海角大神

The United States risks losing the business and job opportunities of an expanding global economy, as well as the security that flows from promoting American values abroad, if America鈥檚 role in the world falls prey to the budget battle now gripping Washington, Secretary of State John Kerry said Wednesday.

In his first major policy speech as the nation鈥檚 top diplomat, Secretary Kerry said the US must resist the same urge to turn inward that tempted it after World War II. Instead, he said, it should lead in the global causes of the 21st century, ranging from economic prosperity and expansion of democracy to the addressing of climate change.

Speaking at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, Kerry said he wanted to open a conversation with the American people about the essential role of US diplomacy in the world before setting off next week on his first overseas trip in his new post.

He started his remarks by cautioning that 鈥渙ur engagement with the rest of the world begins by making some important choices, together, about our national budget.鈥� It is 鈥渋mperative,鈥� he said, that the US not cut back on what he characterized as an already minimal investment in diplomacy.

Kerry cited a recent poll that found most Americans assume the US spends about a quarter of the federal budget on international affairs 鈥� while they thought the right level of spending would be about 10 percent of the budget.

鈥淲ould that that were true! I鈥檇 take 10 percent in a heartbeat,鈥� Kerry said, 鈥渂ecause 10 percent is exactly 10 times greater than what we invest.鈥�

Kerry said he chose the University of Virginia as the venue for this speech because it was founded by Thomas Jefferson, the nation鈥檚 first secretary of State and a leader who understood the role that education would play in securing a young nation鈥檚 place in the world.

鈥淟et鈥檚 remember that the principles of Jefferson鈥檚 time 鈥� in a nation that was just getting used to its independence 鈥� still echo in our own time, in a world that鈥檚 still getting used to our interdependence,鈥� he said. 鈥淎merica鈥檚 national interest in leading strongly still endures in this world.鈥�

Kerry did not use his speech to offer a laundry list of the pressing crises he plans to address. He made no mention of Syria鈥檚 civil war, the Middle East peace process, or the challenge of a rising China, although he did speak of the importance of 鈥渕aking sure Iran never obtains a [nuclear] weapon that would endanger our allies and our interests.鈥�

Instead, he focused on the broad global challenges that he said actually present 鈥渙pportunities鈥� for international cooperation and American leadership. Such challenges include 鈥渁 dramatically changing climate,鈥� demographic changes (defined most starkly by countries in North Africa and the Middle East, he said, where about half the population is under 20 years old), human rights, and global stability and security.

Kerry received some of the longest applause of his speech when he included 鈥済ender equality鈥� among the values the US must be promoting. 鈥淐ountries are in fact more peaceful and prosperous when women and girls are afforded full rights and equal opportunity,鈥� he noted.

His second major theme was the opportunity presented by an expanding and globalizing economy 鈥� and how the US risks missing that opportunity if it focuses too single-mindedly on domestic economic and budgetary challenges.

Citing the implementation of the Marshall Plan after World War II, Kerry said the US must have the same 鈥渇oresight鈥� today to assist those developing countries that have the same promise that Europe鈥檚 destroyed economies did then of becoming America鈥檚 partners down the road.

鈥淎fter the war, we didn鈥檛 spike the football; we created a more level playing field,鈥� he said, 鈥渁nd we鈥檙e stronger for it today.鈥�

Kerry also warned that other major powers are not standing idly by as the US considers its domestic budgetary challenges, noting that China 鈥渋s already investing more than we do鈥� in Africa and its growing economies. 鈥淒eveloping economies are the epicenters of growth, and they are open for business,鈥� Kerry said, 鈥渁nd the US needs to be at that table.鈥�

Kerry closed his speech by telling how, as the 12-year-old son of a Foreign Service officer living in a divided Berlin, he ventured one day across to the communist part of the city 鈥渢hat hadn鈥檛 received any help from the United States and its courageous Marshall Plan.鈥�

Even a 鈥�12-year-old鈥檚 eyes鈥� could see the difference between the hope and freedom that people expressed in the 鈥渞ecovering western half of Europe鈥� and the despair and oppression witnessed that day in Berlin鈥檚 eastern sector, he said. Back on the western side, Kerry said he remembers feeling proud of America鈥檚 role in rebuilding economies and offering people freedom.

Kerry had already told that story once in his new role, to a throng of employees the first day he arrived for work at the State Department. It seems likely he鈥檒l tell it again next week 鈥� when he visits old stomping grounds in what today is a unified Berlin and when he sits down for a discussion with German youths.

Kerry鈥檚 predecessor, Hillary Rodham Clinton, had her own story she recounted many times as she traveled widely and spoke about America鈥檚 role in the world. She told audiences in nascent democracies the story of how, once the political adversary of Barack Obama, she had put rivalries aside to serve him 鈥� and America 鈥� as his secretary of State. That, she said again and again, was the essence of democracy.

In a similar way, Kerry鈥檚 story seems likely to serve him repeatedly as he works to explain and advance America鈥檚 role in the world.