Bloperty

A Strategic Fifth Column
by Gerald L. Campbell
Senior Advisor to the Director
United States Information Agency, 1985-1990
Washington Times (July 7, 2003)

John Quincy Adams wrote that America’s destiny was to be the “beacon on the summit of the mountain, to which all the inhabitants of the earth may turn their eyes for a genial and saving light – a light of admonition to the rulers of men, and a light of salvation and redemption to the oppressed.”

New significance has been given those words by the splendid military tactics that obliterated the Taliban, seriously degraded al Quaeda, and decapitated Saddam’s regime. To the oppressor, an ultimate warning has been issued. To the oppressed, history has given birth to a new springtime of hope.

Unlike anything that has gone before, America’s military power has demonstrated a remarkable ability to discriminate between the tyrant and the innocent. The Goddess of Justice smiles more favorably upon the oppressed. The long-suffering dream emblazoned in the hearts of our common humanity – a dream for individual dignity, human solidarity, and freedom – stands poised to blossom anew as the age-old sanctuary for despots stands more naked and vulnerable than ever.

But, to fully seize the moment, we must do more than fight a tactical war against terrorists, and their networks and state sponsors. We must also take the strategic offensive. We must summon with renewed vigor our moral resources and reaffirm our unique position in world history. America must reach out to the ‘hearts and minds’ of people around the world and transform this latest phase of the war against terrorism into a struggle for the freedom and dignity of man. Why is this so?

The tactics of the terrorists are clear. They want to damage our economic infrastructure and threaten the lives of innocent people with weapons of mass destruction. Overseas, they seek to fracture alliances and turn cultures and religions against us by marketing their ruthless nihilism as an inevitable ‘clash of civilizations.’

But strategically their aim runs much deeper. It is to spread fear and destroy freedom. They know that fear will subvert our freedoms and force us to disengage from the rest of the world. And so, this contest is essentially about the future of freedom.

But therein lies our enemy’s Achilles heel. For the best antidote to fear is freedom itself. And while terrorists must fight skulking in the shadows, America can struggle openly with words and deeds that truly resonate with the freedom and dignity of man, regardless of nationality, culture, or religion.

America has an intrinsic bond with all humanity and the transcendent cornerstone of that bond is freedom. Freedom, so regarded, is not a mere ideal or option contingent upon political consensus. It is not a commodity selfishly deduced from an utilitarian or hedonistic urge. Nor is it the product of certain cultures or religions. Freedom is existentially rooted in the human person and from that source emanates a purposeful dynamism that strives to give substance to history itself. And this common birthright has particular significance today.

For some time, international politics has been undergoing an amazing metamorphosis brought on by two historic developments. First, the global communications revolution has democratized the nature of political power on a global scale. Second, the center of gravity in international politics is moving away from the traditional elites of state-to-state relations to the existential and democratic urges of peoples and causes.

Increasingly, world public opinion is becoming a potent force capable of decisive influence over the policies and conduct of states, no matter how dictatorial or how free. The management of state-to-state relations, even though necessary, is no longer a sufficient mechanism to influence the dynamics of international politics, as the collapse of the Soviet Union and our recent experience with Turkey demonstrate. To compete in the global marketplace of ideas, we must reconstitute and reinvigorate our public diplomacy apparatus and stand solidly aligned with truth, justice, solidarity, and freedom.

Given this challenge, the issue before us is clear. The nihilistic impulse of terrorism is not on trial. It offers only hatred and defends nothing. Freedom itself is not on trial. Its promise is intertwined in the very fabric of human existence. What is on trial is the authenticity of America’s commitment to human freedom. And while we must not go abroad “seeking dragons to destroy,” as Adams cautioned, we must use the power of example to exalt peoples everywhere to move towards a new world order, an order infused with the spirit of the inalienable rights of man and the freedom of the individual. Without authenticity in this effort, battles may be won, but the ultimate contest will be lost.

So, the task ahead is not image building. Image building is unsubstantial and affronts personal dignity. Nor is the task essentially an articulation and defense of US policies. Gains made for such aims can only be superficial and short-lived. The only way to win this global contest is to build authentic relationships with peoples everywhere in their struggle to realize freedom.

