So think about all these things thatI’ve listed. Think about the world as you see it today.Let’s face it: We areall in this one together. No nation can stand alone. We share nothingsocompletely as our planet. When we work with others, large and small, to developand deploythe clean technologies that will power a new world – and they’rethere waiting for us, $6 trillionmarket, huge amount of jobs – when we dothat, we know we’re helping create the new marketsand new opportunities forAmerica’s second-to-none innovators and entrepreneurs so that wecan succeed inthe next great revolution in our marketplace. We need to commit ourselvestodoing the smart thing and the right thing and to truly take on this challenge,because if wedon’t rise to meet it, then rising temperatures and rising sealevels will surely lead to rising costsdown the road. Ask any insurancecompany in America. If we waste this opportunity, it may bethe only thing ourgeneration – generations – are remembered for. We need to find the couragetoleave a far different legacy.
We cannot talk about theunprecedented changes happening on our planet, moreover,without also talkingabout the unprecedented changes in its population, another greatopportunity atour fingertips. In countries across North Africa and the Middle East, themajorityof people are younger than 30 years old – 60 percent under 30, 50percent under 21, 40 percentunder 18, about half of the total under 20. Andyou know what? They seek the sameopportunities and the same things that youdo: opportunity. We have an interest in helpingthese young people to developthe skills that they need to defeat the mass unemploymentthat is overwhelmingtheir societies so that they can in fact start contributing totheircommunities and rebuild their broken economies rather than engaging in someotherterrorist or other kind of extremist activity. For the first time inhuman history, young peoplearound the world act as a global cohort, includingmany of the people in this room. They’remore open-minded. They’re moreproficient with the technology that keeps them connected in away that nogeneration in history has ever been before. We need to help all of them, andus, touse this remarkable network in a positive way.
Now, some may say not now, notwhile we have our budget; it’s too expensive. Well, believeme, my friends,these challenges will not get easier with time. There is no pause button onthefuture. We cannot choose when we would like to stop and restart our globalresponsibility orsimply wait until the calendar says it’s more convenient.It’s not easy, but responding is theAmerican thing to do. And I’ll tell you,it’s worth it.
Our relatively small investmentin these programs – programs which advance peace,security, and stabilityaround the world, which help American companies compete abroad,which createjobs here at home by opening new markets to American goods, whichsupportAmerican citizens abroad, help them when they need it the most, which fosterstablesocieties and save lives by fighting disease and hunger, which defendthe universal rights of allpeople and advance freedom and dignity anddevelopment around the world, which bringpeople together and nations together,and forge partnerships to address problems thattranscend the separation of oceansand borders on land, which protect our planet for ourchildren and theirchildren, and which give hope to a new generation of interconnectedworldcitizens – our investment in all of those things cost us, as I just mentioned,about onepenny of every dollar we invest. America, you will not find a betterdeal anywhere.
Now, I’m particularly aware thatin many ways, the greatest challenge to America’s foreignpolicy today is inthe hands not of diplomats, but of policymakers in Congress. It is oftensaidthat we cannot be strong at home if we’re not strong in the world, but in thesedays of alooming budget sequester that everyone actually wants to avoid – ormost – we can’t bestrong in the world unless we are strong at home. Mycredibility as a diplomat working to helpother countries create order isstrongest when America, at last, puts its own fiscal house inorder, and thathas to be now. (Applause.)
Think about it. It’s hard to tellthe leadership of any number of countries that they have toresolve theireconomic issues if we don’t resolve our own. Let’s reach a responsibleagreementthat prevents these senseless cuts. Let’s not lose this opportunitybecause of politics.
As I’ve said many times before,America is not exceptional simply because we say we are.We are exceptionalbecause we do exceptional things, both where there are problems as wellaswhere there is promise, both where there is danger as well as where there isdemocracy. I amoptimistic that we will continue to do these exceptionalthings. I know we have the capacity. Iknow that’s who we are, and it’s whowe’ve always been.