Congressman John Garamendi Speaks on U.S. Foreign Policy at King Hall
Congressman John Garamendi delivered a talk on U.S. foreign policy at King Hall on September 2 that drew a large turnout of faculty, students, and community members to the Kalmanovitz Appellate Courtroom. The talk also drew coverage in the Daily Republic, Fairfield's daily newspaper.
Garamendi, who represents California's District 3 and serves on the House Armed Services Committee, focused on the importance of diplomacy in avoiding armed conflict, often framing his remarks by harkening back to his experiences working for the Peace Corps in Africa during the 1960s.
"How do you deal with violent extremist groups?" Garamendi asked. "Do a whole lot more of what we were doing in the ‘60s with the Peace Corps: building communities."
Garamendi said that social problems such as poverty, lack of educational opportunity, and poor social mobility in Africa and the Middle East provide fertile conditions for the growth of extremist movements, and that the United States could undermine that growth by "creating and building peace, one village at a time."
Garamendi talked at length about the Obama administration's attempts to broker an agreement to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons. The deal currently under consideration would prevent Iran from developing such weapons for 15 years, whereas a military strike would delay Iran's nuclear progress by only a few months, and would confirm that nation's fears that it needs a nuclear arsenal for its own defense, Garamendi said.
Much of Garamendi's talk was devoted to answering audience questions, which included queries about the proposed Trans-Pacific Partnership trade agreement, oil drilling the Arctic, and effects of China's devaluing its currency. He closed with remarks about a "new trillion dollar arms race," as the world's nuclear powers seek to develop a new generation of stealth nuclear weapons that cannot be detected "until you see the bright light."
Still, Garamendi said he remained optimistic about the future, referencing the song "Tomorrow" from the musical Annie. "The sun will come up tomorrow, and I'm optimistic that we'll make the right decisions."
The event included introductory remarks from Dean Kevin R. Johnson as well as Varun Aery '16. The talk was presented by UC Davis School of Law, the Sacramento chapter of the World Affairs Council, the King Hall International Law Association, and the California International Law Center at King Hall.