Kerry Makes Case for Robust Foreign Aid

Foreign policy affects everyday lives, maintained John Kerry in his first address as US secretary of state. Kerry spoke at the University of Virginia, founded by Thomas Jefferson, and praised the third US president's global curiosity, an insistence on open minds and a campus open to all. Globalization won’t just go away, Kerry warned, adding the challenge is to tame its “worst impulses.” He pointed out that “our lives as Americans are more intertwined than ever before with the lives of people in parts of the world that we may have never visited.” He underscored environmental security as a challenge. He described as “incredible” that, as a Vietnam War veteran, he could point to normalized relations, with increasing US-Vietnamese trade. Foreign aid enhances partnerships of all types around the globe, preferred over troop deployments. Kerry urged support for foreign aid, noting that the US foreign policy budget represents but 1 percent of the national budget, yet is an investment in stability and freedom. – YaleGlobal