Condi Rice: the Warrior Princess
Condi Rice is the top leading female African-American politician to hold a high-ranking and influential position in the United States government today. From her lengthy and experienced background, Rice has established herself among the elite in Washington, D.C. Her commitment to the foreign policy of this great nation has proven very strong over the many years that she has worked for the government. With the confidence of President Bush behind her, Rice has and will continue to lead the front for peaceful relations with different nations to spread democracy and human rights.
In 1954, Rice was born in Birmingham, Alabama the year before the civil rights movement would take place. Going up in a brutally racist environment, little Condi, who enjoyed reading books and playing the piano, didn’t let the violence affect her. Even though the pain and suffering that surrounded her was immense, she did not let it prevent her from making her dreams come true.
For Condi Rice, her best area in government is dealing with foreign relations. A perfect example of Condi Rice’s keen intellect of foreign policy would be her knowledge of the Soviet Union during the final years of the Cold War. When the Soviet Union collapsed, human rights in that region were to be changed forever. People gained the freedom of speech, freedom of religion, and the right to vote. Rice firmly believes “nothing improved human rights as much as the collapse of Soviet power.” With the fall of the Soviet Union, the United States had now become the world’s only superpower. We benefited greatly in this peaceful victory. “American values are universal. Their triumph is most assuredly easier when the international balance of power favors those who believe in them. But sometimes that favorable balance of power takes time to achieve, both internationally and within a country,” said best by Rice. She is referring to strong countries that do not need to isolate themselves such as the Soviet Union did during the Cold War. Other powerful states need to join the peaceful global community.
After her successful term in office as the National Security Advisor for the first Bush administration, Rice was nominated to become the Secretary of State for the second Bush administration. During the ceremony when she was sworn in, “the new secretary spoke of the need to work in partnership with allies and others around the world putting the tools of diplomacy to work to unite, strengthen and widen the community of democracies.'” The more nations that can come together to spread freedom and liberty the better. Among the goals on Bush’s agenda for Condi Rice, the main few involve concentrated peace talks between Israel and Palestine, the nuclear program in Iran, the Iraq war, and the spread of democracy in the greater Middle East. She would also work hard “to provide more structured aid to Russia, to better manage China’s transition and to strengthen America’s coalitions around the world.” But overall, Rice’s central objective is for the United States “to aid those transitional states that today aim to partake in the prosperity that our times offer.”
As a conservative, Rice believes in limited government and improving human conditions. Among all principles of conservatives, she believes strongest in the spread of democracy to secure peace. She is also opposed to affirmative action. Although conservative, some may view Rice as a liberal internationalist of some sort because “her foreign policy [is] based on principles of democracy, free trade and institutions as foundations of peace and American power.” To Rice, the greatest advocate of peace and progress is free trade and the enlargement of free trade zones. The result of the extension of free trade will make the transition process to democracy for those nations participating a lot easier. Having served on many boards of different international corporations, she knows “that economic liberalization is the best way to promote economic growth across the world.”
In her speech to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee in February of 2005, she stated that she is “looking forward to working with [them] to build a strong bipartisan consensus behind America’s foreign policy, and to ensure that the men and women of American diplomacy have the resources they need to conduct their vital mission.” Moreover, she expressed the “efforts to encourage political pluralism, economic openness and the growth of civil society” throughout the broader Middle East and North Africa, which is crucial to attaining peace. She also talked about her recent visit to Europe and the Middle East. In her meeting with the European leaders, Rice stressed the need to use their partnership as a strong influence in the Middle East and North Africa to confront the challenges of a changing world. Rice continued by explaining that the Forum of Rabat was a huge success, and it included “a new partnership of progress between the democratic world and the nations of a vast region extending from Morocco to Pakistan.” Rice understands the complicated path of democratic reform in the Middle East. She knows that it doesn’t just come over night. She further explains by stating that “the spread of freedom is the work of generations, but it is also urgent work that cannot be deferred.”
Condi Rice knows the power of the United States and wants to use it to give all people the chance for a better life by ending the rule of brutal dictatorships such as the Taliban. She supports the President’s resolve to work hard for a safer world by fighting terrorism on the offensive. Using military strength is a necessary means of fighting the world’s terrorist. Al Qaeda has lost nearly two thirds of its top leaders due to our military power, and she knows that America has to keep them on the run and prevent them from reorganizing. Both President Bush and Rice see tremendous potential for the Middle East, but terrorist organizations must come to an end. Through President Bush’s forceful action and Rice’s diplomacy, many terrorist organizations have lost a lot of funding for their active participates. Rice is working to bring nations together to provide links to end funding of these brutal organizations. In Iraq and Afghanistan, Rice stresses the fact that people there can finally begin to live in peaceful democratic societies and no longer have to fear the aggression and cruelty of corrupt regimes.
Condi Rice has become one of the most influential African-Americans in United States history and her career in the government has only just begun. Her conservative values have made her a very successful person in the government to this day. Moreover, these values are critical at this point in American history for the advance of freedom throughout the world. As a result, she is making America a much safer place to live. In conclusion, Condi Rice has established American values and liberties throughout many parts of the world and will only continue until she knows that her work is complete.
Endnotes
Robert E. Lee