personal pricing. >>> and we are back with paul wolfowitz, richard haass, anne-marie slaughter and tom friedmantom, let's talk about iran for a second outside of the syrian context. what do you think is going to happen? obama was able to diffuse the issue of a possible war with iran by saying, i really take this threat seriously. i'm going to press and press them as hard as possible, containment is not an option. we will not live with an iranian nuclear program that could become a weapons program. and so at this point, either the iranians have to surrender completely, i think, or president obama faces a problem. in other words, he's kicked the can down theroad, but it's going to come back soon. >> i think the iranians are very good at reading power on the global power scene. i think they've taken the measure of the world right now. and they don't think that anyone's going to force them to give up their nuclear program. i think they realize that israel would be very, very wary of undertaking a military action before the american election or at a time that it could tip the global economy into a d

joining me from washington, "the new york times" foreign affairs columnist, tom friedman. welcome. tom, let me start with you. you talk to a lot of people in the region. what is your sense about whether assad can hold on? so far he has defied many expectations and has held on. >> well, fareed, you know, i think it's the nature of these kind of regimes that they're strong, they're strong, they're strong until they around and then they go quickly. we just don't know when that moment will be. but the reason he has held on up till now is because he clearly has support. support of the minority that he represents. first of all, his own sect, an offshoot of shias, about 12% of the syrian population, and then christians who basically fear a sunni/muslim majority taking power in syria. and then some sunni muslims who have been allied with the regime for business and other purposes. so this isn't a one-man show. there is support there. it's basically tribe and sect based. they're deeply afraid. they're cornered and they're fighting that way. >> do you feel like he can hold on? >> well, i thin

polarized context we are in, there is actually a letter, open letter to -- a private letter to tom friedman in this book where i say, look, but you can't come to this book -- people -- the biggest problem is people are spending more and more of their own -- social security is a higher and higher proportion of their retirement and right on the edge. and the idea that you would solve this problem by raising healthcare costs for seniors is just a killer, that is killer, and if you say the main problem -- >> rose: but ryan doesn't speak to social security? >> he talks to medicare. and simpson-bowles, and both say the main problem is healthcare spending by the government. now if that is the problem, because it is true, rising healthcare costs for the government if that is the problem, the deficit, then it is fine to move that money away from the government on to seniors, but if you say the biggest problem we face is the middle class then you say, we have to address healthcare costs andrea matt economy. >> rose: since you cite in this letter tom friedman, paul krugman, are you essentially saying

tom friedman, you're sticking around. >> about your dad -- you were nice, weren't you?n essay about mika's dad all about his views on the middle east and how he had most things right 30 years ago, still does. >> thank you very much. >> he would -- he was very intelligently written, david. coming up -- >> not stunningly super. >> can military spending cuts be made without threatening national security? >> let me answer that, yes. >> reaching across the aisles to find a way. democratic congressman barney frank and republican congressman mike mulvaney join us next on "morning joe." daddy, come in the water! somebody didn't book with travelocity, with 24/7 customer support to help move them to the pool daddy promised! look at me, i'm swimming! somebody, get her a pony! [ female announcer ] the travelocity guarantee. from the price to the room to the trip you'll never roam alone. free streaming quotes, all your investments, positions, and even your trade ticket are all on one customizable page. see the 360 investing dashboard at e-trade. >>> in short, sequestration constitut

. >> you came to international fame as the man to told tom friedman the world is flat. >> well it ise of the book. >> do you look at the landscape of these emerging markets that you were talking about and the way in which they had all these competitive advantages or at least an equal level playing field and do you think something has changed because you are seeing a slowing down of the bricks, you are seeing india's slowed down, china's slowed down, brazil has slowed down, rsh v russia is slowing down. there are areas of cheap capital where everyone is booming. have you hit a brick wall? >> i think certainly messages that i think -- there's one side of, but as you also said, it is about institutions, about having a level playing field, it is about regulation, it is about creating easy entry of entrepreneurs, competition. then the things gets much more complex. that's why a lot of these countries are facing those challenges of migrating to that way. >> are you bullish about them as well? >> absolutely. i think fundamentals have not changed. there may be some tactical issue but fundame

tom friedman talked about the same policy of the assassination in israel, hamas and hezbollah and said that was like mowing the lawn for every one that felt that someone replaced him -- i'm sorry. yeah, there is. there we go. can you hear me now? okay. there is the theory that when you assess any terrorists, other terrorists come in and you have also been tyrannized the family and in this case we are antagonizing pakistan which is far more important than the missiles it is a much bigger country. it's strategically located and they have objected, hillary has objected, the ambassador to pakistan, for while the american ambassador and yet obama seems to go ahead with it. >> really as i see it, there are two separate questions and i want separate that out. the substance of 1i don't agree with. there is a longstanding debate over the decade about what to do about terrorism and what you are referring to is one approach that is called the swamps of terrorism as a swamp of economic conditions and so on. if we go after the leaders of an organization, ultimately the problem will -- >> in fact, w

