But I don't think we've ever been in a situation that is quite as really brittle. I am worried about Russia because, while the Chinese I think are operating from a position of more and more strength, the Russians are basically Putin playing a weak hand very well.
What he's doing is undermining democracy. Not just in terms of some of the hacking and stuff that they're doing with the United States, but also in terms of trying to separate us from our allies in Europe.
Then I'm obviously also worried about North Korea and Iran. But I'm also worried about the kind of global issues that are out there: climate change that really is a very serious issue and the pandemic that we have been so inadequately working on.
There are certain problems that know no borders. We are not very apt at the moment in dealing with those kinds of issues. You've written a book about fascism "Fascism: A Warning," Are you concerned we're heading down that path? Is that too strong of a word? I wrote it before the virus obviously. There were divisions already in our society. Every country has divisions.
But a demagogic leader is somebody that can exacerbate those divisions. The first person to be a fascist was dictator Benito Mussolini.
Italy had been on the side of the Allies during World War I, but people felt they were not respected enough for the role they played. They had economic problems. Mussolini was an outsider, a good speaker, somebody that could motivate people. He kind of got into the middle of this situation and began to exacerbate it by aligning himself with one group of people at the expense of another. The best quote in that book was from Mussolini, in which he said, "If you pluck a chicken one feather at a time, nobody notices.
Various places that were making me nervous in terms of the steps that they were taking. By the way, fascism is not an ideology. It is a process for gaining power and it begins with a demagogic leader who is able to exacerbate the differences that are kind of normal in any society, who thinks that he's above the law, who thinks the press is the enemy of the people and is somebody who is willing to do pretty much anything to be in power.
That book was a couple of years ago. Would you give a stronger warning now? Are we on the road to being there? Well, we're not there. But there has been a lot of feather plucking going on. I don't want us to wake up when actually that bird is bald. We have to call it out. I think it's when you stand up for what you believe in when it's not always easy and you get criticized for it.
It took me a long time to find my voice. But having found it, I'm not going to shut up. I'm going to use it to the best of my ability in terms of making sure that democracy is our form of government and that those around the world that want to live in a democracy have a possibility to do so. This interview has been edited for length and clarity. Facebook Twitter Email. Women of the Century: Madeleine Albright found her voice, and she's "not going to shut up.
She earned the Ph. In she was appointed Ambassador to the United Nations by President Clinton and served in the position until her appointment as Secretary of State in As Secretary of State, Albright promoted the expansion of NATO eastward into the former Soviet bloc nations and the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons from the former Soviet republics to rogue nations, successfully pressed for military intervention under NATO auspices during the humanitarian crisis in Kosovo in , supported the expansion of free-market democratization and the creation of civil societies in the developing world, favored the ratification of the Kyoto Protocol on Global Climate Change, and furthered the normalization of relations with Vietnam.
In December , Clinton once again looked to Albright for her expertise in foreign policy, nominating her for secretary of state. When she was sworn in to the position the following January, she became the 64th secretary of state and the first woman to ever hold that position.
In her new role, Albright quickly lived up to her reputation as a strong-willed and outspoken problem-solver, engaging with a broad range of issues. During her tenure, Albright advocated for increased human rights and democracy throughout the world and fought to halt the spread of nuclear weapons from former Soviet countries to rogue nations such as North Korea. A champion of NATO, Albright also sought to expand the organization's membership and in , pushed for its direct military intervention during the humanitarian crisis in Kosovo.
As a diplomat, she was closely involved in work to normalize U. In October , Albright made history again when she became the first American secretary of state to travel to North Korea. Although she left her post in , for Albright life after government has been anything but quiet.
In , Albright put her international expertise to use when she launched the private investment fund Albright Capital Management, which seeks to make long-term investments in emerging markets for its clients.
Albright also serves as the co-chair of the Albright Stonebridge Group, a global strategy firm, and chair of the advisory council for The Hague Institute for Global Justice. Albright has received numerous honors for her contributions to diplomacy, democracy and world affairs, including honorary degrees from several universities, and in , President Barack Obama awarded her the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
In October , she engaged in a good-humored Twitter war with late-night talk show host Conan O'Brien over their respective Halloween costumes, and in February she appeared in an episode of the popular comedy series Parks and Recreation , offering friendly advice to Amy Poehler 's character, Leslie, over waffles.
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When Hillary Clinton was elected to the U. Senate in , she became the first American first lady to win a public office seat. In , she became the first woman in U. Condoleezza Rice is the first Black woman to serve as the United States' national security adviser, as well as the first Black woman to serve as U.
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