Madeleine’s Words of Wisdom

The first female secretary of state had balls. And her tough, provocative, and controversial tenure shines all the more when compared to the doings of the current set of foreign-affairs lunatics in the White House. Czech by birth, Madeleine Albright, who served as U.N. ambassador before joining the Clinton gang, hawked the wars in the Balkans, met with creepy recluse Kim Jong-Il, and tried to whip the United Nations into shape. In 1996, after Cuba attacked Brothers to the Rescue planes, she declared the incident an act of cowardice.

She defended sanctions against Saddam Hussein’s Iraq even though they led to the starvation of hundreds of thousands of Iraqi children, saying “the price is worth it.” She has repeatedly expressed regret about that one, calling it “crazy,” “stupid,” and “wrong.” In other words, when it comes to world politics, Albright is a hottie. Her new book, Memo to the President Elect, offers plenty more about her worldview, plus anecdotes and inside info. She talks at Temple Judea at 7:30 p.m.
Thu., Jan. 17, 7:30 p.m., 2008