LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, PRESIDENT BILL CLINTON,
GOVERNOR KATHLEEN SEBILIUS, AND THE PLATFORM PARTY
(APPLAUSE)
THANK YOU, THANK YOU VERY MUCH
GOOD AFTERNOON. GOOD AFTERNOON.
AND WELCOME TO THE 148TH LANDON LECTURE ON PUBLIC AFFAIRS
THE LANDON LECTURES WERE STARTED IN 1966
BY THE LATE GOVERNOR ALF LANDON
AND THE LATE K-STATE PRESIDENT JAMES MCCAIN
THE GOAL
OF THE LANDON LECTURES
IS TO BRING THE MOST PROMINENT PUBLIC
FIGURES TO KANSAS STATE UNIVERSITY
TO DISCUSS THE PRESSING
ISSUES OF THE DAY.
WE ARE VERY PLEASED TODAY,
TO WELCOME
PRESIDENT BILL CLINTON
TO THE LANDON PODIUM
TO JOIN 147 PREDECESSORS IN BRINGING
HIS THOUGHTS AND OPINIONS
ON IMPORTANT PUBLIC ISSUES.
I THINK WE'RE PRETTY HAPPY
THAT HE'S HERE TODAY, AREN'T YOU?
(APPLAUSE)
BEFORE INTRODUCING MEMBERS OF THE PLATFORM PARTY
I WOULD LIKE TO INTRODUCE SOME
DISTINGUISHED GUESTS IN THE AUDIENCE.
CONGRESSMAN JERRY MORAN
WHERE IS HE
THERE HE IS RIGHT THERE.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH. (APPLAUSE)
CONGRESSMAN DENNIS MOORE. (APPLAUSE)
LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR MARK PARKINSON. (APPLAUSE)
AND MR. PRESIDENT
A FORMER GOVERNOR OF KANSAS FOR EIGHT YEARS
AND NOW A POLITICAL SCIENCE PROFESSOR
HERE AT K-STATE, JOHN CARLIN. (APPLAUSE)
JOHN THANK YOU VERY MUCH. (APPLAUSE)
OUR CHAIRMAN OF THE KANSAS BOARD OF REGENTS
NELSON GALLE. NELSON THANK YOU. (APPLAUSE)
REGENT DAN LYKINS
THERE HE IS. (APPLAUSE)
REGENT JANIE PERKINS
THANK YOU FOR COMING. (APPLAUSE)
AND WE'RE VERY HAPPY TO HAVE
THE PRESIDENT OF FORT HAYS STATE UNIVERSITY HERE TODAY
ED HAMMOND.
ED. THERE HE IS OVER THERE. (APPLAUSE)
AND MR. PRESIDENT AS YOU CAN IMAGINE
WE HAVE QUITE A FEW MEMBERS
OF THE KANSAS HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
AND THE KANSAS STATE SENATE HERE TODAY
PLEASE GIVE THEM A WELCOME AS WELL
THANK YOU VERY MUCH. (APPLAUSE)
NOW FOR MEMBERS OF THE PLATFORM PARTY.
ON MY LEFT PROFESSOR ROGER ADAMS
RARE BOOKS LIBRARIAN
AND PRESIDENT OF OUR ESTEEMED FACULTY SENATE. RIGHT THERE. (APPLAUSE)
THEN NEXT TO HIM
A RISING STAR IN KANSAS AND AMERICAN POLITICS
A SENIOR IN AGRICULTURAL TECHNOLOGY MANAGEMENT
AND THE PRESIDENT OF OUR K-STATE STUDENT BODY
LUCAS MADDY. (APPLAUSE)
AND THEN ON MY RIGHT
EDWARD SEATON, CHAIRMAN OF THE LANDON PATRONS
AND EDITOR AND CHIEF AND PUBLISHER
OF THE MANHATTAN MERCURY. THANK YOU. (APPLAUSE)
AND THEN NEXT TO HIM
DR. CHARLES REGAN.
ASSOCIATE TO THE PRESIDENT
AND CHAIRMAN OF THE LANDON LECTURE SERIES. (APPLAUSE)
AND LADIES AND GENTLEMEN
LET ME INTRODUCE TO YOU
A GREAT GOVERNOR FOR THE STATE OF KANSAS
GOVERNOR KATHLEEN SEBELIUS. THANK YOU. (APPLAUSE)
WELL LADIES AND GENTLEMEN
THANK YOU FOR COMING.
THIS IS A WONDERFUL AND EXCITING DAY FOR KANSAS STATE UNIVERSITY
AND THE LANDON LECTURE SERIES.
DURING BILL CLINTON'S PRESIDENCY
FROM 1993 TO 2001
THE AMERICAN ECONOMY
ENJOYED, ARGUABLY, THE GREATEST PERIOD OF PEACE AND PROSPERITY
IN IT'S ENTIRE HISTORY.
(APPLAUSE)
IT IS VERY DIFFICULT TO FIND ANY 8 YEAR PERIOD
IN AMERICAN HISTORY
WHERE THE ECONOMY INCREASED IN STRENGTH EVERY SINGLE YEAR.
THE ECONOMY WAS SO STRONG IN FACT
THAT PRESIDENT CLINTON WAS ABLE TO
PROPOSE THE FIRST BALANCED BUDGET
IN 30 YEARS
AND TO ACHIEVE A BUDGET SURPLUS FOR THE FIRST TIME IN YEARS AND YEARS.
(APPLAUSE)
UNEMPLOYMENT WAS AT THE LOWEST POINT IN MODERN TIMES
AND INFLATION WAS THE LOWEST IN 30 YEARS.
(APPLAUSE)
IT WAS INDEED A REMARKABLE PERIOD IN AMERICAN HISTORY
FOR OUR ECONOMY.
WELL I KNOW MANY OF YOU UNDERSTAND
PRESIDENT CLINTON GRADUATED FROM GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY.
(WHOO!) THERE YA GO. (LAUGHTER)
AND IN 1968 HE WON A RHODES SCHOLARSHIP TO OXFORD UNIVERSITY. (APPLAUSE)
WELL, PRESIDENT CLINTON, YOU NEED TO KNOW THAT AMONG 500 PUBLIC UNIVERSITIES
K-STATE IS SECOND IN OUR STUDENTS WINNING THE RHODES SCHOLARSHIP IN THE PAST 20 YEARS.
(APPLAUSE)
NOW I GOTTA TELL YOU THIS
INDEED K-STATE STUDENTS HAVE WON MORE RHODES,
MARSHALLS, TRUMANS, GOLDWATERS, AND UDALL SCHOLARSHIPS
THAN ANY PUBLIC UNIVERSITY IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.
(APPLAUSE)
AFTER STUDYING AT OXFORD
BILL CLINTON RECEIVED A LAW DEGREE FROM YALE
AND ENTERED POLITICS IN THE STATE OF ARKANSAS.
HE SERVED THERE AS ATTORNEY GENERAL
AND WAS TWICE ELECTED GOVERNOR.
WHEN PRESIDENT CLINTON AND VICE PRESIDENT GORE
WERE ELECTED IN 1992
FOR THE FIRST TIME IN 12 YEARS
BOTH THE WHITEHOUSE AND CONGRESS.
WERE HELD BY THE SAME PARTY. (APPLAUSE)
THAT POLITICAL EDGE HOWEVER, WAS BRIEF
AS REPUBLICANS WON BOTH HOUSES OF THE CONGRESS IN 1994.
12 YEARS LATER, THE DEMOCRATS HAVE RETAKEN
BOTH THE HOUSE AND THE SENATE.
(APPLAUSE)
WELL LADIES AND GENTLEMEN,
WE ARE PLEASED AND THRILLED THIS AFTERNOON
TO WELCOME TO THE K-STATE LANDON LECTURE PODIUM
ONE OF AMERICA'S GREATEST POLITICAL SPEAKERS
OF THE POST WORLD WAR II ERA
PRESIDENT BILL CLINTON.
(APPLAUSE)
THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU. (APPLAUSE)
WELL THANK YOU, UH, MR. PRESIDENT.
I ALWAYS LIKE BEING ON PLATFORMS WITH PRESIDENTS WHO AREN'T TERM LIMITED. (LAUGHTER)
YOU KNOW APPARENTLY, CSPAN IS COVERING THIS
AND DID YOU NOTICE HOW HE USED THAT INTRODUCTION
TO SHAMELESSLY FLACK FOR K-STATE. (LAUGHTER) WASN'T IT GREAT.
AND I EXPECT, YA KNOW, MONDAY MORNING THERE'LL BE ANOTHER 5000 YOUNG PEOPLE HERE DEMANDING OPEN ADMISSION RIGHT AWAY.
I THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME HERE.
GOVERNOR, I'M DELIGHTED TO SEE YOU AGAIN.
WE FIRST MET NEARLY 20 YEARS AGO
WHEN WE WERE IN DIFFERENT POSITIONS.
AND I FLEW HOME AND TOLD MY WIFE AFTER I MET YOU
THAT I HAD MET, I THOUGHT, ONE OF THE
MOST GIFTED NATURAL POLITICIANS I HAD MET IN MANY A DAY
AND I WAITED AWHILE BUT YOU HAVE CERTAINLY PROVEN MY PROGNOSIS RIGHT
AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR OUTSTANDING SERVICE. (APPLAUSE)
I'D LIKE TO THANK THE OTHERS ON THE PLATFORM
MR SEATON, DIRECTOR REGAN, FACULTY PRESIDENT ADAMS.
I LEARNED THAT MR. MADDY'S SISTER IS THE ELECTED VICE PRESIDENT OF THE STUDENT BODY
AND I WAS GLAD THAT YOU DIDN'T HAVE AN ANTI NEPOTISM LAW THAT INTERFERES WITH THE POPULAR WILL OF THE STUDENTS HERE. (LAUGHTER)
WHATEVER THEIR PARENTS RAISED THEM ON
WE NEED TO FIND IT AND GIVE IT TO ALL THE NON VOTERS IN AMERICA.
THAT WAS VERY, VERY IMPRESSIVE. THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE. (APPLAUSE)
I WANT TO THANK MY OLD FRIEND REPRESENTATIVE MOORE AND REPRESENTATIVE MORAN.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR COMING.
JOHN CARLIN AND I SERVED AS GOVERNORS TOGETHER A HUNDRED YEARS AGO. (LAUGHTER)
AND AS YOU SEE HE LOOKS YOUNGER THAN I DO NOW
HIS MUMMIFYING PROCESS IS WORKING BETTER THAN MINE IS. (LAUGHTER)
WE HAD A GREAT TIME.
AND THEN HE WAS THE NATIONAL ARCHIVIST
CARING FOR OUR COUNTRY'S MOST IMPORTANT RECORDS
WHEN I WAS PRESIDENT.
AND HE STAYED ON UNDER PRESIDENT BUSH WHEN I LEFT
SO THANK YOU FOR A LIFETIME OF FRIENDSHIP AND FOR YOUR SERVICE TO KANSAS AND TO AMERICA.
(APPLAUSE)
IN THEIR ABSENCE I WANT TO MENTION THREE OTHER KANSANS.
FIRST OF ALL, YOUR FORMER CONGRESSMAN
DAN GLICKMAN WHO IS MY SECRETARY OF AGRICULTURE.
AND DID A GREAT JOB IN THAT POSITION. (APPLAUSE)
SECONDLY, FORMER SENATORS DOLE AND KASSEBAUM.
I WENT TO BOB DOLE'S CENTER TO GIVE A SPEECH FOR HIM
AND YOU KNOW WE DO A FEW THINGS TOGETHER
AFTER 9-11 WE RAISED 110 MILLION DOLLARS TO GUARANTEE
COLLEGE SCHOLARSHIPS TO THE CHILDREN AND SPOUSES OF ALL THE PEOPLE KILLED OR DISABLED
ON 9-11 FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD
NOT JUST THE AMERICANS. EVERYBODY WHO WAS. (APPLAUSE)
I LOVED HIM BUT IN HIS DROLE WAY WHEN HE WAS HERE
I SAID "BOB I'M HAVING A GOOD TIME"
HE SAID "YEAH," BUT HE SAYS, "YOU KNOW HOW KANSAS WORKS," HE SAYS, "NOW YOU GOT TO GO TO K-STATE." (LAUGHTER)
HE SAID, "NANCY WILL GET TO CHECK THAT BOX" AND SENATOR KASSEBAUM INVITED ME MANY YEARS
AND THIS IS THE FIRST TIME I'VE BEEN ABLE TO COME
SO I'M DELIGHTED TO BE HERE.
AND PARTICULARLY HONORED BY THE PRESENCE OF THE MEN AND WOMEN IN UNIFORM
FROM FORT RILEY AND FORT LEAVENWORTH.
LET'S GIVE THEM A HAND. THANK YOU ALL VERY MUCH. (APPLAUSE)
I WILL GET BACK TO THEM IN A MOMENT BUT
FOR ALL THE STUDENTS HERE ESPECIALLY
HERE'S THE DEAL. WHAT WE'RE SUPPOSED TO DO
AS I UNDERSTAND IT IS THAT I'M SUPPOSED
TO SAY SOMETHING HALFWAY PROFOUND
AND YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO ASK QUESTIONS ABOUT IT (LAUGHTER)
AND I'M GOING TO TAKE YOU ON A TRIP THROUGH MY MIND
SORT OF. IT MIGHT BE SCARY. (LAUGHTER)
TO TRY TO HELP YOU MAKE UP YOUR MIND ABOUT VARIOUS THINGS.
