Fortunately, that's getting to be an increasingly easier case. Let's look at the record. Every day, what happens in the Western Hemisphere directly affects our lives. And every year that effect will become even more pronounced. Our goal should be to better understand this relationship and help shape it to produce a better future for all of the citizens of the Americas.
Democracies make peaceful neighbors and reliable trade partners.
They are good for our security. In a peaceful Hemisphere, we spend less on defense and can invest more in the well-being of our societies. Our Hemisphere has made enormous progress toward the goal of democratization. If any area in the world can boast of a sweeping trend toward greater respect for democratic practices in the past quarter-century, it is Latin America and the Caribbean. A great deal of work remains to be done.