"[Klein] personifies the tradition on which the Republic rests," said Marx as he introduced Klein. Klein then took the podium to begin his lecture, which he admitted didn't really have a title despite its original billing as "The Presidency After 9/11." He jokingly suggested that the new title should be "Recent Stuff."
Klein began by explaining his role as a journalist. "I spend my whole life … listening to people talk and occasionally asking questions," he said. He relied on his journalistic experience to render observations on the current foreign policy crisis in Iraq.
Klein described how he thought recent historical conditions have led to the Iraq quagmire. "We have lived through the last 50 years as the greatest experiment in affluence in the history of the world, and so we came into [the events of 9/11] in a narcotic haze of affluence."
The Bush administration and its "conservative utopians," as Klein referred to Bush's political circle, have reflected this haze by bringing America into a foreign policy nightmare. "Their belief for war in Iraq was extremely high-minded, and now we're looking at, right now, the most serious foreign policy crisis … since Vietnam," said Klein.
As he proceeded to detail the administration's powerful ideals, he mentioned the attitude displayed by two of the administration's most prominent figures, Vice President Dick Cheney and Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld. "[Cheney and Rumsfeld] believe that, because we're the most powerful nation in the world, we can make the world the way we want it," said Klein.
Klein continued by sharing his self-described obsession with the war in Iraq. "[Iraq] is an impossible situation, and I don't see how we're going to get out of it easily. I don't know how we're going to get out of this at all," said Klein. "But we're heading toward a moment of truth about six months down the road."
Klein also directed a request to some of the younger attendees of the lecture. "My generation didn't have the experience of service and sacrifice," Klein said. "I'd like to really recommend to you the notion that you have an obligation … not only to society but to yourself." He continued to stress the importance of this obligation. "We could get away with losing the habits of citizenship when there wasn't much at stake. But over the last couple of years, we have had an administration put us in grave peril … and we don't know how we're going to get out of it," he said.
Ending on that note, Klein opened the floor for questions. Entertaining several questions, mostly from alumni, Klein reinforced his perspectives on the current state of political affairs. After a somewhat heated exchange with some left-leaning professors and other members of the audience about the virtues and dangers of socialism, Klein took one last question and President Marx closed the event.
Rohan Mascarenhas '07 offered his reaction to the lecture. "It was a bit one-sided, but it wasn't just propaganda. He clearly had strong convictions that I totally respect. I wanted to get his autograph afterward, but he had left already."