when i spoke with them. [applause] i was asking about -- where are

you? >> here i am, in the last row. >> did you ask for the floor? >> i'm just reflecting on your three questions and i will respond to them. [applause] >> commander-in-chief, i am the

president of the people's counsel of managua. president raul castro, president, very specifically, what do you think would be the role of the european union to try to prevent the conflict? i would like to be your opinion regarding the importance of russia and china after having not vetoed the security council resolution. how significant is that? >> i don't want to judge events that took place, whether there were done correctly or not, what is important is what is going to be done now. i know that they are decisively carrying out efforts to prevent

war and i think it's very, very positive. [applause] i think that answers your question. >> dear commander-in-chief, i have taken a lot of notes from your comments. there is one thing you said, that you have to be an analyst and not look at things with old traditional ideas and find new approaches to these challenges. there are a couple of things here that made me reflect.

in the province, and the president of the teachers association. that we were able to establish relations with u.s. teachers, we received a large delegation of teachers from the u.s. in our province. they visited santiago de cuba, havana, and other provinces and i, as part of the leadership, was able to establish contact with many american educators. now, communications have broken off. perhaps i need to make an effort to restore many of these contacts and friends.

i have realized in this analysis, that in the political and ideological struggles, where people need to know one another , this is something we need to focus. i found outstanding educators who have a great deal of admiration and experience in our country. and met with 10 educators selected to go to the united states and my family was like are you going to do this? i was finally not given the authorization to go. but now i am ready to try to establish that closer cooperation. i know that many educators who visited showed their admiration and they're going to join the

ranks of this initiative as a struggle we are facing now. the other question that you addressed -- this is for all the cubans at this meeting -- to you believe the iranians, who are much more facing death than we do, do you think they did not have the courage to face the u.s.? we, the cuban people, the love life call life more than death, -- love life more than death, have struggled for many years, we continue to love life and continued to struggle and we insure those who come here -- we know this is very important -- i have no doubt the iranians

will be able to resist for as long as necessary. they will never yield to the demands of the u.s. government. that is what i wanted to say, cmdr. i wish you the best of health. law live our commander in chief, long live our nation, long live our revolution. [applause] >> represent the mentality. -- i represent the

municipalities. i would like to congratulate you on your upcoming birthday. do you think israel could be persuaded to not attack iran and that would then unleashed a war? >> no. [applause] >> i share the same emotion of everyone else by seeing you here. you know how much we admire you and how much we are pleased to see you here so strong and clear. sometimes many of us feel we are

in all at the brilliance of your memories and -- we are in awe of the brilliance of your memories. there is no doubt that there is a majority of artists that have always been against war. they have used their talents to show their anti-war sentiment. but many citizens -- sometimes we believe by saying something, that's enough. a significant portion of the world knows that what comes out of cuba are always censured.

they're not disseminated by the mainstream media. i was thinking about this and i asked, if all of the admirers and fans of artists would like to send a letter, what means could be used? i know they may not have a internet services or may not have the information. what did you suggest to make that dissemination effective? you might think i have the same desire to save the world and do what has already been discussed -- the destruction of the planet, to prevent war, to address economic and financial crises. as you have explained, and that it's understood by almost everyone, how can we convey these messages and tell the average person that shares the

same feelings as we do? how can i send a letter to obama? how can i be sure my ideas are disseminated? can you provide us with any suggestions? >> i would not advise you send a letter to obama because millions of letters are sent and he will never read what your comments are. you asked me a question -- what can you do to disseminate your opinions that are positive ones? i would ask you to continue to think about how to resolve this problem. because i don't have the answer. a specific answer. i do not have an answer.

i cannot say how to do it. i'm sure there are thousands of ways to do it and i think you have already enumerated some. you must know many people have the internet. that is what i suggest. you find those ways. >> comrades, i ask that we need to be even more brief and we need to now include our meeting. this meeting should convey a very clear message. in addition to the comments by fidel, we need to take action and do it in a creative way. we have spoken at length about

this and there was an example given about the action we took -- we know that she is a member of the world council of churches and once, i called her to ask that she take some steps and addressing some of the many challenges faced by the group of five. we know she has been getting in touch with some of people she knows around the world. that is what needs to be done. what i have said to the members of commission -- members of the commission -- not just a document, you need to think up new, creative ways to think of how we can replace that

machinery of misinformation generated by the empire that can use all of the cutting edge technology. that cutting edge technology is at our fingertips as well. we need to use that to the utmost effect of us. i do not think this is the time to formulate a work plan, but is the time to -- is the time to do everything possible -- i have always said the same thing -- whatever we do for the group of five, it's not enough compared to what a group of five has done for themselves. they have done that in isolation. they did not have any technology

available, just the phone and written correspondence, letters they tried to answer. they have contact throughout -- that contact with thousands of people throughout plan that and they respond to each and every letter. i imagine what those of us who are free can do. the idea is to add love and devotion to what we do. i hope this is the message we would conclude with. thank you not just for having come to the national assembly to discuss issues and listen to us and to respond to such vital issues.

this has been going on for quite a long time. in fact, no one on this planet is doing so much for peace and the salvation of our plan at than -- our planet than comrade fidel. [applause] i understand he has other things he has to do. his appearance here is not the only task he has today to do. he has many other tasks and he carries them out with the revolutionary passion and energy that characterizes them. so i would like to ask comrade fidel to provide us with the conclusion of this special

assembly. >> excuse me, commander. commander, you have asked three questions and i would just say i was responding, i don't want this assembly to end without having stated the commitment we have. the weapons of the empire, but we know they may be deployed, but the conflict with iran is going to be very serious. we see in the cemetery and empire. when fidel calls us with his firm body of knowledge, we have enough arguments to convince obama that we have to determine whether president obama is intelligent enough to be convinced. he can resolve these enormous

contradictions. he has the solutions, but he needs to move quickly and show himself willing to make him self free of these limitations. thank you. [applause] >> i would like to ask if you have had an opportunity to get a copy of the book "victory and a strategy?"

