A Conversation with Former Secretary of State George Shultz

Recorded on January 25, 2016

Secretary Shultz talks about his time in the Reagan White House, from negotiations with Andrey Gromyko to the meetings between Reagan and Gorbachev in Reykjavik. It’s a fascinating recount of the Reagan years through Shultz’s eyes, ending with what he believes are important characteristics for any future president and leader to have.

[TheHarryChanne]

My grandfather knew George Shultz and spoke very highly of his intellect, integrity and fortitude. This kind of praise is something he reserved for very few people.

[jameswatkins]

Thank you Secretary Shultz for your service and your insight. I remember well the Reagan years. He was the first president I voted for as a young man. Thank you Mr. Robinson for another fantastic interview.

[andrewmackaybryan]

Absolutely brilliant interview. And incredible to see Secretary Schultz has all his wits about him. What a true hero of America.

[SujithAbraham]

2:10 How US strategy of containment of USSR emerged.

12:20 On #Gorbachev: smart, quick and you can have a conversation with him. 'I was impressed'.

14:32 How #Regan changed from 'amiable dunce' to becoming the president who slashed taxes, boosted economy and handled the Soviets. Regan liked being underestimated.

25:22 200 years ago US was trying to persuade Tripoli to stop piracy but it was not fruitful. When asked why they did this they said, 'it is written in the #Quran'.

33:00 How to be helpful: don't tell people what to do, don't impose, just help them along.

[Reconing]

Great discussion from two great intellectuals. Thank you for the lessons.

[brianclough]

Great observation - you don't need to use force, just show strength, and you can still get the same result.
Gromyko was a very capable Soviet Foreign Minister and smart, you need a very capable and smart Sec of State to deal with him. George Shultz was just such a man.
Lot's of awesome stuff. The naivety he explained when asked the question. How they knew exactly not to budge on SDI, because of the possibility that the Soviets could re-start nuclear manufacture..
It's not what you know, but what you realise.

Finally he'll be 100 in December. Just look at him, 4 years ago at age 96, he was still lucid, still as smart as ever and had a full grasp of foreign and domestic policy. Truly a most remarkable man. No 4 on my list if best Sec 0f State since 1960.
1. Baker
2 Kissinger
3 Christopher
4 Schutz
5 Albright.

Maybe he might even be No 3 since he lasted longer in the role than Christopher.

[coreyoldknow]

Schultz is one greatest American diplomats in our history .smart . With intelligence and wisdom. Amazing his shape mind at 95

[soulvibes]

The main man who destroyed the Philippines industralization and Ferdinand Marcos in the 80's.

[BIgBass]

Thanks for the class in realization, I was young and stupid when these guys were running things. We thought we knew everything, but we couldn't realize anything because we had no experience.

[akp]

Amazing how this man is 99 and still kicking

[rutex]

Per Volcker's new memoirs, the Umbrella closed in 1984...

[dukerwong]

The former Secretary of state Shultz is very wise as his governing leadership experiences as well as the visions of America's future. Often when people sensed the Capitalism systems of America's own foundations and constitutions are off of the tracks or leaned over the different ways, or weakened which are not the intended and initiated by America's own Foundations Fathers' intentions to be, or less favored by Americans who are used to be lived by our own foundation and constitutions as the principles, American peoples will be angry, mad and gradually become emotional and the emotions can sometimes become over welmingly, either absolutely catch up the big necessary attentions to our own Gov't servants, or lost judgement of the reality, become irational at the same time. Because there are nothing can be perfectly approched, if we are too emotional and lost the sense of judgment for America's security and safety issues, prosperity and unity by America's own foundations and constitutions as well as the great governing leadership experiences to ensure America's own greatness and principles of America's own foundations and constitutions as well as our country's own unity. Only assurance for America's own greatness is America's own foundations and constitutions for America's own security and safety issues as well as prosperity and unity plus the great governing leadership experiences which with a proven successful results as well as much other diversified knowledges of the foriegn policies and strategies as well as the defense capabilities, even economic growth experiences, the communications and negotiations capabilities for the convincing and support for getting things done and done quickly as possible, the strong and firm efforts to maitain, protect and defend America's own foundations of America's own Capitalism systems of the liberty and entrepreneurships by America's own constitutions and patriotism and loyalty as the principles, to understand the importance of the unity as one nation under God by the quality and leadership experiences and skills as well as America's own patriotism and loyalty. The great President is there for how to put ideas across through and how to put characters together across through for America's greatness by America's own foundations and constitutions and unity as well as the loving-kindness nature under the principles altogether towards America's own greatness and success. America's President's responsibility and duties are extreme tasks due to America's own greatness of the security and safety issues as well as our country's prosperity and unity, also for the leadership of the world for America's spirits and foundations. It very heavy duty, absolutely no as simple as any large cherity organizations or business entities, it's a country and for a great country of America and America's own foundations and constitutions. The governing leadership experiences like President Reagan and President Bush 41 and President Bush 43 are absolutely important and helpful to ensure America's greatness of security and safety issues, prosperity and unity, balence between the conflicts, assuming the most important things to get done efficiently and effectively, as well as being reasonable and kind altogether to each other for America's long run greatness and principles.

[dukerwong]

I believe the strength will maitain the peace and the peace will only come from the strength. I also believe more friends as better and less enemies as luckier as the philosophy. The most important thing is making America strong in both economy and defense capabilities by America's own foundations, constitutions and unity as the principles and unite with our illies for America's own spirits of our country's own Capitalism systems of the liberty, entrepreneurships and unity as well as the principles of the security and safety issues for each other's prosperities. I also believe that scratch the backs each other through the mutual fair benefited principles for the tradings. America has been a great Capitalism systems of the country for long time, if we use the wisdoms of the Capitalism systems of the experiences, America will be prosperous quickly again and Americans will be able to enjoy massive jobs without worrying by the better business environment.

[Iznikroc]

love his response to why cruz and trump are not good choices for president

[rutex]

The interviewer is conflating the end of the cold war with the fall of the soviet union per the writings of Reagan's - and Shultz's - Moscow ambassador, Jack Matlock

[ericphantri]

The basics principle of energy was a enough stimulation to keep life and in economics the failing concept of communism can only last a generation because inactivity would kill the mind and skills and can't sustain. However stimulation was regulated just enough to and not over acceleration then it was wonderful. Mr Gorbachev was handsome Communist rarely seen and he was hero

[ericphantri]

Fighting inflation by increase productivity by automation and liberal social and strong defense like a obvious choice for people make. Mr Clifford was like general Haige

[mShelley]

26:50 So..what does george shultz think now?

[jonnyfromfar]

Paul Ryan Give me a break old man. The Republican in Name Only that campaigns as a conservative but then becomes speaker of the house and allows obama and his cronies to give iran 100 billion dollars .. Despite the distinguished career and fascinating anecdotes his ad hominem attack on Ted Cruz was tasteless as Cruz/Carson are the only candidates who are akin to Reagan .. it reveals his support for the #washingtonCARTEL that Cruz has exposed in his numerous senate speeches.

[jeffcook]

Hello george shultz are you going to give credit where credit is due for the cold war ending as it was i cold war 1979 us army volunteer and cold war 1982 666 usm corp volunteer shook the hand of white man GOD in 1986.