Former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright would sit in a tent in her living room as she reviewed private material to ensure that no spies would ever see them, she told a sold-out crowd in Royce Hall Wednesday night.

Privacy and security concerns were just some of the topics Albright discussed during her visit to UCLA as part of the Luskin Lecture Series. She spoke about effective ways for the U.S. to apply its military and diplomatic advantages to an increasingly decentralized world, as well as what steps must be taken to advance equality and democracy.

Wednesday’s lecture, “The Next Generation of Global Leadership,” examined questions of equality, democracy and leadership that face a new era of diplomats, elected officials and public intellectuals. Albright, who was the first female U.S. secretary of state, examined Syria’s civil war and privacy issues regarding the National Security Agency and reflected on her time at the United Nations.

“America is more secure if we are involved abroad, otherwise the problems come home,” Albright said.

When asked about the surveillance activities of the NSA in a question-and-answer session after her lecture, she said the government needs such information to make good decisions.

“You need to know what your friends and enemies are thinking and doing,” Albright said. “A lot of foreign policy is collecting information. An ambassador is the eyes and ears of the president.”

Albright acknowledged the need for a public debate about the balance between the NSA’s surveillance and personal privacy since technology has moved faster than the change in ideals.

“Just because we can, should we? That’s the big question,” Albright said. “We don’t want to see another terrorist event.”

But she said incidents such as former analyst Edward Snowden’s release of confidential government documents are very damaging to foreign policy, she said. She added that a lot of foreign relations is based on trust.

At Wednesday’s lecture, Albright received the UCLA Medal, the university’s highest honor.

“It is a privilege for the campus to bestow the UCLA Medal upon Secretary Albright, whose tireless commitment to expanding democracy and ensuring human rights around the world are an inspiration to countless people,” said Chancellor Gene Block in a statement. “With principled vision, she has been a trailblazer for women and a champion for diplomacy throughout her life.”

Many of the lecture attendees said they enjoyed Albright’s wit and straightforward answers.

“I found it insightful and inspiring to hear a woman who has been in the political sphere,” said Andrea Jones, a masters in public policy student who attended the lecture.

Albright’s lecture was sold out, with about 2,000 people attending and 600 on the waitlist to get in. It took about a week for the lecture to fill to capacity, and when the event opened to the UCLA campus, tickets ran out in one day, said Alex Boekelheide, the executive director of communications at the Luskin School of Public Affairs.

The UCLA Luskin Lecture Series is meant to encourage public discussion on issues relevant to the betterment of society. Previous speakers include former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean, former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and former Los Angeles Police Department Chief William J. Bratton.

On Wednesday, Albright ended her lecture with one final call to action: “Beat ‘SC,” she said as the crowd cheered.

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2 Comments

  1. She helped commit class 1 war crimes against Iraq the first time a Bush president invaded there for oil. She strongly supported our “strategy” of bombing their vital civilian infrastructure, including water treatment facilities, which caused (in the lowest estimates) tens of thousands of civilians to die.

    Not that any of that should be surprising when she says, even now, that our military involvement abroad is a good thing, and that the leaks which told us how the NSA gathered info on us are somehow “damaging” to our fascistic state.

    If only US war criminals were fair game at the Hague…. Remind me again why we invite such vile filth to our campus, reward them, and make of them role models for our students?

  2. This is a direct quote (with citations included) from her main Wikipedia page: “On May 12, 1996, Albright defended UN sanctions against Iraq on a 60 Minutes segment in whichLesley Stahl asked her “We have heard that half a million children have died. I mean, that’s more children than died in Hiroshima. And, you know, is the price worth it?” and Albright replied “we think the price is worth it.”[51] Albright later criticized Stahl’s segment as “amount[ing] to Iraqi propaganda”; said that her question was a loaded question;[52][53]”

    According to her, half a million children’s deaths are worth the price [of oil]. This is the type of person our school uses our tuition dollars to promote. No wonder so much of the research done here goes into furthering US imperialism….

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