Madeleine Albright
Madeleine Albright
Madeleine Jana Korbel Albright is an American politician and diplomat. She is the first woman to have become the United States Secretary of State. She was nominated by U.S. President Bill Clinton on December 5, 1996, and was unanimously confirmed by a U.S. Senate vote of 99–0. She was sworn in on January 23, 1997...
NationalityAmerican
ProfessionPolitician
Date of Birth15 May 1937
CitySmichov, Czech Republic
CountryUnited States of America
I don't think people should think of women's issues as auxiliary issues - they are central.
I do think that one needs to have respect for people who are older. And I really do love the idea that one can respect generations.
I get up every morning and I'm grateful for everything that has happened. I go through my list about being grateful for my children and grandchildren, and for the really remarkable life that I have been able to have.
It is an unfortunate fact that in many parts of the world women are considered property. An awful lot of injustice is obviously due to that; not just women's status in the home, but all kinds of laws that are even more discriminating.
After the Cold War, to rally the American people to understand that we had to be a part of solutions. It's one thing to say that we have to run everything, it's another to say we don't want anything to do with it.
My mind-set is Munich. Most of my generation's is Vietnam.
I was in Europe and it was at this stage that I fell in love with Americans in uniform. And I continue to have that love affair.
I spent my life studying communism and Soviet systems.
I loved what I did. I could've been secretary of state for ever.
I loved being Secretary of State, that's probably evident to everyone who watched me.
And frankly, I don't understand - I mean, I'm obviously a card-carrying Democrat - but I can't understand why any woman would want to vote for Mitt Romney, except maybe Mrs. Romney.
My parents were of the generation who thought they were the children of a free Czechoslovakia, the only democracy in central Europe.
No matter how hard we might wish, we will not be able to transform China's behavior overnight.
Our strategic dialogue with China can both protect American interests and uphold our principles, provided we are honest about our differences on human rights and other issues and provided we use a mix of targeted incentives and sanctions to narrow these differences.