41 YEARS AGO WHEN ALF LANDON GAVE THE FIRST LANDON SERIES LECTURE
THE TITLE OF THE LECTURE WAS, "NEW CHALLENGES AND INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS."
THIS IN SHORT HAND, THE TITLE OF WHAT I'M ABOUT TO SAY TO YOU,
IN PART AT LEAST IS, WHY THERE'S NO DIVIDING LINE
ANYMORE BETWEEN INTERNATIONAL AND DOMESTIC RELATIONS.
AND IF YOU'RE A KANSAS FARMER WORRIED ABOUT THE PRICE OF WHEAT
YOU KNOW THAT IN ONE LEVEL
IF YOU'RE A K-STATE STUDENT AND YOU SPEND HALF YOUR TIME ON THE INTERNET
YOU KNOW IT AT ANOTHER LEVEL.
IF YOU, AS I AND MY WIFE DID, IF YOU KNOW ANYBODY WHO IS
ON ONE OF THOSE AIRPLANES OR IN ONE OF THOSE OFFICE BUILDINGS
ON 9-11 YOU KNOW IT ON ANOTHER LEVEL.
IF YOU SAW WHAT HAPPENED TO THE STOCK MARKET
IN AMERICA THIS WEEK AFTER IT DROPPED IN CHINA
YOU KNOW IT AT ANOTHER WAY.
SO THE FIRST THING I WANT TO SAY IS I'M HERE IN THE HEARTLAND OF THE COUNTRY
WITH A BUNCH OF PEOPLE WHO ARE FAR MORE
CONNECTED TO THE WORLD BEYOND AMERICA'S BORDERS
THAN STUDENTS WOULD HAVE BEEN 41 YEARS AGO
ON EITHER COAST
SO WHAT I WANT TO TALK ABOUT TODAY AND MY REMARKS
BEFORE WE GET TO QUESTIONS IS
HOW ARE YOU SUPPOSED TO THINK ABOUT THIS WORLD
I BELIEVE THAT EVERY CONCERNED CITIZEN
WITHOUT REGARD TO PARTY OR REGION OR WHETHER YOU THINK YOU ARE MORE
CONSERVATIVE OR MORE LIBERAL EVERYBODY NEEDS SOME SORT OF
FRAMEWORK WITHIN WHICH YOU CAN EVALUATE ALL THESE ISSUES
THAT ARE HAPPENING ALL THE TIME.
AND WHERE YOU CAN SORT OUT THE ONES THAT DON'T AMOUNT TO MUCH.
HALF THE STUFF THAT MAKES THE HEADLINES EVERYDAY
YOU KNOW INSTINCTIVELY ARE JUST FLEETING DROSS
THEY DON'T AMOUNT TO ANYTHING. AND THEN SOME THINGS
REPRESENT TREND LINES. THEY REFLECT THINGS THAT SHOW
BIG UNDERLYING SWEEPING CHANGES IN SOCIETY.
YOU NEED TO BE ABLE TO HAVE A FRAMEWORK WHICH YOU USE
TO THINK ABOUT ALL THIS STUFF OTHERWISE
WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE NEWS OR READ THE PAPER
OR SCROLL UP ON THE INTERNET THE DAY'S EVENTS
IT LOOKS LIKE THE POLITICAL EQUIVALENT OF CHAOS THEORY IN PHYSICS.
LOOKS LIKE JUST A BUNCH OF STUFF UNRELATED
AND HOW ARE YOU SUPPOSED TO REMEMBER IT ALL AND FIGURE OUT HOW TO EVALUATE IT?
NOW THE WAY I DO IT, THE PROCESS THAT I ARRIVED AT
WAS TO ASK AND ANSWER FIVE SIMPLE QUESTIONS.
AND I THINK EVERY ONE OF YOU NEEDS TO BE ABLE TO ANSWER
THE SAME QUESTIONS EVEN THOUGH I'M NOT RUNNING FOR ANYTHING
I'M STILL ENOUGH OF A POLITICIAN TO HOPE YOU'D
GET THE SAME ANSWER AS I WOULD
BUT I KNOW YOU WON'T, NOT ALL OF YOU.
IT'S NOT NEARLY AS IMPORTANT THAT YOUR ANSWER
IS THE SAME AS MINE AS THAT YOU HAVE AN ANSWER.
BUT IF YOU CAN ANSWER THESE FIVE QUESTIONS THEN
YOU'LL BE ABLE TO THINK ABOUT WHERE AMERICA AND THE WORLD ARE GOING
WHAT YOU OUGHT TO DO, HOW YOU FIT INTO THE LARGER
STREAM OF EVENTS, AND WHAT YOUR RESPONSIBILITIES ARE
NOT ONLY TO YOUR FAMILY AND YOUR COMMUNITY BUT TO THE
FUTURE AS IT UNFOLDS. SO HERE THEY ARE.
QUESTION #1: WHAT IS THE FUNDAMENTAL NATURE OF THE TWENTY-FIRST
CENTURY WORLD IN A WORD?
MOST PEOPLE WOULD SAY GLOBALIZATION.
I PREFER INTERDEPENDENCE. I PREFER INTERDEPENDENCE FOR TWO REASONS.
NUMBER ONE, GLOBALIZATION TO MOST OF US IS AN ECONOMIC TERM.
THIS GOES WAY BEYOND ECONOMICS. BEFORE WORLD WAR I
THE RICH COUNTRIES OF THE WORLD WERE AS TIED TOGETHER
ECONOMICALLY AS THEY ARE TODAY BY TRADE.
BUT NOW THERE'S MORE MONEY MOVEMENT
BUT THERE'S FAR MORE INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY MOVEMENT, MORE TRAVEL
MUCH MORE INTERCHANGE GOING WAY BEYOND ECONOMICS.
AND #2, THERE IS MORE INTERNAL DIVERSITY IN AMERICA
AND IN ALL OTHER RICH COUNTRIES THAN THERE USED TO BE
AS PEOPLE FLOCK TO CENTERS OF OPPORTUNITY SEEKING A BETTER TOMORROW.
I JUST LOOK THROUGH THIS CROWD AND I BET IT'S MORE DIVERSE
BY RACE, BY RELIGION, EVEN BY GENDER THAN IT WOULD HAVE BEEN
IF WE'D HAD A MEETING HERE 40 YEARS AGO.
SO I LIKE THE TERM INTERDEPENDENCE.
QUESTION #2: IS IT A GOOD OR A BAD THING THAT
WE'RE LIVING IN AN AGE OF GLOBAL INTERDEPENDENCE? MY ANSWER IS BOTH.
IT'S SELF-EVIDENTLY GOOD FOR MOST OF US, RIGHT?
WE WEAR REASONABLY DECENT CLOTHES
AND WE KNOW HOW TO LOG ON TO THE INTERNET
AND WE'LL PROBABLY GET TO TAKE A TRIP OR TWO IN OUR LIVES
AND WE MEET PEOPLE WHO ARE FROM DIFFERENT PLACES AND DIFFERENT BACKGROUNDS.
WE LEARN THINGS AND SEE THINGS AND DO THINGS
AND WE ARE EMPOWERED IN A WAY BY OUR BEING CONNECTED TO THIS GLOBAL ECONOMY.
BUT IT DOESN'T REALLY WORK TODAY FOR ABOUT HALF
THE PEOPLE. HALF THE WORLD'S PEOPLE LIVE ON LESS THAN $2 A DAY.
A BILLION PEOPLE LIVE ON LESS THAN $1 A DAY.
A BILLION PEOPLE WILL GO TO BED HUNGRY EVERY NIGHT. A BILLION PEOPLE
HAVE NO ACCESS TO CLEAN WATER.
TWO-AND-A-HALF BILLION PEOPLE HAVE NO ACCESS TO SANITATION.
ONE IN FOUR OF ALL THE PEOPLE WHO PERISH ON EARTH
THIS YEAR FROM THE WARS, THE TERRORIST INCIDENTS, THE NATURAL DISASTERS,
FROM CANCER, FROM HEART ATTACK, FROM STROKE,
FROM YOU NAME IT, ONE IN FOUR OF ALL DEATHS WILL COME FROM FOUR SOURCES THAT ALMOST
NO AMERICAN WILL DIE FROM --AIDS, TB, MALARIA,
AND INFECTIONS RELATED TO DIRTY WATER, CHOLERA, DYSENTERY, DIARRHEA.
80% IN THE LAST CATEGORY WILL BE CHILDREN UNDER 5 YEARS OF AGE
SO ALL THOSE PEOPLE ARE NOT VERY WELL CONNECTED TO THE REST OF THE WORLD.
EVEN IN THE WEALTHY COUNTRIES IN MOST OF THEM A HUGE
PERCENTAGE OF THE PEOPLE ARE ONLY PERIPHERALLY BENEFITTED BY GLOBALIZATION.
IF YOU LOOK AT THE UNITED STATES FOR EXAMPLE
THIS PROCESS HAS BEEN GOING FOR MORE THAN 30 YEARS.
MEDIAN, NOT AVERAGE -- AVERAGE INCLUDES GUYS THAT MAKE A LOT OF MONEY LIKE ME
MEDIAN, THOSE IN THE MIDDLE
WAGES HAVE BEEN MORE OR LESS FLAT IN AMERICA FROM 1973 THROUGH 1996.
IN MY SECOND TERM THEY WENT UP AGAIN
AND INEQUALITY DIMINISHED FOR THE FIRST TIME IN 20 YEARS
AND THEN IN THIS DECADE THEY'VE BEEN FLAT AGAIN.
IT'D BEEN VERY UNUSUAL IN THIS DECADE BECAUSE WE'VE HAD HIGH RATES
OF ECONOMIC GROWTH, HIGH RATES OF WORK OR PRODUCTIVITY GROWTH
A 40-YEAR HIGH IN CORPORATE PROFITS AND YET YOU HAVE IN THE
UNITED STATES MEDIAN WAGES FLAT, THE PERCENTAGE OF WORKING FAMILIES
DROPPING BELOW THE POVERTY LEVEL GOING UP
THE PERCENTAGE OF WORKING FAMILIES
WITHOUT HEALTH INSURANCE GOING UP BY 4%.
YOU CAN SEE THAT, I'M SURE, ALL OVER SMALL TOWNS
AND RURAL AREAS IN KANSAS.
YOU CAN SEE IT IN ARKANSAS, WHERE I GREW UP
AND WHERE MY LIBRARY NOW IS AND YOU CAN SEE IT ALL
THROUGHOUT NEW YORK WHERE I TRAVEL A LOT NOW
BECAUSE BOTH MY OFFICE IS THERE AND MY WIFE REPRESENTS THE STATE
IN THE SENATE SO I SEE ALL THIS.
SO IS THIS GOOD OR BAD? THE ANSWER IS BOTH.
A LOT OF PEOPLE IN AMERICA WERE UPSET
WHEN ALL THESE KIND OF LEFT WING GUYS STARTED WINNING PUBLIC OFFICE IN LATIN AMERICA
EVO MORALES THE FIRST NATIVE INDIAN IN BOLIVIA
THE POOREST COUNTRY IN SOUTH AMERICA, EVER ELECTED TO HIS COUNTRY'S PRESIDENCY.
HE WASN'T MARRIED AND HIS SISTER SERVED AS HIS FIRST LADY AND
SHE HAD TO BORROW A DRESS AND TAKE A BUS FROM THEIR LITTLE VILLAGE
TO THE CAPITAL IN ORDER TO PARTICIPATE IN HIS INAUGURAL CEREMONY.
WE WERE ALL WORRIED BECAUSE HE SAID HE
WAS GOING TO NATIONALIZE THE MINES AND ALL THAT
I TOLD EVERYBODY, I SAID, IF YOU WERE A 45 YEAR OLD BOLIVIAN MINER
AND YOU HAD FOUR CHILDREN AND YOUR BODY WAS OLD
BEFORE ITS TIME AND YOU THOUGHT YOUR KIDS WOULD
NEVER DO ANY BETTER THAN YOU AND ALL YOU COULD DO FOR THEM
NO MATTER HOW HARD YOU WORKED WAS PUT A SCRAP
OF FOOD ON THE TABLE AT NIGHT YOU WOULD HAVE VOTED FOR EVO MORALES.
BECAUSE HE WAS CLEARLY AN HONORABLE MAN
CLEARLY AND INTELLIGENT MAN
CLEARLY A PERSON WHO JUST WANTED TO TRY TO MAKE THINGS
WORK FOR ORDINARY PEOPLE.
SO THAT'S THE SECOND QUESTION, IS IT GOOD OR BAD? I THINK IT'S BOTH.
THIRD QUESTIONS: HOW SHOULD WE TRY TO CHANGE THIS WORLD?
I THINK WE SHOULD TRY TO MOVE FORM INTERDEPENDENCE WHICH IS GOOD OR BAD
TO INTEGRATION TO A SET OF INTEGRATED COMMUNITIES LOCALLY, NATIONALLY, GLOBALLY.
ALL INTEGRATED COMMUNITIES
UNIVERSITY SPORTS TEAMS, FAMILIES, BUSINESSES, MILITARY UNITS
ALL INTEGRATED COMMUNITIES, SUCCESSFUL ONES, HAVE THREE THINGS IN COMMON.
