Hillary Clinton touts “smart power” in pursuit of US imperialist aims
By Bill van Auken

At her confirmation hearing Tuesday, Senator Hillary Clinton offered few specifics as to the policies that she would pursue as the Obama administration's secretary of state, but suggested that she would pursue the same objectives as those that have driven US military aggression over the past several years, albeit with some largely cosmetic modifications.

She also made clear that her espousal of the importance of diplomacy did not imply a reduction in military violence. "We will lead with diplomacy because it's a smart approach," she said at one point. "But we also know that military force will sometimes be needed."

In her appearance before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Clinton was showered with praise both by fellow Democrats and by Republicans. Not long ago, the former first lady was vilified by the Republican Party. She herself once described her husband's Republican opponents as a "vast right-wing conspiracy." But such animosity has been cast aside. As Obama's designee for secretary of state, she is clearly seen as a reliable defender of the same interests as those pursued by the Bush administration.

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