Iraqis otherwise became combatant and would have provided something that iraqis and the region really needed. Their electricity is very spotty and is, in fact, a part of the conflict turning power on and off to different neighborhoods. It could have been done for a fraction of the multitrillion dollar cost of the iraq war and with low risk to american lives and it would be a template for something that the u. S. And rich nations could and still should do i think across the middle east and global sun belt. And so i wonder is this still any realistic possibility that a program of mass and solar energy aid to the middle east and worlds other literally hot and bothered and conflicted regions could be could plant at least a major part of this endless war and that serves no problem and instead something i think we got the point gregory. Lets hear from andrew. Im not able to comment on the feasibility of that kind of a project. But the premise of the question deserves our attention and that is to say that the result of our expectation, that military power can provide a solution to the problem. Will ultimately cost us trillions of dollars. Now, if we go back to 2003 when george w. Bush administration invaded iraq they did did not anticipate what the full cost would be, and indeed part of the judgment of that administration is their failure to understand what was had actually going to ensue. But the real point would be that the need to consider alternatives to simply further accident pendture of military power whether its solar panels or irrigation or some other program of economic development, ultimately the nurtureing, functioning, Stable Society is going to require something other than simply dropping bombs and conducting military campaigns on the ground. And i think your question makes that point very nicely. , is there a tendency towards group thinking in the pentagon in a military circle or is there a pretty robust debate that goes on before policy or implement . I dont have great insight into what they talk about in the pentagon these days because ive been out of the army for quite some period of time. But i think, i think theres group think within any institution. And as a matter of fact the older the institution probably the tighter the grip of group think. Certainly the United States military understandably the United States military wishes to sustain its status in our society. Which is to sustain its prerogative in simple terms wishes to sustain the exceedingly high level of defense spending that has come to be routine. That doesnt preclude the possibility, however, of members of the officer corps. Particularly those who have served in the greater middle east over these recent decades of coming to some thoughtful, critical conclusions about whether or not what were doing is working. I dont know. What happened in these internal conversations . My hope is indeed my bed bet is that there may be serious thinking going on within military circles, you know now that were facing this new Trump Administration i think one of the questions is, will our next president , is he the kind of guy who was willing to sit down with our fourstar military leadership and to and to be open to what they may have learned as a consequence of our recent wars . I hope he would be open doesnt mean defer. Open doesnt mean do whatever the generals want. But open means a willingness to think anew rather than simple lil continue down the same path. Laura your question or comment for andrew. Oh, hi and thank you for taking my question. I heard you, tuned in earlier are and i heard you talking about foreign oil. And my husband he works offshore, and theres im sure you know oil so low, and theres a lot of people that either has been lated off or, you know, ones that havent been laid off have taken several pay cuts. Anyway, my question for you was do you think that the reason oil is so low here is because were so getting way too much foreign oil . Question was laura oil price clear could you repeat your question im sorry. My question was do you think that reason oil has went so low here in the u. S. Because were were acquiring too much foreign oil . Foreign oil domestic oil and again, i want to add into what she had to say but you said this earlier that the wars in the middle east are kind of on autopilot now. Even though were Energy Independent in this country. I think that price of oil is a function of supply and demand. And for all kind of reasons to include the development of new sources of oil and natural gas in the western hemisphere supplies are up Osama Bin Laden dee who is supplier of last resort wish to have for their own technical reason like to have the price of oil remain low and they have the ability by controlling the bigot to a considerable extent to control price of oil so i think thats for explanation of why the price of oil is what it is, i think we should probably look, look toed saudis but to the point you remember raising im surprised by how little discussion there is of these Strategic Implication of the transformation of the Global Energy environment and the ability that we now know that the oil and gas reserve in north america are far greater than we imagined 20 or 30 years ago. I think that Strategic Implication should be huge and should promote people asking questions about why why do we still consider saudi arabia, for example, this crucial alley. Where do question still assign such importance to the persian gulf . But that discussion hasnt happened. Greg. Think cloud, florida, good evening from booktv, youre on the air. Thank you, sir. Good evening, professor basevich my question to you why does the United States have to get involved in every military action outside of our borders . Why is it that we just cannot protect our borders and be done with it . Great question, i apologize i dont know where this cough kale from. Gave him a cough drop and show you the covert book