The Online Reflector

Hoosier statesman Lee Hamilton spoke March 1 as part of the sixth annual Jerry and Carol Israel Lecture in Public Policy. The lecture was held in the Ruth Lilly Performance Hall in the Christel DeHaan Fine Arts Center.

Hamilton represented Indiana’s 9th Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1965 to 1999 and was president and director of the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars in Washington, D.C. He specializes in foreign policy.

Hamilton discussed the role of the United States in world affairs, as well as the challenges that confront the U.S. in the years ahead. He also discussed what is seen as the four “central realities” of world affairs: globalization, persistent unrest, ever-shifting international alliances and the continued preeminence of American power.

Hamilton said that although the U.S. has the best military and technology in the world, other nations have gained power in recent years.

“We are not the unchallenged power that many of you can remember from the 1990s after the fall of the Soviet Union,” Hamilton said.

He said that the U.S. remains the guardian of security, which is important in an increasingly global economy.

Hamilton also pointed out that one of the largest problems with globalization is U.S. dependence on foreign oil.

“We’ve got to become more efficient, and we’ve got to develop alternative sources of fuel,” Hamilton said.

The former Congressman then discussed issues with China. He says this is the most important bilateral relationship for the United States, since China is the United States’ largest global peer and competitor. He said that the countries should have open communication and the politicians should work together abroad as well as at home.

“You cannot solve the problems we have today without compromise,” Hamilton said.

Hamilton said that when Ronald Reagan was president, politicians often were divided, but were willing to make compromises for the greater good.

“Our mindset was, ‘Okay, we’re going to fight as strongly for what we believe in, but at the end of the day we have to make this country work,’” Hamilton said.

Hamilton concluded his speech by telling audience members to do their part, in their corner of the world, to become better and stronger for the future.

“The future could bring order and prosperity and peace, or the future could bring chaos and war,” Hamilton said.

Hamilton said that his hope is Americans will accept the challenges of the future in order to keep the U.S. the superpower for years to come.

Sophomore communication major Ayla Wilder thought the speech offered a realistic view of what is going on in the world.

“I feel like a lot of Americans, especially students of our generation, needed to hear a speech like that, because our generation is not informed on international affairs,” she said.

Hamilton said he wanted to go into politics to contribute to the success of a representative democracy and aspired to influence students at the University of Indianapolis.

“I hope they [the students] will have somewhat of a better understanding of foreign policy in the U.S.,” he said. “Representative democracy puts a heavy demand on citizens and requires them to not sit on the sidelines, but participate.”