--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: In general I saw my job as the first…" description: "\"In general I saw my job as the first president whose full term would be served after the Cold War in a global information society where we were interde..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/149/william-j-clinton-302_able_in-general-i-saw-my-job-as-the-first-pre_1488042.jpg" --- # In general I saw my job as the first president whose full… ![“In general I saw my job as the first president whose full term would be served after the Cold War in a global information society where we were interdependent but not integrated. And therefore, we were vulnerable to the worst, and able to seize the best, of what's going on in the world.” quote by William J. Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/149/william-j-clinton-302_able_in-general-i-saw-my-job-as-the-first-pre_1488042.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/149/william-j-clinton-302_able_in-general-i-saw-my-job-as-the-first-pre_1488042.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/149/william-j-clinton-302_able_in-general-i-saw-my-job-as-the-first-pre_1488042.jpg) > “In general I saw my job as the first president whose full term would be served after the Cold War in a global information society where we were interdependent but not integrated. And therefore, we were vulnerable to the worst, and able to seize the best, of what's going on in the world.” [William J. Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-j-clinton/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He saw his presidency as a bridge to a new interconnected world, vulnerable yet full of opportunity. **In simple terms:** Leadership in a changing global landscape. Key Takeaway Embrace interdependence while guarding against risks. Themes globalization leadership interdependence vulnerability opportunity Mood analytical forward‑looking Type political strategic When to use this quote - International policy - digital diplomacy - economic integration Key Concepts Post‑Cold War transition information age political strategy Questions to Reflect On - What risks accompany global interdependence? - How can leaders turn vulnerabilities into strengths? A Different Perspective Balancing openness with security is complex. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Able](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/able/) [Cold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cold/) [Cold war](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cold-war/) [Firsts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/firsts/) [Information](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/information/) [Information society](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/information-society/) [Integrated](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/integrated/) [Integrated Vulnerable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/integrated-vulnerable-5436375/) [Job President](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/job-president-320021/) [Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/jobs/) [President](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/president/) [Saws](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/saws/) [Society Interdependent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/society-interdependent-5436374/) [Term](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/term/) [Vulnerable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/vulnerable/) [War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) [Worst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/worst/) [Would be](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/would-be/) ## Related quotes > [ I saw my job \[as president\] as to try to move the world from an unstable condition of interdependence toward more integrated cooperative world… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-j-clinton/i-saw-my-job-as-president-as-to-try-to-move-the-world-from-an/) [William J. Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-j-clinton/) > [You cannot have an integrated world and have your say all the time. America can lead the world towards that, but we cannot dominate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-j-clinton/you-cannot-have-an-integrated-world-and-have-your-say-all-the-time/) [William J. Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-j-clinton/) > [Let's create an integrated global community where we have shared benefits and responsibilities, and we don't fight because of our differences.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-j-clinton/let-s-create-an-integrated-global-community-where-we-have-shared/) [William J. Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-j-clinton/) > [At the same time, old confrontations have taken on frightening urgency, especially the India-Pakistan conflict over Kashmir and the violent stalemate in the Middle…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-j-clinton/at-the-same-time-old-confrontations-have-taken-on-frightening-urgency/) [William J. Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-j-clinton/) > [What happened to us in September, 2001, is a microcosmic but painful and powerful example of the fact we live in an inter-dependent world…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-j-clinton/what-happened-to-us-in-september-2001-is-a-microcosmic-but-painful/) [William J. Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-j-clinton/) > [When I think about the world I would like to leave to my daughter and the grandchildren I hope to have, it is a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-j-clinton/when-i-think-about-the-world-i-would-like-to-leave-to-my-daughter-and/) [William J. Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-j-clinton/) > [“This terror of silence with nothing diverting to do. I can’t think anyone really believes that today’s so-called ‘information society’ is just about information.