Charlie Rose

lmansur  09/30/2012 07:34 PM Report

I wish this king well. He is intelligent and his heart is in the right place re the area and what is needed.

i usually get disappointed with the questioning process because as another commenter down here said, Charlie does not "get" the middle east or the Islamic Countries.

he is always trying to have the interviewee agree with the American

point of View which is really generally immature and simplistic. It is not about power trips, it is about world peace, at this stage of the game. America can open up their consciousnes and try to grow and learn about the real picture that is outside the USA, wether it is Europe or the Orient or the Middle East. American politics seems to always look for how America can stay on top. Life is not a ball game.

i believe that America needs to learn on how to become a true team player.

In other words, some maturity and wisdom is needed so we, as a country in America may go to the next level and integrate ourselves into the bigger picture - rather than staying cut off & isolated. All expressed in positive intention.

mustafa  08/22/2012 10:35 AM Report

Just an example of the reforms that the king is working on and the freedom that will be giving to the poor uneducated Jordanians by the king today a new law was issued basically killing any chance of anti king or anti corruption articles on the web. The new law gives the government the right to restrict access to any international web site that it sees "offensive" and the right to close down any Jordanian web site. Maybe next time Charlie talks to the king he can bring this up and ask him how is that related to the reforms and freedom the king talked about in his last interview. Of course that will never happen.

achillerossini  08/21/2012 04:15 AM Report

Given that Charlie cannot even pronounce the guy's name correctly (it's ab-duh-luh, not ab-doo-la), why would anyone expect anything close to a substantive interview?

mustafa  08/15/2012 03:19 PM Report

These interviews are killing any chances of reforms in Jordan. Please, for our children sake, stop these baby gloves interviews with the king. They are used to push any chance of reform backward. What reforms is the king talking about? Who does Charlie, or any other Western journalist, talk to to have the right to say the king is loved?? Why no so called hard knock journalist dare to ask about the rampant corruption in Jordan by people so close to the king (and some say the king himself)? One comment mentioned Jordan GDP went up 100% during the king rule. He forgot to mention that national dept went from 4 billion dollars to 20 billions. Also forgot to mention that the king and his group sold every asset Jordan had on the excuse of paying the dept. Now, Jordan has no assets and a major dept that my grand grand kids has to pay. Please, please enough of these silly interviews that give legitimacy to the robbing of my nation.

kasabmo  08/12/2012 01:48 PM Report

After 45 minutes of talking about other countries interior affairs, king doesn't want to talk about American elections and why? American hater, and Charlie is so lenient with him, yes your majesty your people like you, I have asked every other Hashemite in the kingdom, they like you, what's for dinner your majesty I have been so obedient haunt I ? I even didn't ask how much reserves you have when we talked about Syria's president, I was a good boy wasn't I. Man where is integrity when you need it?

lindarden07  08/09/2012 02:23 PM Report

"lindarden07: our GDP increased by 100% over the 12 years (since the king took the throne). Did the US, UK, Germany, French, or Dutch GDP increase by 100% increase in the the last 12 years --- Debt maybe."

Well, if you have studied geometric compounding, 7% annual will give you a 100% increase within 10 years. Plus, the base is so small. Take a look at the recent growth. The increase is marginal at most.

ShalomFreedman  08/09/2012 05:10 AM Report

King Abdullah is a very sympathetic figure. He sounds reasonable and balanced. I do not know enough about the internal Jordanian reality to comment on the accuracy of his remarks about reforms in the situation.

I also appreciate the fact that as an Arab leader he does not demonize Israel, and in fact not only acts but speaks in a respectable way toward it.

However I believe both he and Charlie Rose are mistaken in their claim that once the Israeli - Palestinian issue is 'solved' all would be sweetness and light in the Middle East. The Shiites and Sunnites would continue to hate and war with each other. The minorities would continue to be oppressed everywhere. I also resent the knee- jerk one- sided blaming of Israel for the impasse. The Palestinian Arabs never miss an opportunity to miss an opportunity and they are largely responsible for there being no peace process now.

I again continue to wonder how it is that Charlie Rose does not 'get' the Middle East. He does not understand the character of the actors at play, the mentality of the various peoples in the region. He too refuses to recognize that Israel is light- years away from the other peoples of the region in its political economic and social development. In this regard the King can be forgiven a few stretchers in comparing the Jordanian economy to the Israeli one which is many times its size and level of development.

