Before an audience of around 900 people, former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright conversed with Dickey Center director Daniel Benjamin in Spaulding Auditorium Tuesday afternoon, interspersing lighthearted anecdotes with serious political discussion.
Introduced by Benjamin as “one of the most compelling figures” in recent history and a “beacon for democracy and human rights around the world,” Albright was described by several audience members as witty and funny.
Albright, who served as Secretary of State under former President Bill Clinton from 1997 to 2001 and was the first woman in the role, spoke on Thursday about foreign policy, U.S. Congressional gridlock and the role of women in politics.
Benjamin started the conversation by asking Albright about what he called the “perilous state of affairs” in the Ukraine.
She responded by calling recent events a “game-changer.” A self-described Soviet expert, Albright referenced her experience dealing with Cold War policy and related it to the current crisis in the Ukraine. NATO countries, she said, have endeavored to bring Russian President Vladimir Putin into their group, but he has resisted the effort. Albright was critical of Putin’s leadership and added that she believes Russia has psychologically lost its identity.
“He makes up facts,” Albright said, adding that NATO is not anti-Russian as Putin has previously declared.
Following this topic, Benjamin elicited Albright’s opinions on nationalism, which she referred to as a “two-edged sword.” She said that, despite some positives, nationalism can become dangerous, especially when construed into a “hate-your-neighbor” mentality.
Albright also discussed Israeli-Palestinian relations, the Arab Spring, the U.S. outlook on foreign policy, America’s domestic political climate and what she called the “rolling genocide” in Syria.
Turning to domestic politics, Albright indicated her discomfort with the bipartisan gridlock in Congress. She shared a personal story of her collaboration with influential conservative Senator Jesse Helms (R-N.C.), recollecting a road trip they took to a lecture. Some called them the “odd couple,” she said.
Around halfway through the conversation, Benjamin inquired about Albright’s opinions on women in the political sphere. She said there should be more women in Congress, but qualified the statement by saying that men and women should work together, as anyone who thinks only women should run the world has “forgotten high school.”
Albright — a mother of three, including one daughter in the Class of 1983 — also said that “every woman’s middle name is guilt.” She said that the people who made her feel the worst throughout her life were often women.
“There’s a special place in hell for women who don’t help each other,” she said, echoing a statement she has said many times.
Albright also shared her personal outlook on life. She described herself as an “optimist who worries a lot,” pointing to her experiences in America and her children as reasons to remain positive.
Noting that she enjoys attending naturalization ceremonies, Albright cited the immense value of U.S. citizenship. She jokingly added that she has done pretty well since emigrating to America.
She also discussed the pins she became known for wearing to express her thoughts and feelings, which she said have gotten her both in and out of trouble.
At the end of the conversation, Albright took questions from the audience. Students and community members asked about U.S.-China relations, the country’s knowledge of terrorist activity prior to Sept. 11 and the implications of NATO’s stipulations, among other topics.
Albright said America’s relationship with China is its most important connection of this century.
Throughout the 90-minute event, audience members applauded and laughed often.
On campus, Albright also spoke with several faculty members and spoke to students in the Dickey Center’s Great Issues Scholars program.
The article has been revised to reflect the following correction:
Correction appended: April 9, 2014
The original version of this article incorrectly said that Albright attended a luncheon with Great Issues Scholars students. In fact, Albright spoke to them Tuesday afternoon.