i know several of you do have it. others to do not -- others who do not, i know it's not easy to get because it is still being published. i think we have up to 67 copies printed. the book is now being sold. for every book that is sold, five will be guests -- gifts. we will resolve this. i committed myself once the book

was launched, that i would have the second book published, "the strategic counteroffensive," and i have been working on the book for the last few days and it's almost ready. many of the ideas are already written. i'm not going to describe the events of a battle i wrote about. these are things -- i need to use a lot of historical material, documents and put them all together. that is almost ready and i hope there is going to be enough time to publish that book and be able to submit it to you.

the other day -- my most, -- my most important concern and activity was to hold this meeting. this is the culmination of my efforts. tomorrow, and going to have the pleasure of visiting with a venezuelan journalist. that has already been agreed upon. others are also coming to visit and i think it's going to be a very useful meeting said the weekend discuss the same questions that i have already posed to you. except for other issues that may

arise, and also going to discuss the official launching of the book. for now, i have nothing else to do and i think have extra time. we have to start thinking, all of us, as the poet said, what is the literary prize is given? i know that pays a major reward. i believe because of the humor and profound ideas, we need to disseminate that poem.

that is all i have to say. nothing else, comrades, just thank you very much. hopefully we will see each other again soon. [applause] [captioning performed by national captioning institute] [captions copyright national cable satellite corp. 2010] [applause] [applause]

[applause] >> it look at the nation's capital here in washington d.c., as congress has continued its summer break. the senate held a brief session this morning and passed and sent on to president obama the six entered billion dollar measure to help border agents and officers stopped the flow -- stop the flow of illegal immigrants and illicit drugs across the border. they have come back from their summer break for a voice vote on the measure today. the house passed the bill during a special session on tuesday. the senate also expressed a profound sorrow and deep regret

over the death of former senator, ted stevens, a commanding presence there for decades. stevens was killed in a plane crash in his native alaska. new applications for unemployment insurance rose last week to their highest level in almost six months. it's a sign employers are still cutting staff. the labor department said first- time claims for jobless benefits edged up by 2000 to a seasonally adjusted 484,000. >> every weekend in august, " book tv" this to festivals' we have been to across the country. the chicago -- the "chicago tribune" book festival next weekend. the annual meeting of historians and librarians is coming up on the c-span2.

for -- >> c-span programming is available anytime on c-span radio in the washington baltimore area. on your iphone and ipad with our c-span radio them applications. now listen to c-span radio on your phone and through a partnership with audio now. c-span radio is available any time. it is free, but check with your phone service provider for additional charges. >> a conversation now about pentagon spending cuts announced by defense secretary robert gates. the plan includes reducing the use of private defense contractors. we'll hear reaction from the industry during this "washington

journal" segment. , the first guest at the table, marion blakey, president and ceo of aerospace association. your reaction to the announcement from secretary gates on his realignment of the pentagon. i just want to put on the screen broadly but the secretary wants to do. let us take a look of that -- trimming by 10% the budget for contractors to support the defense department. if we could get the graphic on the screen. freeze the number of employees working for secretary gates' office. cut at least 50 general and flag officer positions over the next two years. and 150 senior civilian executive positions over two years. big headlines that came out was his aim overall to cut $100 billion over the next five

years. and one big-ticket way to do that was elimination of joint forces command, which is headquartered in southern virginia, which has about 6100 military, civilian, contractor positions. in a big sense, what is your position on what he is announcing? guest: i think it shows how serious he is about addressing the nation's overall problem, of course, which is our budget deficit. and the fact that defense spending has to be taken into account. at the same time, he knows we have to continue to be effective in two wars. we have tremendous threats from elsewhere. and we have a need to modernize the equipment that our forces are using to continue to be able to maintain our national security. to be more efficient and more productive is what he is seeking to do. 2% of 3% additional each year is going to be needed in the defense budget so we have to

figure out how to bring down the cost. host: reaction, of course, was swift. this was courtesy of the newspaper in that region here, which was a press conference held by the governor and regional members of congress. let us show a little bit of that. >> we all stand here united and strong opposition to the announcement made by secretary gates today about the decision to close join forces command. this is a very bad decision, in my opinion. not only for va but a united -- the united states military. we are in a 2-front war. with other nations -- china, korea, with military buildups. and i don't think we can afford to be going through a process outside of brac to dramatically reduce the forces here in the united states of america. host: i ask your reaction, not

so much in your current position but yearlong tenure working at executive level. what secretary gates is trying to do, and media reaction from local members of congress and the governor of the state that would be most and have been any time, of course, the economy is in a bad state and jobs over all are a basic concern. what did you think about the challenge he is taking on? guest: the challenge of closing federal facilities is always a major one because it impacts the work force, the economy, at the state and local level. i certainly have seen that through my career in government. at the same time, we have to make some of those hard decisions. we have to step up and realize that everything in government that is is not necessary for what we need in the future. when you look at the ability of the military to address things on a joint bases across the services, that has much improved over time. so, the decisions of whether this is the right way to go or

not, that's got to be left to the dod, white house, and charges. there will be tough choices that will have to be made. host: we want to talk about military spending and the titular secretary gates' ' announcement about the budget of the defense department. let us put the numbers on the screen. explain to our audience who you represent. host: the aerospace industries association is the oldest trade organization representing defense and aerospace companies. some, 300. we provide everything from support for missiles and space, nasa, right across the commercial world. the new 787 dream liner from boeing, and of course the equipment we are using in the

