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I am often asked if, when I was secretary, I had problems with foreign men. That is not who I had problems with, because I arrived in a very large plane that said United States of America. I had more problems with the men in our own government.
I wasn’t a normal professor. I had worked in government. I hadn’t written nine zillion books. I was a hands-on professor.
While democracy in the long run is the most stable form of government, in the short run, it is among the most fragile.
If we have to use force, it is because we are America. We are the indispensable nation. We stand tall. We see further into the future.
No matter what message you are about to deliver somewhere, whether it is holding out a hand of friendship, or making clear that you disapprove of something, is the fact that the person sitting across the table is a human being, so the goal is to always establish common ground.
We will not be intimidated or pushed off the world stage by people who do not like what we stand for, and that is, freedom, democracy and the fight against disease, poverty and terrorism.
Really, I have to laugh because there was a whole set of stories that made me sound like the Dragon Lady, you know, ‘tough this and tough that.’ Then there is this business about ‘gooey.’ The bottom line is I am a pragmatic idealist.
The best book, like the best speech, will do it all – make us laugh, think, cry and cheer – preferably in that order.
As strong as the United States is, we can’t deal with terrorism alone.