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about Candace Lee Williams； she was an optimist。 I'd bet anything she'd still be
getting on planes today if she had the chance。 And so must we all。
America's role in the world； from its inception； has been to be the country that looks
forward； not back。 One of the most dangerous things that has happened to America since
9/11； under the Bush administration； is that we have gone from exporting hope to
exporting fear。 We have gone from trying to coax the best out of the world to snarling
at it way too often。 And when you export fear； you end up importing everyone else's
fears。 Yes； we need people who can imagine the worst； because the worst did happen
on 9/11 and it could happen again。 But； as I said； there is a fine line between
precaution and paranoia； and at times we have crossed it。 Europeans and others often
love to make fun of American optimism and naivete…our crazy notion that every problem
has a solution； that tomorrow can be better than yesterday； that the future can always
bury the past。 But I have always believed that deep down the rest of the world envies
that American optimism and naivete； it needs it。 It is one of the things that help
keep the world spinning on its axis。 If we go dark as a society； if we stop being
the world's 〃dream factory；〃 we will make the world not only a darker place but also
a poorer place。
Analysts have always tended to measure a society by classical economic and social
statistics： its deficit…to…GDP ratio； or its unemployment rate； or the rate of
literacy among its adult women。 Suchstatistics are important and revealing。 But there
is another statistic； much harder
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to measure； that I think is even more important and revealing： Does your society have
more memories than dreams or more dreams than memories？
By dreams I mean the positive； life…affirming variety。 The business organization
consultant Michael Hammer once remarked； 〃One thing that tells me a company is in
trouble is when they tell me how good they were in the past。 Same with countries。
You don't want to forget your identity。 I am glad you were great in the fourteenth
century； but that was then and this is now。 When memories exceed dreams； the end is
near。 The hallmark of a truly successful organization is the willingness to abandon
what made it successful and start fresh。〃
In societies that have more memories than dreams； too many people are spending too
many days looking backward。 They see dignity； affirmation； and self…worth not by
mining the present but by chewing on the past。 And even that is usually not a real
past but an imagined and adorned past。 Indeed； such societies focus all their
imagination on making that imagined past even more beautiful than it ever was； and
then they cling to it like a rosary or a strand of worry beads； rather than imagining
a better future and acting on that。 It is dangerous enough when other countries go
down that route； it would be disastrous for America to lose its bearings and move
in that direction。 I think my friend David Rothkopf； the former Commerce Department
official and now a fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace； said
it best： 〃The answer for us lies not in what has changed； but in recognizing what
has not changed。 Because only through this recognition will we begin to focus on the
truly critical issues…an effective multilateral response to weapons of mass
destruction proliferation； the creation of real stakeholders in globalization among
the world's poor； the need for reform in the Arab world and a style of U。S。 leadership
that seeks to build our base of support worldwide by getting more people to voluntarily
sign onto our values。 We need to remember that those values are the real foundation
for our security and the real source of our strength。 And we need to recognize that
our enemies can never defeat us。 Only we can defeat ourselves； by throwing out the
rule book that has worked for us for a long； long time。〃
I believe that history will make very clear that President Bush shame
lessly exploited the emotions around 9/11 for political purposes。 He used those 9/11
emotions to take a far…right Republican domestic agenda on taxes； the environment；
and social issues from 9/10…an agenda for which he had no popular mandate…and drive
it into a 9/12 world。 In doing so； Mr。Bush not only drove a wedge between Americans；
and between Americans and the world； he drove a wedge between America and its own
history and identity。 His administration transformed the United States into 〃the
United States of Fighting Terrorism。〃 This is the real reason； in my view； that so
many people in the world dislike President Bush so intensely。 They feel that he has
taken away something very dear to them…an America that exports hope； not fear。
We need our president to restore September 11 to its rightful place on the calendar…as
the day after September 10 and before September 12。 We must never let it become a
day that defines us。 Because ultimately September 11 is about them…the bad guys…not
about us。
We're about the Fourth of July。 We're about 11/9。
Beyond trying to retain the best of our own imaginations； what else can we do as
Americans and as a global society to try to nurture the same in others？ One has to
approach this question with great humility。 What leads one person to the joy of
destruction and what leads another to the joy of creation； what leads one to imagine
11/9 and another to imagine 9/11； is surely one of the great mysteries of contemporary
life。 Moreover； while most of us might have some clue about how to nurture a more
positive imagination for our own kids； and maybe…maybe…for our fellow citizens； it
is presumptuous to think that we can do it for others； particularly those of a
different culture； speaking different languages； and living half a world away。 Yet
9/11； the flattening of the world； and the continuing threat of world…disrupting
terrorism suggest that not thinking about this is its own kind of dangerous naivete。
So I insist on trying to do so； but I approach this issue with a keen awareness of
the limits of what any outsider can know or do。
Generally speaking； imagination is the product of two shaping forces。 One is the
narratives that people are nurtured on…the stories and myths
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they and their religious and national leaders tell themselves…and how those
narratives feed their imaginations one way or another。 The other is the context in
which people grow up； which has a huge impact on shaping how they see the world and
others。 Outsiders cannot get inside and adjust the Mexican or Arab or Chinese
narrative any more than they can get inside the American one。 Only they can reinterpret
their narrative； make it more tolerant or forward looking； and adapt it to modernity。
No one can do thatfor them or even with them。 But one can think about how to collaborate
with others to change their context…the context within which people grow up and live
their daily lives…to help nurture more people with the imagination of 11/9 than 9/11。
Let me offer a few examples。
eBay
Meg Whitman； the CEO