Madeleine Albright: The indispensable American

America is going through a crisis of identity, confidence and direction. It would do all of us well to pause and reflect on what America represents to those around the world who continue to look to it as a source of hope.  

The inspiring life of Madeleine Albright reminds us of the unique greatness of America. She was an incredibly accomplished person who never lost the common touch or her refreshing sense of humor. 

Her death represents the passing of an era, but her life also represented the promise of a future that connects to a better piece of our past. She and her family escaped the Nazis from their home in Prague, Czechoslovakia, and later escaped the Soviets on their way to America. She became a U.S. citizen in 1957 at the age of 20, went to one of the top colleges in the country (Wellesley) and later earned her PhD from Columbia University.   

This was an impressive beginning to a career characterized by equally impressive professional accomplishments, including her tenure as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations and, most notably, as the nation’s first female secretary of state. 

There will be a great deal written about her legion of accomplishments. She studied the Soviets during the Cold War and later helped usher in a hopeful interregnum with Russia after the collapse of the Berlin Wall and the Soviet Union. She played an essential role in developing a strong and effective U.S. foreign policy.  

She helped create the National Democratic Institute, where democracy and human rights, in contrast to the Europe she left behind, were integral to American foreign policy. She understood the power of alliances and was a strong advocate of NATO and the need for and value of America’s exceptionalism.  

She called America “the indispensable nation,” and she was correct, as the world is finding out now as American leadership confronts Russian President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine. She had confidence in her country’s ability to fight for what was right, balancing interests while never neglecting values. 

In 1996, the Cuban military shot down two unarmed Cessna airplanes belonging to Brothers to the Rescue, an American non-profit organization. As then-U.S. ambassador to the UN, Albright presented evidence that the planes were flying in international airspace. The Cuban pilots who shot down the unarmed aircraft said they had “cojones,” Spanish slang for bravado and courage. But Secretary Albright, in her inimitable style, said this was not proof of cojones but of cowardice. The frank response was typical of her approach to complicated issues — direct and clear.  

Her comment about making sure women get a fair shake professionally was equally direct and correct, “There is a special place in hell for women who don’t help other women.” It was a point that needed to be made, and Madeleine Albright was not afraid to make it. She also lived it through her work as director of Georgetown University’s Women in Foreign Service Program. Her straight talk and hard work on policy and politics was refreshing and served as motivation for both women and men. 

In an era when American politics are polarized beyond anything we have seen in generations, Secretary Albright was able to bridge the political divide. Her nomination to become secretary of state enjoyed the support of the late Sen. Jesse Helms (R-N.C.), who could have held it up as chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Her thoughtful, straight forward approach, combined with considerable charm, won the day with one of the Senate’s most conservative members. This success was typical of Madeleine Albright.

She was an educator who taught at Georgetown University for years, where her students were awed by being able to take a class from such a renowned scholar and foreign policy practitioner, who was also an accessible and dedicated teacher, preparing her students to become the successor generation of national security experts. 

She never lost a step with her work on foreign policy issues, keeping in close touch with her former foreign minister colleagues, working hard to find common ground among allies and even with a few who had worked for adversaries. She and Stephen Hadley, President George W. Bush’s national security adviser, worked together on a ground-breaking Middle East initiative for the Atlantic Council, proving again that for Secretary Albright, American foreign policy was not about politics but about thoughtful policy.

Albright’s life reminds us that this is a nation of opportunity for those who work hard, act with dignity and integrity and are willing to reach out to others who may not share the same background or even politics. 

I was privileged to have known Madeleine Albright for nearly three decades. I admired her greatly. I will be eternally grateful that she included me in many national security meetings. She made me laugh, and she touched me with her unfailing kindness.   

Madeleine Albright made the world a better place. Because of her personal history escaping autocracy, she had a unique understanding of this moment of political crisis, where democracy hangs in the balance. Americans would do well to recommit themselves to America as the indispensable nation, an ideal for which she worked and fought.  

William Danvers is an adjunct professor at George Washington University’s Elliott School and worked on national security issues for the Clinton and Obama administrations.