THEY HAVE SHARED OPPORTUNITIES TO PARTICIPATE
SHARED RESPONSIBILITIES FOR THE WELFARE OF THE WHOLE,
AND A SENSE OF GENUINE BELONGING. THAT IS IF YOU'RE PART OF ONE
RELATED TO ALL THE OTHER MEMBERS IN THE UNIT
YOU THINK THAT YOUR DIFFERENCES ARE INTERESTING BUT YOUR COMMON
HUMANITY, YOUR COMMON MEMBERSHIP, MATTERS MORE. AND THIS IS VERY, VERY IMPORTANT.
DO YOU REMEMBER A YEAR OR SO AGO WHEN THEY HAD THE TERRORIST
BOMBINGS IN LONDON? THE BRITISH WERE SHATTERED BY THIS BECAUSE
UNLIKE 9-11 WHEN THE UNITED STATES WAS PENETRATED BY TERRORISTS
FROM OTHER COUNTRIES THE PEOPLE WHO PULLED OFF THESE HORRIBLE KILLINGS
WERE BRITISH CITIZENS WHO HAD GROWN UP THERE, WHO WENT TO WORK AND
LIVED IN NEIGHBORHOODS AND HAD FRIENDLY RELATIONS WITH PEOPLE AT WORK
AND IN NEIGHBORHOODS AND PEOPLE THAT WERE INTERVIEWED AFTERWARD
WERE JUST STUNNED BECAUSE THEY DIDN'T REALLY BELONG DID THEY?
THE PEOPLE THAT STRAPPED THOSE BOMBS ON THOUGHT
THEIR DIFFERENCES WERE MORE IMPORTANT THAN THE COMMON HUMANITY THEY HAD SHARED
WITH PEOPLE SOME OF THEM FOR DECADES. MEALS, HOLIDAYS,
PLAYING GAMES DOWN THE STREET, THE WHOLE 9 YARDS AND STILL IT DID NOT
PENETRATE THEM. A LOT OF PEOPLE DIED BECAUSE OF THAT.
BUT IF YOU LOOK AT THE MODERN WORLD WE HAVE NO CHOICE
BUT TO TRY TO MOVE FROM INTERDEPENDENCE TO INTEGRATION CAUSE THE WORLD WE LIVE IN
TODAY IS WE CANT KEEP GOING THIS WAY. WE CAN'T KEEP GOING
WITH HALF THE PEOPLE LEFT OUT OF IT ECONOMICALLY. IT'S UNEQUAL. IT'S ALSO UNSTABLE.
I THINK IT'S HIGHLY UNLIKELY THAT THIS CENTURY,
FOR ALL OF YOU WHO ARE YOUNGER THAN ME, WHICH IS NEARLY EVERYBODY THESE DAYS
I THINK IT'S HIGHLY UNLIKELY THAT THIS CENTURY WILL
CLAIM AS MANY INNOCENT LIVES AS THE THE 20TH CENTURY DID.
YOU JUST GO BACK AND ADD UP SOMETIME
WHEN YOU'RE FEELING REALLY PESSIMISTIC ABOUT TERRORISM AND REALLY WORRIED ABOUT IRAQ
AND AFGHANISTAN AND ALL THAT, YOU SHOULD BE CONCERNED ABOUT ALL THIS,
BUT GO BACK AND LOOK AT HOW MANY PEOPLE DIED IN A MUCH
SMALLER WORLD IN WORLD WAR I AND WORLD WAR II
IN THE SOVIET UNION BETWEEN THE WARS AND THE CHINESE PURGES AND WHEN PAUL POT
TOOK OVER CAMBODIA, A COUNTRY WITH ONLY
8 MILLION PEOPLE, 2 MILLION KILLED, I THINK THAT IT'S UNLIKELY.
ON THE OTHER HAND, UNLIKE THE LAST CENTURY
WE ALL FEEL VULNERABLE ALL THE TIME. WHEN THE NEWS JUST BROKE NOT VERY LONG AGO
ABOUT THE TERRORIST GROUPS IN ENGLAND TRYING TO PUT AN EXPLOSIVE
INTO BABY BOTTLES TO PUT IT ON AIRPLANES, EVERYBODY WHO FLIES
AN AIRPLANE FELT A TINGLE UP AND DOWN THEIR SPINE BECAUSE
IT MEANT WE WERE ALL FEELING VULNERABLE.
AND WE ALL FEEL VULNERABLE TO OTHER THINGS, DISEASE. ONE OF THE
MOST INTERESTING THINGS ABOUT THE NEWS THAT'S CHANGED OVER THE LAST
10 YEARS IS YOU CAN NOW TURN ON THE EVENING NEWS AND IF A CHICKEN HAS BEEN
FOUND WITH AVIAN INFLUENZA, THIS IS IN THE LAST FEW MONTHS
I WATCH THE NEWS AND I'VE SEE A CHICKEN IN ROMANIA
A CHICKEN IN INDIA, AND A CHICKEN IN INDONESIA THEY FOUND WITH AVIAN INFLUENZA.
I CAN TELL YOU HOW MANY SQUARE KILOMETERS IN THOSE THREE COUNTRIES AND
THEY KILLED EVERY LAST CHICKEN TO MAKE SURE THAT NO BIRD
WITH AVIAN INFLUENZA GOT OUT HERE INTO THE HUMAN POPULATION.
NOW WE'RE SMILING BUT THIS IS A GOOD THING
BECAUSE THEY RECOGNIZE THERE IS NO KNOWN CURE NO KNOWN VACCINE
RIGHT NOW FOR AVIAN INFLUENZA IN PEOPLE
AND WE KNOW THAT AT THE END OF WWI IN THREE ROLLING WAVES THE SO CALLED SPANISH
INFLUENZA WHICH ACTUALLY BEGAN ON AN ARMY BASE HERE IN KANSAS
KILLED 25-50 MILLION PEOPLE
BECAUSE THERE WAS NO KNOWN ANTIDOTE TO IT.
THIS IS AN UNSTABLE SETUP.
THE THIRD THING I WANT TO SAY ABOUT
IT IS THAT IT IS UNSUSTAINABLE BECAUSE OF
CLIMATE CHANGE AND BECAUSE IN ADDITION
TO CLIMATE CHANGE BECAUSE OF RESOURCE
DEPLETION. MATTHEW SIMMONS, A DISTINGUISHED PETROLEUM
INVESTOR WHO IS NO LIBERAL DEMOCRATIC
TREE-HUGGER LIKE ME, HE IS ONE OF THE
BUSH FAMILY'S CLOSE FRIENDS. HE'S A CONSERVATIVE
REPUBLICAN. HE SAYS WE HAVE 35 YEARS OF
RECOVERABLE OIL LEFT. THE SAUDIS AND
EXXON SAY NO, NO WE'VE PROBABLY GOT 100 YEARS.
NOW THE OLDEST CITY IN CIVILIZATION ACCORDING
TO CARBON DATING THAT WE KNOW ABOUT TODAY
IS JERICHO IN THE MIDDLE EAST, 10,000 YEARS OLD.
THAT MEANS THAT THE REAL HAPPY TALK PEOPLE
ARE SAYING WE HAVE A HUNDRED YEARS
OF 10,000, ONE PERCENT OF THE WHOLE HISTORY
OF CIVILIZATION, LEFT TO BURN OIL.
IN ADDITION TO OIL WE HAVE SERIOUS TOPSOIL
EROSION AROUND THE WORLD, WHICH IS GOING TO
CREATE FOOD SHORTAGES AND FOOD REFUGEES.
IN THE LAST DECADE ONLY ARGENTINA AND BRAZIL
WHICH HAVE ABOUT 22 FEET OF TOPSOIL,
STILL THE BIGGEST DEPOSITS IN THE WORLD,
ONLY ARGENTINA AND BRAZIL IN THE LAST DECADE
HAD SIGNIFICANT INCREASES IN FOOD YIELDS.
AMERICA AND CANADA AND THE BREAD BASKET OF
EUROPE, THEY HELD THEIR OWN. THEY CONTINUED
TO PRODUCE VERY WELL BUT WE DIDN'T
HAVE ANY BIG BREAKTHROUGHS.
THAT ONLY HAPPENED IN THOSE TWO COUNTRIES.
THE WORLD POPULATION IS SUPPOSED TO GO TO NINE
BILLION BY THE MIDDLE OF THE CENTURY FROM
SIX-AND-A-HALF BILLION TODAY. HOW ARE WE
GOING TO FEED ALL THESE PEOPLE IF
THE SOIL KEEPS ERODING?
YOU HAVE WATER QUALITY EROSION, YOU HAVE
BIODIVERSITY LOSS. NINETY PERCENT OF THE MAJOR
FISHING AREAS OF THE WORLD ARE NOW
UNDERSTOCKED. SO WHAT WE'RE DOING IS NOT
SUSTAINABLE. GOOD AND BAD BUT UNEQUAL, UNSTABLE,
UNSUSTAINABLE BUT IF WE WENT TO A SET OF
COMMUNITIES LOCALLY, NATIONALLY, GLOBALLY WHERE
WE HAD SHARED OPPORTUNITIES FOR PARTICIPATION, SHARED
RESPONSIBILITIES FOR OUR COMMON WELFARE,
AND A GENUINE SENSE OF BELONGING BECAUSE
OUR COMMON HUMANITY IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN OUR
INTERESTING DIFFERENCES WE'D HAVE A CHANCE TO OVERCOME
ALL THESE PROBLEMS.
FOURTH QUESTION: HOW IN THE WORLD WOULD
YOU DO THAT? THESE QUESTIONS GETS HARDER AS YOU
GO ALONG. I COULD KEEP YOU HERE UNTIL TOMORROW
MORNING TALKING ABOUT ANY PART OF THIS ANSWER
SO I'M GOING TO BE VERY BRIEF TO GET TO THE QUESTIONS.
HOW WOULD YOU DO IT?
YOU HAVE TO HAVE A SECURITY POLICY.
WE NEED PEOPLE IN UNIFORM LIKE THESE PEOPLE.
YOU'VE GOT TO HAVE A SECURITY POLICY.
THERE ARE PEOPLE TRYING TO TAKE US
DOWN AND DESTROY THE ENTERPRISE. (APPLAUSE).
BUT I JUST READ A STUNNING ESSAY BY A YOUNG
MAN THAT I FEEL THAT I HELPED RAISE
WHO JUST RETIRED AS A CAPTAIN IN THE MARINE
CORPS TO PURSUE THE REST OF HIS LIFE.
HE WON THE BRONZE STAR AT FALLUJAH. HIS UNIT
LOST NO MEN IN THE BATTLES.
HIS IRAQI UNIT HAD NO DESERTERS THAT
HE TRAINED TO FIGHT. HE WAS, IN OTHER WORDS,
A SUCCESSFUL AMERICAN SOLDIER IN
THE MARINE CORPS. HE WROTE AN ESSAY BECAUSE
FOR THIS STUDY HE WANTS TO DO TO GO ON WITH
THE REST OF HIS LIFE IN WHICH HE SAID,
WE DID ABOUT AS GOOD AS YOU CAN DO
OVER THERE AND WHAT I THINK IS WE CAN'T LOOK TO OUR
MILITARY SOLUTION FIRST. THE MILITARY
CAN ONLY BE EFFECTIVE IF WE ALSO HAVE
A DIPLOMATIC SOLUTION AND IF WE'RE OVER
THERE TRYING TO MAKE FRIENDS AS
WELL AS DEAL WITH ENEMIES. AND THAT'S IF YOU LOOK AT (APPLAUSE)
HE SAID, WITH ALL THE PROBLEMS IN THE WORLD
WITH UNSTABLE CIRCUMSTANCES AND NON-STATE ACTORS
LIKE TERRORIST GROUPS AND ORGANIZED
CRIMINALS AND DRUG DEALERS AND ALL THIS
YOU'VE ALWAYS GOT TO HAVE POLITICS AT WORK WITH
MILITARY. THERE WILL BE VERY FEW PURELY
MILITARY SOLUTIONS AVAILABLE, NO MATTER HOW GOOD
WE ARE AT WHAT WE DO. IF YOU LOOK FOR EXAMPLE
AT THIS DEAL THE PRESIDENT JUST MADE WITH
NORTH KOREA I HAPPEN TO THINK IT'S A PRETTY
GOOD DEAL AND I WAS DELIGHTED TO SEE IT HAPPEN
BUT IT WAS PRODUCED BY DIPLOMACY.
SO YOU NEED A SECURITY STRATEGY, A DIPLOMACY STRATEGY,
YOU NEED THIRDLY A STRATEGY TO MAKE A WORLD
WITH MORE PARTNERS AND FEWER TERRORISTS.
IF YOU REMEMBER THAT WHOLE LITANY OF NUMBERS
I GAVE YOU SHOWING THAT HALF THE WORLD IS NOT PART
OF WHAT WE ARE LET ME GIVE YOU SOME
GOOD NUMBERS. BOB DOLE WROTE A BOOK WITH GEORGE MCGOVERN
IN THE LAST YEAR OR TWO ABOUT HOW HE COULD END
HUNGER. GUESS WHAT? IT DOESN'T COST VERY
MUCH MONEY. WE KNOW HOW TO GET THE 130 MILLION
CHILDREN IN THE WORLD WHO DON'T EVER GO TO
SCHOOL INTO SCHOOL AND IT DOESN'T COST VERY
MUCH MONEY. WE KNOW HOW TO ACHIEVE THE SO-CALLED
MILLENNIUM DEVELOPMENT GOALS TO ERADICATE
EXTREME POVERTY ON EARTH BY 2015 AND IT DOESN'T
COST ALL THAT MUCH MONEY.
