Dr. Zbigniew Brzezinski joins Morning Joe to discuss his new book "Strategic Vision," why the world would be chaotic in the short term if America were to decline, the country’s relationship with Iran, and why President Obama understands what's new about the 21st century.
And on the day of the president's State of the Union speech, here are some thoughts Dr. Brzezinski shared on President Obama:
David Ignatius: In this political year, do you think what’s in your book could be best implemented by Obama or by these Republican critics?
Dr. Zbigniew Brzezinski: I have no doubt that it is Obama. Because Obama – and I have said this publicly before – impressed me from the very beginning by the fact that he seems to understand what’s new about the 21st century and what’s new about the much more complex, difficult role that America has to play in that century. I don’t feel that his critics understand these issues; they just operate with slogans and demagogy and with a great deal of extremism in their views and willingness to go to more wars. Look at the totally casual way in which the leading Republican presidential candidates announce they would go to war with Iran, even though it is Congress that is supposed to go to war…Obama understands it. I think the problem is that he has had difficulties in part because of the domestic problems, in part because he got stonewalled to move forward with this foreign policy. But I certainly have no hesitation in saying I have more confidence in his judgment about the world than anything I have heard so far from the officially announced Republican presidential candidates.