Max83  08/08/2012 06:11 PM Report

Jordan and the entire region are lucky to have a Head of State like King Abdullah II. His father was awesome too.

Richard12345  08/08/2012 04:51 PM Report

lindarden07: our GDP increased by 100% over the 12 years (since the king took the throne). Did the US, UK, Germany, French, or Dutch GDP increase by 100% increase in the the last 12 years --- Debt maybe. Ellen_Dibble: Thank you for these kind words about the King of my country. Nasser Joudeh - our Foreign Minister is all over actually and a good FM ( quite blunt, sharp, and intelligent). He travels a lot... to a point that the Parliament has called an investigation on him for too much travel - spending public money (idiots, they want a Foreign Minister to stay in Jordan)! The King is the most eloquent speaker (head of state) in a region spanning from Morocco to Oman. Not to mention he is very rational. That is why he is always the voice of opinion on regional issues.

lindarden07  08/08/2012 04:38 PM Report

Jordan has not fought a war with Israel since 1970 and its military is totally supported by the West. The King is smart, following Western's way, doesn't go too extreme, then he can keep his kingship.

lindarden07  08/08/2012 04:21 PM Report

With a GDP only $5,000, growing 8% the best time, how can you claim legitimacy, King?

lindarden07  08/08/2012 04:18 PM Report

Charlie says Jordan people like the king. Well, after a few years, if the Western countries can turn Jordan upside down, Charlie will charge the king with War Crime again.

lindarden07  08/08/2012 04:15 PM Report

The king is making excuses to say: People don't understand how to rule the country, but I do. So, let us get it slow moving.

machngunjoe  08/08/2012 02:57 PM Report

Is it just me or does King Abdullah II of Jordan look like Tom Berenger? Anyway I know very little about Jordan but King Abdullah II of Jordan looks like and sounds like he has a good head on his shoulders. Further Research is needed

Ellen_Dibble  08/08/2012 01:57 PM Report

What exquisite diplomacy, plus well-framed and generous information. However, this interview leaves me wondering about the other points of view out of Jordan. So I checked out on Wikipedia the Permanent Ambassador to the United Nations for Jordan. Two views create two dimensions, right? I mean, three dimensions? If you search the web and pursue it a while, you'll ask like me, why is the king himself often the voice of Jordan? Or, I was asking that question to begin with. (It's because he does it so well.)

REMant  08/08/2012 11:36 AM Report

In other words, the Sunni collaborators would have liked Russia to do their bidding, but they've since awakened to the fact that they hadn't assessed things very well, tho they continue to deny that they've hastened a civil war. Tho His Majesty understands there's no way to achieve a transition considering the political structure and that a civil war will involve the breakup of the country, he nevertheless hopes the nation will survive, and no doubt wishes for a constitutional monarchy though it is hard to imagine that without a Sunni monarch. His idea that there's no antagonism between the branches of Islam or that it is just being manipulated for political purposes strikes me as naive.

King Abdullah did deflect the chemical weapons fear-mongering, and parried claims which see the govt in imminent danger, or Assad just plain crazy. He never said until coached that the Syrian govt was "killing its own people."

Nor did he buy the epithet, "Arab spring." He agreed with my long-standing view that it began with, and its resolution will depend on, economic conditions, tho he does think that pan-Arabism is dissolving like the Warsaw Pact and Soviet Union. But the reason for those economic conditions was not discussed.

The one thing which still unites Arabs, tho, is the belief that Israel has not kept faith with the Palestinian peace process, and I don't think their becoming more "civilized," Charlie, is going to make any difference. Indeed, this attitude appears no different from Romney's much-maligned view, to which I'd expect Siab Erekat to object as well. The monarch, himself, was at pains to point out that Jordan has transformed its economy in recent years.

For the record, Prof Landes, whom Romney cited, is but one of several respected economists who've studied the influence of cultural differences in the past few decades. He seems to have been singled out as politically incorrect, but to the best of my recollection - I read the book 14 years ago, when it came out - he was, if anything, very politically correct. According to these self-appointed arbiters of conduct and belief, everyone should be treated equally, but, on the other hand, that clearly seems to apply only to those who adopt "civilized" values, the problem here being the implication that the Palestinians are no better than savages. However, we've discussed the economic benefits of Confucianism here, and there's no reason not to equally consider other societies, even if, at the same time, you believe in progress and perfectibility, which has frequently turned out disastrously.