Past Adviser Defends Foreign Policy

Samuel R. "Sandy" Berger, former National Security Advisor under President Bill Clinton, enumerated and defended many of the more controversial moves of the Clinton administration's foreign policy and outlined what thought were the major challenges for the Bush administration.

"The purpose of American foreign policy in this new global age is to make the larger forces that are shaping the world work for us, not against us," he said.

Berger opened with a light reference to the announcement that Lawrence H. Summers--one of his Clinton-adminstration colleagues--was selected as the 27th president of the University.

"I'm really here as the advance man for Larry Summers," said Berger, to the laughter of audience members.

Berger quickly moved into his main topic--discussing globalization and America's role in a world that is very different from the "monolithic" mindset of the Cold War.

"There's a red blob and a blue blob, and as the red blob gets bigger the blue blob gets smaller" said Berger, explaining the mentality of the two major superpowers.

Berger said he believes that with globalization, instead of this "zero-sum" scenario, America should now be thinking in terms of "win-win."

"While globalization is inexorable--we can't stop the world, we can't get off--it's not an elixir for the world's problems" he said. "Our challenge is to harness the unique qualifications of globalization."

Berger went on to describe the way that the Clinton administration used the power of globalization--in the form of the World Trade Organization, NATO and the North American Free Trade Agreement--in its dealings with China, Croatia and Mexico, respectively.

"Globalization provided the pull, but we provided the push," Berger said.

World poverty is another issue in which the Clinton administration made headway through globalization, by relieving the debts and lowering import barriers for developing nations, as well as making more abstract commitments towards universal education and removing the digital divide, he said.

"Globalization did not create the gap between rich and poor. But there is a gap in globalization," he said. "Globalization has raised the moral cost of indifference. We can still choose not to act. But we can no longer choose not to know."

Furthermore, Berger said that future inaction could be dangerous.

"The threats to America will only grow more dangerous if neglected," he said. "It is more important than ever that America remains a peacemaker."

When discussing the Clinton administration's actions in Kosovo--which critics have often claimed could have come far earlier--Berger characteristically portrayed the Clinton administration's actions as making a chance for peace.

"We acted swiftly and forcefully against ethnic cleansing," he said. "We have within our grasp today the chance to build a Europe that is democratic and peaceful--that chance should not be squandered."

"The new administration should not even hint at leaving Bosnia or Kosovo prematurely," he added.

During the question-and-answer period, many audience members raised questions about the policy in Kosovo, particularly regarding the administration's willingness--or lack thereof--to remove extremists from power.

"I do think we have to work out a relationship between Kosovo and a democratic Serbia" Berger replied. "We have to be very firm with militant Kosovars who are trying to stir up trouble in Kosovo and Macedonia."