military because the board. everything from c-17, to the joint strike fighter. host: how would your members be affected if secretary gates were successful and what he wants to do? guest: i think our members recognize that the customer, of course, is the department of defense. we need to provide what they want. we also need to respond in a time when the restrictions on the overall general budget are very real. our own companies at doing a great deal to reduce overhead, to become more lean, and i in the appreciate the fact that the secretary is doing this in discussion with the industry itself, in discussion with thoughtful people outside. it is very striking that kind of dialogue dod has set up in this effort in contrast to years past. at times, it had very unintended consequences. the "peace dividend" in the past

has that done damaging things for our ability to respond. i think it is a much more considered discussion and we as an industry went to be good partners and responsible to be more efficient, to be more productive. we have to. host: can you explain a little bit more about how you assembled those discussions and how they took place? guest: well, he gave a speech at the eisenhower library, which i thought was a great location, to talk about the importance of taking very seriously the need to reduce costs while maintaining national security. .

he said the lead me lay out to you with the tenants are a fully want to accomplish. we are here to talk with you about how to get there. that is the way the department of defense often does business. since then, there have been numbers of groups of efforts that have come together. lots of different organizations have proper recommendations. here is what we think we can do together to get to the bottom line we need to. right now, the pentagon is considering those. we are expecting in mid september to find out what the steps are they want to take in terms of changes with industry, changes in the acquisition process. as you sow in the last few days, the secretary has come out and said what he will do internally to reduce costs. again, it's a very positive step.

can you -- >> can you put that in terms people can understand what they're talking about. guest: they reduced the workforce and with lots of congressional pressure, i have to tell you, they responded and therefore drew down their work force. host: replacing them with contractors? guest: not necessarily. in many cases, it was just slinging it down. that work force needs to be increased. we in the industry believe it does. we think smarter buying power, lacoste estimates realistically.

we do expect that there's going to be a drawdown in that regard. i think from the standpoint of our companies, we're watching that carefully because that kind of loss of expertise represents a -- it could be a real loss. other places where there is a necessary part of producing overhead. you do not want to reduce the people, the contractors who are supporting the actual logistic'' in the field of getting the material to the war fighters. you want to be very careful about having the right kind of people who can guarantee everything is up and running when it needs to be. are there administrative areas

where you can drop the overall number of what we call fte's? undoubtedly, that is what the secretary is looking to do. host: we have many current and former military members who are of yours and you will have your own opinions formed by your own experience. we invite you to join in the discussion this morning about restructuring the defense department and reining in costs. that is the goal the secretary says he is trying to do. we would like to hear what you think about it. if you have particular questions about the aerospace aspect of this, we would very much appreciate your questions. let's begin with a call from lakewood, new jersey, peter from the republican line. r on the republican line date -- of the republican line. caller: i am a veteran. a couple of things out like your comments about.

first of all, we used euphemisms too long and change the name from award apartments to defense department. to make people feel guilty about cutting the budget. in light of what we have done the past several years, being in two wars simultaneously, for example, i think we should change it back to what it is, of the war department, number one. number two, i would say that how can individuals really engage in any of the conversations about what is going on when only representatives of groups speak, even on c-span? i have not seen an average citizen invited from the streets, for example, to speak on issues. obviously people will rise to the level where they can appear on tv and radio and speak for a group have a mind set that is not necessarily going to be reflective of all of the individuals. that is why i like hearing

people calling in individually and in giving them an opportunity to speak. but in any case, i think they can't maintain budget cuts and employment simultaneously. aside think what we need to do is be more efficient and effective with the monies that we have. and i think as a taxpayer i would be more of willing to pay more taxes for more services and things more consistent with my point of view. i would like to hear your comments about that. host: thank you. guest: to go to your initial point, the war department became the defense department, i did not think we should be squeamish and all acknowledge in what we are in our wars, fighting effectively on two fronts and there are other conflicts in front of us. but the word defense is also pretty important because when you realize on 9/11 that the defense department has had to step up on homeland security in multiple ways.

one of the new commands that has been established is cyber security. that permeates everything we do. it is defense, believe me. so the kind of requirements they have for our national security really the range much more broadly than they used to be. i did not know what one word always catches that. i am glad this is a call-in show because it gives individuals a chance to talk from their own experience and also what they believe we need to do for the country. i certainly appreciate your point about being willing to provide more resources and better services, but all of us, whether it is on the industry side or government side, have got to look to find ways to be as efficient and productive as we possibly can to justify any more resources. at the outset, i think the secretary is right saying we've got to do more with no more. and that is what he is seeking to do.

host: "the new york daily news" reports virginia senator mark warner said no rational basis for eliminating the north of command. -- norfolk command. jim webb called the move "a step back toward" that could "be harmful to the capabilities of the finest military in the world." any comments on any of those. guest: those are two people who know from the standpoint of a sharp focus on national security, a great deal about the issues. i've got a lot of respect for both the senators involved. i do think it is very difficult whenever you are talking about a reduction in infrastructure or employment that affects a particular area very hard. and that is, of course, what the joint forces command will do in virginia. you would have a significant loss. one thing you've got to bear in mind is that the secretary is seeking to strengthen our

ability to have the finest equipment for our armed forces. shipbuilding, for example. it is in norfolk, and if we are able to do more bare it may well have an offsetting effect. i cannot say exactly where he wants to take the resources he is seeking to garner, but remember, a lot of this is a reallocation so we can modernize and make sure we are supporting the men and women out there. that does not necessarily mean in the long run there is a net loss. host: an endorsement from "the washington post." predictably has announced that

