The world is a better place because Hillary Clinton was secretary of state. Here’s why.

[onehandle]

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She’s been called one of the finest secretaries of state we’ve ever had.

And someone who once held the same job as Hillary Clinton—former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright—says she’s never met anyone more prepared to be president.

We asked world leaders what made Hillary's four years as America's chief diplomat so consequential. Here’s what they had to say.

1. She restored America’s reputation in the world.

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In 2009, our credibility overseas had been badly damaged after years of unpopular American-led wars in the Middle East. Hillary went to work to restore America’s reputation around the world. She visited 112 countries, brought smart power—coupling diplomacy with the threat of force or sanctions—to U.S. foreign policy, and shaped the global conversation “through her engagement with so many leaders but also the caliber of her intellect,” says former Australian prime minister Julia Gillard.


2. She championed the rights of women and girls around the world.

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“Hillary knew in her head that if we wanted to build peaceful, economically prosperous nations, then we have to educate girls,” says Prime Minister Gillard. Hillary worked to bring down barriers that stop women and girls from reaching their potential—standing up against sex trafficking; helping women gain access to markets, credit, and training; and leading the fight for a U.N. Security Council resolution to combat sexual violence against women and children in conflict zones.


3. She negotiated the toughest sanctions Iran has ever faced.

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With Iran at risk of becoming a nuclear nation, Hillary played a critical role persuading Russia, China, and nine other U.N. Security Council countries to impose the toughest sanctions in Iranian history. It was “a remarkable effort,” says former Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta. “And it paid off.”


4. She negotiated a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.

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In 2012, conflict between Israel and Hamas was escalating in Gaza, and another war in the Middle East seemed imminent. Hillary flew to Jerusalem, convening meetings with leaders in Ramallah and Cairo, and in 24 hours negotiated a ceasefire—ushering in the quietest year Israel had seen in a decade.


5. She stood up for LGBT rights.

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Hillary’s boldness in standing up to countries that pushed anti-gay legislation “transform[ed] the way countries perceive and react to homosexuality,” in the words of one U.N. official. And when she declared to the U.N. Human Rights Council in Geneva that gay rights are human rights, commentators called her words “the strongest defense ever in terms of gay rights.”


6. She reinvigorated American diplomacy with Asia.

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Hillary renewed the United States’ relationships with Asian and Pacific nations, including Japan, South Korea, and Australia. “That’s going to be remembered for many, many long years to come as a diplomatic breakthrough for the U.S.,” says Prime Minister Gillard.


7. She took on the global HIV/AIDS pandemic.

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During Hillary’s tenure, the U.S. extended antiretroviral therapy—which helps HIV/AIDS patients live longer, healthier lives—to 78 countries. Dr. Eric Goosby, a U.N. public health official, says that action alone is helping to save the lives of millions of people around the world. And it’s bringing us one big step closer to achieving an AIDS-free generation.

https://www.hillaryclinton.com/feed/world-better-place-because-hillary-clinton-was-secretary-state-heres-why

[Cha]

1. Wow! this is great, onehandle.. posting this about the same time.

Yours is more complete with pics from the vid.. great!

I hadn't gone to the site.. just saw the vid and made my own headline.

[riversedge]

2. Whow. I had watched a bit earlier but you took the time to get still photos from the

new video. Thank you so much. I do hope all watch it.

[AgingAmerican]

3. Unless you live in Honduras

[TheKentuckian]

5. or Libya, Iraq, Syria, or Iran. We are at net negative just on the chaos created in Libya alone.

[merrily]

51. +1

[840high]

58. +100

[Thinkingabout]

13. Or supporting the Sandinistas.

[Scootaloo]

21. What swell guys those contras were, huh?

Americas Watch – which subsequently became part of Human Rights Watch – accused the Contras of:

• targeting health care clinics and health care workers for assassination
• kidnapping civilians
• torturing civilians
• executing civilians, including children, who were captured in combat
• raping women
• indiscriminately attacking civilians and civilian houses
• seizing civilian property
• burning civilian houses in captured towns.

Human Rights Watch released a report on the situation in 1989, which stated: &quot The) contras were major and systematic violators of the most basic standards of the laws of armed conflict, including by launching indiscriminate attacks on civilians, selectively murdering non-combatants, and mistreating prisoners."

[TheKentuckian]

4. She can't even get through a debate without declaring Iran an enemy to be proud of

diplomatic my ass.

She is a dangerous neocon in the mold of Rice and Rumsfeld.

