Clinton urges students to get political

SYRACUSE -- Re-establishing American leadership around the world is critical in the aftermath of the recession, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said yesterday during an appearance at Syracuse University, where she urged students to become involved in the political process.

"American leadership remains as essential as it has in the past. It's a daily struggle," Clinton said during a question-and-answer session arranged through the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs. "I hadn't fully grasped how nervous people were about what they could expect from us [after the recession]. There's a thread of concern about where we are and what we can do."

The former first lady and senator from New York covered an array of topics in a discussion, "America and the World." Speaking to an audience of more than 1,000, Clinton touched on the U.S. economy, human rights, public health, energy diplomacy, climate change, social media and the gridlock that has paralyzed Congress.

"If we're going to be judging the rest of the world, we have to judge ourselves," she said. "We make mistakes. We have to be asking ourselves what we can do better."

In addressing human rights issues, including those involving gays in the African nation of Liberia, Clinton said that sometimes public criticism is not the best avenue because "it might hurt those you're trying to protect."

"When you have human rights standards that are so foreign to other cultures, it's just not understood in a lot of places," she said. On climate change, Clinton made a plea for evidence-based decisions based on arithmetic, not ideology. She said politicians "do great damage" when they make ideology more important than facts.

"We need to be honest about what the true facts are. Let's not disagree with the science," she said. "We've been slowly cleaning up our own house and we're making progress . . . At some point, the world will realize we have to have international agreements."

Clinton closed by imploring younger generations to become involved politically. "You have to be willing to enter into the political fray," she said. "We need you more than ever."