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Bush says they hate us for being arrogant { October 11 2000 } Original Source Link: (May no longer be active)
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/election/2000debates/2ndebate1.htmlhttp://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/election/2000debates/2ndebate1.html
THE 2ND PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE
October 11, 2000
VICE PRESIDENT GORE: Yes, Jim, I've thought a lot about that particular question. And I see our greatest natural -- national strength coming from what we stand for in the world. I see it as a question of values. It is a great tribute to our founders that, 224 years later, this nation is now looked to by the peoples on every other continent and the peoples from every part of this Earth as a kind of model for what their future could be. And I don't think that's just the kind of an exaggeration that we take pride in as Americans; it's really true. Even the ones that sometimes shake their fist at us, as soon as they have a change that allows the people to speak freely, they're wanting to develop some kind of a blueprint that will help them be like us more. Freedom. Free markets. Political freedom.
So I think first and foremost, our power ought to be wielded to -- in ways that form a more perfect union. The power of example is America's greatest power in the world. And that means, for example, standing up for human rights. It means addressing the problems of injustice and inequity along lines of race and ethnicity here at home, because in all these other places around the world where they're having these terrible problems, when they feel hope it is often because they see in us a reflection of their potential.
So we've got to enforce our civil rights. laws. We've got to deal with things like racial profiling. And we have to keep our military strong. We have the strongest military, and I'll do whatever is necessary, if I'm president, to make sure that it stays that way. But our real power comes, I think, from our values.
MR. LEHRER: Should the people of the world look at the United States, Governor, and say, should they fear us? Should they welcome our involvement? Should they see us as a friend, everybody in the world? How do you -- how would you project us around the world, as president?
GOV. BUSH: Well, I think they ought to look at us as a country that understands freedom; where it doesn't matter who you are or how you're raised or where you're from, that you can succeed. I don't think they ought to look at us with envy. It really depends upon how our nation conducts itself in foreign policy. If we're an arrogant nation, they'll resent us. If we're a humble nation but strong, they'll welcome us. And our nation stands alone right now in the world in terms of power, and that's why we've got to be humble and yet project strength in a way that promotes freedom.
So I don't -- I don't think they ought to look at us in any way other than what we are. We're a freedom-loving nation. And if we're an arrogant nation, they'll view us that way, but if we're a humble nation, they'll respect us.
MR. LEHRER: A humble nation?
VICE PRESIDENT GORE: I agree with that. I agree with that. I think that one of the problems that we have faced in the world is that we are so much more powerful than any single nation has been in relationship to the rest of the world than at any time in history, that I know about, anyway, that there is some resentment of U.S. power. So I think that the -- the idea of humility is an important one.
But I think that we also have to have a sense of mission in the world. We have to protect our capacity to push forward what America is all about. That means not only military strength and our values, it also means keeping our economy strong. You know, in the last -- oh, two decades ago, it was routine for leaders of foreign countries to come over here and say, "You guys have got to do something about these horrendous deficits because it's causing tremendous problems for the rest of the world." And we were lectured to all the time. The fact that we have the strongest economy in history today -- it's not good enough; we need to do more -- but the fact that it is so strong enables us to project the power for good that America can represent.
MR. LEHRER: Does that give us -- does our wealth, our good economy, our power bring with it special obligations to the rest of the world?
GOV. BUSH: Yes, it does. Take, for example, third-world debt. I think -- I think we ought to be forgiving third-world debt under certain conditions. I think, for example, if we're convinced that a third-world country that's got a lot of debt would reform itself, that the money wouldn't go into the hands of a few but would go to help people, I think it makes sense for us to use our wealth in that way. Or to trade debt for valuable rain forest lands. Makes that much sense. Yes, we do have an obligation to the world, but we can't be all things to all people. We can help build coalitions, but we can't put our troops all around the world. We can lend money, be we've got to do it wisely. We shouldn't be lending money to corrupt officials. So we gotta be guarded in our generosity.
Resolving the Middle East question
MR. LEHRER: Well, let's go through some of the specifics now. New question: Vice President Gore, the governor mentioned the Middle East. Here we're talking at this stage in the game about diplomatic power that we have. What do think the United States should do right now to resolve that conflict over there?
VICE PRESIDENT GORE: The first priority has to be on ending the violence, dampening down the tensions that have risen there. We need to call upon Syria to release the three Israeli soldiers who have been captured. We need to insist that Arafat send out instructions to halt some of the provocative acts of violence that have been going on.
I think that we also have to keep a weather eye toward Saddam Hussein, because he's taking advantage of this situation to once again make threats, and he needs to understand that he's not only dealing with Israel, he -- he is dealing -- he's dealing with us, if he -- if he is making the kind of threats that he's talking about there. The use of diplomacy in this situation has already -- well, it goes hour by hour and day by day now; it's a very tense situation there. But in the last 24 hours, there has been some subsiding of the violence there. It's too much to hope that this is going to continue, but I do hope that it will continue.
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