Robert Thurman

Noted in a NY Times Magazine profile as "The Dalai Lama's man in America," and having been named by Time Magazine one of the "25 Most Influential Americans," Robert Thurman has cultivated a worldwide awareness of Tibet through his writing, translation of important Buddhist texts, and activism. He is the co-founder with Richard Gere of Tibet House US [tibethouse.org] and currently serves as the President of its Board of Trustees. He has a B.A., A.M. and Ph.D. degrees from Harvard and has studied in Tibetan Buddhist monasteries in India and the United States. He is a popular professor in the Religion Department of Columbia University where he holds the Jey Tsong Khapa chair in Indo-Tibetan Studies. Policy makers and the news media often seek Thurman's knowledge of Tibetan history and culture. In this capacity, he has testified before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

Photo credit: Robert Thurman, image by Sergei Bermeniev

1. What's your favorite political movie?

Oliver Stone's film on the Kennedy Assassination, JFK. Also BULWORTH.

2. What role do you feel art plays in politics?

Images are powerful in shaping the mass mind, especially in the media age.

3. What do you think is the biggest issue for the next generation of Americans?

Whether we can escape the grip of the military-industrial-petroleum complex.

4. Who was the first political candidate you were excited to vote for and why?

Kennedy, because of his kindling of idealism. Ditto Carter, ditto Clinton, Gore.

5. What factors are important to you in choosing a president?

Honesty, compassion, and realism.

6. What issues would you like to see politicians focus more on?

Education, education, education. - also the environment, health care, rebuilding cities, revamping justice and prison systems.

7. Which issues would you like to see politicians focus less on?

War, wars on drugs, etc.

8. Which candidate's initiatives do you feel better address environmental concerns?

OBAMA's

9. This is your soapbox - shout it out! What do you need to get off your chest?

I'm tired of confusion introduced by Republicans, whose "creative destruction" is now so extreme, they can only resort to the "big lie" tactic through an obedient media in order to get masses of people to continue to vote against their enlightened self-interest.

10. Do you have any recommended links, books or movies so people can learn more about the issues you care about?

Too big a list to list; Michael Moore, Jonathan Schell, William Greider, The Nation, David Korten [www.davidkorten.org], and my own books Tibet House US [www.tibethouse.org].