President Obama's Asia Trip and U.S. Policy in the Region
http://thedianerehmshow.org/shows/2010-11-04/president-obamas-asia-trip-and-us-policy-region
President Barack Obama meets with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh during their bilateral meeting in the Oval Office, Nov. 24, 2009
Official White House Photo by Pete Souza via the White House Flickr Stream
The economy was the big issue on the minds of many voters in the midterm elections two days ago. The economy will be a front-burner issue as well on President Obama's visit to Asia's major democracies--his longest foreign trip since taking office. On stops in India, Indonesia, South Korea and Japan, the president is expected to press for better access to markets for U.S. exports. He'll also be working to build stronger alliances in Asia, particularly in the face of China's growing influence in the region. We'll look at what the administration hopes to accomplish in Asia and what's at stake for the U.S.
Guests
Robert Kaplan
national correspondent, "The Atlantic"; senior fellow, Center for a New American Security; author, "Monsoon: The Indian Ocean and the Future of American Power."
Amb. Wendy Sherman
vice chair of the Albright Stonebridge Group. She is former special adviser to President Clinton and Secretary of State Albright, and was counselor for the State Department and North Korea policy coordinator in the Clinton administration.
Victor Cha
the Korea Chair at the Center for Strategic and International Studies; professor of government at Georgetown University School of Foreign Service; former director of Asian Affairs at the White House National Security Council during the Bush administration.
Comments
Please familiarize yourself with our Code of Conduct and Terms of Use before posting your comments.
The criticisms regarding the president's travel costs are amazing. This comes from the same people who complained about the president giving a talk with school children. It's the ongoing attempt to de-legitimize this president. We never heard this kind of rhetoric when any other president traveled abroad.
My husband lost his IT job twice when his former employers outsourced the majority of their IT work. Although I agree with the need for globalization and understand that off-shoring jobs for global competitiveness, I believe that our US corporations have a responsibility to their former employees by providing money for retraining and assisting them in finding new employment. Our government has not only encouraged but supporting sending jobs to other countries through tax incentives. Therefore, I believe that our government needs to invest money in new jobs such as alternative energies, building our government IT infrastructure which is behind the private sector twenty or more years, building and rebuilding our country's infrastructure. If we did the above, our country would move forward instead of backwards.
The Republican party announced their intention to get rid of the President. They're doing it with a great deal of funding from multi-global corporations who don't like the fact that his financial reforms protect the consumer instead of allowing them to put more money into their pockets. They doing it by spreading misinformation about him and his policies. And, the majority of the media is allowing lies to be spread instead of investigating and exposing the lies. Of course, FOX network is owned and run by conservatives who have no interest in telling the truth.
President Obama needs to recognize that you can't reason with bullies and that you need to counteract their tactics. He needs to get out there and fight them with the truth. The Republicans have little interest in defending the rights of the people making less then a million dollars yet they convinced too many of the rest of us that they are our defenders. It reminds me of the abused woman who takes back her abuser because he's promised to act differently.
Are you people hearing yourself? Frankly, it would be comical if the level of wishful thinking and denial wasn't do extreme? Or maybe it's purposeful spin?
China is in control. They know they're in control. We, the capitalist, try to pretend they, the communists, are not but the fact is they are. How many times must we cry, "It's the value of the yuan," and they don't respond? Why is that? Because they do not have to. Period. End of story.
I suggest you flip it around and stop being so United States-centric about your perception. They see us for what we are, a society based on excessive consumption. We are living proof of that darkside. China has no interest in repeating our mistakes.
China will grow. China will develop a middle class. China will do what is best for China. To believe that China is going to take orders from the West is just plain old fashion stupid. At this point, that like a parent taking orders from a child. Our military might looks down right dated when compared to China's economic dominance of us.
I'd like to add one more thing. Ask yourself who, over the last number of years, has been championing the idea of a global economy? I'll tell you who, those who are benefiting from it the most. Their concern for their investments have consistently trumped their concern for local jobs. If their returns in the USA go down, their investing will simply shift overseas. This is exactly what's happening. Isn't this obvious? Isn't that how a global economy works? When is someone going to come clean with the American people and let them know that in being so far above the average we have no way to go but down?
Finally, Diane, the reality is China isn't causing anything. The undoing of us is our own. I take issue for blaming China for doing what we asked them to do. That is, manufacture cheap goods. They met their commitment and now you want to change the rules? Again, they aren't interested in that.
GordonSmith is right on.
The guests should replay the show in a locked room.
The last time I heard that attitude-fervor( Sherman) was in
Catholic school circa late 50s, the nuns were
preaching about heaven & hell.
Was she reading from an old textbook?
Do ordinary Americans really care about what might
happen(trickle down) ? Presidents needs to go
on state trips, that's their job----fine.
Just don't give away too much $.
The only way we are going to be able to compete with the various rising economies in the twenty first century is by passing the Fairtax (HR25 / S296).
Until we change our tax code and eliminate the current waste attendant with it, we will be perpetually at a disadvantage on the world trade stage.