reduced the produced a chorus of opposition from the virginia delegation. the savings may be recycled through golden and navy ships at the shipyard. we're with you about the announcement. the next telephone call is from california. rachel, democrats line. good morning. caller: good morning. i am totally behind cutting back anywhere the government can stop the access we have in this government. if we had kept the budget the same sense of the 1990's we would not have a budget deficit that we have today. i think the problem with our government is that we have to

many corporations in positions of power, so if they get the funding into that area and there is nobody at the watch making sure that we are spending within our means and the government. i can give you an example. this might be a little off topic -- when obama ran, all of this promises, i have not even seen him until his campaign promises. he he said he would label gmo foods. within a couple of months monsanto tried to cut the bill -- on the top of it, food and safety act, but it really was going to get rid of organic farmers. we were able to stop the bill and going through and shortly afterward obama creates a subdivision of the ft a call

the food and safety and put him on santa lobbyist in charge. we need to clean the government so that all of the self-serving corporations are out. i am glad to see they are starting to do some cutting back. host: thank you. any comments? guest: i certainly do not know the monsanto situation. but i will say this that this administration is very strict in terms of its requirements of hiring people who are lobbyists and fall into the category. what you describe is certainly something the administration has not been doing, to our observation, as a generalized matter. you have to remember, there are no corporations or industry in government itself. government looks to industry to supply equipment and services because that is really where you have the capabilities to do

that. certainly everything that the men and women in uniform are using is supplied by the private sector. virtually everything. and the thing that is the way it should be. it's got to be responsive to what government needs and wants. after all, the defense department is the customer. and we seek to provide what they need. host: admiral mike mullen -- taking the warning the government that is the biggest threat to u.s. national security, beyond even al qaeda and taliban. in this piece on august 11, they write -- comments? guest: i think everybody knows that the deficit is a growing

worry. it is a drag on our economy and something that we all have to address. now, i will also say that when you look at what is driving government spending and driving the deficit, a tremendous amount of that is the growth in the domestic entitlements. we have to also be honest enough as a society to recognize that and decide if we are willing to continue that trend at that pace. host: but next call is from richmond, virginia. john calling us on the independent line. you are on the air. guest: i think this is going to make a lot of people angry because the general public sees a lot of contradictions in the way the government spends the money and the way the government makes cuts. they are going to see a lot of corporations getting these bailouts. they got these bailouts in the past. they will see the government's unwillingness to make cuts in other areas.

so, they are going to see this clash of values of where the money gets cut and where the money goes, and it is going to be interesting because i think that freddie mac just asked for a bailout, another bailout. so -- for example, freddie mac getting another bailout, and at the same time we are making cuts in defense, they will see the contradictions and it will make people angry, especially with november elections coming up. so, who gets cut? who decides what is going to get cut and what we are going to keep and what we will spend money on it is all going to come out and it is going to make people angry. especially when we start cutting soldiers jobs and soldiers' families jobs, and at the same time we are bailing out freddie mac, if that is what happens. so, how are we going to deal with those contradictions?

guest: john, and nobody ever said government was consistent. i think that is something we all recognize. but you are raising some very serious points. i would want to say specifically about the aerospace and defense industry, that you never hear those words in connection with bailout. there has been no bailout in the area of aerospace and defense companies. in fact, we have been a remarkable strength in this economy. you have to remember that the aerospace and defense area is one where we are providing a tremendous trade surplus. $56 billion. that is jobs in the united states that we are ensuring. that $56 billion last year in surplus, the largest in any manufacturing area. so we are trying very hard to ensure that, again, we are productive and efficient, but we are not asking for any government bailout or hand out.

i think also you have to remember that what we are trying collectively with the secretary of defense to do is, again, to ensure that the jobs of soldiers, the benefits to their families, are not cut. a lot of the effort to reach orients here in terms of the use of resources within the defense department budget is to ensure that the men and women in uniform are adequately provided for. and that is a growing cost. we all recognize it. but it is an important one that has to be met. host: marion blakey has had a long career in the public sector before moving on to her position at the aerospace industry association. she has held six presidential appointments, four that required senate confirmation. from 1992-1993 as the head of the national highway traffic safety administration. and also five-year term as the administrator of the federal aviation administration, faa. we are talking about defense

spending and priorities. the next telephone call is from missouri. judy is on the republican line. you are on the air. caller: thank you for being here. i appreciate the topic this morning. i am a veteran. i served in the 1980's, in the cold war. this was when bric was going on, and, boy, political fights. i am a republican and i am madder than heck at these republicans out here. it does not hurt to streamline the military. a lot of this is going to be about politicians. i noticed the article is in the newspapers and the politicians will be up in arms with all of the job cuts that going to happen if they cannot make the airplanes or what ever. it is going to cut into revenues coming into their state. but i am telling you, she is right about the budget. streamline the military -- there will be more military wives to

get a job, or husbands. we spend way too much money on things we don't need it anymore. i mean, some of these airplanes should be obsolete. st. louis, missouri, i mean, they had a fit when we cut into the c-17, what ever it was, and then people were having fits about that. if you have been in the military you know -- you don't need them anymore. and they don't. i tell you what, probably secretary gates is one of the most trusted defense secretaries -- yes, secretary, right, of defense -- that we have had it for ever. i think americans trust him. he is not going to whittle it down to nothing. and i believe he is going to do it and efficient job for the department and the military and i think it will help the civilian side of the united

states. host: thank you for your call, judy. guest: judy, again, just a start off, thank you for your service as a veteran because i think we all recognize that it gives you quite a perspective on what is going on right now. i also agree with you. i think the american public does feel comfortable and trust bob gates as our secretary and believe he is trying to do the right thing. certainly those of us in the industry feel that way, working very closely with the defense department. there are things we need to tackle that don't go to just slashing in various areas. mentioning the c-17, very interesting example. one of the things we need to do is to pull back on all of the government unique requirements that we have from the pentagon when they are trying to buy equipment. c-17 -- one of the last buys on those -- and remember, it is a heavy cargo lifted, a work

