Friday, January 22, 2010

Secretary Clinton on Internet Freedom

Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton gives a speech on Internet freedom at the Newseum in Washington, DC. | Jan, 21, 2009. | Duration: 59:44

"Our foreign policy is premised on the idea that no country more than America stands to benefit when there is cooperation among peoples and states. And no country shoulders a heavier burden when conflict and misunderstanding drive nations apart. So we are well placed to seize the opportunities that come with interconnectivity. And as the birthplace for so many of these technologies, including the internet itself, we have a responsibility to see them used for good. To do that, we need to develop our capacity for what we call, at the State Department, 21st century statecraft.

Realigning our policies and our priorities will not be easy. But adjusting to new technology rarely is. When the telegraph was introduced, it was a source of great anxiety for many in the diplomatic community, where the prospect of receiving daily instructions from capitals was not entirely welcome. But just as our diplomats eventually mastered the telegraph, they are doing the same to harness the potential of these new tools as well."

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1 comment:

Cassandra Was Right said...

Who remembers all the angst when email first appeared in about 1988? How no message could be sent without going through the Wherever front office for scrubbing, editing, second- and third-guessing and final timorous approval? Perhaps the terror of uncontrolled social networking will dissipate by 2018.