US won't stay on top, says Clinton

canberra au ^ | 2/23/02

[knak]

Sydney

ACKNOWLEDGING the United States would not be the world's most powerful nation forever might lead to a better approach in its current international relations, former US president Bill Clinton said today.

Speaking at the 2002 World Congress on the Peaceful Reunification of China and World Peace in Sydney, Mr Clinton said this "brief moment in history" when the US had pre-eminent military, economic and political power, would not last.

"This is just a period, a few decades this will last, and I think that all of us who are Americans should think about this and ask ourselves how do we wish this moment to be judged 50 years from now," he said.

"And how would we like to be treated when we no longer have this pre-eminent position and we have to work in a cooperative fashion with others to a far greater extent than we have to do today.

"It seems to me if we would think about it like that it would be much more likely to lead all Americans, without regard of their party, to making the right decisions about how we should approach a lot of these problems that we face."

The former president said he did not want to be critical of the current US Administration.

"I feel that I should be careful in what I say [but] I believe that the [current US] President has been much more interested in international cooperation since September 11th, and I take that to be a very positive sign," Mr Clinton said.

He also said he hoped President George W. Bush's recent visit to Korea would have a positive outcome.

"I certainly have no illusions about the North Korean Government," he said.

". . . But the fact is they ended their nuclear program in 94, in 98 they ended testing of long-range missiles and in 2000 we had the elements of an agreement with them to end their entire missile program."

Mr Clinton's comments come after Mr Bush named North Korea as one country in its "axis of evil" along with Iraq and Iran last month.

Mr Bush visited South Korea for the first time last week. AAP

[knak]

I wish he'd just sit down and shut up!

[RedBloodedAmerican]

Well, he only confirms his desires to surrender the United States to the U.N.

[LenS]

I guess we should just surrender and save time.

Hey Bill - Why don't you go first and surrender to Al-Qaeda? I'm sure they'll treat you real well.

[Chi-townChief]

What was edited out:

"I feel that I should be careful in what I say [but] I believe that the [current US] President has been much more interested in international cooperation since September 11th as opposed to my being much more interested in Monica's thong back in '97, and I take that to be a very positive sign," Mr Clinton said.

[isthisnickcool]

Just a has been "rent-a-mouth" looking to make enough noise so that someone will hire him for his next gig where he will say something equally stupid.

Maybe Clinton and Jimmah Carter can get together and do a remake of Dumb-&-Dumber.

[illbenice]

No sh** the United States will not be this powerfull for ever. Does he think people are dumb enough to think otherwise?

[Calico Cat]

Shut up, Clinton! Every time he opens his mouth, he puts his foot in it. One of his recent 'essays' opined that the future of the world was 'a world without borders' and that open immigration policies initiated by his administration led to the U.S. becoming 'more diverse'. He is ANTI-AMERICAN. I'm ashamed of myself for being suckered by him for so long. I wish he and his miserable wife would disappear!

[SGCOS]

Amazed at what this asshole will say to keep his name in the news.

[hedgetrimmer]

Mr Clinton said this "brief moment in history" when the US had pre-eminent military, economic and political power, would not last.

That's because Clinton did his level best to destroy our country and its institutions while he defiled the office of the president. Who knows what ticking timebombs he laid by executive order that are now bringing down the country? Who knows what secrets were stolen off the state department laptops? Who knows what all was stolen before the Los Alamos fire destroyed all the evidence? Maybe Mr. Clinton is predicting the future that HE set for the United States by his HIS presidency.

[Faraday]

I wish the son of a bitch would go to Peking and stay there. The man is a disgrace to this country and should be shunned.

[elbucko]

It's just always about Bill. The man is the worst person ever elected president.

I wish he'd go to Hollywood, take up acting and leave the rest of us alone

[Thane_Banquo]

What he means is, "The U.S. will not be the most powerful nation on earth if me and my leftist friends have anything to say about it."

[Scott from the Left Coast]

Clinton has been a loser and a defeatist his entire sorry, sick life. He tried his best to make the U.S. a weaker country. He was McGovern squared.

[razorback-bert]

I wish he say who is going to replace us.

[FR_addict]

Since he gave away a lot of our technology and military intelligence to the Chinese and other countries, maybe he knows something we don't.

[ChadsDad]

He's setting himself up for his next role as Sect. Gen. of the UN.

[illbenice]

That is not so far fetched!

[tet68]

What a loser!

Hey Slick,sit down and shut up! You're nobody NOW.

I wish he'd have gone to Vietnam.Somebody would have done for him THEN.

[crystalk]

It WILL last unless the fifth-columnists and Muslims right here in the USA get the upper hand.