TRANSCRIPT:
VOA is a key part of Americans’ arsenal of soft power tools and tools that are unfortunately being systematically dismantled over the last several months. But these tools are crucial elements in how people around the world perceive the United States. And the reality is that positive views of the United States benefit the U.S. and all Americans. They lead to international support for American policies, for American values, for American initiatives around the world.
And they make foreigners want to learn about us. They make them want to visit us. They make them want to do business with us. All of these things not only generate goodwill, but they generate jobs and prosperity for us Americans as well.
The big advantage in my mind of VOA and other soft power tools is that they come at far lower cost and far lower risk than coercive hard power tools, such as military force. You know, I looked at the VOA budget recently and it costs each American about 75 or 80 cents — cents — per year to fund VOA. I think that’s a pretty good value for what we get out of it.
Well, I’ve had the opportunity to be a consumer of information from Voice of America for many, many years. And also not only while living in the United States but while living abroad. So the points that I’ve made, in my mind at least, are not theoretical. They’re based upon what I have witnessed living and working in countries, particularly formerly socialist countries, for close to 20 years.
And VOA is a big reason — and I saw this time and time again based upon, you know, hundreds if not more conversation with people — it’s a big reason why people in that part of the world where I spent most of my professional life, when they emerged from autocratic governance, why they came to see the United States as the leader of the free world, as a country they wanted to emulate and partner with. And unfortunately, I fear that we are ceding a very big victory to the forces that wish to do harm to us.
Published
Moore served as U.S. ambassador to Montenegro from 2007–2010 during the administrations of George W. Bush and Barack Obama. His Foreign Service career included senior diplomatic assignments in the Balkans and Eastern Europe.