How about...lolol
Clinton holds crowd in palm (He still has that charisma, and the world loves him)
canada.com
Randy Burton, The StarPhoenix
Published: Thursday, March 09, 2006
There's probably not another retired politician in the world who can fill a hall the way former U.S. president Bill Clinton can.
At a time when politicians are generally held in low esteem and people can't be bothered to vote, let alone listen to a speech, Clinton can hold an audience in the palm of his hand.
If the reception Clinton received in Saskatoon Wednesday is any indication, people are hungry for an inspirational message in the midst of a world full of trouble.
The capacity crowd gave him a standing ovation even before he began to speak, a feat even rock star-turned-politician Bono might envy.
By contrast, Clinton has been described as the first presidential rock star, an intellectual force of nature and one of the most compelling speakers ever to hold the office of president.
In the course of a 50-minute speech Wednesday evening, Clinton demonstrated why he deserves the accolades.
Speaking without so much as a note to refer to, he delivered a coherent explanation of how global interdependence works, why it's important for the West to reach out to the less developed world, and why issues such as climate change and international aid are really security issues.
He also explained how the Internet can be a tool of empowerment for individual citizens who want to help, and how just maybe, people can be re-engaged with democracy at home.
For example, if we fail to deal with climate change, agricultural production will move farther north. That might benefit some parts of the world, but it will also drive tens of millions into a food crisis, which will create global instability. Only an international effort can prevent that, Clinton argues.
By the same token, the efforts of the West to help the victims of the Asian world over the devastating impact of last year's tsunami show how aid efforts can improve global relations. Indonesia, a strongly Muslim country that was deeply suspicious of the U.S. before the tsunami, is now much more likely to live and let live following massive reconstruction efforts. The same applies to the areas of Pakistan affected by earthquake. |