To that end, America has at its disposal a strategic fifth column positioned around the world. This fifth column is made up of freedom-loving individuals who, while unorganized and undisciplined, are waiting patiently for the trumpets to call. They man their posts in every hovel, crowded apartment, or house, in every school, workplace, or center of worship, in every rural region, town, or city in every country and hemisphere of the world.

If America renews her sacred commitment to those individuals yearning for freedom, and if it keeps faith with the revolutionary potential inherent in that yearning, this fifth column – backed up by America’s economic, military, and diplomatic determination – will unleash democratic forces and processes in countries scattered about the globe that will be irresistible. And sooner than we think, the oppressors, one by one, will be vanquished.

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About the Author

Gerald L. Campbell served as senior staff to Members of the U.S. House of Representatives for nine years. He became Senior Advisor to the Director of the United States Information Agency (USIA) under President Ronald Reagan and President George Bush.

Campbell went on to serve the administration of President George Bush and later, he served Texas Governor Bush as Senior Advisor to the Commissioner of Health at the Texas Department of Health in Austin.

4-H is a non-profit youth organization in the United States committed to the development of community youth by inculcating values such as citizenship, leadership and life skills. The name 4H was taken from its four core personal development areas: Head, Heart, Hands and Health. A vast network, its members, aged 5 to 19, number 6.5 million, belonging to over 90,000 4-H clubs sprawled across the country. It is also supported by 518,000 volunteers, 3,500 staff members, and over 60 million alumni.

The organization actively advocates for youth development in three key mandates: Science, Engineering, and Technology (4-H ESET), Citizenship, and Healthy Living. As such, it funds youth researchers in science and engineering, conducts rural youth programs and engages its members to study beyond agriculture, learning photography, the arts, public speaking and other areas. It also launches summer camps, state and county fairs, and cultural events. It encourages volunteerism and has a broad volunteer corps. It is also spread out in colleges and universities all over America and its programs exist in around 80 countries.

As a member of the non-profit community in America, like Feed the Children, an international relief organization providing assistance to the needy, 4H Council also believes that giving is good. Feed the Children encourages donations over the Internet through Giving is Good where people can look for charities of their choice and communicate with them.

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Bill Clinton was an excellent president by any standards, although he is far from perfect. It was during his two terms that the American economy boomed. And though no longer president, his influence could still influence the hearts and minds of the American people. This is perhaps the most plausible reason why he was a significant player in Sen. Hillary Clinton’s presidential nomination campaign. Being the former US President, Bill has the smarts, as well as the guile, which are valuable assets to anyone who has dreams to be the nation’s Chief Executive. And Hillary Clinton, for all her accomplishments and political contributions, still called on Bill to gather what she needed most – voters. It cannot be denied that Bill was one of the best presidents to ever manage the United States. Such achievement could make people think, “If Bill endorses his wife, she must sure be something.” Though he was involved in a scandal with an intern named Monica, Hillary stood by her man. On the other hand, some people think that another Clinton in the White House is too much. There are also those who clamor for fresh names, yet capable persons, to sit in the White House.

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As a large business organization with a global reach, Bacardi has also been a leader in terms of pro-environmental pursuits. Bacardi environmental efforts have funded various programs in the fields of education, research, and improvement of environmental facilities. Aside from that, Bacardi has participated in joint efforts of giving people shelter, food, clothing, and other basic necessities during natural calamities. At Bacardi, environment and relief projects are a necessary part of doing business.

Bacardi’s global facilities, bottling plants, and distilleries have employed several means in a concerted effort to reduce their energy consumption and increase or better their production. With its commitment to helping the environment, Bacardi has spearheaded its contemporaries in using renewable sources of energy for their operations.

Bacardi Puerto Rico has shelled out over $18 million in a span of 20 years in developing the plant’s patented anaerobic digester technology to turn wastewater into energy. The plant now gets 30% of its energy from the biogas that is extracted from the wastewater it produces.

Bacardi Puerto Rico is now investing an additional $7 million to develop and build a co-generation facility that is slated to provide additional electricity from biogas. Once completed, the Puerto Rico facility’s power generating capabilities will be further enhanced while the plant’s dependence on fossil fuel will be greatly reduced.

Aside from Puerto Rico, Bacardi distilleries all over the world have also begun using biogas to provide electricity for their operations.

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Bacardi environmental efforts include its distilleries all over the world using biogas to generate power for the plants.