Tag Archives: Korea

Remembering George Shultz at a 1983 Reagan cabinet meeting

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February 8, 2021 — In early November 1983, President Ronald Reagan was meeting with his entire cabinet, as Secretary of State George Shultz walked him through each step of an upcoming visit to Japan and Korea.  I was there as the “plus one” staff aide to Martin Feldstein, Reagan’s top economic adviser.

On the occasion of Shultz’s passing, February 6, at age 100, I offer two remembered anecdotes from this meeting.

Reagan and Whales

Reagan said very little during the lengthy briefing and it wasn’t clear whether he was taking it all in.  At one point, Shultz was talking about the disagreement between the US and Japan over whaling. read more

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Most important global event of 2020? The US election

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January 1, 2020 — An interview question from Chosun Ilbo (the #1 Korean newspaper) for the New Year:   Which political event of 2020 should concern us the most? (E.g., the U.S. presidential election, the geopolitical crisis on the Korean Peninsula, Brexit…?)

My response:

Perhaps I am too US-centric.  But out of all events in 2020, I see November’s presidential election in the United States as warranting the greatest concern, not just for my home country but for the world.

The global system read more

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New Year questions about the economic outlook

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January 1, 2019 – Five questions about the international economic outlook, from Chosun Ilbo (the leading Korean newspaper), and my replies:

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