I admit that this post is untimely and seemingly outdated. However, snow days gave me a chance to catch up on my blogging and, well, here it is. Last Sunday I decided to avoid the main networks (ABC, CBS, NBC) and seek out another talk show. The result: Fareed Zakaria GPS on CNN.

I actually picked a great day to tune in. Instead of a normal round-table discussion, Zakaria spent his time block interviewing Jordanian King Abdullah II. At first I was shocked that the man on camera was actually Jordanian. In fact, His Majesty spoke absolutely clean idiomatic English and was dressed in a perfectly stylish western suit. Proceeding as any teenager would, to Wikipedia, I set out to learn all I could about King Abdullah, eventually gleaning that he was educated at Deerfield, an expensive New England prep school, and has led his country well for the past ten years. Under his leadership Jordan's economy has become much more robust and his people much more educated. Currently, despite some pushes for democratic elections, it seems that Jordan will remain a constitutional monarchy for the foreseeable future.

Okay, back to the show. In what could best be described as a candid discussion, Zakaria was able to engage King Abdullah on a myriad of topics most notably the Middle East Peace Process. Abdullah, a long-time supporter of the peace process, expressed an interesting viewpoint that a real compromise between the Israelis and the Palestinians could lead to less violence worldwide. In fact, he went as far as to note that the peace process is in the direct national security interests of the United States-- after all, without being intrinsically tied to "Zionist" Israel there is a possibility that the United States could gradually withdraw from its interventions in the Mid East. By helping to establish a homeland simultaneously for the Palestinians, the United States government could help the very people who are actively subverting US interests abroad. Additionally, Abdullah appeared optimistic on the prospects of Christian-Islamic understanding and a greater sense of dialogue between moderate Islamic regimes and the West.

My personal opinions of King Abdullah was incredibly positive. I am thankful that such an educated and aware individual is leading one of the only moderate states in the Middle East. I agree with him completely on the necessity of a real peace between Israeli and Palestinian interests and hope that the United States recognizes the wisdom of his words. As for Zakaria, I couldn't have asked for a better interviewer. He facilitated an revealing discussion and remained forceful when asking controversial questions, such as the whether the line of succession would continue with his son. I am definitely tuning in next week.

*On a side note: CNN's bottom scrolling bar is one of my favorite aspects of the show. It mentioned interesting facts about King Abdullah. For instance, did you know he's a trained frogman?*