American Smart Power: Diplomacy and Development are the Vanguard

May 4, 2009

Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton recently said, “We must use what has been called smart power: the full range of tools at our disposal – diplomatic, economic, military, political, legal, and cultural – picking the right tool, or combination of tools, for each situation.”  Smart power requires reaching out to both friends and adversaries, bolstering old alliances and forging new ones. Even if we disagree with some governments, America shares a bond of common humanity with the people of every nation, and we will work to invest in that common humanity. 

For more information on Smart Power, please visit http://www.state.gov/r/pa/scp/fs/2009/122579.htm .