WE ACTUALLY KNOW HOW TO DO IT NOW. WHEN I WAS
IN MY LAST YEAR AS PRESIDENT WE PUT $300 MILLION INTO
A SCHOOL FEEDING PROGRAM THAT SEN. DOLE AND SEN. MCGOVERN
SUPPORTED, AND WE INCREASED ENROLLMENT
IN POOR COUNTRIES BY OFFERING THEM A FREE
STUDENT LUNCH OR STUDENT BREAKFAST BUT THEY
HAD TO COME TO SCHOOL TO GET THE MEAL.
ENROLLMENT WENT UP WITH $300 MILLION BY 6 MILLION.
COST US 50 BUCKS A KID TO GET CHILDREN IN SCHOOL.
HOW MUCH IS IT WORTH IF OUT OF THOSE
6 MILLION KIDS 10 OF THEM WOULD HAVE
BECOME TERRORISTS? JUST 10? WE SAVED MONEY DIDN'T WE?
WE SPENT $100 BILLION IN AFGHANISTAN;
WE SPENT $400 BILLION IN IRAQ.
IT IS IRRELEVANT WHETHER YOU SUPPORT
OR OPPOSE OUR POLICIES IN EITHER OF THOSE PLACES.
THE POINT I'M TRYING TO MAKE IS WE'VE GOT
TO HAVE A SECURITY STRATEGY BUT IF YOU LIVE IN
AN INTERDEPENDENT ENVIRONMENT AND YOU CAN'T
KILL, JAIL, OR OCCUPY ALL YOUR ENEMIES YOU'VE GOT
TO HAVE A STRATEGY TO MAKE MORE PARTNERS AND
FEWER ENEMIES TOO. IT IS ALWAYS,
ALWAYS CHEAPER THAN FIGHTING -- THE HEALTH,
THE EDUCATION, THE DEVELOPMENT. (APPLAUSE).
FINALLY, LAST QUESTION -- WHO'S SUPPOSED TO DO ALL
THIS? THIS IS THE MOST IMPORTANT QUESTION OF ALL.
WHO'S SUPPOSED TO DO ALL THIS?
AND THE ANSWER IS WE ALL ARE. ARE THERE
THINGS THAT THE GOVERNMENT HAS TO DO? ABSOLUTELY.
THERE ARE THINGS THAT NEED DOING THAT YOU
CAN'T DO LEGALLY UNLESS YOU PUT ON A UNIFORM
AND TRAIN PROPERLY FOR IT AND YOU'D
BE INEFFECTIVE IF YOU TRIED.
THERE ARE POLICIES THAT CANNOT REALLY
CHANGE IN AMERICA EFFECTIVELY UNLESS THE GOVERNMENT
CHANGES ITS DIRECTION. I'M ENCOURAGED THAT WE
HAD WAL-MART, BASICALLY A CONSERVATIVE COMPANY
NOT UNIONIZED AND THE SEIU ONE OF THE MOST
LIBERAL UNIONS IN AMERICA STANDING TOGETHER
LAST WEEK CALLING FOR UNIVERSAL HEALTH CARE
FOR ALL AMERICANS BECAUSE SEIU WANTS IT FOR HUMANITARIAN
REASONS AND WAL-MART REALIZES THAT WE'RE GOING
TO GO BANKRUPT IF WE WON'T DO
SOMETHING ABOUT IT. IT WAS REALLY INTERESTING.
WE ALL HAVE TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT.
THAT BRINGS ME TO THE SECOND POINT WHICH IS
THAT IN AMERICA WE HAVE A WHOLE HISTORY OF CITIZEN
ACTION TOO AND THAT'S WHAT I DO NOW.
WHEN I GOT OUT OF THE WHITE HOUSE IT WAS
INTERESTING AND MY WIFE WENT TO THE SENATE
IT'S LIKE WE CHANGED ROLES IN A PLAY AFTER
30 YEARS CAUSE FOR 30 YEARS SHE'D BEEN
OUT THERE DOING THOSE THINGS THAT NON-POLITICANS
DO--STARTING ADVOCACY GROUPS FOR FAMILIES
AND CHILDREN, BRINGING IN FREE SCHOOL
PROGRAMS TO ARKANSAS FROM ISRAEL, WORRYING ABOUT
HOW WE BUILT UP HEALTH CARE AND EDUCATION
IN RURAL AREAS, DOING ALL THIS STUFF NOT
ELECTED TO ANYTHING. TRAIPSING OVER TO BEIJING
TO TELL PEOPLE WHO WERE OPPRESSING
WOMEN AND KIDS TO QUIT.
ALL JUST AS A PERSON AND THEN ALL OF
A SUDDEN I HAD TO DO THAT AND I REALIZED
I DIDN'T HAVE A CLUE. I'LL NEVER FORGET
THAT I WAS SHAVING ONE DAY IN EARLY 2001
AFTER I LEFT THE WHITE HOUSE AND I LOOKED
IN THE MIRROR AND I SAID I HAVE BECOME
A NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATION. WHO AM I?
WHAT I AM SUPPOSED TO DO? NOW I SPEND
LOTS AND LOTS OF TIME ANSWERING
THAT QUESTION EVERY DAY.
I'VE DONE A LOT OF WORK WITH PEOPLE
THAT WERE OTHERWISE POLITICAL ADVERSARIES OF MINE.
FORMER PRESIDENT BUSH AND I, WE ALWAYS
HAD A GOOD RELATIONSHIP AND WE'VE BECOME
IMMENSELY CLOSE WORKING ON THE TSUNAMI RELIEF,
WORKING ON THE KATRINA RELIEF, AND I'VE
DEVELOPED A GOOD RELATIONSHIP WITH THE
CURRENT PRESIDENT AND WE DON'T AGREE ON MUCH
OF ANYTHING BUT I HAVE A GOOD RELATIONSHIP WITH HIM.
WHEN HE DOES SOMETHING I LIKE I TAKE UP FOR HIM
LIKE SOMETHING THAT MAY NOT BE POPULAR HERE.
HE WANTS TO SPEED FOOD AID TO POOR COUNTRIES
WHERE PEOPLE ARE STARVING QUICKER BY LETTING
US BUY 25 PERCENT OF THE FOOD IN THE COUNTRY
NEXT DOOR WHICH I THINK IS BETTER THAN REQUIRING
THAT IT ALL BE GROWN IN AMERICA EVEN THOUGH
FARMERS MARKETS ON KANSAS DON'T LIKE IT VERY MUCH.
YOUR TAX DOLLARS WOULD GO FURTHER AND MORE
PEOPLE WOULD LIVE QUICKER. I TRY TO THINK
ABOUT ALL THESE ISSUES IN
A DIFFERENT WAY NOW.
I TRY TO SAY I'M A CITIZEN NOW.
WHAT CAN A CITIZEN DO? LET'S ANSWER THAT
QUESTION THEN YOU IDENTIFY EVERYTHING
THAT'S LEFT AND YOU SAY WHAT HAS TO BE
DONE AT THE STATE OR LOCAL OR NATIONAL LEVEL
OR WHAT CAN BE DONE BY THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY?
IDENTIFY THAT QUESTION AND SORT OF IN MY MIND
I'M PASSING OUT ASSIGNMENTS EVERY DAY.
I WANT YOU ALL TO THINK ABOUT THAT BECAUSE
A BIG PART OF BUILDING THIS WORLD
IS THE LAST POINT I WANT TO MAKE
BEFORE WE OPEN FOR QUESTIONS IS WHAT I WOULD
CALL A RELENTLESS SEARCH FOR HOME IMPROVEMENT.
I WANT TO END WHERE I BEGAN.
IF ALF LANDON WERE GIVING THE LECTURE
TODAY I GUESS HE'D BE 120 YEARS OLD ALMOST
BUT HE WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO SAY TRENDS
IN INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS CAUSE HE WAS A VERY
SMART GUY. HE WOULD TALK ABOUT HOW THE LINE
BETWEEN WHAT IS INTERNATIONAL AND
NATIONAL. WHAT IS LOCAL AND GLOBAL
HAS TOTALLY EVAPORATED.
I FIND I WORK IN A LOT OF POOR COUNTRIES.
I HAVE AIDS PROJECTS IN 25 COUNTRIES
WHERE WE PROVIDE THE LEAST EXPENSIVE
HIGH QUALITY AIDS DRUGS IN THE WORLD.
WE SELL THEM IN 62 COUNTRIES; 540 THOUSAND PEOPLE
IN THE WORLD WHO ARE GETTING AIDS
MEDICINE SINCE 2003 ARE GETTING OFF
OF THESE CONTRACTS WE NEGOTIATED.
WE WORK IN 25 COUNTRIES.
I CAN TELL YOU I WON'T GO INTO A
COUNTRY UNLESS THE GOVERNMENT ASKED ME IN AND
THEY AGREE TO WORK WITH US AND WE WORK
THROUGH THEM CAUSE IF SOMETHING HAPPENS
TO ME I WANT TO KNOW THE SYSTEM,
THE HEALTH CARE SYSTEM, IS WORKING BETTER.
NOT JUST AIDS BUT FOR TB, FOR MALARIA,
FOR MATERNAL AND CHILD HEALTH,
FOR TROPICAL DISEASES.
I WANT PEOPLE TO BE STRONGER.
IF THEY DON'T HAVE A GOOD GOVERNMENT THERE'S NOT
MUCH THE REST OF US CAN DO TO HELP THEM.
SIMILARLY IN AMERICA. IF HALF THE PEOPLE
IN KANSAS BELIEVE THAT THE WORLD IS GOING
DARKER FOR THEM, THAT THEY'RE NOT PART OF THIS
NEW FUTURE THAT'S BRIGHT AND DENNIS MOORE
AS A REPRESENTATIVE IN CONGRESS GOES OUT AND
TRIES TO GIVE A SPEECH IN HIS DISTRICT
ABOUT HOW WE SHOULD BE FEEDING ALL THESE
KIDS IN POOR COUNTRIES SO WE'LL GET THEM
ALL IN SCHOOL AND THEN THEY WON'T GO TO
MADRASAHS AND THEY WON'T BE RADICALIZED, THEN
PEOPLE ARE GOING TO LOOK AT THIS LIKE HE'S
NUTS. THEY'RE GOING TO SAY, DENNIS,
EVERY THIRD STORE FRONT IN OUR TOWN IS CLOSED.
WHAT THE HECK ARE YOU WORRIED ABOUT THOSE PEOPLE FOR?
THEY CAN'T VOTE FOR YOU. TAKE CARE OF ME.
I GUESS WHAT I'M TRYING TO TELL ALL OF YOU
IS I THINK WE HAVE TO TAKE CARE OF US
TOO BUT IN THE END WE CAN'T TAKE FULL
CARE OF AMERICA'S NEXT GENERATION UNLESS WE
TAKE CARE OF THE WORLD. (APPLAUSE) I LEAVE YOU WITH
THIS THOUGHT. I THINK THERE ARE THREE
HOME IMPROVEMENT ISSUES THAT IF WE DEALT
WITH THEM THEY WOULD DRAMATICALLY INCREASE OUR
ABILITY TO DEAL WITH THE CHALLENGES WE FACE.
WE CAN'T KEEP GOING WITH THE HEALTH CARE
SYSTEM WE GOT -- WE CAN'T. (APPLAUSE).
OF ALL THE NEW MEMBERS OF THE HOUSE
OF REPRESENTATIVES THAT WERE ELECTED THE ONE I WAS
CLOSEST TO, JOE SESTAK FORM PENNSYLVANIA,
IS A RETIRED THREE-STAR ADMIRAL, FORMER
COMMANDER OF THE GEORGE WASHINGTON BATTLE
CARRIER GROUP, FROM A CATHOLIC FAMILY
OF SEVEN SIBLINGS AND HE HAD SIX IN THE
DISTRICT AND ALL THEIR RELATIVES.
ALL HE HAD TO DO WAS FIND 10 NON-RELATIVES
TO VOTE FOR HIM AND HE GOT ELECTED.
BUT SESTAK RAN FOR CONGRESS IN PART BECAUSE
HE STARTED A FAMILY LATE IN LIFE. HE WAS
TRAVELING AT SEA A LOT AND HIS ONLY
CHILD GOT BRAIN CANCER. HE WAS TOLD IN ALL
PROBABILITY THAT SHE WOULD DIE. IT HAS
A HAPPY ENDING, THIS STORY, SHE DID NOT.
SHE RECOVERED BUT HE DIDN'T KNOW THAT.
SO HE TOOK EARLY RETIREMENT SO HE COULD
BE AT HIS DAUGHTER'S BEDSIDE EVERY SINGLE DAY
SHE STILL HAD LEFT ON THIS EARTH.
HE KEPT MEETING ALL THESE PEOPLE WHO UNLIKE
HIM HAD NOT BEEN IN THE MILITARY AND DIDN'T
HAVE A GOOD HEALTH INSURANCE POLICY
WHOSE KIDS WERE SICK. HE JUST COULDN'T TAKE
IT ANYMORE. IT WAS ONE OF THE THREE REASONS
HE CITED AT EVERY SPEECH WHEN RUNNING
FOR UNITED STATES CONGRESS. MOST OVER
QUALIFIED PERSON I USED TO TELL HIM TO
GO TO THE CONGRESS.
THE GUY RAN A CARRIER BATTLE GROUP.