force. 180 are out there working very hard in both the afghan and iraq conflicts and elsewhere. but when they went to buy a small additional number, and 180 already produced and flying, 62,000 pages of cost data is what the pentagon required to make that additional purchase. you know all of the people who produced that kind of paper work and all of the people reviewed that kind of paperwork were really doing a lot of make work and all of that. those are the kinds of requirements that we need to really back off of and we really need to look at what is important in the procurement system and acquisition system, streamline its, and really modernize. i think that is also a part of what we are looking for secretary gates to do, to get it right in the first place when the perching -- purchased in, " the requirements day and then not pile on a lot of additional government specific requirements.

a lot of this can be done under commercial contracts in a very efficient way. there is a lot that can be done that does not go to eliminating people and necessarily eliminating equipment. host: are always very vocal twitter audience. many reacting to your comments earlier about the aerospace industry not seeking a bailout. a thematic representation -- what percentage of income from the company's is derived from government spending? guest: it depends on which companies. as i explained at the beginning, we represent the aerospace industry, which really does cover all those commercial aircraft flying today and assets like the international space station, space shuttles, it said representative. remember, this is a very broad industry. one of the reasons we have been stable. i would not say in this economy

and the industries are booming. but we have been stable and have been a real support for the economy, is we do have a multiplicity of the sectors, commercial, defense, the intelligence community, etc., that we are providing assets for. satellites, when it comes to earth observation. we are the industry where a lot of that comes from. having said that, i would also say we work on a relatively modest profit margin. when you look at the standard and poor's 500 index and you look at the company's there, our margins have always been substantially below that of average industries. the standard and poor's 500 is a good management. profit margins in the military arena are certainly below. host: lincoln, georgia. margie, democrat line. caller: i of wondering how they are going to cut costs when the

csis and the global fund meeting was talking about the $800 billion that we are contributing to the quadrennial review where you go into 150 different countries -- and people need to look at foreign policy magazine, and they were celebrating yesterday's saying we are fixing to pick up the aid program. and also the institute of peace, they were also talking about this quadrennial review. everybody needs to go to the website on c-span and look at those that were held the other day. apparently we are fixing to go into 150 countries and bring all of these people and even and the stable ones, said up regimes because they might not be stable

later. and the contractors are running contracts with subcontractors and buying them out, and aid would not answer questions. out of all the companies, they were the ones who did not answer questions. where are we saving money? host: thank you. guest: susan, you mentioned a few minutes ago that i had held in number of positions in government, which is true. aid and foreign-policy have not been in my area. i will let that go. host: dallas, texas. robert of the republican line. caller: two things i would like to bring up for your guest. is coli -- as colin powell said, vietnam veteran, we will use the principle overwhelming force to wage war. the first thing i would like to know is, what happens to the

doctrine? donald rumsfeld said "you go to war with what you have at that time." he sent our troops into iraq without the proper body armor and vehicles. i would like you to comment on those two things, please. thank you. guest: i am not sure i can analyze historical what happened at a specific pulled the. -- specific point. but i can tell you that colin powell is right in terms of overwhelming force, a part of that it is having the highest and best technology at your disposal. one reason why the united states has been so very successful and formidable around the world when it comes to conflict is we did not believe in and unlevel playing field and to keep it to our advantage has been technology. being able to bring that in so that it is not just on the

shoulders of our war fighters and just on a basis of numbers of people fighting. it is all so that real technological edge making a difference. one reason why you find secretary gates talking a great deal about modernizing because the equipment is wearing out in afghanistan and iraq. you think about the desert conditions. believe me, we have been putting it through paces that simply -- at this point, we are seeing a great deal of need to replace the most basic of equipment. but it does not really make sense to replace it with 20- year-old, 30-year-old technology because a lot of the stuff has been in the field a long time. so he is seeking to modernize. reset, recapitalize, modernize at the same time. i think that is a very important part of the equation of the wars of today and tomorrow. host: columbia, south carolina. caller: good morning, susan. you are one of my favorite

people. i would like to say, i am a formal -- former marine, 10 years, air force for 10 years, and have been retired a good while. speaking to other retirees at the va and different places, most of them think -- and i do -- think that we should bring back the draft and get rid of these contractors over in afghanistan and iraq, because of i were a marine over there now making a marine sergeants wages and looked at contractors to fight to get over there almost, making the money in that they do, my morel would not be worth a damn. i just think we need to clean it up. and if we cannot get the troops to fight the war and get the contractors out of their, we

ought to get out of those countries pronto. i thank you very much. host: thanks very much. i know that is not in your area of expertise but would you like to comment? guest: i would simply say this. number one, i am certainly and pressed with the caller possibility to serve in the marines and air force. and the contractors abroad that are again often shoulder to shoulder with uniformed military, remember that there has been a tremendous loss of life among the contractors. so, they also serve. and you certainly see the casualties they're being very, very significant. those in uniform military, of course, are doing a great deal of this work. what the balance should be, i do not think i would be in a position to make a judgment but to recognize service on both fronts. host: at couple -- a couple of

callers mentioned the quadrennial review. how does the debate on this progress? guest: qdr is an important document because it leaves out what we are planning in terms of strategy, what we believe the scenarios we may have to face from the standpoint of the fence will be, and it gives congress a good insight on the road map for the defense department. they get to consider that and discuss whether or not there changes. it is a dynamic document. it came out, i believe, in february of this year. but there will be further refinements. and there will be another version of this in a few years, from scratch. but the document they are working right now, i think, provides of the transparency into what the defense

establishment intends. it is a very helpful thing and it turned out, i believe, a good way of conducting the kind of dialogue and building of consensus you've got to have. host: just to close, a fine point on this -- aerospace industry reaction to this announcement is what? guest: this is an important test to try to streamline, become more efficient. we are very much a partner of doing so and we would like to see important changes in the way the >> from the associated press this afternoon, the labor department is reporting that new applications for unemployment insurance rose last week to their highest level in almost six months. it is a sign that employers are still cutting their staffs.