[Art_from_Ark]

8. Henry Kissinger was her mentor

"We came, we saw, he died"-- Could just as well have been Kissinger talking about Salvador Allende.

[Doctor_J]

6. I read on du that she was only executing the president's orders.

So am I to gather that Obama is responsible for all of the wars and TPP and the xl pipeline and disgusting things, while Mrs Clinton gets credit for antiretroviral therapy?

Also, "she has been called..." is Fox speak.

But your posts are getting more comical as we go

[msongs]

7. the SOS implements the directives of her boss, the president, yes nt

[Art_from_Ark]

9. That's the theory, at least

[riversedge]

11. Obama needed a strong, intelligent person with people skills who could

negotiate between countries around the world. He found that in HRC and as he says--Hilliary is probably one of the best Secretary's of State there ever was (paraphrased) He was and is proud of her.

[Stanley British]

17. Look who has the distinction of "best SoS", according to the scholars.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/in-the-loop/wp/2015/02/05/scholars-votes-kerry-dead-last-in-terms-of-effectiveness/

[Art_from_Ark]

19. Old "Operation Condor" himself

The man who can't travel to several South American countries for fear of being arrested.
Excuse me while I

[riversedge]

28. oh well.

There is no telling for taste sometimes.

PS--I am not sure of the exact words Pres Obama used-not that is matters. Obama thinks highly of Clinton in her role as SOS-that is what matters.

[Scootaloo]

45. Would he express it otherwise?

Seriously, even if Obama thought Clinton's run as SoS was garbage (and I'm not claiming he does) do we expect he would actually say so?

I mean really. He's not always right, but goddamn, the man always has class going for him.

[riversedge]

47. He probably would just be quiet and not say anything. But you are right. Obama has class.

[Scootaloo]

46. "Nobel Peace Prize winner Henry A. Kissinger"

There's a phrase that shouldn't exist.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

10. The wars are over. The killing has stopped. The drones are grounded.

I must've missed something.

[riversedge]

12. K and R.

[Thinkingabout]

14. K & R, heard a long time ago "Always surround yourself with the smartest people" ,

President Obama understood this.

[uponit7771]

15. +1

[oasis]

16. Super

[Cha]

18. I rooted for Hillary when President Obama chose her as his SOS and she's been amazing. Thanks

Obama and Hillary~

[Scootaloo]

20. Interesting.

Didn't you ALSO claim that Hillary was a despicable, depraved sub-human monster who should be nowhere near any position of power or authority? I mean you're free to change your mind, but.. .wow, I mean, that's just quite a sudden shift. especially in the span of two months or so.

I mean, maybe I shouldn't be surprised, since in the span of four months, Bernie Sanders went from a really good awesome liberal senator for you, to... what did you call him? Someone who "hates everything" and a "professional hell-raiser using platitudes, demagoguery, hyperbole and LIES," before asserting that he was literally the physical embodiment of hatred...

Hey, you're free to change your mind of course, but these sort of swings are a little extreme, is all. have you considered chamomile tea?

[joshcryer]

23. "swings are a little extreme"

The Sanders "supporters" reaction to BLM was more than a "little extreme." I mean, you even said, derisively, in an argument with an AA poster here, that Clinton "can take black voters for granted."

Lay off the crap, please. The BLM reaction here was very eye opening to me.

[Art_from_Ark]

24. The swings of some current Hillary supporters have been pretty extreme

going from virulently anti-Hillary to virulently pro-Hillary.

And just what about the BLM reaction by "Bernie supporters" here was "extreme" and "eye opening"?

[joshcryer]

25. Yes it has been amusing to see anti-Clinton posters...

...flip the script, but I think a lot of them are doing it because they are / were Obama supporters and have gotten over the 2008 thing and respect her because she respects Obama, and another segment are doing it because of the political prowess they perceive.

As far as the BLM reaction, there was a lot of ad homs against the protesters, a lot of conspiracy theories, a lot of really dark crap over a 10 minute incident that had literally no political repercussions at all. A lot of AA posters here got timed out because they were highly offended with the dismissive and derisive attitudes. And it wasn't just here, btw, it was also on Reddit, where I frequent, and it really sucked bad. It was all over the place. And to make it worse the right wing was attaching to it and using it against actual Sanders supporters.

Some of the nicest stuff said about Clinton here is in the AA forum, some of the nicest stuff said about Clinton is by AA posters. People do, whether we like it or not, take stuff personally on the internet. And if people look at a candidate and reexamine their position due to being attacked, then it can backfire.