WE'VE GOT TO DO SOMETHING. WE'RE SPENDING
16 PERCENT OF OUR INCOME ON HEALTH CARE.
NO OTHER COUNTRY SPENDS MORE THAN 11.
THAT'S $800 BILLION A YEAR WE'RE SPENDING.
THIS IS SUPPOSED TO BE A STATE OF FISCAL
CONSERVATIVES, PRUDENT PEOPLE. SO IF YOU'RE
GOING TO SPEND $800 BILLION MORE ON SOMETHING
THAN ANYBODY ELSE ON EARTH SURELY YOU'RE
GOING TO GET SOMETHING OUT OF IT, RIGHT?
WE INSURE 84 PERCENT. NOBODY ELSE
INSURES FEWER THAN 100 PERCENT.
OUR OVERALL HEALTH OUTCOMES RATING IS
37TH ALTHOUGH WE DO RANK AS HIGH AS 34TH
IN LIFE EXPECTANCY. WHAT ARE WE PAYING FOR?
WELL WE SPEND 34 PERCENT OF THE HEALTH
CARE DOLLAR ON ADMINISTRATION COSTS FROM PROVIDERS
AND INSURERS. NO ONE ELSE SPENDS MORE
THAN 19. THAT'S $300 BILLION A YEAR THAT
WE PAY FOR 2 MILLION AMERICANS TO GO OUT AND
PLAY TUG-A-WAR EVERY DAY OVER GETTING
PAID FOR PROVIDING HEALTH CARE. ONE SIDE
TRYING TO GET THE MONEY AND THE OTHER
SIDE TRYING EITHER TO KEEP FROM PAYING OR HOLD
ON AS LONG AS YOU CAN AND EARN INTEREST.
IN THE GRINDING TRANSACTION COST THERE'S
MORE THAN ENOUGH TO INSURE EVERYBODY
IN THE COUNTRY WHO DOESN'T
HAVE INSURANCE TODAY.
THERE ARE OTHER THINGS THAT WE SHOULD
TALK ABOUT IF WE HAD ALL DAY THAT INVOLVE MEDICINE
THAT INVOLVE LIFE STYLE. WE HAVE
ENORMOUS RATES OF OBESITY. OUR DIABETES
AMONG YOUNG PEOPLE, ADULT ONSET DIABETES
AMONG YOUNG PEOPLE, EXPLODING IN AMERICA.
EMORY UNIVERSITY SAID THAT IN THE 1990'S
WHEN I SERVED 27 PERCENT OF THE INCREASE IN HEALTH
CARE COSTS WAS CAUSED BY DIABETES AND ITS
CONSEQUENCES -- MORE HEART ATTACKS, MORE STROKES,
MORE BLINDNESS, MORE AMPUTATIONS. THESE
MEMBERS OF CONGRESS HERE WILL HAVE TO
SPEND A LOT OF YOUR TAX MONEY ON A
MEDICAID BUDGET THIS YEAR. TWENTY PERCENT OF THE
MEDICAID BUDGET WHICH CARES FOR POOR
PEOPLE GOES TO CONDITIONS DIRECTLY RELATED
TO THE EXPLOSION OF DIABETES IN AMERICA.
THERE ARE LOTS OF ISSUES.
THAT'S ISSUE NUMBER ONE.
ISSUE NUMBER TWO IS THE ECONOMY.
WE CAN'T KEEP HAVING AN ECONOMY WHERE PEOPLE
LIKE ME IN THE TOP ONE-TENTH OF ONE PERCENT
GET MORE AND MORE AND MORE MONEY EVERY
YEAR AND THEY THROW A TAX CUT AT US
EVERY YEAR AND MIDDLE CLASS PEOPLE'S WAGES DON'T RISE.
NOW HERE'S WHAT HAPPENS. I PROMISED
AT THE VERY BEGINNING OF THE TALK TO COME
BACK TO THIS. I WOULD LIKE TO TELL YOU THAT
WE GOT INEQUALITY DOWN AND WAGES UP IN MY
SECOND TERM BECAUSE BOB RUBIN AND I WERE UTTER
ECONOMIC GENIUSES. I'D LOVE TO STAND
HERE WITH A STRAIGHT FACE AND TELL YOU THAT.
WE DIDN'T HURT ANYTHING. WE HAD GOOD POLICIES.
OUR POLICIES WERE DIRECTLY RESPONSIBLE
FOR MOVING 100 TIMES AS MANY PEOPLE FROM POVERTY
TO THE MIDDLE CLASS IN OUR 8 YEARS AS IN THE PREVIOUS
12 BUT THE REAL REASON THAT ALL THE JOBS
WERE CREATED IS THAT AMERICA HAD A SOURCE
OF GOOD NEWS JOBS IN THE 1990'S BECAUSE
THE JOBS IN INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY MOVED
OUT OF THE DOT.COM COMPANIES AND THE VIDEO
GAME COMPANIES IN TEXAS AND EXPLODED INTO
EVERY ASPECT OF AMERICAN LIFE.
I COULD GO OUT WHEN I WAS GOVERNOR OF
ARKANSAS I REMEMBER AT THE VERY END I'D
GO OUT AT HARVEST SEASON WHEN THEY WERE BRINGING
IN THE RICE CROP OR I'D GO TO PLANTING
SEASON AND ALL MY FARMER FRIENDS ALL OF SUDDEN WERE
IN AIR-CONDITIONED TRACTOR CABS WITH
COMPUTERS TELLING THEM WHAT TO PLANT,
WHEN TO PLANT IT, AND WHAT KIND OF FERTILIZER
TO USE. IT WAS THE DARNDEST THING I EVER SAW.
THAT CREATED MILLIONS OF JOBS.
EVERY WORK PLACE IN AMERICA CHANGED IN THE 90'S.
NOW, THIS DECADE HAS NOT SEEN ITS
SOURCE OF NEW JOBS, THAT'S THE PROBLEM.
THAT'S WHY WE'VE GOT FLAT WAGES.
YET IT IS A BIRD'S NEST ON THE GROUND.
IF WE MADE A SERIOUS COMMITMENT TO A
CLEAN INDEPENDENT ENERGY FUTURE,
WE WOULD CREATE THOSE JOBS
IN KANSAS AND ACROSS THE COUNTRY. (APPLAUSE).
YOU DO NOT HAVE TO ACCEPT MY WORD
FOR THIS YOU CAN LOOK AT THE EVIDENCE.
I'LL GIVE YOU TWO PIECES OF EVIDENCE.
NUMBER ONE, IN EUROPE THE ECONOMIES THAT
LOOK MOST LIKE AMERICA'S, THAT IS THE ONES
THAT ARE THE MOST FREE MARKET ORIENTED,
THE MOST UNREGULATED, ARE PROBABLY THE
NETHERLANDS, DENMARK, AND THE UNITED KINGDOM.
IN DENMARK, UNLIKE AMERICA, THEIR UNEMPLOYMENT
RATE IS ALMOST IDENTICAL TO OURS BUT
THEIR GROWTH RATE IS HIGHER, THEIR WAGES ARE
GOING UP, INEQUALITY IS GOING DONW.
WHY? IN THE LAST FEW YEARS THE DANISH
ECONOMY HAS INCREASED IN SIZE BY 50 PERCENT.
NOW AT THE SAME TIME ESTIMATE HOW MUCH
THEIR ENERGY USE HAS INCREASED AND HOW MUCH
THEIR GREENHOUSE GASES EMISSIONS HAVE INCREASED.
ANSWER? ZERO. NOTHING, ZERO, NO INCREASE
IN ENERGY USE, NO INCREASE IN GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS.
THEIR GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS HAVE GONE
DOWN WHILE THEIR ECONOMY HAS GONE UP 50 PERCENT
BECAUSE THEY HAVE ALSO DECIDED TO GENERATE
22 PERCENT OF THE ELECTRICITY FROM WIND. LET'S TAKE
THE U.K. EVEN MORE LIKE US. IN MY LAST YEAR
AS PRESIDENT WHEN WE NEGOTIATED, IN '98
NOT MY LAST YEAR, WE NEGOTIATED THE
KYOTO CLIMATE CHANGE ACCORD WHICH CALLS FOR ALL
THESE COUNTRIES TO CUT THEIR GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSION
DOWN BELOW 1990 LEVEL BY 2012.
AL GORE AND A GUY NAMED STU EIZENSTAT
WENT TO JAPAN TO CLOSE THIS DEAL FOR ME
AND I WAS SIGNING OFF ON IT. THEY DIDN'T
EVEN GET OFF THE AIRPLANE BEFORE THE SENATE
VOTED AGAINST IT. ONE HUNDRED PERCENT OF THE
REPUBLICANS AND NEARLY 100 PERCENT OF THE
DEMOCRATS VOTED AGAINST IT BEFORE I COULD
SEND IT TO THEM BECAUSE THEY SAID AMERICA WOULD BANKRUPT
AMERICA IF WE HAD TO REDUCE OUR ENERGY
CONSUMPTION AND THE POISON WE WERE SPEWING
INTO THE AIR. IT WOULD BE THE END OF
CIVILIZATION AS WE KNEW IT.
THEN WHEN I GAVE A SPEECH ON CLIMATE CHANGE
IT ELICITED A GIANT YAWN FROM ALL BUT THE MOST
FANATIC MEMBERS OF THE PRESS ON THE SUBJECT.
NOW LOOK AT WHAT THE UNITED KINGDOM DID.
UNITED KINGDOM SAID SOMETHING VERY DIFFERENT.
THEY SAID OH WE LIKE THE KYOTO ACCORD.
IT'S A PERFECTLY NICE LITTLE PIECE OF PAPER
BUT THE TRUTH IS IT'S A LITTLE BIT OF
A WEAK SISTER. IT'S TOO MUCH COMPROMISE
IT'S TOO WEAK. WE'RE GOING TO BEAT OUR
KYOTO TARGETS BY 25 TO 50 PERCENT.
GUESS WHAT? THEY DID AND THEIR UNEMPLOYMENT RATE
IS AS LOW AS OURS BUT THEIR WAGES ARE GOING UP
AND INEQUALITY HAS NOT GONE UP AND
THEIR GROWTH IS HIGH BECAUSE OF ALL THE JOBS
THEY CREATED IN CLEAN ENERGY. THE BRITISH
GOVERNMENT HAS ACTUALLY PUT OUT A
LIST BY CATEGORY OF HOW MANY NEW JOBS THEY
CREATED BY BEATING THEIR KYOTO TARGETS AND
THEY'RE SO EXCITED THEY'RE GONNA BEAT THEM AGAIN.
I'M TELLING YOU IF YOU LOOK AROUND HERE THE
GREATEST THING ABOUT BIOFUELS OF ANY KIND
IS THAT THEY DON'T TRAVEL WELL. THAT'S GOOD.
THAT MEANS NO BIG LONG PIPELINES AND EVERY
50 OR 100 OR 200 MILES YOU GOT TO HAVE A NEW
PRODUCTION FACILITY AND A NEW DISTRIBUTION
NETWORK AND WE CAN REVITALIZE RURAL AMERICA.
WE CAN BRING BACK THE SMALL TOWNS
AND THE RURAL AREAS. (APPLAUSE). ONCE WE GET A COST
CONVERSION FIX ON CELLULOSIC ETHANOL WE CAN
DO IT WITHOUT HAVING CORN PRICES SO HIGH
THAT ALL THE CHICKEN PEOPLE AND THE CATTLE FEEDERS
GO OUT OF BUSINESS AND EVERYBODY GOES CRAZY.
WE CAN DO IT ALL IN A BALANCED WAY HERE.
BUT IT'S NOT JUST THAT, IT'S NOT
JUST THAT. MY LIBRARY HAS 308 SOLAR REFLECTORS.
I CUT MY GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS 34 PERCENT.
THOSE THINGS WERE MADE IN AMERICA BY
AMERICANS. I COULD GO ON AND ON AND ON AND ON.
IF WE MADE THIS A COMMITMENT THEN WE WOULD DEAL
WITH HEALTH CARE, DEAL WITH THE ECONOMY,
AND DEAL WITH THE CLIMATE CHANGE AND WE
WOULD GIVE AMERICANS SPACE -- EMOTIONAL
SPACE, FINANCIAL SPACE, TO SAY OKAY GO OUT
THERE WITH YOUR SECURITY POLICY, YOUR DIPLOMACY,
YOUR POLICY TO BUILD MORE PARTNERS AND
FEWER TERRORISTS AND BRING THE WORLD TOGETHER.
BRING THE WORLD TOGETHER.
GIVE OUR CHILDREN THE FUTURE THE DESERVE.
SO ANYWAY THAT'S HOW I THINK.
IF SOMETHING HAPPENS TOMORROW AND YOU
WANT TO KNOW HOW I FEEL ABOUT IT
YOU CAN ALREADY FIGURE OUT MY ANSWER
CAUSE MY ANSWER IS ALWAYS DETERMINED BY THIS QUESTION.
DOES THIS OR THAT OR THE OTHER
COURSE OF ACTION HELP OR HURT OUR EFFORTS
TO BUILD A WORLD WITH MORE SHARED
OPPORTUNITIES, SHARED RESPONSIBILITIES,
AND GENUINE SENSE OF BELONGING?
IF IT HELPS I'M FOR IT, IF IT HURTS
I'M AGAINST IT, AND IF I DON'T KNOW I TRY
TO FIGURE IT OUT. THAT'S HOW I DEAL
WITH EMERGING EVENTS EVERY DAY.