now to a forum on the unemployment rate among african- american men and challenges they face. hosted by d.c. congressional delegate eleanor holmes norton, this is just over two hours. >> good evening. hello. let me welcome you. i am pleased to so many of you here this evening. there are more people here than we expected, and that is good news. because of the seriousness of the subject could we have brought some extra chairs right at the beginning before we get started.

let me watch a new to this unofficial hearing --, you to this unofficial a hearing on black men and boys. they are not officials of the district of columbia. the commission consists of african-american men who live in the district of columbia who have credibility with other african-american man. all right, so what am i doing here? well, i initiated the commission about 10 years ago. and what is very clear is that if we were to look at the dilemmas and the challenges that face black man, it cannot just

be the congresswoman alone in her official capacity. we had to focus on black men themselves first and then our entire community, on what amounts to hidden issues, because they simply are not spoken about. the issues surrounding black men and their status in american society, and what has happened to them. as i look, i can see that we have paid attention to every member of the black family except the black man. those of you who don't no need to know right now, i am a card- carrying feminist. i was pleased to be one of those who had led the fight to pay attention to women with the notable results.

women finished college and high school, but with a minute, we did not mean to finish college and high-school more than men. reduction in the number of children, so that women can control their own fertility. and higher employment and at professional levels in many professions of black women. of course, we'll always been willing as a society to support african-american women and other women if they have children and support, so there is a support for black women with children. since they are the guardians of children, that's all the means

support for black men in the same what -- that seldom means support for black women iman ine same way. we paid attention to women, we paid attention to children -- not nearly enough. here in the district of columbia, education is the number-one issue. we are focused on children. and there are a plethora of programs, private and public, at every level of government, for children. what about men? well, men are supposed to take care of themselves, or so it goes. one reason that has always been the case is that men dominate the work force. men have the jobs. when it went out to work --

women went out to work, especially in the african- american community, but the work force was dominated by men. when people work, they take care of themselves. well, men no longer dominate the hites and/oreither wa black men. women are in the workforce today in almost equal numbers -- not quite, but almost equal numbers to black men. now, women still have a long way to go we just passed the lilly ledbetter bill for equal pay for equal work. women still work largely in it stereotype women's jobs -- in stereotyped women's jobs. but we have made progress for women. as a feminist, i would be the first to say that we have made

considerable progress even as i press for more. why are we talking about black men this evening? in the first place, the job market, where everybody is in trouble, makes it very, very easy to fail to disaggregate who is in the worst struggle, since all of us feel we are in trouble. if you have a job, whether it is the public or private job, you still feel you are in trouble. if you don't have a job, you are among the 14.6 million americans who are officially categorized as a jobless. that is 9.5% unemployment rate. 5.5 -- 5.9% -- i'm sorry, 5.9 million have stopped looking for a job.

they are discouraged workers. they have looked and looked until they could not look any more. 8.5 million americans are working part-time, but desperately want full-time work. you add all that together and you get 30 million people who cannot find the work they need. there are some people who call .hemselves 99ers those are people who have been out of work for at least 99 weeks. that is how deep a recession president obama found himself with when he took office. and, yes, to be sure, it is digging us out of -- remember, we were losing 750,000 jobs a month when the president took office.

now for seven straight months we have been gaining jobs. the problem is we have all hole so deep that you have a lot to fill in before anybody knows you are filling in the hole at all. unfortunately, that consists of real men and women in our community, along with millions of other americans. and it has been very tough for those out of work, especially for black men, whose official unemployment rate is almost 16% compared to about 8% for white men. and yet we had the toughest time even getting unemployment benefits out until this month. it was to the 7600 b.c.

residents who finally got -- there on the planet 76 -- 7600 d got residents who finally their unemployment benefits. it was like there was saying, "let them eat cake." why is there a fight to get unemployment benefits today when there are five people looking for every job that is open? i have said to my republican colleagues on the floor of the house, i don't know how you could have shut down unemployment for the first time in memory. whatever arguments we have in congress, everybody recognized that you had to do unemployment insurance. and that was like threading a needle this time.

even though unemployment benefits are an immediate stimulus to the economy, because they are spent immediately, yet we could not get unemployment insurance out until the beginning of july the 60th vote came in the senate with the new democratic west virginia senator, and the bill was passed. we in the house have passed this bill over and over. we could not get it out of the senate. here we're talking about jobs, and we are looking at people who have no jobs and had no unemployment benefits either. even though you pay unemployment -- into the unemployment insurance fund, not only the employer. very bitter pill to swallow.

