WASHINGTON — Credit unions canplay a primary role in the success of budding democracies overseas,former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright said Tuesday morningduring her Governmental Affairs Conference address.

“One discussion we always have is which comes first – politicalor economicdevelopment,” she said. “The answer is both, because peoplewant to vote and they want to eat, too. Credit unions can be a keycomponent in that.”

Albright also discussed foreign relations and current eventsduring her speech and later during a question and answer sessionwith Moderator Paul Berry.

A reduction in ground troops, recently announced by the Pentagonas part of its budget proposal, doesn't necessarily present a riskto the United States, because wars aren't fought the way they usedto be, she said.

“Today's dangers in the world don't require large land forces,”she said.

Berry followed up with a question about drones and the legal andethical consequences of their use in warfare.

Albright recalled when she was Secretary of State overseeing thewar in Kosovo, which was an air war and didn't require any U.S.ground troops. At the time, that strategy involved a longdiscussion that debated the ethics of fighting a war withoutrisking the lives of ground troops on both sides. Albright said shedoesn't think that should be an issue.

However, she added that drones and the National SecurityAgency's spying activities need to be addressed in more detail bythe American people.

“We aren't fulfilling our responsibilities as citizens on theseissues if we don't educate ourselves and start a publicdiscussion,” she said.

Albright drew laughs when describing what she called a new trendof cyber exhibitionism.

“Everybody puts all this information about themselves out there,but then they get mad if somebody knows it,” she said.