YOU MAY NOT AGREE WITH MY ANALYSIS BUT YOU
SHOULD BE ABLE TO ANSWER THOSE QUESTIONS.
WHAT'S THE NATURE OF THE TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY
WORLD, IS IT GOOD OR BAD? HOW WOULD YOU
LIKE TO CHANGE IT? WHAT STEPS ARE
NECESSARY TO DO THAT? WHO'S SUPPOSED TO DO IT?
FINALLY THE ANSWER IS WHETHER YOU'RE IN
OR OUT OF GOVERNMENT, YOU ARE.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH. (APPLAUSE).
IF YOU COULD GET THE LIGHTS UP.
WELL PRESIDENT CLINTON THANK YOU FOR
A MARVELOUS AND EXCELLENT LANDON LECTURE.
(APPLAUSE).
WELL I THINK MANY OF YOU HAVE ATTENDED
A LANDON LECTURE BEFORE. AND SO THE PRESIDENT
AGREED TO ANSWER SOME QUESTIONS HERE TODAY.
SO WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A MIC RIGHT UP HERE
ANOTHER ONE BACK HERE, ONE DOWN ON THE FLOOR
AND THEN ONE RIGHT UP HERE.
SO LET'S START RIGHT HERE AT NUMBER FOUR
ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS AT NUMBER FOUR?
PRESIDENT CLINTON, HOW DO YOU USE DIPLOMACY TO
TRY TO SOLVE THE MIDDLE EASTERN/
PALESTINIAN/ISRAELI/IRAN/ISRAEL FEUD
WHEN THE STARTING POINT IS IRAN'S POSITION
OF "WE SHOULD ANNIHILATE ISRAEL"
WELL FIRST OF ALL I THINK THAT DEALING WITH
IRAN AND SYRIA AND THE OTHER PERIPHERAL
PARTIES IS SOMEWHAT DIFFERENT
FROM THE PALESTINEAN ISRAELI NEGOTIATIONS.
WE'RE MOVING BACK TO THE RIGHT POSITION THERE
HAMAS, THE HAMAS PALESTINEAN GOVERNMENT
AND THE FATAH, THE PARTY OF THE LATE
YASSER ARAFAT AND THE CURRENT PRESIDENT
MR. ABBAS, THEY HAVE REACHED A UNITY
GOVERNMENT AGREEMENT.
THE ISRAELIS AND THE AMERICANS SAY THE AGREEMENT
IS NOT GOOD ENOUGH TO RESUME NEGOTIATIONS
BECAUSE HAMAS IS NOT EXPLICITLY
SAID WE ARE GOING TO SAY NO TO TERROR
YES TO NEGOTIATIONS, YES TO ISRAEL'S RIGHT TO EXIST.
BUT THEY'RE GETTING THERE. THIS IS
WHAT HAPPENS ALL THE TIME. WHENEVER
TWO GROUPS HAVE BEEN FIGHTING EACH OTHER
AND VIOLENCE AND THE KILLING OF INNOCENTS
HAS BEEN APART OF IT, THEY HAVE
TO FIND A WAY TO TALK WHERE THEY
TELL EACH OTHER ENOUGH THAT THEY KNOW
THEY ARE NOT GOING TO KEEP KILLING EACH OTHER.
BUT THEY DON'T TELL THEIR PUBLIC SO
MUCH SO THAT LOOKS LIKE THEY'VE ABANDONED
THEIR CONVICTIONS. THAT'S WHAT'S GOING ON HERE.
IT'S A KABUKI DANCE. BUT THE GOOD NEWS
IS THEY ARE DANCING AND YOU GOT ALL THE ARAB
STATES NOW WANTING TO BE ISRAEL'S NEW
BEST FRIEND CAUSE THEY'RE MORE WORRIED
ABOUT THE RISE OF IRAN AND THE SHIA BLOCK
TO THEIR EAST AND DESTABLIZATION
WITHIN THEIR OWN BORDERS. SO THEIR'S MUCH TO
HOPE FOR THERE. MY OWN VIEW IS
THAT HAMAS, THEY NEED TO FIND A WAY
SIMPLY TO SAY NO TO TERROR, YES TO NEGOTIATIONS
AND AS LONG AS THEY'RE PART OF THE UNITY
GOVERNMENT OF PRESIDENT ABBAS
WHO HAS FOREIGN POLICY RESPONSIBILITIES
THEY WILL HONOR BOTH THOSE CONDITIONS AND
THEY ASSUME THAT THEY WILL OBVIOUSLY
EMBRACE ISRAEL'S EXISTENCE AND SUPPORT IT
AND HAVE A GOOD RELATIONSHIP WITH THEM
IF THEY MAKE A PEACE DEAL.
IF THEY SAY SOMETHING LIKE THAT EXPLICIT
THEN THEY STILL HAVE A LITTLE WIGGLE ROOM
FOR THEIR RADICALS BUT THEY CAN ALL
TALK AND MAYBE STAVE OFF DISASTER.
WITH IRAN I AGREE WITH JIM BAKER AND LEE HAMILTON'S
COMMISSION. I THINK THAT WE SHOULD
BE TALKING TO THE IRANEANS BECAUSE EVEN
THE IRANEANS EVEN SOME OF THE CONSERVATIVES HAVE REPUTIATED
PRESIDENT AHMADINEJAD'S ANTI ISRAEL
HOLOCOST REMARKS. AND I WON'T KEEP YOU HERE LONG
SO WE CAN TAKE MORE QUESTIONS SO LET ME
JUST SAY TO ALL OF YOU THIS
ABOUT IRAN. FIRST OF ALL ATTACKING THEM
IS A WHOLE DIFFERENT KETTLE OF FISH.
THERE ARE THREE TIMES AS MANY PEOPLE AS
LIVE IN IRAQ, IT'S NOT CLEAR THAT WITH AN
AIRSTRIKE WE COULD TAKE OUT
WHATEVER INSIPIENT NUCLEAR EFFORTS THEY
HAVE DEPENDING ON WHERE THEY ARE
AND IT'S ALSO NOT CLEAR THAT IT WOULD BE THE MOST
EFFECTIVE STRATEGY FOR THIS REASON.
WHEN I WAS PRESIDENT IRAN HAD SIX ELECTIONS.
TWO FOR MAYORS, TWO FOR CONGRESS,
TWO FOR PRESIDENT. THEY WERE THE ONLY
COUNTRY IN THE ENTIRE WORLD THAT
SIX TIMES IN A ROW VOTED FOR THE MOST
PROGRESSIVE OUTWARD LOOKING CANDIDATE THEY
COULD VOTE FOR BY MARGINS OF 66-70%.
THE PROBLEM WITH IRAN IS IT'S THE ONLY
COUNTRY IN THE WORLD WITH TWO GOVERNMENTS.
AND UNDER THEIR CONSTITUTION THEIR RELIGIOUS
COUNCIL WHICH RESPRESENTS ONLY A THIRD OF THE
PEOPLE, CONTROLS THE FUNDS THAT GO
TO TERRRORISTS, FUNDS THAT GO TO INTELLIGENCE
THE FOREIGN POLICY FUNDS, AND HAS THE POWER
TO TAKE CANDIDATES OFF THE BALLOT
AND STRIKE LAWS FROM THE BOOKS.
OR STOP THEM FROM BEING ENACTED IN THE
FIRST PLACE. SO DEALING WITH THEM IS A
TOTAL HEADACHE BECAUSE YOU'RE DEALING WITH
TWO GOVERNMENTS AND THE GOVERNMENT WITH ALL
THE PEOPLE BEHIND IT THEY LIKE US
AND THEY WANT A FUTURE WITH US
AND THE OTHER GOVERNMENT WON'T LET THEM GET OVER
ALL THESE HUMPS WHICH MEANS THAT IT REQUIRES
GREAT CARE AND THE MOST ENCOURAGING THING
FOR YOU SHOULD BE, I CAN'T ANSWER YOUR QUESTION, WE CAN'T MAKE A DEAL WITH A
GOVERNMENT COMMITTED TO DESTROYING
ISRAEL BECAUSE WE HAVE TO TELL THEM
IF THEY TRY TO DO THAT WE'LL DESTROY THEM.
BUT THE MOST ENCOURAGING THING TO YOU
SHOULD BE AHMADINEJAD HAS NOW BEEN REBUKED
IN HIS EXTREMIST STATEMENTS BY A LOT
OF THE CONSERVATIVES. AND YOU SHOULD ALSO
KNOW THE VOTERS IN IRAN DID NOT VOTE FOR
HIM BECAUSE OF THIS. THAT IS NOT WHY HE WON.
HE WON BECAUSE THEY VOTED SIX TIMES
FOR THE PROGRESSIVES, AND THE CONSERVATIVE
BLOCK STOPPED THEM AT EVERY TURN SO
THAT THE AVERAGE VOTERS LIFE NEVER GOT BETTER.
AHMADINEJAD WAS A GOOD, HONEST, EFFECTIVE,
HARD WORKING, POPULOUS MAYOR OF IRAN.
THE VOTERS THINKING WENT SOMETHING LIKE THIS.
HEY THIS GUY'S REALLY RELIGIOUS
THEY'LL STAY OFF HIS BACK AND HE WAS A GOOD
MAYOR AND HE'S PROMISED TO GIVE ME MORE
OF THE OIL MONEY. I'LL PUT HIM IN THERE
MAYBE HE CAN MAKE OUR LIFE BETTER BECAUSE
THESE RELIGOUS PEOPLE WILL STAY OFF HIS BACK.
THAT'S WHY HE WON. HE DID NOT WIN BECAUSE
THEY WANT TO DESTROY ISRAEL. SO WHAT
WE HAVE TO KEEP IN MIND AND ALL OF OUR
DEALINGS WITH IRAN IS, NOT TO FORGET ABOUT
WHERE TWO-THIRDS OF THE PEOPLE ARE EVEN IF
THOSE TWO-THIRDS OF THE PEOPLE HAVE NOTHING
TO DO WITH FUNDING THE TERRORIST OPERATIONS
AND TRAINING AND A LOT OF THESE OTHER PROBLEMS
WE'VE GOT AND I STILL BELIEVE
BY THE WAY LET ME SAY SOMETHING ELSE I AGREE
WITH. I THINK THE BUSH ADMINISTRATION HAS ACTUALLY DONE
A BETTER JOB THAN MOST PEOPLE KNOW
IN IMPOSING THESE ECONOMIC SANCTIONS
IT IS NOT TRUE THAT ECONOMIC SANCTIONS
ARE ALWAYS INEFFECTIVE.
THEY'RE WORKING PRETTY WELL WITH IRAN
PARTLY BECAUSE FINALLY THE RUSSIANS,
THE CHINESE AND OTHERS DO NOT WANT
THE IRANEANS TO HAVE A NUCLEAR WEAPON
AND SET OFF AN ARMS RACE IN THE MIDDLE EAST.
SO THEY'RE ACTUALLY WORKING BETTER
THAN PEOPLE THINK. DON'T GIVE UP
ON THE FACT THAT THE POLITICAL SYSTEM
FEEL THE SQUEEZE FROM ECONOMIC
SANCTIONS, WE MAY NOT HAVE TO GO TO
WAR, WE MAY NOT HAVE A DISASTER
AND MY VIEW IS NO MATTER WHAT HE SAYS
YOU NEED TO TALK TO EVERBODY BEFORE YOU
BOMB THEM. IN OTHERWARDS
IF YOU'RE GOING OUT TO FIGHT WITH SOMEBODY
I DON'T CARE WHAT YOU DON'T HAVE IN
COMMON WITH THEM, YOU SHOULD TALK FIRST.
YOU SHOULD GET CAUGHT TRYING TO
AVOID THAT, THAT WAY IF IT HAPPENS
PEOPLE RESPECT YOU MORE.
(APPLAUSE)
OK WELL TAKE A QUESTION UP HERE AT NUMBER ONE.
SIR MY NAME IS MAJOR GREG PLAIT, I'M A KANSAS NATIONAL GUARDSMAN WITH SCIENTIFIC MANAGEMENT AND COLLEAGUE IN LEAVENWORTH
THANK YOU FOR TAKING THE TIME TO COME
OUT AND TALK TO US TODAY
YOUR LEAD IN IS PERFECT FOR MY QUESTION
DEALING WITH INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS AND
CHAOS AFFAIRS SIR, DURING 1995
IN THE LATE SPRING/EARLY SUMMER
WE MADE A COMMITTMENT TO SENT IN ENOUGH
U.S. MILITARY COMMITTMENT TO HELP END THE
BOSNIAN CRISIS. MY QUESTION IS
THREE-PART SIR: WHY THEN? WHY NOT EARLIER?
WHY NOT LATER? THE SECOND PART: IN MAKING THAT
DECISION, WHO INFLUENCED YOU MOST
WAS IT JACQUES CHIRAC, WAS IT TONY LAKE,
WAS IT RICHARD HOLBROOKE, OR WAS IT WARREN
CHRISTOPHER, OR SOMEBODY ELSE ENTIRELY?
AND FINALLY SIR, AND MOST IMPORTANT,
HOW MUCH DID NATO OPERATION PLAN 40-104 PLAY
A PART IN YOUR DECISION TO MAKE THAT FORMAL COMMITTMENT?
I'LL BREAK THAT DOWN INTO PLANE ENGLISH FOR YOU.
