It's a good summation of what we believe in as Democrats, and echoes Dean's Democrats need to "stand up for what they believe in" and Clark's "Democrats need to get some starch" themes.
"The budget is a moral document" is a great line, and it's a very good populist speech. I wish Edwards were still in the senate giving speeches like this.
Edward's is 1/2 of what we need in a president, and he does a great job doing what he does. I'm glad he's continuing to get his message out there. On the domestic side, he appears to share my values. I don't think there is anything in the speech Clark would disagree with.
He extends the anti-poverty message to the rest of the world. It's very idealistic, and echoes these words from Clark:
"Our investment in education will help us reach across the boundaries that still divide our world. As we study our own culture, we'll absorb the ideas of others - and all of this will help us reach out across continents, and between old enemies. If there is any frontier we should hope to push in the next twenty years, it's one we've neglected for far too long - and that is frontier of human understanding.
Today, vast segments of the developing world's population are struggling, desperate for America's engagement, understanding and assistance. Right now, more than half the world's population is struggling to survive on less than $2 a day, and nearly 1 billion live in chronic hunger. More than one billion of the world's adults cannot read, three-quarters of them women. And half the children in the poorest countries are not in school. Malaria, tuberculosis and diarrhea alone kill 8 million people a year under the age of 15. And already in South Africa, Botswana and Zimbabwe, half of all the 15-year-olds are expected to die of AIDS. We cannot - we must not - allow this to go on.
But that's just what we're doing. For too long now, America has failed to live up to its awesome responsibilities on the world stage. We are the richest nation in education, health care, science, and bottom line dollar wealth. Yet, more often than not, we turn a blind eye to developing nations around the world, those which desperately need our help. More often than not we put the bottom line first.
America's wealth, strength, and character provides us with great power -- but they also confer great obligations. And we must fulfill them in ways that build converging interests and create shared values in an ever shrinking world. This begins with communications and commerce, with cultural exchanges and exchange students. It leads to trade and investments, the creation of capital, the promotion of development, the emergence of human rights and democracy. And it is up to us to begin this process -- to live up to our obligations as a world leader - not just because it's the right thing to do, but because it's the smart thing to do.
We can drive out HIV-AIDS and malaria, reduce the incidence of poverty, spread knowledge, and, through technology, spread real human understanding.
We'll still need our armed forces and we'll take every necessary action to make America safe - but we'll gain that safety not by force of arms, but by who we are and what we represent. For we should be an America not puffed up by pride in our own power, but rather an America humbled by the recognition of our common humanity. We must make sure that globalization helps people around the world, raising living standards and improving the environment everywhere - rather than leading a race to the bottom."
http://www.securingamerica.com/?q=speeches/2004-01-10
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