LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, MY NEXT GUEST TONIGHT IS AN ACTIVIST,
PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE AND "NEW YORK TIMES" BEST SELLER WHOSE
LATEST BOOK IS "A POLITICS OF LOVE."
PLEASE WELCOME MARIANNE WILLIAMSON.
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) ( BAND PLAYING )
>> Stephen: WELCOME TO THE SHOW.
>> THANK YOU SO MUCH.
>> Stephen: NICE TO HAVE YOU ON.
>> LOVELY TO BE HERE.
>> Stephen: YOU ARE THE AUTHOR, FOR THOSE OUT THERE WHO
DON'T KNOW, 15 BOOKS, CO-FOUNDER OF PROJECT ANGEL FOOD WHICH
STARTED IN THE '80s.
>> '89.
>> Stephen: -- '89 AS MEALS TO AIDS PATIENT THAT CONTINUES TILL
TODAY.
>> 12 MILLION MEALS IT'S SERVED NOW.
>> Stephen: YOU LOST THE CALIFORNIA CONGRESSIONAL RACE IN
2014.
>> YES.
>> Stephen: NOW YOU'RE RUNNING TO BE THE DEMOCRATIC NOMINEE FOR
PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES.
WHAT MAKES YOU DIFFERENT THAN THE OTHER 24 CANDIDATES WHO ARE
RUNNING?
( LAUGHTER ) >> WELL, IN SOME OF THE POLICY
POSITIONS, I THINK I'M VERY SIMILAR.
I'M A PROGRESSIVE LEFT-WING DEMOCRAT.
>> Stephen: MEDICARE FOR ALL.
I WANT A PUBLIC OPTION.
I THINK A PUBLIC OPTION IN ADDITION TO THE ObamaCare
EXCHANGE BECAUSE I BELIEVE -- I WANT TO BE AN AGENT OF CHANGE, I
DON'T WANT TO BE AN AGENT OF CHAOS AND I BELIEVE THAT'S THE
BEST WAY TO DO IT.
I THINK THERE WILL BE A TRANSITION TO THE MEDICARE FOR
ALL FLAT, AND I THINK THE GOVERNMENT CAN GIVE SUBSIDIES TO
ANYBODY WHO MIGHT BE LOST IN THE MEAN TIME, SO, YES, I THINK THE
PUBLIC OPTION IS THE BEST WAY TO GO.
>> Stephen: YOU'VE GOT A NEW BOOK CALLED "A POLITICS OF
LOVE."
NOW, LOVE IS NOT ALWAYS ASSOCIATED WITH THE PRESIDENCY.
THE PRESIDENT HAS TO DO SOME TOUGH THINGS.
HE ALSO THE COMMANDER -- HE OR SHE -- IS THE
COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF.
WOULD YOU BE ABLE TO ORDER OTHER PEOPLE TO GO KILL OUR ENEMIES?
>> ABSOLUTELY.
I THINK THAT WHEN YOU TAKE AN OATH OF OFFICE AS THE PRESIDENT
OF THE UNITED STATES, PART OF THAT OATH MEANS THAT YOU ARE
CHARGED IN CHIEF, ABSOLUTELY.
BUT I THINK, IF YOU'RE GOING TO TALK ABOUT PEACE, YOU CAN'T JUST
BACK UP INTO PEACE.
I HAVE GREAT RESPECT FOR THE MILITARY.
MY FATHER FOUGHT IN WORLD WAR II.
MY CRITIQUE OF OUR NATIONAL SECURITY AGENDA IS NOT A
CRITIQUE OF THE MILITARY, IT'S A CRITIQUE OF POLITICIANS WHO HAVE
BASED OUR NATIONAL SECURITY AGENDA AS MUCH ON SHORT-TERM
PROFIT MAX MYIZATION FOR DEFENSE CONTRACTORS AS IT HAS ON ANY
AGENDA FOR CREATING PEACE.
WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU HEARD A POLITICIAN TALKING ABOUT PEACE
ON THIS PLANET IN 20 YEARS?
THAT'S WHY I WANT A DEPARTMENT OF PEACE.
YOU CAN'T JUST TAKE MEDICINE, YOU ALSO HAVE TO CULTIVATE
HEALTH.
OF COURSE YOU TAKE MEDICINE WHEN YOU NEED IT BUT YOU ALSO TAKE
CARE OF YOUR NUTRITION AND YOUR EXERCISE AND OTHER WAYS TO
CULTIVATE HEALTH BECAUSE SICKNESS IS THE ABSENCE OF
HEALTH, HEALTH ISN'T THE ABSENCE OF SICKNESS, AND WAR IS THE
ABSENCE OF PEACE, PEACE ISN'T THE ABSENCE OF WAR.
>> Stephen: ACTUALLY, THIS DISCUSSION ACTUALLY HAPPENED IN
EARNEST ABOUT TEN YEARS AGO, AND RICHARD HOLBROOKE, I WAS
WATCHING A CONVERSATION HE WAS HAVING WITH THE GREAT WILLIE
NELSON.
I DON'T KNOW IF YOU KNOW WILLIE.
>> OF COURSE, I COME FROM TEXAS.
>> Stephen: WILLIE CAME TO RICHARD AND SAID WHY DON'T WE
HAVE A DEPARTMENT OF PEACE?
HE SAID, WILLIE, WE DO, IT'S CALLED THE STATE DEPARTMENT,
IT'S JUST NOT USED THAT WAY.
>> LET'S TALK ABOUT THAT.
WE HAVE A $750 BILLION MILITARY BUDGET, THEN THE STATE
DEPARTMENT, IS $40 BILLION.
WITHIN THE STATE DEPARTMENT WE HAVE PEACE BUILDING AGENCIES.