IN 1995, YOU MAY REMEMBER THIS, AFTER THE
SLAUGHTER OF SOME 7,000 INNOCENT CIVILIANS AT
SREBRENICA, WHICH WAS BASICALLY
HAPPENED AFTER THE BOSNIAN CIVIL WAR
HAD BEEN GOING ON FOR ABOUT THREE
YEARS. HAVING PRODUCED 250,000 DEATHS
AND 2.5 MILLION REFUGEES IN A COUNTRY WITH
ROUGHLY A FOURTH OR LESS THE POPULATION
OF IRAQ, WE FINALLY GOT THE SUPPPORT
FROM OUR NATO ALLIES TO GO IN
TO BOSNIA AND BEGIN BOMBING THEM
AND IT DIDN'T TAKE LONG BEFORE
ESSENTIALLY THEY FOLDED AND THEN WE
HAD A UN MANDATE TO GO IN WITH THE
RUSSIANS WORKING WITH US CAUSE THEY HAD
RELATIONSHIPS WITH THE SERBS. WE SENT A LOT
OF TROOPS IN AND A PEACE-KEEPING
FORCE AND WE NEVER LOST A SINGLE TROOP
THERE. NOT A SOLDIER IN THE PEACE-KEEPING.
WE DID HAVE ONE MAN KILLED BY ACCIDENT
WHEN HE SET OFF A LAND MINE.
BUT THERE WAS NO CONFLICT DEATH IN BOSNIA.
SO HOW DID I DECIDE TO DO IT?
AND WHY DIDN'T I DO IT BEFORE?
AND WHY DIDN'T I DO IT LATER? OK.
I WANTED TO GO INTO BOSNIA --THIS
IS VERY INTERESTING IN LIGHT OF IRAQ--
I WANTED TO GO INTO BOSNIA IN 1993
BUT I WAS DETERMINED THAT THE EUROPEANS
WOULD HAVE TO GO WITH US THROUGH NATO
BECAUSE I DID NOT THINK IT WAS PRACTICAL
FOR THE UNITED STATES TO OWN BOSNIA
BY DOING THIS ON OUR OWN.
AND I DIDN'T THINK IT WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR
THE EUROPEANS TO ALLOW A RELIGIOUS AND
POLITICAL WAR TO RAGE ON UNCONSTRAINED
IN SOUTHEAST EUROPE WHEN THEY WERE
BRAGGING ABOUT HOW DEMOCRATIC AND ADVANCED
AND HUMANE THEY ALL WERE.
AT THE END OF THE COLD WAR, THEY HAD
TO HELP THIS. I DIDN'T THINK THAT WE COULD
POSSIBLY GO IN AND DO THIS ALL
BY OURSELVES. SO I WORKED FOR TWO YEARS
UNTIL THE DIPLOMACY GOT RIGHT AND FRANKLY,
THOSE WHO WERE AGAINST US DOING IT,
IN EFFECT, THREATENING MILOSEVIC, THEY LOST
OUR LAST LEG TO STAND ON BECAUSE OF
SREBRENICA. WHEN 7,000 PEOPLE WERE
JUST SLAUGHTERED. COMPLETE INNOCENTS THERE,
BY THE BOSNIANS, SERBS AND THEIR ALLIES.
SO CIRCUMSTANCES MADE IT POSSIBLE
FOR ME TO GO. I DECIDED NOT TO
GO LATER BECAUSE I WAS IN A HURRY TO GET
THERE. NOW THAT QUESTION YOU ASKED
HAS SOME RELEVANCE FOR IRAQ. AND THE
DECISIONS THAT ALL OF US ARE TRYING TO
TELL THE PRESIDENT TO MAKE OR MAKE OURSELVES.
AND WHAT WE EXPECT OR DON'T EXPECT
FROM OUR OWN MILITARY AND FROM THE
IRAQIS. I THINK WE WERE FORTUNATE IN BOSNIA
BECAUSE WE FIRST OF ALL HAD MUCH GREATER
FORCE PROTECTION. WE HAD BIGGER PENETRATION
IN GROSS NUMBERS, AMERICA PLUS NATO,
AS A PERCENTAGE OF THE POPULATION THAT WE HAVE
IN IRAQ TODAY WHEN THE FIGHTING WAS ALREADY
LOWER. ONE OF THE THINGS THAT ENABLES
CIVIL CONFLICT TO GET OVER IS WHEN A CRITICAL
MASS OF PEOPLE WHO STILL HAVE GUNS DECIDE
THAT THEY HAVE MORE TO GAIN FROM POLITICS
THAN BULLETS. AND WHEN THESE THINGS ARE
FIRST UNDERWAY, AND YOU HAVE A LOT OF PEOPLE
WHO THINK THEY HAVE MORE TO GAIN
FROM BULLETS AND POLITICS, IT'S HARDER FOR
A MILITARY INTERVENTION TO BE EFFECTIVE
AT ANY NUMBERS BUT IT SHOWS YOU WHAT
A GREAT CHALLENGE OUR MEN AND WOMEN IN
UNIFORM HAVE FACED OVER THERE
COMPARED TO BOSNIA, RELATIVELY MODEST NUMBERS
GOING IN, IN TERMS OF THE CYCLE OF
THE CONFLICT AT AN EARLIER PERIOD.
I.E. AT THE BEGINNING BECAUSE THAT'S HOW
IT EXPLODED. SO I GOT THERE AS QUICK AS
I COULD. I WISH WE COULD HAVE GONE SOONER.
I THINK I DID THE RIGHT THING NOT TO
GO IN WITHOUT NATO SUPPORT. I THINK HAVING
NATO SUPPORT AND THEN IMMEDIATELY
AFTER U.N. SUPPORT AND RUSSIAN INVOLVEMENT
IS WHAT HAS MADE IT WORK AS IT DID
I FEEL THE SAME WAY ABOUT KOSOVO.
THAT'S THE FIRST ANSWER. SECOND ANSWER IS
WHO HAD MORE INFLUENCE ON ME THAN ANYBODY
ELSE? WHAT I KNEW OF MY OWN DIRECT
KNOWLEDGE OF THE SLAUGHTER OF THE INNOCENTS.
AND WHAT MILOSEVIC WAS DOING THROUGH
KARADZIC, MLADIC AND THE OTHER BOSNIAN SERBS
TO TRY TO STIR UP ALL THIS ETHNIC AND RELIGOUS
HATRED. IT WAS NOTHING BUT A POWER GRAB.
IN SARAJEVO PEOPLE LIVED TOGETHER--
THE BOSNIAN-SERBS, CROATIAN-CATHOLICS, AND THE
BOSNIAN MUSLIMS, THEY LIVED TOGETHER AS MORE
OR LESS AS FRIENDS FOR 500 YEARS.
IT WAS A POWER GRAB. AND I KNEW THAT AND I WENT
TO BED EVERY NIGHT FOR THREE YEARS FEELING
TERRIBLE THAT WE HADN'T STOPPED THE KILLING.
SO THAT HAD MORE INFLUENCE ON ME THAN ANY
OTHER POLITICAL LEADER. DID THE NATO PLAN HAVE
ANY INFLUENCE ON IT? IT DID IN A SENSE
THAT I KNEW WE HAD A FRAMEWORK AND A PLAN FOR
NATO ACTION, AND I FIGURED THAT IF WE JUST KEPT
PUSHING, SOONER OR LATER, THEY'D ALL DO IT.
BUT IN '93 WE GOT STIFFED TO DO WHAT WE WANTED
TO DO IN '95. BY THE TIME '95 ROLLED
AROUND AND YOU'D HAD SHELLS IN THE
SARAJEVO MARKET PLACE AND INNOCENTS DYING
BY THE THOUSANDS, THE OPPOSITION CRATERED AND WE
WENT IN AND YOU SEE THE RESULTS.
THAT'S A HECK A HECK OF A GOOD QUESTION.
(APPLAUSE)
THANK YOU FOR COMING MR. PRESIDENT. IN REFERENCE
TO CITIZEN ACTION IN THE LOCAL, NATIONAL,
AND GLOBAL COMMUNITY, COULD YOU SHARE
YOUR THOUGHTS ON SERVICE PROGRAMS SUCH AS
AMERICORPS, PEACE CORPS, OR TEACH FOR AMERICA?
FIRST OF ALL, I LOVE THEM ALL AND I STRONGLY
SUPPORT TEACH FOR AMERICA. WE BEGAN TO
EXPAND THE PEACE CORPS AGAIN WHEN I WAS
PRESIDENT AND WE ESTABLISHED AMERICORPS
WHICH NOW HAS HAD ABOUT 500 THOUSAND YOUNG
PEOPLE SERVE IN THEIR COMMUNITIES FOR A YEAR
OR TWO, EARN SOME MONEY TO GO TO COLLEGE
AND DO A WIDE VARIETY OF THINGS FOR PEOPLE
WITH ALL AGES. EVERYTHING FROM TUTORING PROGRAMS,
SENIOR PROGRAMS TO DEALING WITH NATURAL
DISASTERS. WE HAVE THE BIGGEST AMERICORPS PROGRAM
IS SOMETHING CALLED CITY WHICH IS IN
13 CITIES IN AMERICA AND IN SOUTH AFRICA
AND SINCE I LEFT OFFICE I'VE HELPED START THREE
OF THOSE PROGRAMS. ONE IN NEW ORLEANS,
ONE IN LITTLE ROCK, AND ONE IN JOHANNESBURG.
SO I STILL KEEP IN TOUCH WITH AMERICORPS.
IT'S ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I DID AS PRESIDENT
THAT I AM MOST PROUD OF. I BELIEVE FOR A YOUNG
PERSON THAT CAN DO SO, TO SPEND A YEAR
DOING SOMETHING LIKE THAT, IT NORMALLY CHANGES
THE YOUNG MAN OR WOMAN'S LIFE FOR THE BETTER
AND IT GIVES THEM AN EXPOSURE TO WHOLE DIFFERENT
SET OF LIFE CHALLENGES IN THE SENSE THAT A LOT
OF THESE PROBLEMS CAN BE SOLVES, THAT THEY
MIGHT NOT HAVE OTHERWISE HAD. IT MAKES OUR
COUNTRY A BETTER PLACE. I WISH AMERICORPS WAS
TWO OR THREE TIMES AS BIG AS IT IS.
(APPLAUSE)
MR. PRESIDENT THANK YOU FOR COMING TO MANHATTAN
MY NAME IS KAREN TRUT AND I'M A SPECIAL
ED. TEACHER AT FT. RILEY MIDDLE SCHOOL
WHO IS DEALING WITH THE STRESS OF A.Y.P. RIGHT NOW
BECAUSE WE START STATE ASSESSMENT NEXT WEEK
WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THE CURRENT POLICY
OF NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND AND HIGH STATES TESTING
ESPECIALLY FOR THE STUDENTS WITH SPECIAL NEEDS.
FIRST OF ALL SPECIAL NEEDS KIDS
THERE NEEDS TO BE A SIMPLE SYSTEM FOR
NOT COUNTING THEM IN THE AVERAGES
AND DEALING WITH THEM AS THEY ARE. (APPLAUSE)
IF THAT DOESN'T EXIST I'M SURPRISED
I THOUGHT THAT'S THE WAY IT WORKED.
BUT AS I SO OFTEN DO I HAVE A POSITION
THAT PLEASES NOBODY ON THIS ISSUE.
BUT I THINK IT'S THE RIGHT ONE SO I'D LIKE
TO TELL YOU I'M NOT AGAINST TESTING
AND ACCOUNTIBILITY. BUT HERE'S MY PROBLEM
WITH NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND AS COMPARED
TO WHAT I TRIED TO DO BUT COULDN'T PASS
THROUGH THE CONGRESS. I THINK NO CHILD
BEHIND, THERE ARE TOO MANY TESTS
AND I THINK THAT THEY ARE (APPLAUSE)
AND THE FOCUS, THE REMEDY, CUTTING BACK ON
THE FEDERAL MONEY WHEN I THINK THE REMEDY
SHOULD BE IDENTIFYING NEW LEADERSHIP,
NEW PRACTICES ON THE SCHOOL BASIS
AND I THINK THAT THE TESTS, THEY INVITE THE WORST
OF ALL WORLDS, THEY INVITE THE TEACHERS
TO TEACH THE TESTS, TO WORRY SICK, TO
SPEND ALL THEIR TIME DOING IT AND THEN
THE STATE GETS TO DECIDE WHAT'S A GOOD
SCORE OR NOT, OR EVEN IN SOME CASES
WHAT TESTS TO TAKE SO IT MIGHT NOT MEAN
ANYTHING WHEN ALL'S SAID AND DONE
YOU SPENT ALL YOUR TIME SPINNING YOUR
WHEELS. WHAT I PROPOSE WHEN I WAS
PRESIDENT IS WE WOULD USE A TOTALLY NON-POLITICAL
GROUP LIKE NATIONAL ASSESSMENT OF EDUCATION
PROGRESS OR A GROUP CALLED NAGBE THAT'S
TOTALLY NON POLITICAL AND HAS
REPUBLICAN AND DEMOCRATIC GOVERNORS ON IT,
SETS ECONOMIC STANDARDS AND GIVE A TEST
LETS SAY AT THE FOURTH, EIGHTH,
AND ELEVENTH GRADE ONLY, AND THEN HAVE
IT MEAN SOMETHING. IF YOU CAN GET ENOUGH
INFORMATION IN INDIVIDUAL STUDENTS
USE THAT TO GET THE STUDENTS PERFORMANCE
UP AND IF SCHOOLS ARE DOING WORSE AS
SCHOOLS AS THEY SHOULD USE THAT TO GET
BETTER TRAINING PROGRAMS, BETTER PRINCIPLES,
AND BETTER PERFORMANCE. WE'VE GOT ALL
THESE PEOPLE FROM THE MILITARY HERE
LET ME JUST TELL YOU WHAT MY GREAT
FRUSTRATION ABOUT PUBLIC EDUCATION IS. I SPENT TWELVE
YEARS AS A GOVERNOR BEFORE I WAS
PRESIDENT FOR EIGHT YEARS. IN THOSE
TWELVE YEARS I WAS PRESIDENT OF THE
SOUTHERN REGIONAL EDUCATION BOARD,
THE EDUCATION COMMISSION OF THE STATES,
THE NATIONAL GOVERNORS ASSOCIATION, AND I'D BE
VERY SURPRISED IF ANY GOVERNOR SPENT
AS MUCH TIME IN CLASSROOMS AS I SPENT.