[Art_from_Ark]

26. The BLM protestors went about it all wrong

They disrupted a Social Security event where Bernie was just one of the speakers. They insulted the attendees, and insulted Bernie even though he has a 100% rating from the NAACP. Naturally, there is going to be a backlash about that sort of behavior.
Geez. Imagine if someone had done the same thing to Robert Kennedy in Indianapolis. You just don't do that to people who are already on your side.

[joshcryer]

30. I agree that it was wrong.

I said that it pissed me off. But then I took a step back and realized there are bigger things than being bitter over what some protesters did. And people still can't let it go to this day.

[Cha]

31. they can't stand it.. I love it! Like I give a crap what they think. lol

thank you, josh.

[Scootaloo]

44. Yup I did. It's called sarcasm.

Sort of like said poster's signature line. I had also previously noted in that "discussion" that the BLM message was that black voters couldn't be taken for granted. Said poster wanted to argue that particular point.

And I agree. Plenty of Sanders supporters went overboard. But I wonder how Clinton supporters would react if someone decided to assault their candidate on stage. Especially if Sanders supporters stood on their chairs and whooped it up as 'evidence" that Clinton is something nasty that deserves such treatment.

[Hortensis]

29. Agree, Cha! HRC was our first FEMALE SOS, sowing seeds around the planet,

concentrating especially on improving the wellbeing of women and children. Our male SOSs have always mostly ignored those, like men in general failing to appreciate that the more empowered women are the more peace there is in the world.

[Cha]

33. Thank you, Hortensis! She was awesome.. Women Power! President Obama chose well.

[jeff47]

35. Madeleine Albright and Condi Rice say "Hi", and remind you that they are women. (nt)

[Hortensis]

37. Not sure what this is supposed to be about; but reminding right back, Jeff,

Madeleine, Condi, Hillary, and I are all women.

[jeff47]

40. You claimed Clinton was the first female Secretary of State.

Those two women were Secretary of State before Clinton.

[Hortensis]

42. Oh, sorry, yes I did. I apologize again. HRC was the first to move away from

the male model, which is where my thoughts were running off to. I have no idea what the history books will end up saying about her service, but I profoundly believe we need to focus on the basic enablers of peace and stability.

We would never have played our part in destabilizing the Middle East if that administration had focused on what cutting basic services to millions of urban dwellers would lead to if a centralized government were taken down. Or had realized what a boon allowing rivers to run dry would be to terrorist groups.

[marmar]

41. Really? Madeline Albright and Condi Rice were men?

[JRLeft]

55. Only Hillary counts in Hillary land

[TheKentuckian]

57. No, she wasn't. She wasn't even the 1st female SoS in the year 2008 nor was she the 1st Democratic

appointed female as that was Albright.

[Cha]

22. Kick! Thanks again, onehandle!

[bowens43]

27. She was a TERRIBLE Secretary of state perhaps the worst ever appointed by a Democrat

[Sheepshank]

38. Really? How so?

the op went to some length to deliniate their pov...you provide a statement with absolutley no back up. Forgive me if I give much, much more weight to the OP.

[oasis]

56. Because you said so, right?

Riiiiiiight.

[Scuba]

32. OFFS, that's just ridiculous.

[marmar]

39. I know. Complete suspension of reality.

[treestar]

34. K&R

[NCTraveler]

36. K&R. nt.

[99Forever]

43. A better place to be a warmonger or rich fuck perhaps.

For the rest of us?

Not so much.

[riversedge]

48. A beautiful OP and you ruin it with you vile poop. Shameful.

[99Forever]

49. Sorry pal.

This ain't your freakin' echo chamber. Don't want to see my opinions? Put me on ignore.

[riversedge]

50. You just look foolish to the whole world. Continue on.

[99Forever]

52. Just in case you haven't figured it out.

I don't give damn what you think of me.


And you sure as fuck don't speak for the whole world.

[840high]

59. "The whole world?" - really?

[askew]

53. This is pretty offensive.

Not surprised that Hillary is taking credit for Obama's work, but it is still offensive.

Obama was primary driver of Iran sanctions. Obama restored our reputation around the world. People love him. Hillary was just along for the ride.

And the people of Honduras certainly don't feel that they are better off after Hillary backed a undemocratic coup there and then wanted to send the kid refugees fleeing that government back to Honduras without due process.

[840high]

60. +10

[MisterP]

54. El Heredor says "damn straight"