one more time. Greg were not ignoring but vamping so that professor gets a changes to tack a cough drop. Sip of water americans war for the greater middle east is the cover of the book of military history and hes going to answer your question i promise greg were not avoiding you. [laughter] a great question tell you what were going to give you a chance. Tell you what greg were going to come back to question and will not forget it but just a because of his cough lets go ahead had and hear from david in west lynn, oregon, as well, and well get him to answer both questions. Okay, david go ahead. Hi, general thank you for your service. My question has to do with saudi arabia about a year ago i heard a report that got released from the pentagon that the funding and coordination of 9 11 traced right back into central governing elements of saudi arabia. And more specifically the royal family. And i mean, all rational sort of starting position on neive would have to this could that the bin laden and house of saud close to that event. That all hands on deck for them. So knowing that, i was just wondering what the response is. Okay thank you very much. Question what we know and what we suspect. And first of all we dont know as citizens we dont know everything. But i think we what question do know is that wealthy individuals in saudi arabia have for years and decades been using their wealth to promote a radical version of islam. What we dont know some allege some suspect, but we dont know that the Decision Makers in the royal family are directly complicit in that. In other words, we know that elements within saudi arabia have promoted radicalism but dont know that royal family was in bed with Osama Bin Laden now the question is why this fancying that the United States has to employ military power to solve every problem in the world . As a great question and theres no easy answer. But i think one one part of the answer and important part of the answer is to acknowledge what you were referring to a minute ago of group and theres a strong element of group think not simply in u. S. Military had circles but to larger extent in u. S. Political circles. That imagines and indeed assert that we are the indispensable nation that the global order can not manage or police itself absent, our leadership. A conviction a further conviction that leadership means using america hurl power. I mean, there are other definition was leadership. Leadership can be lead by example. Demonstrate bit way we run our country. That our values do have value. Thatthat we do things in ways tt other nations may wish to to embrace so this mindset i think is incredibly powerful and i think this is where it becomes interesting to think about what trump is going to do. Because he is not of that establishment. Indeed in many rpghts he got elected because he says, were going to drain the swamp. Were going to take down this establishment. I dont know that hell even try to do and i dont believe that hes succeed but to the extent that he succeeds or tries one of the interesting things to say whats his alternative . To this washington mindset and this conviction that we have to lead, lead the world and leading the world somehow has requires that use of military power. Lets hear from gary in southfield, massachusetts. Gary youre the lasted word. Thank you. Thanks for cspan. And doctor, drps vich i get a feeling that you want the country to become isolationists. I dont feel like we can get out of the area that were in. I think we have to let our new administration go in there and get rid of these people that want to kill us. I dont i dont feel its going to do anything and when you talk about draining the swamp, i dont feel whats been going on with our country has been good for the people of our country. Weve become and not a Democratic Society anymore. And i think were going to get back to that. And the people have been sick of the way things have been going on. And i hope for our sake that our new president will listen to the general and work with everyone across the aisle and get our country going in the right direction again. Because were 20 trillion dollars in debt. Thank you very much. Andrew last word. Yeah, okay. I mean, you know its funny any time anybody suggest a somewhat more restrained approach to policy, the response is oh, i guess you must be an isolationist and i reject that. Seems to me that what we should, the label we should all want to have is pragmatism what works and what doesnt work. If you think that, our efforts are used to our military in the middle east is making things better, if you believe that, then vote for it. I see no evidence of that happening. So seems to me its time for us to look for an alternative. And im not sure how many people we would have to kill in order to make the dysfunction of this part of the world go away but its going to be a great big, big number and for those who are bothered by the size of the deficit endless war. Guarantees that that deficit is going to not only continue the but is going to skyrocket so people who are concerned about about our fiscal circumstance should also be prague pragmatisn it comes to u. S. Military policy and should think very carefully before insisting theres no alternative but to dive in deeper and to a circumstance that weve already made a mess of. The book americas war for the greater middle east of military history. Andrew is the author and we appreciate you being on booktv from miami. Thank you. Well one more event tonight one more event tonight and this is senator Bernie Sanders talking about his book, our revolution. He is up in the booktv roma which is pretty well packed with people who want their senator sanders. Theyre also out on the street. Booktv has a large screen tv set up through Miamidade College showing this event. [applause] thank you very much. And this just about five minutes between my welcome to you and senator sanders. So