February 5, 2010 — Condoleezza Rice, former U.S. Secretary of State and professor of political science at Stanford University remembers growing up in Alabama during an era when she could not walk into the whites only restaurant and order a hamburger.

Rice’s parents gave her the recipe for success, she said, when they taught her she could not always control circumstances, but she could control her response.

Her family taught her that racism was somebody else’s problem not hers, and she should not let it undermine her confidence or make her bitter. She was taught that America is a land of opportunity and education is an integral component of how to get where you want to go.

That philosphy and early training has taken Rice to some pretty impressive places.

Her message for America was not to lose faith or optimism in what we can achieve. Her faith is not limited to patriotic beliefe in her nation and in democracy, however. Rice said she relies heavily on her “bedrock faith in God.”

“I’m very deeply religious,” she said.

Americans can survive and come out of the current economic crisis. Rice said we have the creative, innovative and risk-taking abilities to overcome our current challenges. But experience has shown her those qualities are not within the government.

“The answer will not come from the government,” said Rice. “It will come from the private sector.”

This is still a land of opportunity.

“Every lost job, every lost home is a tragedy,” she said, but we have the means to recover.

“The United States... must advocate for an open, global trading system.”

We must also participate with the international system which we need to help us deal with rogue states such as North Korea and Iran, according to Rice.

The former secretary of state was a teacher and scholar before entering public service She served as Stanford University’s provost form 1993 to 1999, having joined the university faculty as a political science professor in 1981.

She was a national security advisor from 2001 to 2005 and U.S. Secretary of State form 2005 until 2009.

As secretary of state, she kept pictures of past secretaries on the wall to help keep her focus on the job at hand rather than on public opinion.

On of those pictures is of William Seward who served from 1861 to 1869. Seward purchased Alaska for $7 million from Russia in 1867. At the time the deal was called “Seward’s Folly.”

“I think we’re all glad William Seward bought Alaska,” she said.

Rice said it’s important for those in leadership not to get caught up in today’s headlines. The curve of history is a long one.

One of the primary issues she addressed in her speeeh was national defense.

“The United States of America has got to defend itself,” said Rice.

She said she is proud that there wasn’t another terrorist attach after 9-11.

“The got up every day and tried,” she said. “We have to be right 100 percent of the time and they have to be right once.”

She also commended the troops overseas.

“All of us can only rest at night because there are men and women in very dangerous places on the front lines of freedom.”

Rice said the U.S. must deal with the source of the problem and not just defend our nation. The means of dealing with that source is to help weak, failing and failed states.

“Afghanistan is the quintessential failed state,” she said.

Its economic and political instability coupled with mountains that allow terrorists to dig in and hide make it the ideal place for radical groups to develop and train.

Afghanistan is the fifth poorest nation in the world. There are large areas of ungoverned territory populated by people with ethnic differences.

“Any road Afghanistan has is a road we built,” she said.

Of the role of U.S. troops and our mission there, she said an overnight solution is not possible.

“It’s going to take patience. It’s tough and dangerous work.”

These failed states cannot govern themselves. The police force is inadequate, failed or corrupt.

“The failed state becomes the greatest source of our danger,” said Rice. “If we abandon Afghanistan again, we do so at our peril.

Fighting terrorism is not enough, however. Rice offered the challenge of a better global vision.

“The United States of America has got to advocate that no man, woman or child should live in tyranny.”

She said if you don’t agree with the moral case for that argument, you should agree with it as a practical matter. Only in a democracy are conflicts resolved peacefully, she said. Helping a failed state to achieve democracy is not forcing anything on people.

“You don’t impose democracy, you impose tyranny,” she said.

Anywhere in the world, if you ask people, “Do you want to be free?” the answer is “yes,” said Rice.

“Democracy is the safest form of government, too,”she said.

Rice talked about China and its growth. She believes while China is a “valuable asset” to the global economy, it is not a true competitor for global leadership with the U.S. due to internal stresses and strains in that nation. She believes the U.S. is a great place to live.

“You can come from humble circumstances and you can accomplish great things,” she said. “What holds us together... is not ethnicity and blood...”

She said it is that opportunity for improvement and innovation that binds us.

“We’ve got to find a way to be the most vibrant immigrant society in the world.”

Education is key to the future. She said a good education allows people to become what they want to be.

“We cannot warehouse our kids.”

Rice is concerned that we’ve lost our faith and our optimism as a people and believes a positive outlook is vital to economic recovery.

“I’d rather be naive than cynical because cynical people can’t lead,” said Rice. “The United States of America can do just about anything. We’re not just any other country.”

Rice fielded a broad range of questions. Notable was her response to a question about President Obama and her opinion of his administration. Rice said that Obama is the president, and she knows from being on the inside of government, it is a lot harder than it looks from the outside.

“I owe him my silence and I owe him my loyalty,” she said.

She encouraged free trade and keeping a close watch on America’s “ballooning deficit.”