Governor George W Bush A Distinctly American Internationalism.docx
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Governor George W Bush A Distinctly American Internationalism.docx
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GovernorGeorgeWBushADistinctlyAmericanInternationalism
GovernorGeorgeW.Bush,"ADistinctlyAmericanInternationalism,"RonaldReaganPresidentialLibrary,SimiValley,California,November19,1999
ItisanhonortobewithyouattheReaganLibrary.ThankyouSecretaryShultzforyourdecadesofservicetoAmerica–andforyourkindnessandcounseloverthelastseveralmonths.AndthankyouMrs.Reaganforthisinvitation–andforyourexampleofloyaltyandloveandcourage.
MywifeLaurasaysthatbehindeverygreatmanthereisasurprisedwoman.But,Mrs.Reagan,youwereneversurprisedbythegreatnessofyourhusband.Youbelieveditfromthestart.Andnowtherestoftheworldseeshimasyoualwayshave–asaherointheAmericanstory.Astoryinwhichasingleindividualcanshapehistory.Astoryinwhichevilisreal,butcourageanddecencytriumph.
WeliveinthenationPresidentReaganrestored,andtheworldhehelpedtosave.Aworldofnationsreunitedandtyrantshumbled.Aworldofprisonersreleasedandexilescomehome.Andtodaythereisaprayersharedbyfreepeopleeverywhere:
Godblessyou,RonaldReagan.
Twomonthsago,attheCitadelinSouthCarolina,ItalkedaboutAmericandefense.Thismustbethefirstfocusofapresident,becauseitishisfirstdutytotheConstitution.Eveninthistimeofprideandpromise,Americahasdeterminedenemies,whohateourvaluesandresentoursuccess–terroristsandcrimesyndicatesanddrugcartelsandunbalanceddictators.TheEmpirehaspassed,butevilremains.
Wemustprotectourhomelandandouralliesagainstmissilesandterrorandblackmail.
Wemustrestorethemoraleofourmilitary–squanderedbyshrinkingresourcesandmultiplyingmissions–withbettertraining,bettertreatmentandbetterpay.
Andwemustmasterthenewtechnologyofwar–toextendourpeacefulinfluence,notjustacrosstheworld,butacrosstheyears.
Inthedefenseofournation,apresidentmustbeaclear-eyedrealist.Therearelimitstothesmilesandscowlsofdiplomacy.Armiesandmissilesarenotstoppedbystiffnotesofcondemnation.Theyareheldincheckbystrengthandpurposeandthepromiseofswiftpunishment.
Butthereismoretosay,becausemilitarypowerisnotthefinalmeasureofmight.Ourrealismmustmakeaplaceforthehumanspirit.
Thisspirit,inourtime,hascauseddictatorstofearandempirestofall.Andithasleftanhonorrollofcourageandidealism:
Scharansky,Havel,Walesa,Mandela.Themostpowerfulforceintheworldisnotaweaponoranationbutatruth:
thatwearespiritualbeings,andthatfreedomis"thesoul’srighttobreathe."
Inthedarkdaysof1941–thelowpointofourmodernepic–therewereaboutadozendemocraciesleftontheplanet.Enteringanewcentury,therearenearly120.Thereisadirectioninevents,acurrentinourtimes."Dependonit,"saidEdmundBurke."Theloversoffreedomwillbefree."
Americacherishesthatfreedom,butwedonotownit.Wevaluetheelegantstructuresofourowndemocracy–butrealizethat,inothersocieties,thearchitecturewillvary.Weproposeourprinciples,wemustnotimposeourculture.
Yetthebasicprinciplesofhumanfreedomanddignityareuniversal.Peopleshouldbeabletosaywhattheythink.Worshipastheywish.Electthosewhogovernthem.Theseidealshaveproventheirpoweroneverycontinent.Informercolonies--andthenationsthatruledthem.AmongthealliesofWorldWarII–andthecountriestheyvanquished.Andtheseidealsareequallyvalidnorthofthe38thparallel.TheyarejustastrueinthePearlRiverDelta.Theyremaintrue90milesfromourshores,onanislandprison,ruledbyarevolutionaryrelic.
SomehavetriedtoposeachoicebetweenAmericanidealsandAmericaninterests—betweenwhoweareandhowweact.Butthechoiceisfalse.America,bydecisionanddestiny,promotespoliticalfreedom–andgainsthemostwhendemocracyadvances.Americabelievesinfreemarketsandfreetrade–andbenefitsmostwhenmarketsareopened.Americaisapeacefulpower–andgainsthegreatestdividendfromdemocraticstability.Preciselybecausewehavenoterritorialobjectives,ourgainsarenotmeasuredinthelossesofothers.Theyarecountedintheconflictsweavert,theprosperityweshareandthepeaceweextend.
Sometimesthisbalancetakestimetoachieve–andrequiresustodealwithnationsthatdonotshareourvalues.Sometimesthedefendersoffreedommustshowpatienceaswellasresolution.Butthatpatiencecomesofconfidence,notcompromise.Webelieve,withAlexanderHamilton,thatthe"spiritofcommerce"hasatendencyto"softenthemannersofmen."Webelieve,withGeorgeWashington,that"Liberty,whenitbeginstotakeroot,isaplantofrapidgrowth."Andwefirmlybelieveournationisontherightsideofhistory–thesideofman’sdignityandGod’sjustice.