thank you so much for being here. [applause] its a truly a pleasure to welcome you here to Miami Book Fair. This book there would not bebe possible without the support of many mini sponsors such as the knight foundation, the bachelorn foundation and many mini other sponsors as i said. We also are very grateful to the friends of Miami Book Fair international. If you would wave one more time. I would like to recognize you for your support. [applause] and, of course, miamidadee n college the convener of this outstanding literary gathering where so many students [applause] yes, lets applaud. So many Miamidade College students, faculty and staff give of themselves and volunteer in various aspects of this fair to make it what it is, so thank you to Miamidade College as well. [applause] you will be able to purchase your own book, senator sanders book immediately outside of this room so please take advantage of that following the presentation. But without further ado i would like to bring on someone who make the formal introduction this evening, hes none other than Ronald Goldfarb. Mr. Goldfarb wheres many, many hats. , hes a washington lawyer. Is also the author of 11 plus books. Er while serving as a literary agent for over 100 authors including senator sanders. Mr. Goldfarb has served in the Kennedy Administration as special assistant. And i could go on and on andte terms of as many contributions, to civic life to the Legal Affairs of this nation, and to society over all. He lives now in key biscayne but travel strictly between keyane n biscayne in washington, d. C. Please help me welcome Ronald Goldfarb. Thank you. [applause] thank you. I know you have encountered to see me some going to do something thats very difficult for washington lawyers. Im going to speak very, very briefly. Before the election i thought my wall with the kind of warmup the house with some witty remarks like mentioning how bernie does a terrific imitation of larry david. [laughter] and how a better storyline for the election would have been poor kid from brooklyn whips rich kid from queens. [cheers and applause] [applause] but after the election a week ago, i decided it that ryan witty doesnt work and ives toed those notes away. Because i know you all understand as i do that were in a very frightening political season. Bob dylans line came back to me, its not dark yet, but its getting there. That said our speak or tonight does offer an individual ray of light. With no money, no organization two years ago but with good ideas and an integrity that shines through as youll see in his word he won 22 states including i would add wisconsin, and michigan. [applause] 13 and a half million votes, 46 of the delegates. 2. 8 million done rs who gave small amounts of money but great passion for his campaign. Most interesting to me is that 70 of the people who voted in the election on the democratic side voted for Bernie Sanders. And that group that, that group is growing to be the Largest Group of voters in the country and heres something that you probably dont know. While i was driving on a bus to an airport after bernie book sold i got a call from st. Maarten colleague and their business holt a publish of book for teenager 14 to 9 and said we would love to adapt bernies book for our audience and that is going to happen too. [applause] connect for 83yearold book lover top help a 74yearold politician. Make that visionary, lead on a new generation of voters. And i just want to add with one last that is i happen had to be watching blitzer a few days ago interviewing the jane sanders, and he trying to make go ahead she deserve it is. Trying to make the story where there wasnt one who had said youve done so well in the election and your book is a best seller. Does that mean your husband is going to run in 2020 . [applause] jainls answer was, wrong question wolf, ask me that in 2019. We should be talking about 2017 very honored as they say now in his colleague say in the senate im going to yield my table to the great senator from vermont, who is going to tell us all what he will be and what we should be doing in 2017. The great, Bernie Sanders. [applause] thank you all. Thank you all for coming out. Thank you. [chanting] as i think many of you have heard me say a million times, this is not about bernie. It is about you and us. [applause] let me thank you all for coming out. Let me thank Miamidade College for hosting the event and Ronald Goldfarb for the very generous introduction. I want to talk obviously about the book but i suspect there are one or two other things on your mind. Ab so well talk about that as well. Lets get going. G. Point number one, Hillary Clinton ended up getting 1 million half more votes than donald trump, dont forget about that. So if anyone tells you that mr. Trump has a mandate to go forward with some of his very is reactionary ideas, tell them that he lost the popular vote by a million and a half votes. Number two, and this is also important and i just want all of you to understand that ive been around this country, ive been in this business for a while. What im telling you is the truth. On virtually not all but on virtually every major issue facing this country, whether it is raising the minimum wage to a living wage, whether it is pay equity for women who are now making 79 cents on the dollar compared to men, whether it is creating millions of decent paying jobs by rebuilding our crumbling infrastructure, whether it is criminal justice reform, Immigration Reform, on all of those issues, and many more, Campaign Finance reform, on all of those issues, guess what . M vast majority of the American People are on our side. [applause]and wh and when somebody goes and tells you that republicans have some kind of mandate to cut Social Security and medicare and medicaid, want to give tax breaks to billionaires or to ignore the scientific overwhelming Scientific Evidence regarding Climate Ch