AND I SPENT QUITE A BIT OF TIME AS PRESIDENT
AND THE THING THAT DRIVES ME NUTS
ABOUT EDUCATION IS COMPARED TO ALL OTHER
PROBLEMS THAT I CAN THINK ABOUT IS
EVERY SINGLE CHALLENGE IN AMERICAN EDUCATION
HAS BEEN MET BY SOMEBODY SOMEWHERE.
AND THAT MAKES IT WORSE. LESS THAN A
MILE FROM MY OFFICE IN HARLEM THERE IS
FREDERICK DOUGLAS ACADEMY, A PUBLIC
HIGH SCHOOL. IT'S A HIGH SCHOOL OF CHOICE
YOU HAVE TO CHOOSE TO GO THERE BUT THERE'S
NO ACADEMIC SCREENING, THERE'S NO
INCOME SCREENING, THERE'S NO NOTHING. YOU JUST
GOT TO AGREE TO FOLLOW THE RULES, RIGHT?
IN THE FREDERICK DOUGLAS HIGHSCHOOL
IN HARLEM, WHICH IS ALMOST 100% MINORITY,
HISPANIC AND AFRICAN-AMERICAN, STUDENTS HAVE
VIRTUALLY NO DROPOUT RATE, OVER 90%
OF THEM GO ONTO COLLEGE, OVER 90% OF THEM
GRADUATE FROM COLLEGE ON-TIME, THEY TAKE
THE NEW YORK REGENTS EXAM, A HARD
EXAM THAT ELEVENTH GRADERS HAVE TO TAKE
THEIR TEST SCORES ARE ABOVE, NOT THE
NEW YORK CITY AVERAGE, THE NEW
YORK STATE AVERAGE. NOW THAT'S GREAT AND
EVERYONE SAYS, OH ISN'T THAT WONDERFUL.
BUT MY QUESTION IS THIS: HOW COME WITHIN TWO
MILES THERE ARE THREE OTHER HIGH SCHOOLS
THAT ARE STILL IN THE TANK
ON THE TEST SCORES AND THE PERFORMANCE
AND THE DROP OUT RATE IS HIGHER AND THE KIDS
DON'T GO ONTO COLLEGE AND WHEN THEY DO
THEY DON'T OFTEN STAY AND SUCCEED.
WHY IS IT THAT WE HAVE ALL THESE SUCCESS
STORIES AND WE CANNOT REPLICATE SUCCESS?
IF THE MILITARY WORKED THAT WAY
WE COULD NEVER SEND A UNIT INTO THE FIELD.
THE WHOLE PREMISE OF WHAT THESE PEOPLE DO
IS THAT LEADERSHIP CAN BE TAUGHT
PROCEDURES CAN BE IMPLEMENTED, AND
EXCELLENCE CAN BE REPLICATED OVER AND OVER AND OVER.
(APPLAUSE) THAT'S THE WHOLE PREMISE OF IT.
ARE SOME GENERALS ALWAYS GOING TO BE
BETTER THAN OTHERS? YES. ARE SOME COMPANY
COMMANDERS ALWAYS GOING TO BE BETTER
THAN OTHERS? YES. WILL SOME PEOPLE SHOOT
BETTER THAN OTHERS? YES. WELL SOME PEOPLE FIGHT BETTER
AT CLOSE QUARTERS THAN OTHERS? YES.
BUT, THE IDEA THAT WE CAN REPLICATE
EXCELLENCE TO A VERY HIGH LEVEL SO THAT
WE CAN HAVE PREDICTABLE PERFORMANCE
IS WHAT IS AT THE HEART, GOT ALL THESE
PEOPLE SITTING UP HERE, WHAT THEY DO,
THE REPLICATION OF EXCELLENCE.
THAT'S THE PROBLEM IN PUBLIC EDUCATION
I DON'T HAVE ANY PROBLEM WITH TESTING
ANY PROBLEM WITH ACCOUNTABILITY
I DO NOT BELIEVE THE CURRENT LEAVE NO
CHILD BEHIND SYSTEM REPLICATES EXCELLENCE
THAT'S WHAT WE NEED TO DO.
(APPLAUSE)
WELCOME TO KANSAS MR. PRESIDENT
ARE WE ON THE BRINK OF ARMAGEDDON WITH
SO MANY NATIONS FOCUSED ON NUCLEAR
ARMAMENT WITHOUT CONCERN FOR THE
WELFARE OF THEIR CITIZENS AND WITH A
LACK OF, WELL THERE'S THIS WIDESPREAD
CIVIL UNREST ACROSS THIS COUNTRY
WHAT WOULD YOU DO IF YOU WERE IN THE
OVAL OFFICE TO SUBDUE THE CIVIL UNREST
SO WIDESPREAD? WELL FIRST OF ALL I TRY
TO AVOID THE BUILD UP OF NUCLEAR WEAPONS
I THINK THAT IT'S VERY IMPORTANT
THAT WE GET BACK INTO THE NUCLEAR
NON-PROLIFERATION BUSINESS. NOW THERE'S A
BIG DEBATE WITHIN PRESIDENT BUSH'S
ADMINISTRATION ABOUT WHETHER IN EFFECT
THE GENIE IS OUT OF THE BOTTLE.
AND THEREFORE THE ONLY THING THAT MAKES SENSE
IS TO SET UP THESE MISSILE DEFENSE
SYSTEMS. THE ONE THAT GETS ALL THE PRESS
IS WITH THE TOWERS AND CENSORS IN ALASKA
BUT THERE ALSO THEATER MISSILE DEFENSE
SYSTEMS DESIGNED TO SHOOT MISSILES DOWN
AT AN EARLIER POINT BEFORE THEY CAN GET GOING
AND WE'VE TESTED THEM WITH SOME SUCCESS.
BUT UNTIL THE LAST FEW YEARS OUR WHOLE
GOAL WAS TO TRY TO REDUCE THE
STOCKPILES OF NUCLEAR AND CHEMICAL AND
BIOLOGICAL MATERIALS AND NUCLEAR WEAPONS.
AND SINCE IT IS ALSO POSSIBLE TO
MAKE A SO-CALLED DIRTY BOMB, YOU GET
ENOUGH MATERIAL YOU CAN PUT IT IN THE
BOMB. TIMOTHY MCVEIGH USED FOR EXAMPLE
TO BLOW UP THE MURRAH BUILDING
AND EXPONENTIALLY INCREASE IT'S POWER.
SO THE FIRST THING I WOULD SAY TO YOU IS
THERE WILL ALWAYS BE PEOPLE IN
THE WORLD WHO WANT TO DO BAD THINGS TO OTHER
PEOPLE, AND WHAT WE NEED TO DO IS TO
AT LEAST CONSTRAIN THE CHOICES THEY
HAVE FOR INFLICTING HARM AND DEATH.
SO I'D LIKE TO SEE US GET BACK IN THAT BUSINESS.
I BELIEVE THAT WE HAVE TO DO MUCH
MORE TO TRY TO FIND OUT IN ADVANCE,
KIND OF IN A LAW ENFORCEMENT WAY BUT ALSO
IN AN AFFIRMATIVE, WHAT THE SOURCES
OF CIVIL DISCORD ARE IN PLACES WITH HIGHLY
DIVERSE POPULATIONS, TO TRY TO HEAD THEM OFF.
THE BRITISH FOR EXAMPLE, HAVE STARTED
AFTER THE LONDON HOMEGROWN TERRORISTS ACTIONS,
THEY HAVE STARTED TRYING TO DO A BETTER
JOB OF LAW ENFORCEMENT THAT IS FINGERING
PEOPLE THAT ARE GOING TO DO SOMETHING LIKE
THIS AND CUTTING THEM OFF IN A LAW
ENFORCEMENT WAY. ALSO BREAKING THE PSYCHOLOGY
THAT PRODUCES SUCH THINKING EARLY ON IN
THE SCHOOLS, THE NEIGHBORHOODS,
ON THE STREETS. THEY ARE REALLY TRYING TO
FIGURE OUT HOW IT WAS POSSIBLE FOR
THESE PEOPLE TO GROW UP AROUND ALL THEIR
NEIGHBORS, GO TO WORK WITH ALL THEIR FRIENDS,
GO TO SCHOOL WITH ALL THEIR FRIENDS,
AND HAVE ALL THE PEOPLE THAT WEREN'T
IN THEIR RELIGIOUS AND SOCIAL GROUPS CLUELESS
ABOUT WHO THEY REALLY WERE. I DON'T
THINK THERE ARE ANY EASY ANSWERS HERE.
I WILL SAY THIS AND I FEEL THIS WAY OVER
CONTROVERSIES THE UNITED STATES HAS GENERATED
OVER OUR TREATMENT OF NON-COMBATANTS
WHENEVER THERE IS AN EXESSENTIAL THREAT
TO THE SECURITY OF ANY GROUP, IT BECOMES
LEGITIMATE IN PEOPLE'S EYES TO DO THINGS
THAT DIDN'T USED TO BE LEGITIMATE TO DO.
I'LL GIVE YOU AN EASY ANSWER. WE STARTED
HAVING ALL THESE AIRLINE HIJACKINGS
30 YEARS AGO, ALL OF A SUDDEN
I WAS IN A FIRST GENERATION TO WALK THROUGH
AIRPORT METAL DETECTORS AND A LOT OF PEOPLE
RAISED HOLY YOU KNOW WHAT ABOUT IT
IT WAS UNCOMFORTABLE AND I USED TO WEAR
A LOT OF COWBOY BUCKLES, I MEAN,
I'D HAVE TO GO THROUGH THOSE METAL DETECTORS
ONE OF THEM I WENT THROUGH 5 TIMES
I JUST KEPT ON TAKING THINGS OFF
FINALLY I DIDN'T WANT TO BE ARRESTED FOR
INDECENT EXPOSURE SO I COULD GET THROUGH
THE AIRPORT METAL DETECTOR.
BUT YOU KNOW WHAT, EVERYBODY LIKED
IT BECAUSE THE CHANCES OF SURVIVING SOMETHING
GOING OFF IN AN AIRPLANE WERE QUITE SMALL.
SO WE WERE ONLY TOO HAPPY TO GIVE UP
A LITTLE MEASURE OF OUR FREEDOM TO ENSURE
OUR SECURITY IN THE AIR. NOW EVERY ONE
OF THESE THINGS, EVERY PROVISION OF THE
PATRIOT ACT, YOU NEED TO BE ASKING THAT.
WE NEED TO DO THINGS THAT WILL
MAKE US MORE SECURE. BUT WE DON'T WANT
TO DO THINGS THAT WILL FUNDAMENTALLY COMPROMISE
THE CHARACTER OF OUR COUNTRY OR
THE FUTURE OF OUR CHILDREN. (APPLAUSE)
IT DID NOT COMPROMISE MY DAUGHTER'S AND HER
GENERATIONS' FUNDAMENTAL FREEDOM
FOR US TO HAVE TO BE CLEAN BEFORE
WE GET ON AN AIRPLANE. AND JUST THINK
IT WORKED FOR 20 YEARS. IT TOOK 20 PLUS
YEARS BEFORE SOMEBODY CAME UP WITH
THIS IDEA OF MAKING A BOMB OF SOMETHING
THAT LOOKED LIKE BABY FORMULA.
SO YOU SHOULD ALL THANK YOUR LUCKY
STARS FOR AIRPORT METAL DETECTORS, RIGHT?
BUT WHEN SOMEBODY ELSE COMES UP WITH
SOME OTHER VERSION ON WHAT IS
OTHERWISE OUR LIBERTY, YOU HAVE TO ASK YOURSELF
EVERYTIME, WILL THIS SAVE LIVES?
AND WHAT IS THE PRICE OF IT? WILL
IT IN ANY WAY COMPROMISE THE FUNDAMENTAL CHARACTER
OF OUR COUNTRY OR THE FUTURE OF OUR CHILDREN?
THERE IS NO SIMPLE ANSWER HERE.
THAT'S WHAT I TRIED TO SAY IN MY BIGGER
LECTURE, SOMETIMES THE BEST YOU CAN HOPE FOR
IN A NEW WORLD IS TO ASK THE
RIGHT QUESTIONS. IF YOU KEEP ASKING THE
RIGHT QUESTIONS EVENTUALLY YOU GET TO
THE RIGHT ANSWERS. THANK YOU.
(APPLAUSE)
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR COMING.
THANK YOU BILL CLINTON. AND THANKS
TO ALL OF OUR SOLDIERS.
FROM FORT LEVENWORTH AND FORT RILEY.
GOD BLESS YOU ALL. THANK YOU FOR COMING.
(APPLAUSE)