Professor Ralph Buultjens Draws a Crowd in Scarsdale

Perhaps there is hope for the world – at least in the eyes of rock-star lecturer Professor Ralph Buultjens who drew a crowd to the Bendheim Auditorium for his talk, titled, The U.S. & the World – Will America Continue to be #1?, sponsored by the JCC of Mid-Westchester and the Scarsdale Adult School.

Many of the attendees on Monday had heard Professor Buultjens speak multiple times before at the 92nd Street Y and were thrilled to have this world-class speaker in a venue so close to home. Audience members spoke of his engagements with such reverence that it was clear that he is a celebrity on the lecture circuit.

Professor Buultjens who is a well-known media commentator (featured on BBC, CNN, ABC) was awarded the Toynbee Prize for Social Sciences, and is the author of 10 books on world affairs. For over 15 years, he has been a lead speaker at the 92Y World Affairs Program and is an analyst of world affairs, a Professor at NYU and former Nehru Professor/Professorial Fellow at the University of Cambridge.

Professor Buultjens' talk focused on America's position in global politics including challenges and opportunities. He spoke soberly of this particularly tumultuous time in the world. The United States is involved in multiple conflicts around the world including military and humanitarian efforts. He also mentioned the threat of Jihadists as a primary concern. Our country is facing strained relations with Russia and China. The American people have given Congress, the Supreme Court and the President historically low approval ratings signifying a lack of confidence in leadership. In spite of the dire seeming situation, he was able to provide perspective by framing current events in the context of historical ups and downs. He stated "the stream of history contains crap and champagne" and Professor Buultjens spoke eloquently about his views on both.

He cited the United States as being a world leader in innovation. He feels that our increasingly open society (using examples such as marriage equality and decriminalization of marijuana laws) will further our culture of creativity and innovation. He also said that our evolving energy self-sufficiency provides us with more political and economic independence when dealing with situations in the Middle East. Further, he mentioned our population growth (neither too big nor too small) as a strength. He spoke of positive forces in the world overall such as the spread of literacy and a feeling of international interconnectedness provided through the use of social media. He also discussed the development of computer voting which will greatly increase much needed voter participation and ultimately lead to a more democratic society and faith in government leadership.

A Q&A followed the 60-minute lecture with audience members posing questions to Professor Buultjens on topics as varied as the recent elections in Brazil, voter registration, the rise of anti-Semitism in Europe and climate change. The discussion was very informative and Professor Buultjens' ability to speak in an informed and approachable way on such varied topics was impressive.

Monday's lecture was the first in a series focusing on critical global issues in the context of global political and economic uncertainty, technological advances and the changing balance of world power.

Professor Buultjens will be back in Scarsdale on January 27, 2015 with the lecture Middle East Turmoil – Its Impact on America & Israel
 and on May 21, 2015 with China, Russia and America— A New Cold War?

Do not miss these riveting talks! Register by contacting the Scarsdale Adult School or The Jewish Community Center of Mid-Westchester.