Voices supporting VOA
David Kramer
Executive director of the George W. Bush Institute, former U.S. assistant secretary of state
TRANSCRIPT:
Voice of America is extremely important. It was started more than eight decades ago to counter Nazi propaganda during World War II and then Soviet propaganda after World War II. Voice of America is extremely important in order to inform people around the world — in parts of the world that aren’t able to get reliable information — about what’s happening in their countries, around the world, and here in the United States.
Voice of America is a much cheaper way for the United States to influence and inform people around the world. Cheaper than sending our military, even cheaper than setting up U.S. embassies around the world.
Voice of America can transmit the news, analysis and information that people need in order to understand what’s happening. Here at the Bush Center in Dallas, we wrote a piece on March 21 called “Broadcasting the hope of freedom from America to the world.” And Voice of America is a sign of hope and freedom for people who might be living in authoritarian regimes.
So for us, we think the Voice of America is important to sustain. We hope it will continue in order to do its important work and contribute to U.S. national interests in a way that is extremely cost-effective for American taxpayers.
Published
Kramer served eight years in the U.S. Department of State during the George W. Bush administration, including as assistant secretary of state for democracy, human rights and labor. He currently serves as the executive director of the George W. Bush Institute.