The Prague Post

Wednesday, October 24, 2001

Clinton issues 'to do' list Former U.S. president pushes debt relief, says poor nations are hurt

By Heather Maher

"There he is," squealed a teenage girl as Bill Clinton strode into Spanish Hall last week.

A slightly stooped Vaclav Havel, entering the Prague Castle room at the same time, went all but unnoticed as the former U.S. president plunged into the crowd to shake hands before sitting down for the Forum 2000 panel on human rights and power.

When he finally folded himself into a chair and donned a pair of half-glasses, Clinton told those assembled that wealthy nations have failed in their responsibility to improve the condition of impoverished ones -- a failure that contributed to the events of Sept. 11.

Clinton's speech, like many at this year's conference, was sprinkled with references to the U.S. terrorist attacks. But he was speaking as a citizen, he insisted, and "did not come here to give public advice ... but to give public support" to his country.

The world is engaged in "a basic struggle for the fundamental character of the 21st century," he began, and "most of us have a very different notion than Mr. [Osama] bin Laden and the Taliban ... about the nature of truth, the value of life, and the content of community."

While he occasionally played politician -- "We funded 2 million microloans when I was president" -- he came across mostly as an impassioned global activist. "Rich countries have to realize that we can no longer claim for ourselves what we deny for others."

But one comment -- "The United States, to be sure, has not had a perfect record in the world, and we can be criticized" -- reminded listeners the speaker was a two-term president.

Clinton's foreign-policy choices have been scrutinized in the wake of the terrorist attacks.

"Does Bill Clinton bear any culpability for what happened on Sept. 11?" asked a recent article in the online magazine Slate. After a lengthy examination of shortcomings in foreign policy, intelligence gathering and domestic security, it concluded, "Clinton could have done more. But whether it would have made any difference, no one can really say."

At the forum, Clinton sounded as though he could have. "We have to do more," he urged repeatedly while laying out his "to do" list for the planet: Combat global poverty with debt relief, set an example on global warming, finance a "trust fund" for health systems in poor countries, pay mothers to send their children to school.

"We have an obligation, those of us who come from wealthier countries," he told his audience, "to increase the benefits and reduce the burdens of the 21st century world."

-- Anonymous, October 25, 2001