with men, women, and teenagers out of work, we have lost sight of african-american men altogether, even though, even in boom times, their unemployment rates remained stagnant -- not what they are today, but pretty stagnant. our concern here this evening is not only with the men involved, it is with the fragile state of the african-american family, where 70% of the children are being raised by single women. this state of affairs began with the loss of jobs in the manufacturing sector beginning in the late 1950's and early 1960's. therefore, if you care anything about the state of black

america, you have got to begin to focus specifically on black men and not assume that the economy is taking care of them. now, we're not going to just be talking about -- this evening, as we hear from you as well, the audience witnesses, because you will have the opportunity to come up here and testify, as they say, for a few minutes, after a witnesses have testified -- but we're not only talking about what society has done to black men. we talking about black men have done to themselves. we are going to be talking about what our community has done to them and has not done for them. this is a societal problem, but it is our problem. and we cannot have our man off -- and our men off to a society

which has been -- we cannot hand our men off to a society which has been uncaring of them forever. when we look at this recession, men have been hit harder than women. four out of a five jobs lost were held by a male worker. that figure astounded me. i realize that male unemployment was greater, but i did not understand the depth of it until i saw these figures. the reason is that men have been employed in the most of vulnerable industries. 1/3 of black men 16 to 19 in the united states today are unemployed. black men have been employed

disproportionately in the manufacturing sector. that was good for us, because those were high-paying, often union jobs that created the first african-american middle- class. but those are the jobs that have steadily declined over time. for example, african-americans --of many factors african-americans' share of manufacturing jobs years ago was almost a quarter of those jobs. almost a quarter of the manufacturing sector, black men. today their numbers are down to 10% in the manufacturing sector. the whole manufacturing sector has collapsed in this country. that is why many of us in the

democratic caucus have said to get america back to making things, not just back to work. pac man -- black men were disproportionately, hugely disproportionately hurt by the collapse of the auto industry. everybody in the african- american community ought to be applauding the bailout of the automobile companies and what it has meant now that all of them are back, every last one of them. if ever the united states made a good investment, it was in the auto companies, instead of letting the auto companies go down. the reason for what i have just described are many -- the reasons for what i've just described are many and disparate. for citizens, racial discrimination has enhanced the other factors that are on the table, and those factors cannot

be ignored. studies of shown that -- studies have shown that employers are generally more adverse to hiring black males than others. and there is a heartbreaking study done in new york by a princeton university professor who looked at in large -- 1500 employers in new york city, and found that a black applicant without a criminal record was no more likely to be employed that a white applicant just out of jail. -- than a white applicant just out of jail but this builds on stereotypes of who the black male is. it means that a disproportionate number of black males are hurting the entire group. when they see a black man come in, they see our incorporation -- incarceration rates.

black men are incarcerated at a rate seven times a white man. we know that there are many societal reasons for that. but they have got to carry the record around for the rest of their lives. we have got to do something about that. even if you say is because of the communities and they come from, it is because of the crime-infested communities with no jobs, whatever you say, a black man with a record on top of being a black man is in trouble, and everybody knows it. and yet, do we really want a whole generation of black men to unemployable -- to be unemployable, to be unmated and have no families? we have to focus on black men, whether they have a criminal record or not, and we have not done so with a neat black men of any kind or description.

-- a zero we have not done so with black men of any kind or description. we will look at all kinds of reasons, not just the easy reasons to talk about. we will look at some of the top reasons, we will look at education as the root of almost all the problems of everybody was out of work. if you have a high school education, college education, your unemployment rate is way lower than those with less education. everybody competing globally now -- you are not competing with people in neighboring states, you are not competing with other americans, you are competing globally. they don't need you, they can go abroad. therefore, we need education, all of us. that message has got to go especially to our young black men. this is a knowledge economy. yes, we often make thing --, yes, we have to make things, but

the more advanced you are as the economy and a nation, the more you will depend on people with a college education. yes, there is work. -- yes, there is work for those with basic schooling. but it will require stabilized, mostly without criminal records, except for the very fortunate, and a decent education. black men have to understand that they are not competing with the man in the cell next to them, they are competing with a man who has never gone to jail. if two men walked in the door, no matter how rehabilitated the ex-offender is, there is no avoiding the choice that most employers will make. that is why we have got to get

to our young men before they get to any description of jail or prison. so tonight the commission, i will turn it over to the look aton now --- will the entire context concerning the balance between unfair stereotypes that confront black men and boys on the one hand. they are huge. and issues such as educational and job preparation that handicap so many black men in our country today. i will turn it over to the commission, who will proceed with the witnesses. >> i want to thank congresswoman norton for convening this work.

we want to make the best interest of time, so what we're going to do is come in the next 60 to 90 minutes or so, introduced the other members of the commission, give a brief introduction to this members from our panel, hear from them, after which time we will hear from members of the audience. we will begin on the left. >> good evening. i am a national chair of concerned black men. >> i am the founder of the xl institute, an adult education job training school in the district of columbia. i want to say, as the congress lady said, these are very difficult times.

you probably know better than me -- board seven away, the unemployment rate is 30 per -- is inside board 708, -- board 708, the on a plan rate is 30%. i am in the education business. we're talking about adult education. that is fine. the only way to insulate ourselves, our family members, our cousins and uncles, is through education and having a trade. you have to have something that you can market. the economy goes up and the economy goes down, but there are traits out there that always, always, always -- trades out there that are always, always, always looking for people. you might want it think about being in one of those businesses. at the end of the day, it is education. it is education at an early age, if you can do it the right way.

