>> Stephen: WELCOME BACK, EVERYBODY!
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) MY NEXT GUEST WAS U.S. SECRETARY
OF STATE AND AMBASSADOR TO THE UNITED NATIONS
UNDER PRESIDENT CLINTON.
PLEASE WELCOME, MADELEINE ALBRIGHT!
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) ( BAND PLAYING )
WELL, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE.
IT'S ALWAYS AN HONOR TO TALK TO YOU.
IT'S ALWAYS FUN TO TALK TO YOU, EVEN THOUGH IT'S SOMETIMES ON
PRETTY SERIOUS ISSUES.
HOW HAVE YOU BEEN?
>> GREAT.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR HAVING ME ON.
>> Stephen: OH, IT'S OUR PLEASURE.
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) THE KIDS LOVE MADELEINE
ALBRIGHT.
>> I JUST WAS ON THE TRAIN COMING UP FROM WASHINGTON.
>> Stephen: OKAY.
AND THE CONDUCTOR ASKED ME IF I WANTED A WHEELCHAIR.
AND I SAID, NO, I'M GOING ON COLBERT TO KICK ASS.
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) >> Stephen: NOT MINE, I HOPE!
NO.
>> Stephen: WELL, YOU KNOW, YOU WERE SECRETARY OF STATE,
AMBASSADOR TO THE UNITED NATIONS, AS I WAS JUST SAYING.
THERE ARE SO MANY THINGS GOING ON IN THE WORLD RIGHT NOW, SO
MANY FOREIGN POLICY CHALLENGES FOR THE UNITED STATES NOW.
WE SAW OVER THE WEEKEND HORRIFIC IMAGES OUT OF SYRIA WHERE IT
APPEARS THE GOVERNMENT OF ASSAD POSSIBLY WITH THE HELP OF THE
RUSSIANS USED CHEMICAL WEAPONS ON THEIR OWN PEOPLE.
WHAT SHOULD THE UNITED STATES' RESPONSE BE?
DONALD TRUMP SAYS THIS IS BARACK OBAMA'S FAULT BECAUSE THE FIRST
TAME THIS HAPPENED, BARACK OBAMA DID NOT USE MILITARY ACTION
AGAINST ASSAD'S REGIME.
DO YOU THINK HE'S RIGHT ABOUT THAT?
>> NO, I DON'T.
BARACK OBAMA DID PUT DOWN A RED LINE AND I PERSONALLY WISH WE
HAD FOLLOWED THROUGH ON THAT.
HOWEVER, WHAT HAD HAPPENED WAS THAT BARACK OBAMA WAS LOOKING
FOR SUPPORT FROM CONGRESS BECAUSE HE DIDN'T WANT TO DO
SOMETHING OUTSIDE THE LAW, AND TEN CONGRESS WOULD NOT SUPPORT
THAT.
BUT DO I THINK THE THING THAT IS THE ISSUE, PRESIDENT TRUMP
ACTUALLY HAD THE SAME EVENT A YEAR AGO WHEN THEY TOOK THESE
KIND OF ACTION, AND THE TRUTH IS THAT IT WAS JUST A ONE-OFF
BECAUSE THERE'S NO SYRIAN STRATEGY.
I MEAN -- >> Stephen: JUST A ONE OFF IF
SYRIA USING THE WEAPONS?
>> NO, IN US RESPONDING TO IT.
>> Stephen: BECAUSE THERE WAS A TARGETED MISSILE STRIKE ON A
SYRIAN BASE.
>> SYRIAN BASE, AND ALSO IT HAD COME AS A RESULT OF CHEMICAL
ACTIVITY BY ASSAD, SAME KIND OF THING, AND PRESIDENT TRUMP SAID
THIS WAS THE WAY THAT HE HAD TO PAY THAT BACK TO SHOW.
BUT THERE WAS NO STRATEGY AT ALL.
AND THAT'S WHAT THE WEAKNESS OF ALL THIS IS.
WE HAVE NO IDEA WHERE HE'S GOING BECAUSE, LAST WEEK, HE ACTUALLY
SAID HE WANTED TO PULL FORCES OUT OF SYRIA, WHICH -- AND I
AGREE WITH SENATOR McCAIN WHO JUST SAID, WELL, MAYBE THAT
EMBOLDENED ASSAD TO TAKE THIS OTHER ACTION AND USE CHEMICAL
WEAPONS AGAIN.
>> Stephen: WHAT SHOULD THE UNITED STATES DO?
A SIGNIFICANT MILITARY RESPONSE?
>> I THINK THERE NEEDS TO BE A FULL LOOK AT WHAT THE ISSUES ARE
IN TERMS OF THE HUMANITARIAN ASPECT TO TRY TO MAKE SURE THAT,
IN FACT, THERE CAN BE PEOPLE THAT GO TO HELP THOSE WHO HAVE
BEEN HIT, THAT FEED THE PEOPLE.
I KNOW THERE IS A SECURITY COUNCIL MEETING ACTUALLY TAKING
PLACE THIS AFTERNOON IN WHICH AMBASSADOR HALEY MADE IT CLEAR
THERE IS BLOOD ON PUTIN'S HANDS AND AS SHE PUT IT THEY'RE GOING
TO HAVE TO PAY FOR IT AND TRY TO FIGURE IT OUT.
THE MAIN ISSUE IS, STEPHEN, THERE IS NO STRATEGY.
THEN THERE IS A NEW NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISOR, JOHN BOLTON,
WHO HAS BEEN VERY HAWKISH ABOUT WHAT SHOULD BE DONE IN TERMS OF
USING FORCE, AND IT HAS TO BE PART OF SOME OVERALL PLAN.
