Question: How has Secretary Clinton performed so far?
Leslie Gelb: She's going around the world, I think, saying, by and large, good things to leaders and to people around the world, like President Obama, to try to dispel this anti-Americanism that built up over the last eight to ten years, the sense that America didn't know how to be a leader, thought of itself solely as a dictator. So anti-Americanism reached terrible proportions. And they're doing it by acknowledging that the United States, we can't bear to admit this, actually made mistakes, didn't understand them, didn't spend much time trying to understand them. So, I think, they're taking the right first step. I know they've been accused of abandoning American power because they admitted past mistakes and they shook hands with people we disagree with. But they haven't given away a thing yet, and they are getting the publics around the world on our side, which as I said, is good foreplay for the real things that will come later, I hope.
Recorded on 5/1/09.
Discuss
Vicki Nikolaidis on June 15, 2009, 8:56 AM
I agree that by admitting to the mistakes of the past decade is good for the USA’s standing in the world. Ms. Clinton is telling the truth and her honesty shows a respect for her audience.
I was hopeful, too for the future until the drone attacks continued in the area which the West describes as the Pakistan/Afghanisan border. More innocent people dead, more refugees formed. This type of cowardly attack is looked on with great apprehension by the rest of theworld.
Add to that the U.S. training troops in Georgia to bait Russia, the confused policies in Iraq and Afghanistan and the rush of refugees entering countries due to U.S. foreign policy is damaging her credibility.
I think Vice-President Biden is to be commended for his stand on Israel and the occupation of Palestine and other matters. I think we should keep an eye on Biden. He’s smart and he’s showing a mature understanding of foreign policy.
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