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> [This is too long to forward, but the audience and topic
are too rich
> to pass over. The full text is at > <http://www.pub.whitehouse.gov/uri-res/I2R?urn:pdi://oma.eop.gov.us/19 > 99/11/5/3.text.1>.] > > THE WHITE HOUSE > > Office of the Press Secretary > (Hartford, Connecticut) > ________________________________________________________________________ > For Immediate Release November 4, 1999 > > As Prepared for Delivery > > SAMUEL R. BERGER > NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISOR > REMARKS TO THE BILDERBERG STEERING COMMITTEE > > November 4, 1999 > > Strengthening the Bipartisan Center: > An Internationalist Agenda for America > > Two weeks ago, I gave a speech in New York at the Council on Foreign > Relations about the unique and paradoxical position in which America > finds itself today. Some of you may have read a few articles about it > in the op-ed pages. Come to think of it, some of you may have written a > few of those articles! > > In the speech, I pointed out that we are at the height of our power and > prosperity. We face no single, overriding threat to our existence. The > ideals of democracy and free markets which we embrace are ascendant > through much of the world. After 50 years of building alliances for > collective defense, common prosperity, and wider freedom, we now have an > unparalleled opportunity to shape, with others, a better, safer, more > democratic world. > > Most Americans are ready to seize that opportunity, though we sometimes > differ about how. Yet there are also some who question whether we need > to seize it at all. They believe America can and should go it alone -- > either by withdrawing from the world and relying primarily on our > military strength to protect us from its dangers . . . or by imposing > our will on the world, even if it means alienating our closest allies. > There are elements of isolationism in that view; for whatever its > intent, its effect is to isolate America from its friends and to define > America's interests in the narrowest of terms. There are clearly > elements of unilateralism in it as well. > > I made these arguments in my speech to stimulate a discussion about > America's appropriate role in the world. It appears that I've > succeeded. This is a discussion Americans need to be having -- before > decisions are made that do real harm to our capacity to lead. And I'm > pleased to have the opportunity to move that dialogue forward this > evening with you. |
