Clinton also defended his decision to engage with China’s authoritarian president Jiang Zemin in 1998. Zemin had expressed that he was open to cooperation with the U.S., Clinton said, and at the time, Clinton felt that creating a formal strategic partnership would at least give the U.S. a legal forum in which to challenge China’s potential unlawful actions, including intellectual property theft. 

“It does make a difference, even in authoritarian systems, who’s running the show,” Clinton said, alluding to current Chinese president Xi Jinping’s very different leadership style. “If I had to do it again, under the facts I was facing then, I would probably do the same thing.”

Clinton observed that both Putin and Jinping have successfully maintained control in their respective countries by “keeping the opposition weak and divided” and keeping their bases “riled up” — but he said he believes their victories can’t last.

“All these people, they can win for a while,” Clinton said. “But they can’t win in the long run, because it doesn’t make sense — as the people of Ukraine are teaching Mr. Putin every day.”

Even as Clinton gamely fielded tough questions about his geopolitical decisions, he waxed enthusiastic about his two favorite hobbies: the saxophone (he still plays, he said) and, more recently, mystery writing. In 2018, the former president teamed up with bestselling author James Patterson to write a novel, “The President Is Missing,” which he said gives the general public a rare peek into modern cybersecurity issues. The pair followed up with “The President’s Daughter,” which sheds light on how significantly presidents’ lives change when they leave office.

The former president also spoke forcefully about the importance of confronting climate change — a top concern among students at Brown, Derek Shearer noted. Clinton encouraged young people to fight for climate action by becoming involved in politics at the local level, where many far-right representatives are attempting to disrupt the democratic process by unseating those who preside over fair elections. 

“A lot of people don’t even know who their state legislators are,” Clinton said. “This is something worth remembering: You can’t be an effective political citizen unless you show up every time they open the doors, and unless you support up and down people who agree with you…on the things you care about.”

When Shearer noted that countless students had written in to ask Clinton for advice on finding a career in politics, the leader warned that aspiring politicians would need a “high pain threshold” and a willingness to take criticism seriously, not personally. Yet the 75-year-old said he strongly believes that a life dedicated to improving others’ lives has more merits than disadvantages. 

“All I can tell you is, if you care about people and you…want to do something that actually makes someone’s life better instead of just giving [yourself] a job and a title…it’s a wonderful way to live,” Clinton said. “Lord have mercy, I’ve had a wonderful life. I’ve had a fascinating life.”

Ahead of Clinton and Shearer’s conversation, Richard Rambuss, chair of the Department of English, presented the winners of the annual Casey Shearer Memorial Nonfiction Awards, given each year to Brown juniors and seniors who exhibit excellence in short creative nonfiction writing. The 2022 winner was Michelle Liu, a senior; second place went to junior Henry Block. 

Several of the late Casey Shearer’s relatives also spoke about the Brown graduate’s legacy. Julie Yannatta, Shearer’s sister, illustrated Shearer’s fierce positivity by encouraging the 1,000-strong audience to stand up and extend their arms out as wide as possible, a stance Shearer often took.

“He would hold his hands out and say, ‘This is your aura,’” Yannatta said. “Bump it up, and up, and up.”