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Social Dynamics and Change

Social Dynamics and Change: Editor Sought

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BILL CLINTON: THE ELDER STATESMAN

 Nadia Saint, Assistant Editor, attended Bill Clinton's Lecture at the Royal Albert Hall  from Poet's Letter Magazine, on Challenges of Future Leadership, gives her assessment of what she made of what he had to say about the issues of the day.

On September 26^th, former president Bill Clinton addressed a packed audience at the Royal Albert Hall in a seminar entitled ‘Leadership for the Future.’ With ticket prices ranging from £35 to a whopping £300, there were clearly many people desperate to hear Clinton, introduced as ‘one of the outstanding statesmen of our generation’, speak. With the political turbulence in the Middle East, the USA’s controversial foreign policy, and the former president’s personal involvement with the Clinton Global Community, there was vast scope for Clinton’s topical speech.

Taking the stage at 4.30pm, President Clinton’s introductory speech immediately set out the issues he wished to discuss. A skilled orator and a consummate politician, Mr Clinton ordered his speech around four main questions, analysing the nature of today’s world, his hope for a more integrated global community, and the steps that should be taken to achieve this from both governmental and personal perspectives.

The language used throughout the speech was highly rhetorical and cerebral, creating a painful juxtaposition with the oratorical skills (or lack thereof) of America’s current president. Describing our world as ‘interdependent’, Mr Clinton explained that ‘there has never been a time when people were more closely connected.’ He also emphasized, however, that this globalized interdependence has led to inequality, instability, and unsustainability. In contrast with the poverty of the third world, Clinton reminded us that ‘we are in a world that has been good for most of us – because we’re here.’ (And with ticket prices as they were, we are left with no doubt as to which side of the dichotomy Mr Clinton would represent.)

Working towards a fairer and more sustainable global community is the main impetus behind the Clinton Global Initiative. With multi-billion-dollar pledges from philanthropists such as Sir Richard Branson, Clinton’s non-governmental organization will aim to address wide-reaching global issues, from the AIDS epidemic and Africa to the ecological threat from global warming. Praising the work done to cut carbon emissions in the UK, Mr Clinton explained, ‘your government has been serious about meeting its climate-change targets.’ Here, we could detect an implicit contrast with his own country, and its failure to sign the Kyoto Agreement under George W Bush.

The main emphasis of Clinton’s speech, however, was that we as individuals have a duty to the world in which we live. ‘This is not my fault, but it is my responsibility’ was the most memorable mantra of the speech. Using the example of the united aid relief after the South Asian tsunami, Clinton demonstrated an idealistic belief that we could transcend nationality for the sake of humanity. As an ambassador for the privileged few, he made the case for the impoverished multitudes, arguing ‘we have to do our part.’

The humorous ripostes with which Clinton answered the select (and seemingly rather safe) questions after his speech consolidated his status as a professional elder statesman. Combining idealism with rhetoric and charisma, the former president came across as being almost too polished, joking that when he first ran for presidency in 1992, even his daughter Chelsea was ‘undecided’ about his prospects. When asked to name his favourite statesmen, Clinton chose Nelson Mandela, Itzhak Rabin, Helmut Kohl, and even Boris Yeltsin before adding our own Mr Blair as an afterthought, scraping the barrel somewhat as he praised his ‘good economy’ and ‘social cohesion.’

Despite the polished rhetoric of his speech, Clinton is clearly committed to his NGO’s global initiatives, and it is positive to see that he is using his political skills for a benevolent cause. He admitted that his new line of work provided the opportunity for ‘a more concentrated impact’ for the global community than he was allowed during his time in office. We can only hope that he will be as successful a philanthropist as he is an orator and a politician.

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To Advertise Here or in the Print Magazine call 020 7556 7052 or 07986 949 154 nadia dot saint at poetsletter dot com

To Advertise Here or in the Print Magazine call 020 7556 7052 or 07986 949 154 Editor at poetsletter dot com