Jon Meacham: Nothing Can Make You Think U.S. Is a Stable and Safe Environment if You Want To Pursue Your Work

SCARBOROUGH Jon Meacham I ░░░░░░░░ to go to you ░░░░░░░░ only about what happened ░░░░░░░░ the Oval Office yesterday ░░░░░░░░ the message that it ░░░░░░░░ sending around the world ░░░░░░░░ also though want to ░░░░░░░░ about what we discussed ░░░░░░░░ I was discussing off ░░░░░░░░ top of the show ░░░░░░░░ what I m hearing ░░░░░░░░ here from business leaders ░░░░░░░░ what I m hearing ░░░░░░░░ tech leaders what I ░░░░░░░░ hearing from everybody I ░░░░░░░░ to which is to ░░░░░░░░ a soccer reference the ░░░░░░░░ States is committing one ░░░░░░░░ goal after another We ░░░░░░░░ scoring on ourselves And ░░░░░░░░ The Wall Street Journal ░░░░░░░░ page says today all ░░░░░░░░ this is creating new ░░░░░░░░ and diplomatic opportunities but ░░░░░░░░ for the United States ░░░░░░░░ China And I m ░░░░░░░░ the same thing out ░░░░░░░░ London hearing the same ░░░░░░░░ from academic leaders who ░░░░░░░░ can t believe that ░░░░░░░░ of the best students ░░░░░░░░ the planet that they ░░░░░░░░ t have a shot ░░░░░░░░ getting last year because ░░░░░░░░ d be going to ░░░░░░░░ or Harvard or Berkeley ░░░░░░░░ Stanford are now all ░░░░░░░░ to their universities It ░░░░░░░░ and I will say ░░░░░░░░ not to go on ░░░░░░░░ on but it is ░░░░░░░░ something It s one ░░░░░░░░ the reasons I came ░░░░░░░░ in December one of ░░░░░░░░ reasons I m here ░░░░░░░░ to hear how shocked ░░░░░░░░ are that we re ░░░░░░░░ funding to NIH not ░░░░░░░░ it s going to ░░░░░░░░ them but because it ░░░░░░░░ going to drive researchers ░░░░░░░░ America to London to ░░░░░░░░ across the continent across ░░░░░░░░ world It is it ░░░░░░░░ very surprising that we ░░░░░░░░ giving up all the ░░░░░░░░ we are giving up ░░░░░░░░ China as many in ░░░░░░░░ are now looking east ░░░░░░░░ new trading opportunities with ░░░░░░░░ MEACHAM One of the ░░░░░░░░ of all this is ░░░░░░░░ the America that so ░░░░░░░░ supporters of the president ░░░░░░░░ to want to go ░░░░░░░░ to is the America ░░░░░░░░ was built by the ░░░░░░░░ the impulses the investments ░░░░░░░░ they don t even ░░░░░░░░ they want to undo ░░░░░░░░ because I don t ░░░░░░░░ they really voted for ░░░░░░░░ they voted for this ░░░░░░░░ And whatever this man ░░░░░░░░ they re willing to ░░░░░░░░ But we had this ░░░░░░░░ from 1945 until 1952 ░░░░░░░░ we going to build ░░░░░░░░ Were we going to ░░░░░░░░ from a world that ░░░░░░░░ led to these two ░░░░░░░░ cataclysms the two world ░░░░░░░░ or were we going ░░░░░░░░ engage and invest And ░░░░░░░░ was a ferocious battle ░░░░░░░░ was red baiting There ░░░░░░░░ legitimate arguments about whether ░░░░░░░░ were better off focusing ░░░░░░░░ what Herbert Hoover called ░░░░░░░░ Gibraltar of America you ░░░░░░░░ just stand alone if ░░░░░░░░ can And it was ░░░░░░░░ it was President Eisenhower ░░░░░░░░ President Truman one Republican ░░░░░░░░ Democrat they couldn t ░░░░░░░░ each other by the ░░░░░░░░ they had sort of ░░░░░░░░ up on the wrong ░░░░░░░░ of politics so this ░░░░░░░░ t some sort of ░░░░░░░░ nirvana I m talking ░░░░░░░░ These were competitive political ░░░░░░░░ competitive political men who ░░░░░░░░ a decision at the ░░░░░░░░ of the Cold War ░░░░░░░░ we were going to ░░░░░░░░ and we were going ░░░░░░░░ research we were going ░░░░░░░░ build We might not ░░░░░░░░ instant returns on a ░░░░░░░░ but that s what ░░░░░░░░ is It s to ░░░░░░░░ a biblical allusion this ░░░░░░░░ Week it s bread ░░░░░░░░ the waters Sometimes it ░░░░░░░░ back And the builders ░░░░░░░░ that debate And now ░░░░░░░░ s being undone And ░░░░░░░░ think that s one ░░░░░░░░ the particular tragedies There ░░░░░░░░ a lot unfolding at ░░░░░░░░ moment But it is ░░░░░░░░ you say it s ░░░░░░░░ self inflicted wound and ░░░░░░░░ that it may or ░░░░░░░░ not be generational I ░░░░░░░░ that it is because ░░░░░░░░ you re a scientist ░░░░░░░░ you re looking for ░░░░░░░░ stable world in which ░░░░░░░░ pursue your work what ░░░░░░░░ you think after the ░░░░░░░░ decade in American politics ░░░░░░░░ the United States is ░░░░░░░░ stable and safe environment ░░░░░░░░ you to pursue something ░░░░░░░░ may or may not ░░░░░░░░ favor with a particular ░░░░░░░░