Mitt Romney addressed the Clinton Global Initiative this morning.
He opened with a joke, noting how "... a few words from Bill Clinton can do a man a lot of good." Romney added, "All I've got to do is wait a couple days for that bounce."
h/t: ThunderPig - check out his blog here
Romney gave a defense of free markets and free minds:
Free enterprise has done more to bless humanity than any other economic system not only because it is the only system that creates a prosperous middle class, but also because it is the only system where the individual enjoys the freedom to guide and build his or her own life. Free enterprise cannot only make us better off financially, it can make us better people.
He outlined a plan to revamp the way the USA provides foreign aid, called Prosperity Pacts, built on the idea that the aid should not be a never-ending blank checkbook.
When I was in business, I traveled to many other countries. I was often struck by the vast difference in wealth among nations. True, some of that was due to geography. Rich countries often had natural resources like mineral deposits or ample waterways. But in some cases, all that separated a rich country from a poor one was a faint line on a map. Countries that were physically right next to each other were economically worlds apart. Just think of North and South Korea.
I became convinced that the crucial difference between these countries wasn’t geography. I noticed the most successful countries shared something in common. They were the freest. They protected the rights of the individual. They enforced the rule of law. And they encouraged free enterprise. They understood that economic freedom is the only force in history that has consistently lifted people out of poverty – and kept people out of poverty.
The speech gave Romney the chance to juxtapose President Obama's address to the United Nations - which also occurred this morning.
He began with a tribute to slain Ambassador Chris Stevens, saying the dead diplomat embodied the best of America.
The attacks on our civilians in Benghazi were attacks on America. We are grateful for the assistance we received from the Libyan government and the Libyan people. And there should be no doubt that we will be relentless in tracking down the killers and bringing them to justice. I also appreciate that in recent days, the leaders of other countries in the region – including Egypt, Tunisia, and Yemen – have taken steps to secure our diplomatic facilities, and called for calm. So have religious authorities around the globe.
But the attacks of the last two weeks are not simply an assault on America. They are also an assault on the very ideals upon which the United Nations was founded – the notion that people can resolve their differences peacefully; that diplomacy can take the place of war; and that in an interdependent world, all of us have a stake in working towards greater opportunity and security for our citizens.
Obama defended US intervention and support for the Arab Spring. He condemned the YouTube video that mocks Islam, but said it would not be banned:
I know that not all countries in this body share this understanding of the protection of free speech. Yet in 2012, at a time when anyone with a cell phone can spread offensive views around the world with the click of a button, the notion that we can control the flow of information is obsolete. The question, then, is how we respond. And on this we must agree: there is no speech that justifies mindless violence.
There are no words that excuse the killing of innocents. There is no video that justifies an attack on an Embassy. There is no slander that provides an excuse for people to burn a restaurant in Lebanon, or destroy a school in Tunis, or cause death and destruction in Pakistan.
He vowed to hunt down the killers of the four Americans, and condemned the violence in Syria. He said he wants a diplomatic resolution to Iran's pursuit of nuclear technology, but that time is not unlimited in arriving at such a conclusion.
Here is the first part of the speech:
And the second part:
