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Schiller Institute Conference

U.S.-China Cooperation on the Belt and Road Initiative
and Corresponding Ideas in Chinese and Western Philosophy

April 13-14, 2017
New York City

Greeting from Senator Richard Black

Transcript
Greeting from Senator Richard Black

Dennis Speed: We’re going to play a welcome and a greeting for the conference from State Senator Richard Black of Virginia; and you’ll see it here on the monitor.

Sen. Richard Black: I’m Senator Richard H. Black. I’m very pleased to once again introduce you to the Schiller Institute’s presentation on the Silk Road,— the New Paradigm for a world order.

A little bit of my background: I was in Syria last April, right after the Syrian military had liberated Palmyra. I went to Palmyra, and then with a heavily armored convoy, we went out into ISIS-controlled territory. So, I’ve seen the ground, and also I have met a vast number of the officials. I met with President Bashar al-Assad; I told him that I regretted that his wife would not be there, and ten minutes later, his wife Asma al-Assad walked in—truly a most gracious and delightful woman. We earlier had met with General [Michel] Aoun, who has since been named the President of Lebanon. So, we had a very productive time over there, and learned a great deal. But my background with Syria was not simply a trip over there; it was six years of study, and very intensely following the events occurring in Syria. I’m very aware of the way that the war began, and the terrible tragedy it has created. The Western countries and many of the Gulf State countries have made fabulous profits from the manipulation of the oil industry and also from war profiteering. It really is my desire to see this end, and I think this is what Helga LaRouche is going to discuss during this conference.

I am so distressed by our recent missile attacks on Syria. I have defied anyone to give me a motive for Syria to have used a poison gas attack. I think, to some extent, the White House has felt a bit defensive about this because they have found it necessary to go on the media and to refute my challenges. At the same time that we have this very brutal war—it was not a natural uprising in Syria: It was a coming together in a deliberate attempt by covert agencies to topple the government of Syria. We had toppled the government of Libya. Now we see a very brutal war in Yemen, in which the Saudi Arabians are attempting to force a puppet government on the legitimate government in the capital city of Sana’a. All of this is so unnecessary; there’s such vast slaughter and bloodshed, such tremendous destruction of property—factories, homes, and priceless artifacts that can never possibly be replaced. This time of destruction, bloodshed, hatred among peoples needs to come to an end.

I think that what the Schiller Institute is offering is an opportunity, through the Silk Road and the New Paradigm for the world, to offer a new way for the global oligarchs to profit. But at the same time, the Silk Road not only will enrich the handful of elites who propagate the wars and the destruction around the world; but it will also be able to enrich the common man. This is what we want; this brings stability, it brings happiness to the millions rather than just immense wealth to just the few. So, we welcome you to the Schiller Institute’s presentation. I’m Senator Richard Black, and very pleased to have you here. Thank you for your attendance.