This is the text of The Richard Dimbleby Lecture 2001, given by the former United States President, Bill Clinton.
- Listen to the introduction (3m)
- Listen to Clinton (46m)
Text of The Richard Dimbleby Lecture by former President Bill Clinton.
I’m delighted to be here, delighted to be part of this distinguished lecture series at a time when every American is especially grateful for our long friendship with the United Kingdom; one that we see manifest now in the partnership that President Bush and Tony Blair have demonstrated in the fight against Afghanistan; one that touched every American heart when the Queen instructed her band to play the American national anthem in the grounds of Buckingham Palace the day after September 11th. One that I came to appreciate deeply when we worked together for peace for Northern Ireland and the Balkans.
Lord Keynes once said how difficult it is for nations to understand one another, even when they had the advantage of a common language; “everyone talks about international co-operation, but how little of pride, of temper, or of habit.”