Clinton receives warm welcome in New Bruns.
Offers his views on Middle East, domestic issues in appearance
BY CHRIS GAETANO
Staff Writer

NEW BRUNSWICK - Former President Bill Clinton spoke to a packed house Wednesday at New Brunswick's State Theatre about little things people can do to help the world, including using energy-efficient fluorescent light bulbs.

Throngs of fans eagerly waited outside the theater while a security screening of the building was performed. Supporters of Sen. Robert Menendez, whom Clinton campaigned for that day in Elizabeth, circulated among the crowd while the nurses union from Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital carried signs stating "RWJ Health Care: Tale of Mass Deception."

Since tickets ranged from $75 to $500 for his foundation, most present were big fans of the 42nd president.

"[I came] because I love him. I think he's the most charismatic speaker of our time and I think he was a wonderful president," said Linda Abrams, a teacher from Interlaken.

After a short introductory speech by New Brunswick Mayor Jim Cahill, Clinton took to the stage to thunderous applause. Shouts of "We love you!" and "No term limits!" were heard from the audience.

Clinton quickly launched into his speech, in which he articulated his political worldview through asking four questions: What is the fundamental nature of the 21st century? How would we like it to change? How do we get from here to there? And, Who should do it?

Clinton answered the first question by stating that increasing interdependence is the spirit of our time.

"We live in a world that is good and bad and we can't get away from each other," said Clinton, using the Middle East as an example.

He said that increasing interdependence had both good and bad points. While things such as the Internet, he said, allowed the unprecedented outpouring of support after the tsunami in 2004, it has also resulted in the loss of jobs to outsourcing.

"If we outsource jobs, that global interdependence seems negative," said Clinton, who authorized the North American Free Trade Agreement in the 1990s and was an ardent supporter of corporate globalization during his administration.

To Clinton, the goal is to build up the positive forces of interdependence and shrink the negative. He then articulated what he thinks is needed to do this: security, domestic improvements, shared values, and clean energy.

When speaking of security, Clinton noted that he was against a fixed timetable for withdrawal from Iraq.

"I would caution people who did not support this in the beginning against not realizing that there is a new security concern out there," said Clinton. While he did not believe that Iraq was a threat in the beginning, he said that the threat of terrorism from there now cannot be ignored. "Yesterday was yesterday and we have to move forward."

Still, he noted that "you can't kill and occupy every enemy you have." He said that money should be spent toward funding anti-disease and poverty efforts across the world to "build a world with more partners and fewer terrorists." He admitted, however, "I don't know if we can stop Iran from building a nuclear weapon."

At home, Clinton said that the middle class needs to be expanded, noting that such a thing was one of the notable features of the post-World War II economy. He said that a booming economy with more jobs can be accomplished through new developments in the private sector.

"We could be doing that today with green energy, creating millions of jobs," said Clinton.

This will help with the fact that America is the No. 1 producer of greenhouse gas in the world.

"If we use energy in the next 50 years like we did in the last 50, we will lose 50 feet of Manhattan," said Clinton, who also noted that he recently purchased a hybrid car.

Clinton said that genuine change in society is in the hands of the people and that the increasingly interdependent state of the world makes it very easy.

"Private citizens have more power for public good than at any other time in history," said Clinton.

He also said that if every American household switched to fluorescent bulbs, the U.S. could cut its greenhouse gas emissions in half.

He closed with mentioning that in the interdependent world, people need to put more effort toward common values.

"What is the problem with all the terrorists? They think that our differences are more important than our common humanity," said Clinton.

"I loved what he had to say," said Rena Eng, from Kendall Park. "I wish he could run again."