tom friedman, paul wolfowitz, richard haas, anne marie slaughter on syria, iran, mitt romney, and presidenthe world's leading economists, paul krugman and ken rogoff, go head to head on the most important economic matters of our time. the economy, the fiscal cliff, the euro and much more. >>> also, why in the world does the united states find itself number one on a top-10 list with yemen, iraq, and serbia? i'll explain. >>> but first, here's my take. mitt romney has picked a bad time to launch an attack on barack obama's foreign policy. as he was speaking to the annual gathering of the veterans of foreign wars this week, charging obama with weakness, betrayal, and man dacity. there's a new poll on. handling foreign policy, americans prefer obama to romney by a whopping 15 points. romney's principal charge against obama is that he has angered america's allies and emboldened its enemies. >> shabby treatment of one of our finest friends. >> well, it turn out again that there's some recently released data that contradicts the claim. the pew foundation released one of its global surveys in june,

. >> another interesting thing he said, though, in direct question from tom friedman, was do you trustresident obama. he said yes, president obama is right with us. >> which is something you know the white house really wanted to hear. >> right. very much. you know, the interesting thing, something you mentioned which is really fascinating, is this. the israeli perspective on the consequences of a nuclear iran are also the obama perspective. when i interviewed him in march for "the atlantic" -- >> the president. >> the president, on this question, he spoke very strongly, very adamantly, about the day after and no one in the white house doesn't believe, they all believe that saudi arabia would immediately go nuclear and believe you would soon be looking at a nuclear arms race in the world's most volatile area. >> another thing that is very clear is that from israel's perspective, they would take action even if it were to just slow down iran, whereas the u.s. intelligence officials and military officials with whom i talk are all talking about wanting to do something definitive, therefore,

. >> just reminds me, jeff, the tom friedman's great line that whmp somebody comes to this country andn, they should staple a they stay here and we get the advantages of their brain and ingenuity. >> and right now they are doing almost the exact opposite of that. and i think that's what these guys say needs some attention. >> thank you, jeff glor. >> sure things, guys. miss you. >> yeah you seem to be holding it down nicely. thank you. >> i'm trying. >> didn't look like a hard story to cove, by the way. >> no. it's lovely out there on half moon bay. maverick is out there, too, if you want to go surfing. if you want to go, mak >>> here's a question. do you feel better when you go to the beach? i'll go first. yes. doctors say there's real science behind it. we'll show you what it is, and in "healthwatch" that's coming up next on cbs "this morning." all multivitamins give me the basics. they claim to be complete. only centrum goes beyond. providing more than just the essential nutrients, so i'm at my best. centrum. always your most complete. in paradise valley, arizona, where tonight we s

some of you may recall tom friedman -- these guys are missing in action. today, maya has put together a group of ceos who are joining on a platform of the vice-chairman of the british -- business roundtable. i think that major progress is being made in that sector. finally, let's talk about the public level. recently, we had a survey of 1000 citizens of this country about this situation. i saw much to encourage me about the possibilities. they seen too much more fully understand the problems than they used to. i will give you just if you, i hope not too boring statistics. 93% of democrats and nearly 82% of republicans told us that they believe that these long-term debt problems must be solved and must include both tax increases and spending cuts. while washington is mired in ideological and almost theological argument about no revenues and no entitlement cuts and so forth, the public is saying, i want to compromise. we want you to compromise. my son reminded me that it was nike who said, just do it. we are at the level where we just want to do it. thank yo

some of you may recall tom friedman said and the business sector these guys are missing in action. today my has put together an understanding of the ceos joined on the platform by david on the business roundtable and i think major progress is being made. finally, let's talk up the public level. recently, we had a survey 1,000 citizens in this country about the situation i saw much of the survey to encourage me about the possibilities. they seem to much more fully understand the problem than they used to and they will get just a few i hope not too boring statistics to read 83 -- 93% of democrats, and nearly 80% of republicans told us they believe that these long-term debt problems must be solved and must include the tax increases and spending cuts so while ma washington is mired in ideological and almost theological argument about no revenues and no entitlement cuts and so forth, the public is saying i want to compromise. we want you to compromise it was mikey that said just do it and writing we are at the level where we just want to do it. thank you. >> i am the ceo of honeywell. a

some of you may recall what tom friedman said in the business sector. these guys are m.i.a., missing in action. today, maya has put together an outstanding group of co'eo's. i think major progress is now being made among the business sector. finally, let's talk about the public level. recently, we had a survey of 1000 citizens of this country about this situation. i saw much in that survey to encourage me about the possibilities. they seemed too much more fully understand the problem than they used to understand. i will give you just a few, i hope not too boring, statistics. 93% of democrats and nearly 80% of republicans told us they believe that these long-term debt problems must be solved and must include both tax increases and spending cuts. so while washington is mired in ideological and almost theological arguments about no revenues and no entitlement cuts and so forth, the public is saying i want a compromise. we want you to compromise and make a deal. my son reminded me that it was nike who said "just to do it." i think we are at the level where