Great speech on line at
http://clients.world-television.com/worldeconomicforum_annualmeeting2005/_S13924.asp#
It is about an hour long... The excerpt below only gives you a general view of the event.
He talks about Iran and the nuclear problems in a way that is refreshing. He talks about the middle east and the history of how the US has gotten were it is today.
He is at his best and more honest than I have ever seen.
This is a short entry but it is a great interview with Charlie Rose at Davos at the world economic forum.
"William J. Clinton, Founder, William Jefferson Clinton Foundation; President of the United States (1993-2001) called on participants to embrace" a vision of the 21st century world that shares prosperity and benefits."
This vision, Clinton said, is of the world as "a place of sharing". Interviewed by Charlie Rose, Anchor, Executive Producer and Executive Editor, The Charlie Rose Show, USA, Clinton told political, business and civil society leaders: "We share responsibilities and we share prosperity and benefits. We share a sense of community that stretches across religious and ethnic lines."
Although it is necessary to fight for freedom and against terror, Clinton added, it is not possible to defeat everyone who might want to harm the US. "Of course, we can never defeat all our actual and potential enemies in a world that is as open and porous as our world has to be," he said. Clinton explained that is the reason he finds global partnership essential. He talked briefly about his foundation which is providing generic drugs for 100,000 HIV/AIDS victims in Africa, India, China and the Caribbean. He said there are plans to extend the aid to western Russia.
He cautioned against becoming overly obsessed over the likelihood that Iran might develop its own nuclear bomb. Asked if the US should now send more forces to Iraq, Clinton said he is not sure that Washington has enough troops to do that.
On the Middle East, Clinton said it is important for the US to become involved in the peace process again. "Whenever we get involved, fewer people die," he said. Clinton added that there are many more Palestinians now than there were when he tried to find a solution, and the Palestinians are both younger and poorer. The more the process is delayed, the more intractable it is likely to become.
Clinton added that the world today is highly interdependent, "which produces things like 9/11 and the violence between the Israelis and Palestinians. Interdependence means they can’t escape each other. But interdependence also means that 30% of American households will send money to tsunami victims a half a world away…That is the beginning of the democratization of international assistance."
Asked about his future political plans, Clinton joked that he has now limited his political activity to getting the junior senator from New York re-elected. He told participants that he plans to work through his foundation towards creating an integrated global community."
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