Former National Security Advisor and U.S. Lieutenant General H.R. McMaster addressed Arizona State University students on October 7 as part of the put on by the School of Civic and Economic Thought and Leadership (SCETL). 

McMaster, who served in uniform for more than three decades and in public service longer yet, commanded the attention of students, faculty, community leaders, ROTC cadets, and military officers.

McMaster a wide array of topics and issues over the course of the evening, but stressed the need to demand competence from the political class while also guarding against hubris. 

鈥淲e can tell our leaders to stop pretending, and demand competence,鈥� McMaster said. 鈥淲e need not wait for the political class to restore our confidence in our common identity as Americans.鈥�

Charting a course for the future, McMaster encouraged the audience to 鈥渞esolve to live well, cherish the freedoms so many fought to preserve, and to realize the motto that appears on the seal of the Republic: E Pluribus Unum.鈥�

McMaster thanked SCETL for its dedication to civil discourse and the promotion of a classical education, and ASU more broadly for its commitment to entrepreneurship and accessibility. He said that civic education is a precondition for good citizenship.

American withdrawal from Afghanistan and competition with China

鈥淪trategic narcissism led to self-delusion鈥� in Afghanistan, McMaster said, a critic of the United States鈥� withdrawal from the nation. 鈥淎nd self delusion provided a rationale for self defeat. The catastrophe we are seeing in Afghanistan is the result of鈥ncompetence.鈥�

As National Security Advisor, McMaster repeatedly persuaded then-President Trump against withdrawal from Afghanistan.

McMaster sees American withdrawal, which he characterizes as defeat, as a concession in the larger confrontation with China, rather than an opportunity to recalibrate American strategy. 

As NSA, he co-wrote a memo titled 鈥淪trategic Framework For The Indo-Pacific,鈥� which is credited with shifting American strategy more fully towards the Indo-Pacific region. Notably, it foresaw the increasing importance of 鈥淭he Quad,鈥� an alliance between the U.S., Australia, Japan, and India.

Education as a path to opportunity

During McMaster鈥檚 address and the discussion he had afterwards with the director of SCETL, Dr. Paul Carrese, he championed education as a means to achieving the American Dream.

McMaster said that the zipcode of one鈥檚 birth should not determine their destiny, and that school choice should be prioritized by politicians seeking equal opportunity. 

He criticized those who ascribe to the 鈥淣ew Left鈥� narrative of history, where America is typically portrayed as a malevolent force, as having too low an opinion of the American founding and the nation鈥檚 revolutionary vision.

鈥淲hat is great about our country is that we do have an opportunity to build a better future for generations to come.鈥�

SCETL on October 28 will Brookings Institution fellow and Atlantic contributor Jonathan Rauch for a speech entitled, 鈥淩escuing Reality: Can Americans Have Shared Facts Again?鈥�

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The economic and commercial connection between Arizona and Israel will increase with the recent signing of an MOU between the Arizona 番茄社区 of Commerce and Industry and the U.S. 番茄社区 of Commerce鈥檚 U.S.-Israel Business Initiative. The two entities have pledged to work together to support ongoing economic initiatives and activities.

The two organizations will target four sectors for collaboration between Arizona and Israel: water, fintech, technology and startups, and defense and aerospace.

鈥淚srael is the startup nation, and Arizona is the startup state,鈥� said Glenn Hamer, President and CEO of the Arizona 番茄社区 of Commerce and Industry. 聽He indicated that Arizona and Israel are innovators 鈥渃ommitted to solving 21st century challenges faced by both regions.鈥�

Khush Choksy, senior vice president for Middle East & Turkey Affairs at the U.S. 番茄社区 of Commerce hope the collaboration will help 鈥渁ttract new business investment from Israel to the U.S., promote innovation, and strengthen the ties between our two nations.鈥�

Recently, a delegation of business leaders and representatives from the Arizona Commerce Authority traveled to Israel to explore new opportunities for cross-border collaboration, trade and investment. As a result of the MOU, both organizations committed to:

• Organize an Arizona-Israel water summit for later this year;
• Develop new joint R&D programs promoting research exchanges and information sharing between Arizona and Israel in water technology;
• Secure a memorandum of understanding between Arizona and the State of Israel focused on expanding trade and building new commercial partnerships; and
• Host conferences, delegations, and visits to Arizona and Israel that facilitate relationships between government, business, and universities.

The purpose of the partnership is to share best practices to successfully attract new business investment and to establish the proper regulatory environment to foster growth and development.

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