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-foster-wallace/this-terror-of-silence-with-nothing-diverting-to-do-i-can-t-think/) [David Foster Wallace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-foster-wallace/) > [It is intolerable that around 1 in 5 of the world's adults are illiterate. How can we build equitable information societies or thriving democracies…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/koichiro-matsuura/it-is-intolerable-that-around-1-in-5-of-the-world-s-adults-are/) [Koichiro Matsuura](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/koichiro-matsuura/) > [ Summits \[World Summit on the Information Society\] are meant to help governments reach a global consensus on major issues which has proved elusive in… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-souter/summits-world-summit-on-the-information-society-are-meant-to-help/) [David Souter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-souter/) > [“I can't think anyone really believes that today's so-called 'information society' is just about information. Everyone knows it's about something else, way down.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-foster-wallace/i-can-t-think-anyone-really-believes-that-today-s-so-called/) [David Foster Wallace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-foster-wallace/) > [The main drawback, of course, was cost. Participating effectively in World Summit on the Information Society was very expensive for both developing countries and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-souter/the-main-drawback-of-course-was-cost-participating-effectively-in/) [David Souter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-souter/) > [An efficient telecommunications network is the foundation upon which an information society is built.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/talal-abu-ghazaleh/an-efficient-telecommunications-network-is-the-foundation-upon-which/) [Talal Abu-Ghazaleh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/talal-abu-ghazaleh/) > [The main ingredient of the first quantum revolution, wave-particle duality, has led to inventions such as the transistor and the laser that are at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alain-aspect/the-main-ingredient-of-the-first-quantum-revolution-wave-particle/) [Alain Aspect](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alain-aspect/) > [The concept of the "information society" is both vague and all-embracing. Different participants meant different things by it. In practice, though, World Summit on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-souter/the-concept-of-the-information-society-is-both-vague-and-all/) [David Souter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-souter/) > [In an information society, education is no mere amenity; it is the prime tool for growing people and profits.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-naisbitt/in-an-information-society-education-is-no-mere-amenity-it-is-the/) [John Naisbitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-naisbitt/) ## More by William J. Clinton > [When personal freedom's being abused, you have to move to limit it. That's what we did in the announcement I made last weekend on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-j-clinton/when-personal-freedom-s-being-abused-you-have-to-move-to-limit-it/) [William J. Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-j-clinton/) > [Almost makes you want to go to jail out here, doesn't it?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-j-clinton/almost-makes-you-want-to-go-to-jail-out-here-doesn-t-it/) [William J. Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-j-clinton/) > [I take full responsability...for what we did. It was the right thing to do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-j-clinton/i-take-full-responsability-for-what-we-did-it-was-the-right-thing-to/) [William J. Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-j-clinton/) > [Undeniably, character does count for our citizens, out communities, and our Nation, and this week we celebrate the importance of character in our individual…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-j-clinton/undeniably-character-does-count-for-our-citizens-out-communities-and/) [William J. Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-j-clinton/) > [Even as people take pride in their national independence, we know we are becoming more and more interdependent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-j-clinton/even-as-people-take-pride-in-their-national-independence-we-know-we/) [William J. Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-j-clinton/) > [To build a twenty-first-century economy, America must revive a nineteenth-century habit--investing in the common, national economic resources that enable every person and every firm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-j-clinton/to-build-a-twenty-first-century-economy-america-must-revive-a/) [William J. Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-j-clinton/) > [One of the things that I think we have learned is that we should all be very careful about making predictions about the future.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-j-clinton/one-of-the-things-that-i-think-we-have-learned-is-that-we-should-all/) [William J. Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-j-clinton/) > [Only astrophysicists new about the Internet 20 years ago. Today my cat has a website.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-j-clinton/only-astrophysicists-new-about-the-internet-20-years-ago-today-my-cat/) [William J. Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-j-clinton/) > [Our military superiority is so great - it's far greater than it was in the Gulf War, and the Gulf War was over in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-j-clinton/our-military-superiority-is-so-great-it-s-far-greater-than-it-was-in/) [William J. Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-j-clinton/) > [You know, I've always been really interested in this stuff, and I'm going to read this.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-j-clinton/you-know-i-ve-always-been-really-interested-in-this-stuff-and-i-m/) [William J. Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-j-clinton/) > [If you believe in making change from the bottom up, if you believe the measure of change is how many people's lives are better,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-j-clinton/if-you-believe-in-making-change-from-the-bottom-up-if-you-believe-the/) [William J. Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-j-clinton/) > [ We \[Democrats\] have got to be strong. When we look weak in a time where people feel insecure, we lose. when people feel uncertain,… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-j-clinton/we-democrats-have-got-to-be-strong-when-we-look-weak-in-a-time-where/) [William J. Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-j-clinton/) > [It's the economy, stupid.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-j-clinton/it-s-the-economy-stupid/) [William J. Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-j-clinton/) > [The Republicans could mess up a two car parade](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-j-clinton/the-republicans-could-mess-up-a-two-car-parade/) [William J. Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-j-clinton/) > [We're all in this together is a far better philosophy than you're on your own.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-j-clinton/we-re-all-in-this-together-is-a-far-better-philosophy-than-you-re-on/) [William J. Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-j-clinton/) [Explore all 712 William J. Clinton quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-j-clinton/) ## More Able quotes > [I am certain that children always know more than they are able to tell, and that makes the big difference between them and adults,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-lusseyran/i-am-certain-that-children-always-know-more-than-they-are-able-to/) [Jacques Lusseyran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-lusseyran/) > [I have observed this in my experience of slavery, - that whenever my condition was improved, instead of its increasing my contentment, it only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-douglass/i-have-observed-this-in-my-experience-of-slavery-that-whenever-my/) [Frederick Douglass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-douglass/) > [There is something about the South that accepts the supernatural. If you don't accept it and you're having a conversation with someone who does,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-englert/there-is-something-about-the-south-that-accepts-the-supernatural-if/) [Alice Englert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-englert/) > [In the '80s, the way radio was programmed, if you didn't have a hit record you weren't going to be able to make any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/huey-lewis/in-the-80s-the-way-radio-was-programmed-if-you-didn-t-have-a-hit/) [Huey Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/huey-lewis/) > [I think I've had the longest career of strength, focus, and still being able to sell records. I think I'm that guy. I'm still…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nas/i-think-i-ve-had-the-longest-career-of-strength-focus-and-still-being/) [Nas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nas/) > [I have that need in me, I want everyone to love me, but I'm embarrassed by that need, so I wanted to cover it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-jeselnik/i-have-that-need-in-me-i-want-everyone-to-love-me-but-i-m-embarrassed/) [Anthony Jeselnik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-jeselnik/) > [Thinking about the things that happened, I don't know any other ball player would could have done what he (Jackie Robinson) did. To be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pee-wee-reese/thinking-about-the-things-that-happened-i-don-t-know-any-other-ball/) [Pee Wee Reese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pee-wee-reese/) > [I wanted to remember in order to be able to return.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anais-nin/i-wanted-to-remember-in-order-to-be-able-to-return/) [Anais Nin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anais-nin/) > [Government schools, with your tax money, now discourage the teaching of multiplication tables by rote memorization but teach reading by the 'look-and-say' method which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-perry/government-schools-with-your-tax-money-now-discourage-the-teaching-of/) [Greg Perry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-perry/) > [I don't know if I would qualify as mainstream. I think I have managed to function pretty successfully on the fringes of the music…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-metheny/i-don-t-know-if-i-would-qualify-as-mainstream-i-think-i-have-managed/) [Pat Metheny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-metheny/) > [What we're supposed to do as actors is be able to portray real human beings and emotions. And if you grow up in this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-browning/what-we-re-supposed-to-do-as-actors-is-be-able-to-portray-real-human/) [Emily Browning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-browning/) > [The reason that Apple is able to create products like iPad is because we always try to be at the intersection of technology and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/the-reason-that-apple-is-able-to-create-products-like-ipad-is-because/) [Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/) > [It was an important period for us, because even though we weren't a "punk band", and what became a model for a punk band,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-mallinder/it-was-an-important-period-for-us-because-even-though-we-weren-t-a/) [Stephen Mallinder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-mallinder/) > [- You look fine. - Right. I look fine. Except I don't, said Zora, tugging sadly at her man's nightshirt. This was why Kiki…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zadie-smith/you-look-fine-right-i-look-fine-except-i-don-t-said-zora-tugging/) [Zadie Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zadie-smith/) > [There is a way to be a woman, ask for what we deserve and be able to negotiate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tracee-ellis-ross/there-is-a-way-to-be-a-woman-ask-for-what-we-deserve-and-be-able-to/) [Tracee Ellis Ross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tracee-ellis-ross/) [Browse all 17,257 Able quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/able/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "In general I saw my job as the first president whose full term would be served after the Cold War in a global information society where we were interdependent but not integrated. And therefore, we were vulnerable to the worst, and able to seize the best, of what's going on in the world.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "William J. 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