Sen. John Kerry—Challenges in a Changing World
“F
or the sake of the country, and for the sake of the world, we have to send him to the White House…”
Thus spoke Senator John Kerry, ex-presidential nominee of the Democratic Party and current chairman of the United States Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, while addressing a gathering of Fletcher students and members of the Tufts community during a colloquium on the current presidential elections. In the backdrop of the upcoming 2008 US presidential elections, Kerry described the political atmosphere in the nation as charged and exciting and asserted that this will indeed be a tight race to the white house.
Talking about the critical issues facing the US and the world today, Kerry pointed out that the most daunting challenges before us are the ones that know no borders—global terrorism, global AIDS, global warming and lately, global finance. To tackle these issues, he urged world leaders to take the following steps: alleviate the economic distress caused by the current financial meltdown; expedite public and private response towards global climate change; and engage diplomatically not only with rogue states, but with failed states as well. The Senator described 21st century global problems as being history’s “most complex and pervasive,” and stressed that “…in today’s increasingly interconnected world, interconnected challenges will require a global response.”
John Kerry held the current Bush administration responsible for severely embroiling the military and political resources in two major wars, thereby effectively allowing countries such as North Korea and Iran to continue developing their nuclear capabilities and extend their global influence, and yet prime masterminds such as Bin Laden and Zawahiri remain untraceable. Kerry emphasized that in the absence of an effective American leadership, the world has tragically lost its ability to act on injustice, as a result of which dictators in Burma, Zimbabwe and Sudan continue to brazenly perpetuate brutalities on their people.
In his speech, the Senator expressed serious concern over America’s “declining military, diplomatic and moral values” and “the end of American economic dominance.” In light of 9/11, Kerry termed America’s addiction on fossil fuels as shameful and called for an immediate “Energy Revolution” to create clean fuel that will address climate change, reduce the dependence on foreign oil and revitalize the economy.
In order for the US to begin a new chapter in foreign policy and restore the world’s confidence in US leadership, Kerry urged Americans to select a leader who possesses the right combination of judgment, vision and temperament, and who has the patience, pragmatism and resolve to address the various complex challenges that surround us. While describing both candidates as visionary and patriotic, Kerry quipped it is Barrack Obama, who like Fletcher students, is the “leader with a global perspective.”
Hailing Obama as a potentially great future president, Kerry assures that Obama will bring change. According to Kerry, when compared with rival presidential candidate John McCain, Obama holds a broader vision and a more integrated understanding of global threats; possesses a better understanding of all energy and security challenges; and has a solid track record of ensuring economic and climate security, robust diplomacy, and keeping America and Americans safe and strong.
Kerry stated that the next president, whoever he might be, will have the onus of not only dealing with threats and crises, but also the responsibility of “speaking across the divide” and “recapturing America’s and the world’s imagination.”
Kerry ended his presentation on an enticing note—that the next administration cannot solve the world’s problems by itself—it will require all of our sustained and dedicated efforts “to build bridges around the world.” And what’s more, the world is watching and waiting.
Gaurav Relhan, MALD’10Photographer: Matthew Herbert F'10
A complete video [122MB] of the event is now available.