The week of October 21, 2002, was extraordinary in Fayetteville. This is a vibrant college town so prominent lecturers shouldn’t be that unusual but to have three in a week was special. Bill Clinton coming up was not unusual; he’s probably here about once a year. On Monday the 21st, though, he helped dedicate a statue behind Old Main of late Sen. J. William Fulbright, his mentor and also a former president of the University of Arkansas.
Benazir Bhutto and Ehud Barak, then former prime ministers, made a joint appearance on campus that Thursday the 24th. Pakistan and Israel, Muslim and Jew, on the same stage. They naturally had a lot in common — both strongly democratic politicians from tempestuous countries. Both were exotic but in their presentations, very American. Bhutto in recent months was attempting a comeback, and Barak currently is Israeli defense minister.
In light of Bhutto’s assassination Thursday, I looked for my notes of her remarks. I can’t help but scribble during events like this. But all I’ve found so far is the admission ticket.
It simply was memorable to see both of these people in the middle of our country, especially Bhutto. All I can honestly recall is she emphasized democracy, the history of Pakistan and the need for international support. History is not made at such events, no matter how memorable it may have seemed at the time; Bhutto and Barak were politicians wanting to keep the American enthusiasm going for their countries. These weren’t much more than stump speeches. This doesn’t sound like much, but it’s more than I remember of the next lecture duo: Al Franken and Ben Stein the following fall, though I recall those guys were much funnier.
The bigger deal was Bill Clinton’s speech earlier that week. I’m an Arkie and a journalist so I’ve heard him speak a number of times. Even his best fans can’t call him one of history’s great orators. But that Monday afternoon was extraordinary. I can’t find my notes of that, either (hey, it’s been five years), but I remember the gist of his remarks, a year after 9/11, and reflect on them still.
Clinton said that the United States was now the one sole superpower and that it was the nature of such things that it would not last. Therefore it was crucial that this moment of authority not be wasted. He spoke of the opportunity in such a way that it hit between many obstacles. It supported Bush and warned him at the same time; this was as public planning of our jump back into Iraq began. Clinton made we in the crowd feel proud and strong, humble and vulnerable to a history we could barely control, all at once.
After giving up for the moment on finding my notes, I “Googled” and found that the Clinton Foundation has this speech online. [Update: the link to the transcript at www.clintonfoundation.org is gone.] So I can quote a bit here but strongly suggest this speech be read. As an essay, it’s not terribly long, especially when you skip all the thank-yous. Clinton gives the United States 30 years, tops, since the fall of the Soviet Union. Next true superpowers might be China, the European Union, and — ironically this week — India and Pakistan if they lay down their arms and work together.
The United States will be judged based on how we used this ‘magic moment.’ Did we try to drive the world into the 21st century? Did we make up our mind to resolutely exterminate every threat we saw and force people to live by our vision? Or, did we instead try to build a world in which, when we’re no longer, as we say down here, the ‘biggest dog on the block,’ people will still treat us the way we’d like to be treated because of how we treated them at our moment of ascendancy.”
The words are important, but I cannot convey the former presidents’s tone, timing or even gravitas. They were there in spades. Reviewing the transcript now it appears what struck me then might be seen as passing remarks in between the point, the late senator’s memorial. Then and now, though, I think these half-dozen non-dedication paragraphs were his reason to speak. This was not a well-covered speech; it was an unveiling, but the former president did have an audience.
Now, with Bhutto gone, though, Clinton’s warning is worth recalling. Her returning to Pakistan to run for election as prime minister was practically begging to be shot at, and it finally happened. Because of its likelihood, we have to hope that Washington was planning for it. The unstable Pakistan is America’s launching ground for much of our military efforts in Iraq, Afghanistan and against Osama Bin Laden.
What can be worse than unstable? We may find out. -30-
