ASPEN, Colo.—America must restore its leadership in the world and get back into cooperation and diplomacy, former President Bill Clinton said Saturday at the Aspen Ideas Festival.
Clinton was scheduled to talk about his public service work, but the founder of the William J. Clinton Foundation, Clinton Global Initiative and Clinton Climate Initiative also addressed foreign policy, inequality, the environment and the 2008 presidential election.
He spoke of an “an explosion of activity” from non-governmental organizations around the world amid growing needs, growth in the number of rich people and the growth of the Internet to make donations. The U.S. has more than one million registered NGOs, he said. “So there’s a big tidal wave where the capacity is meeting the need,” he said, adding that it’s encouraging that more young people are willing to get involved than ever.
While the 21st century will likely see far fewer deaths from wars and political conflict than in the 20th century, he said, the London bombings and terrorism in general have shown that the targets have shifted from poor civilians.
“The difference is this time one of the victims might be us,” he said.
Terrorism highlights the problem of identity, Clinton said. The suspects in the Britain bombing plot did not feel like they belonged in the world they were in, he said.
An appropriate foreign policy to address those issues, he said, includes a security policy and a policy “to make more partners and fewer terrorists.”
The world’s poor and disenfranchised are “just as good as we are and need to be given a chance to feel that life has more meaning,” Clinton said.
In addressing the world’s hot spots, he said the U.S. has “no choice but to withdraw a substantial amount of our military forces this year” from Iraq, largely because there aren’t enough soldiers to fight more ground battles.
He expressed faith in Americans supporting more foreign aid, now less than 1 percent of the budget. “The public is already there. All you’ve got to do is tell them the truth,” Clinton said.
He addressed the 2008 presidential election briefly and said he hopes his wife wins.
As for what he should be called if Hillary Clinton were elected president? “My Scottish friends suggested First Laddy,” he quipped.
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Information from: Aspen Daily News,