Fewnationshavebeengiventheadvantagesandopportunitiesofourown.Fewhavebeenmorepowerfulasacountry,ormoresuccessfulasacause.Buttherearerisks,evenforthepowerful."Ihavemanyreasonstobeoptimistic,"saidPericlesinthegoldenageofAthens."Indeed,Iammoreafraidofourownblundersthanoftheenemy’sdevices."
America’sfirsttemptationiswithdrawal–tobuildaproudtowerofprotectionismandisolation.
InaworldthatdependsonAmericatoreconcileoldrivalsandbalanceancientambitions,thisistheshortcuttochaos.Itisanapproachthatabandonsourallies,andourideals.ThevacuumleftbyAmerica’sretreatwouldinvitechallengestoourpower.Andtheresult,inthelongrun,wouldbeastagnantAmericaandasavageworld.
Americanforeignpolicycannotbefoundedonfear.FearthatAmericanworkerscan’tcompete.FearthatAmericawillcorrupttheworld–orbecorruptedbyit.ThisfearhasnoplaceinthepartyofReagan,orinthepartyofTruman.Intimesofperil,ournationdidnotshrinkfromleadership.Atthismomentofopportunity,IhavenointentionofbetrayingAmericaninterests,AmericanobligationsandAmericanhonor.
America’ssecondtemptationisdrift–forournationtomovefromcrisistocrisislikeacorkinacurrent.
Unlessapresidentsetshisownpriorities,hisprioritieswillbesetbyothers–byadversaries,orthecrisisofthemoment,liveonCNN.Americanpolicycanbecomerandomandreactive–untetheredtotheinterestsofourcountry.
Americamustbeinvolvedintheworld.Butthatdoesnotmeanourmilitaryistheanswertoeverydifficultforeignpolicysituation–asubstituteforstrategy.Americaninternationalismshouldnotmeanactionwithoutvision,activitywithoutpriority,andmissionswithoutend–anapproachthatsquandersAmericanwillanddrainsAmericanenergy.
Americanforeignpolicymustbemorethanthemanagementofcrisis.Itmusthaveagreatandguidinggoal:
toturnthistimeofAmericaninfluenceintogenerationsofdemocraticpeace.
Thisisaccomplishedbyconcentratingonenduringnationalinterests.Andthesearemypriorities.AnAmericanpresidentshouldworkwithourstrongdemocraticalliesinEuropeandAsiatoextendthepeace.HeshouldpromoteafullydemocraticWesternHemisphere,boundtogetherbyfreetrade.HeshoulddefendAmerica’sinterestsinthePersianGulfandadvancepeaceintheMiddleEast,baseduponasecureIsrael.Hemustcheckthecontagiousspreadofweaponsofmassdestruction,andthemeanstodeliverthem.Hemustleadtowardaworldthattradesinfreedom.Andhemustpursueallthesegoalswithfocus,patienceandstrength.
Iwilladdresstheseresponsibilitiesasthiscampaigncontinues.Toeach,Ibringthesameapproach:
AdistinctlyAmericaninternationalism.Idealism,withoutillusions.Confidence,withoutconceit.Realism,intheserviceofAmericanideals.
TodayIwanttotalkaboutEuropeandAsia…theworld’sstrategicheartland…ourgreatestpriority.Homeoflong-timeallies,andloomingrivals.BehindtheUnitedStates,Eurasiahasthenextsixlargesteconomies.Thenextsixlargestmilitarybudgets.
TheEurasianlandmass,inourcentury,hasseentheindignitiesofcolonialismandtheexcessesofnationalism.Itspeoplehavebeensacrificedtobrutalwarsandtotalitarianambitions.Americahasdiscovered,againandagain,thatourhistoryisinseparablefromtheirtragedy.Andwearerediscoveringthatourinterestsareservedbytheirsuccess.
Inthisimmenseregion,weareguided,notbyanambition,butbyavision.Avisioninwhichnogreatpower,orcoalitionofgreatpowers,dominatesorendangersourfriends.InwhichAmericaencouragesstabilityfromapositionofstrength.Avisioninwhichpeopleandcapitalandinformationcanmovefreely,creatingbondsofprogress,tiesofcultureandmomentumtowarddemocracy.
ThisisdifferentfromthetrumpetcalloftheColdWar.Wearenolongerfightingagreatenemy,weareassertingagreatprinciple:
thatthetalentsanddreamsofaveragepeople–theirwarmhumanhopesandloves–shouldberewardedbyfreedomandprotectedbypeace.Wearedefendingthenobilityofnormallives,livedinobediencetoGodandconscience,nottogovernment.
ThechallengecomesbecausetwoofEurasia’sgreatestpowers–ChinaandRussia–arepowersintransition.Anditisdifficulttoknowtheirintentionswhentheydonotknowtheirownfutures.IftheybecomeAmerica’sfriends,thatfriendshipwillsteadytheworld.Butifnot,thepeaceweseekmaynotbefound.
China,inparticular,hastakendifferentshapesindifferenteyesatdifferenttimes.Anempiretobedivided.Adoortobeopened.Amodelofcollectiveconformity.Adiplomaticcardtobeplayed.Oneyear,itissaidtoberunby"thebu
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