>> Stephen: YOU HAVE A NEW BOOK, IT'S CALLED "FASCISM: A
WARNING."
WHAT IS -- WHAT ARE YOU WARNING US ABOUT?
ARE YOU WARNING US ABOUT PRESIDENT TRUMP?
>> I AM JUST GENERALLY WARNING ABOUT WHAT IS GOING ON.
DEMOCRACY IS BEING UNDER SIEGE IN MANY PLACES.
WE'VE JUST SEEN ELECTIONS YESTERDAY IN HUNGARY WHERE AN
THORNTARIAN LEADER WAS ELECTED, AND I WRITE ABOUT WHAT'S BEEN
GOING ON GENERALLY IN TURKEY, THE PHILIPPINES, POLAND,
HUNGARY, VENEZUELA, ABOUT THE TRENDS TAKING PLACE WHERE FEAR
IS THE MAIN FACTOR, WHERE VARIOUS GROUPS ARE SET AGAINST
EACH OTHER, WHERE THE LEADER IDENTIFIES HIMSELF ONLY WITH ONE
GROUP AND DOESN'T CARE ABOUT THE INDIVIDUAL RIGHTS OF THE OTHERS
AND IS WILLING TO USE ANYTHING TO STAY IN POWER.
>> Stephen: WHAT BRINGS ABOUT THE RISE OF FASCIST REGIMES?
IF THEY'RE HAPPENING ALL OVER THE PLACE, WHAT'S THE
COMMONALITY, THE FUEL?
>> THE COMMONALITY IS THERE ARE A VARIETY OF ECONOMIC PROBLEMS
AND QUESTIONS AS TO WHETHER THEY HAVE THEIR JOBS AND HOW PEOPLE
FEEL IN A DIVISION IN THE PUBLIC, AND IT IS A PROBLEM,
THERE'S NO QUESTION ABOUT IT.
>> Stephen: WHEN PEOPLE FEEL ECONOMICALLY INSECURE THEY TURN
TO A STRONG MAN?
>> THEY TRY TO FIGURE OUT WHAT TO DO BECAUSE DEMOCRACY IS A
LITTLE SLOW IN DEALING WITH IT.
THEN A STRONG MAN IS THERE AND SAYS I'VE GOT ALL THE ANSWERS
FOR YOU.
>> Stephen: DON'T WE LOOK FOR THAT IN OUR LEADERS ANYWAY?
ISN'T THERE A FINE LINE BETWEEN STRENGTH AND FASCIST TENDENCIES?
>> VERY MUCH SO, BUT THE PROBLEMS WITH FASCIST TENDENCIES
IS THE LEADER THINKS HE'S ABOVE THE LAW.
>> Stephen: OH...
( LAUGHTER ) >> HE ACTUALLY SAYS THE PRESS IS
THE ENPI OF THE PEOPLE.
>> Stephen: AH...
WHEN THERE ARE A LIEUTENANT OF SIMPLISTIC ANSWERS.
( LAUGHTER ) WHEN THERE ARE RALLIES IN WHICH
PEOPLE ARE PUSHED TO BE VIOLENT.
( LAUGHTER ) AND WHEN THERE'S BASICALLY KIND
OF A SENSE THAT THE SYSTEM IS AGAINST YOU, THAT DEMOCRACY
WASN'T WORK AND THAT COURTS ARE NOT USEFUL, THAT THE JUDICIARY
BRANCH IS NOT IMPORTANT.
>> Stephen: MM-HMM.
WELL, THAT SOUNDS LIKE FAKE NEWS.
( CHEERING ) BUT NOW THAT WE HAVE THE
WARNING, AS UH SAID, THE BOOK IS CALLED FASCISM WARNING, NOW THAT
WE HAVE THE WARNING, WHAT DO WE DO TO PREVENT IT FROM HAPPENING
HERE.
>> YOU KNOW THERE'S THE SAYING, SEE SOMETHING, SAY SOMETHING.
>> Stephen: MM-HMM.
I HAVE ADDED TO THAT "DO SOMETHING."
>> Stephen: LIKE VOTE?
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) >> I THINK THE VERY IMPORTANT
PART IS TO HAVE OUR YOUNG PEOPLE INVOLVED AND ALSO PEOPLE TO GO
OUT AND RUN FOR OFFICE TO MAKE ABSOLUTELY CLEAR THAT YOU CAN'T
HAVE A LEADER THAT'S ABOVE THE LAW, AND THEN TO ACTUALLY LISTEN
TO PEOPLE THAT YOU DISAGREE WITH IN A CIVIL WAY
( APPLAUSE ) AND TO REALLY RECOGNIZE WHAT
DEMOCRACY IS ABOUT, AND THAT DEMOCRACY IS BASED ON AN ACTIVE
CITIZENSHIP THAT KNOWS WHAT THAT YOU HAVE TO DO, THAT THEY ARE
INFORMED, HAVE A GOOD EDUCATION AND LISTEN TO OTHER PEOPLE.
I THINK THAT'S THE MAIN PART.
AND I DECIDED THAT WHAT I WOULD DO WAS TO WRITE THIS BOOK.
IT TOOK ME A LONG TIME TO GET MY PUBLIC VOICE.
I WAS 55 BY THE TIME THAT I REAL WILL YOU HAD A BIG -- I WAS 55
BY THE TIME I REALLY HAD A BIG JOB.
ONCE I FOUND MY VOICE, I'M NOT GOING TO SHUT UP.
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) >> Stephen: THANK YOU,
MADAM SECRETARY!
THE BOOK IS "FASCISM: A WARNING"!
IN STORES NOW.
MADELEINE ALBRIGHT, EVERYBODY!