Joe Biden

“ There is no mountain high enough or ocean wide enough to protect us. The question for America is what, if anything, can we do about this new reality? Make no mistake: the United States will meet and defeat any threat to the safety of our people and the security of our country. We have the will and we have the way to prevail.
But our physical prowess alone cannot solve the problem. We are engaged in much more than a contest of force. We are engaged in a war of ideas. I am convinced that war will be won by those who offer hope, not hatred... ”

“ I believe that the cause of hope and the tide of history is on the side of the moderates and modernizers — in this region, in my region and around the world. Our challenge is to reject their cynicism and hatred and to build an alliance of tolerance and progress.
We each have a job to do. Our job – America’s job – is first and foremost to listen to you –- to listen to your ideas, as well as your fears and concerns. And to do a much better job explaining our ideas and intentions.
But even if we do that well, human nature is the same world wide. ”

“ My country was born in the midst of slavery; we still struggle to overcome the legacy of racism. But we can also say that African Americans have made great strides and are making great contributions to our society.
The rights we enjoy and the institutions we built give every American the power to shine a light on the mistakes we make, and to demand that they be corrected. And the rules we live by protect us from the excess of absolute power... and have helped us build a country where each individual has the opportunity, but not the guarantee, to achieve his or her potential. ”

“ Every nation must find its own way. Let me share with you, in all humility, the path my country has chosen and some lessons we have learned.
Many see the economic, cultural and military power of the United States. What they may not understand is that those strengths flow from our democratic system, not the other way around. They flow from the freedom we afford every American to think, to question and to create. There are other paths to prosperity. South Korea once enjoyed extraordinary growth without democracy. ”

“ You are right to expect newspapers with competing ideas and an internet connection in every home. You are right to expect the freedom to speak your mind without fear of being thrown in jail. So the question is: How do you make sure that history does not repeat itself and that you are not denied the opportunity to which you are entitled?
Your economic potential is extraordinary because of the natural resources buried in the ground. But your national potential is limitless, because of the human resources that are spread all across this land. ”

“ The United States wants to help you seize these opportunities in a spirit of cooperation. We are ready to share our experiences... to make investments in your economies... to welcome you into the international community. We are prepared to build these partnerships because it is on our interest.
It is up to you to take the necessary, important, unavoidable risks. The choice is yours. You can merely survive, with an economy that generates just enough wealth to get by and a society that provides few freedoms and opportunities. ”

“ Listen to the leading Arab scholars who recently completed a remarkable study of Arab Human Development, published by the United Nations. It speaks to the need across the Arab world to make progress in three critical areas: Empowering women, spreading knowledge, and expanding freedom. This is an incredibly difficult challenge – but also an extraordinary opportunity. 70% of your population is below the age of 30. Unlocking their minds and unleashing their talents can be a deep source of strength. Bringing women into the work place will boost your economies... ”

“ Every year, we send tens of billions of dollars far from our shores to help the impoverished... support economic development... combat AIDS. We should do more. We already do a lot. But it is also true that in the Middle East and North Africa, repressive political systems and closed economies generate deep anger, resentment, and extremism. I know that the United States has seemed, at best, indifferent to the plight of the oppressed and, at worst, complicit with corrupt and autocratic regimes – despite our generosity. ”

“ Uncharted source, unknown, unreachable Whether by crested wave or racing steed, Neither in East nor West can you be found, In southern reaches nor in northern field, Not in the skies we find you, nor the seas, Nor pathless deserts which beguile our art ”

“ Americans will never forget the past. But we cannot allow it to stop us from building a more peaceful world that can prevent such tragedies in the future. That must be the legacy of those who lost their lives, and for those who carry their memory. ”

“ Democracy is about creating individual rights and building independent institutions: courts of law, political parties, a free press, transparent government, property ownership, a private sector, non-governmental organizations. It is about schools that teach tolerance to your children, and teach them to think for themselves. It is about making women genuine partners in building a modern society. ”

“ Nothing about democracy is incompatible with Islam. For example, since the days of the Prophet, the shura – a council where community leaders gather to make decisions through discussion – has been a Muslim concept.
I know many resist change because of the uncertainty it brings. I understand the tension people feel between holding on to traditions that are comfortable and embracing modernity. In my own country, people contend with that tension every day. For example, free trade means that Americans have more choice and pay less for the many things in our stores. ”

“ I am proud that America is, more often than not, the solution rather than the problem. I am also proud of our generosity. Like your tradition of Zakat, we feel a moral obligation to share our good fortune. ”

“ It concerns patents – the legal protection the world gives to new ideas and inventions. They’re a good measure of the quality of a country’s educational system, its entrepreneurship, its innovation and its rule of law. Between 1980 and 1999, the nine leading Arab economies – each built on oil wealth – registered a mere 370 patents in my country. During that same period, South Korea alone registered 16,328 patents. Why? In the 21st century, human resources are the true wealth of any nation. You have a historic opportunity to free those human resources to their full potential. ”

“ Our strength also flows from the great diversity of our people. More than two centuries ago, our founders recognized that America’s enduring mission would be “to form a more perfect union”. In other words, they understood the challenge of forging a single nation from many different parts. But they were confident that in working to overcome our differences, Americans would constantly move forward. ”

“ I am sure it is a universal hope — but not one that can be realized in many countries. That’s one of the things that makes my country special.
I have served in the United States Senate for 31 years, elected democratically six times by the men and women of Delaware. Men and women. Young and old. Black and white, Hispanic and Asian. Christians, Jews, Hindus and yes, Arab-Americans and Muslims. You may not know that there are almost as many Muslims in the United States as there are citizens of Libya. And there are more Arab-Americans than all the people who live in Tripoli. ”

“ At a time when Europeans were barely emerging from the Dark Ages, the light of civilization was shining brightly in the Arab world. Scholars outpaced their European counterparts in math, science and other disciplines of modernity. ”

“ Hundreds of Muslims were among the more than 3000 dead in the World Trade Center and the victims of attacks in Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Morocco. And if the radicals succeed, you will be their victims in another way as well, condemned to a future of hopelessness and despair. ”

“ Thirty-five is a number, a statistic. But each of those young people had a name. Each had a mother and a father, a sister and brother, and friends who loved them – and who still suffer their loss every single day. ”

“ In the past, we’ve justified that support in different ways: the Cold War struggle against communism... the preference for stability over chaos...the need to ensure a steady supply of oil. The tragedy of 9-11 has taught America the hard way that we cannot afford such policies. ”

“ But it will only be meaningful if you use it to unleash the brain power of the Libyan people – especially the awesome potential of your youth. In fact, oil can be more of a burden than a benefit if it used as an excuse not to develop all aspects of your society... ”

“ But it also means American jobs are lost to countries where people are willing to work for lower pay. That has made millions of Americans – despite our prosperity – angry and afraid.
So each of us, in different ways, has to contend with powerful forces of change and the uncertainty they bring. ”

“ The result is a great gulf between your rightful expectations and the reality of your lives .
You are right to expect good schools for your children and first rate doctors for your parents. You are right to expect to own your own home and to build your own business. ”

“ They went to Kosovo to prevent the genocidal slaughter of hundreds of thousands of Muslim men, women and children by Milosevic.
For better or worse, one result of our standing is that people around the world think the U.S. is both the cause of, and answer to, their concerns. ”