BUILDING PEACE IS AS SOPHISTICATED A LEVEL OF
EXPERTISE AS IS MILITARY SKILL WHICH IS ALSO CERTAINLY
IMPORTANT, BUT THE MILITARY IS LIKE A SURGEON, OF COURSE WE
HAVE TO HAVE THE BEST SURGEON, BUT ANY PERSON KNOWS YOU AVOID
SURGERY IF AT ALL POSSIBLE.
OUR PEACE BUILDINGS GET LESS THAN ONE DOLLAR BILLION IN THE
BUDGET AND PEACE BUILDING SKILLS, THERE ARE FOUR FACTORS
WHICH STATISTICALLY PROVE THAT, WHEN PRESENT, THEY INCREASE THE
INCIDENTS OF PEACE AND THEY DECREASE THE INCIDENTS OF
VIOLENCE.
NUMBER ONE, EXPANDING ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES FOR WOMEN, NUMBER
TWO, EXPANDING EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES FOR CHILDREN.
NUMBER THREE, REDUCING VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN.
AND NUMBER FOUR, DIMINISHING UNNECESSARY HUMAN SUFFERING
WHENEVER POSSIBLE.
THIS IS WHY WE SHOULD SEE LARGE GROUPS OF DESPERATE PEOPLE AS A
NATIONAL SECURITY RISK.
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) >> Stephen: IN THE DEBATE, YOU
WERE AT THE LAST DEBATE -- WHAT WAS THAT?
>> IN MIAMI.
>> Stephen: WHERE'S THE NEXT ONE?
>> DETROIT.
>> Stephen: IN DETROIT, OKAY.
WHAT'S IT LIKE TO BE UP THERE ON THE STAGE WITH THOSE OTHER NINE
PEOPLE?
THEY HAVE YOU KIND OF TUCKED OVER WAY OUT IN LEFT FIELD OVER
THERE.
>> AT THE SAME TIME THIS TIME ON THE FAR LEFT AGAIN.
>> Stephen: HAVE YOU OVER THERE LIKE WAY BEYOND TIM RYAN,
AND HIS CAMPAIGN IS IN THE WITNESS RELOCATION PROGRAM.
SO DO YOU FEEL MARGINALIZED OUT THERE, LIKE, OH, THERE'S WACKY
MARIANNE WILLIAMSON!
LET'S PUT HER OUT IN THE PEACE FIELDS.
>> MY PLACE ON THE PODIUM IS THE LEAST TO HAVE THE WAYS I FEEL
MARGINALIZED IN THIS ELECTION, BUT I UNDERSTAND HOW IT WORKS
AND THERE'S A POLITICAL MEDIA INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX, AND LAST
TIME IT WAS BERNIE AND THIS TIME IT CAN BE ANY OF THESE FOUR OR
FIVE.
I HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THAT.
THE IDEA THAT ONLY PEOPLE WHOSE CAREERS WERE ENTRENCHED IN
POLITICS FOR DECADES ARE THE ONES QUALIFIED TO PULL US OUT OF
THE DITCH.
>> Stephen: YOU HAVE NO POLITICAL EXPERIENCE.
WE HAVE SOMEONE WHO'S A BUSINESSMAN WITH NO POLITICAL
EXPERIENCE IN OFFICE NOW.
THAT MAKES SOMEONE WHO IS FROM WHAT WE WOULD THINK OF AS KIND
OF THE NORMATIVE POLITICAL TRACK THAT WE'VE SEEN IN AMERICAN
HISTORY VERY APPEALING.
THAT MIGHT BE ONE OF THE REASONS JOE BIDEN IS SO APPEALING IS
PEOPLE GO, GO BACK BEFORE THINGS GOT CRAZY.
DO YOU UNDERSTAND WHY PEOPLE WANT SOMETHING VERY KIND OF KIND
BUT VANILLA?
>> I UNDERSTAND IT, BUT I BELIEVE THAT THIS IS A CASE
WHERE WHAT YOU MIGHT CONSIDER THE SAFE CHOICE IS THE MOST
DANGEROUS THING WE COULD POSSIBLY DO.
THE PRESIDENT'S PROBLEM IS NOT THAT HE LACKED POLITICAL
EXPERIENCE, THE PROBLEM IS THAT HE LACKS ETHICS, AND HE SEEMS TO
LACK A VISCERAL TASTE FOR DEMOCRACY.
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) THIS IDEA YOU SAY I LACK
POLITICAL EXPERIENCE, THERE'S ALMOST THIS WIZARD OF OZ IDEA,
THIS IDEA OF A POLITICAL CLASS AND SOMETHING'S GOING ON BEHIND
THE CURTAIN AND THEY KNOW WHAT THE DO IN WAYS THE REST OF US
DON'T.
I THINK WHEN WE THINK OF POLITICAL QUALIFICATIONS ARE
TODAY, WE SHOULD EXPAND THE DEFINITION.
IT SHOULD INCLUDE POLITICAL VISION, MORAL CERTITUDE, THE
CAPACITY TO MOVE LARGE GOALS OF PEOPLE TOWARD A COMMON GOAL,
LOVE OF DEMOCRACY AND OUR PLANET.
A LOT OF VERY EXPERIENCED POLITICIANS LED US INTO IRAQ,
AND ANYBODY WHO SAYS I'M AN AMATEUR AT WHAT THEY DO, I'M
SORRY, STEPHEN, THEY'RE AN AMATEUR ABOUT WHAT I CAN DO.
>> Stephen: NICELY SAID.
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) >> STEPHEN: "A POLITICS OF LOVE"
IS AVAILABLE NOW.
MARIANNE WILLIAMSON, EVERYBODY!
SHE'S RUNNING FOR PRESIDENT!
WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK WITH COMEDIAN DANIEL SIMONSEN.