but if somehow you just messed up, or an ex-offender, or not an ex-offender, you just 25 years old and you did not go to school, you need to learn a trade. to think that somehow that you are employable without having a trade, you just kidding yourself. you are kidding yourself and you need to stop doing that. i could talk about this for hours. i just wanted to clear up what i think about it. this is what i do for a living. you need to insulate yourself -- if you are talking about employment and taking care of your family and yourself, you have got to think -- you have got to bring something in. you cannot just walk in the door and say, you know, there should be a job for me. you need to create your own job, learned a trade. maybe we will get to that. >> hello, i am a co-founder of

return citizens incubator. >> i am on the 100 black men of america national executive committee, and i am the president in washington, d.c. >> we are going to hear from expert witnesses who have assembled to address this critical issue. first we will hear from dr. ronald walters. he is both a political activist and a premiere of leading thinker in our country today, and has been for over the past 30 or 40 years. he has taught at several universities. he served as campaign manager and consultant in rev. jesse

jackson's presidential bid both times. finally, he is married to patricio walters and lives in the silver spring -- patricia walters and lives in the silver spring carry out silver spring, maryland but secondly, we have michael jones, one of the leaders in the legal field. he has been too numerous states throughout this country. we are proud to have him as a member of the washington, d.c., community. he has been acknowledged as one of the 75 best lawyers in washington by "washingtonian" magazine and what of the top black litigator's by "black enterprise." class and certainly not least is rodney -- mitchell -- last and certainly not least is rodney mitchell, who gives a great

example of community activism linked to the practice of law. what i think about him, he has a very distinguished resume and career, but i think of him as a native of the southeast and one who has deep roots in south- central los angeles who was caught up in certain implications -- consequences of certain decisions of the criminal justice system. as we watch his career step-by- step take him to adult education, a junior college, where he eventually graduated at the top of his class at the university of california at at berkeley, and eventually graduating from george washington school of law and as a practicing attorney here in d.c. we have welcome experience and we will stop talking and listen to are meant for their understanding regarding this very important issue confronting

our community. >> i had the honor to be asked to join you this evening. -- i am honored to be asked to join you this evening. is my mike on? >> yes, your honor. -- yes, you are on. >> ok. a little closer? washington, d.c., hot and humid in august. it is taking away a little of my voice. in any case, i am honored to be here. i had to come, because this lady, who has done so much for our community, asked me to come. i just finished a book entitled

"democratic destiny in the district of columbia." 10 outstanding chapters by young african-american scholars who are talking about democracy in the district of columbia. representative eleanor holmes norton has written an extremely substantive forward, i want to thank her for that, because she did not have to do that. that i struggled in the 1960's with a book i ran across. i ask a question -- it asked a question -- who needs the negro? maybe some of you remember that

book. what it said to me is that the issue of needing the negro had to do with the place of the african-american in the labor force. there was consistent linkage between our presence in this country, our original presence in this country, and the way we are utilize laborers, one of the main reasons the spreads over all the achievements of african-americans in every field one good name. the negro? the question was asked in the 1960's, because they were talking about the state of the black family. the congresswoman talked about the fact that in the late 1970's -- 1960's, early 1970's,

70% of our community, head of households. it did begin to manifest itself. someone named patrick moynihan, later a senator from the state of new york, wrote a book about the black family that caused a great deal consternation, because we were not willing to have the black family characterized by one failing yardstick. and yet, that is as a matter of fact what exactly happened. even then we were experiencing the decline of our labor. when "who needs the negro?" was written, we were experiencing the decline of our presence in

agricultural labor. when you talk about the 70% of females in the beginning, it was the early stage of de industrialization in this country, and began to manifest itself even there. between particularly black males and the economic system is where we are today. someone from the economic policy institute said that when you look at our numbers, the numbers she cited, we have been involved in a permanent recession. permanent recession that is made even worse and more painful by the fact that with the current economic crisis, things are double. things are doubled. the question of "who needs the negro?" asked to do with the

state of our unemployment as a very viable indicator of where we are today. the berkeley labor institute said something about the nature of our unemployment. officially unemployed, along with the discouraged and marginalized workers, were falling out of the labor force. those working part-time because they cannot find full-time work. by this measure, the situation in the black community is dire. the black underemployment rate went from 14.4% at the beginning of the recession and is now 23.6%. the underemployment rate -- the measure of the official unemployment rate plus -- the

underemployment rate, at 23.6%. in june 2010, 25%. now, we have been fixed on the unemployment rate. what we ought to be fixed on is the underemployment rate, which f work. the reason i say that is that i was speaking in detroit a couple of weeks ago, and "the detroit news" challenged the official figures for unemployment in that city. with respect to black males, it is 15%. that is probably generous. when you look at a place like washington, d.c., it is probably the same thing. 50%. we have to be real about the nature of what it is we are facing today. president obama made a speech

at the upc of texas-austin the other day -- university of texas, austin, the other day, linking education to unemployment for more aggressively -- far more aggressively. there ought to be an audit of where we stand with the utilization of pell grant money, the relationship between banks and loans, the ability to finance education in the district of columbia, and the establishment of what community colleges can do in a place like this. yes, we are entering a knowledge-based economy. this is so serious that it ought to be a mantra in every african- american family. when i grew up, i used to take a

girl to the movies by picking up cans off the street. you cannot do that anymore. of the rise of the scale of the economy that it takes to live out a viable existence on to -- education number one for every family. we do not do enough about economic literacy. literacy and education for young people. we ought to give them a sense of what it takes to live a viable existence. when we talk about that, it will be clear that one of the things increasingly is going to take is some form of education. not like it used to be. when we look at the decline, as

rep norton said, in industrial jobs, if these jobs are declining, the question is what is remaining? what remains of those jobs that it takes education and training to get? let me give you an example of what i'm talking about. i have a sheet from the department of labor. what it lists are the fastest- growing occupations, 2008 projected to 2018. i will read them all right quick. biomedical engineers. medical systems and data communication analyst. financial examiners. medical scientists. physicians' assistance. skin-care specialist grid

biochemist and by a physicist. aides.al therapists' you see the most of these are in the field of health, right? compliance officers occupational therapists. environmental engineers. pharmacy technician spirit computer software engineers. -- pharmacy technicians. computer software engineers. personal finance advisers. occupational therapists. ok. you look at this list, and what i did was i went back, because they did something very interesting -- they put on the side of each one of these categories the amount of education that it would take to get that job. at the back of the envelope, wh