General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region Forums"America’s Pacific Century"- a detailed article by Hillary Clinton, Foreign Policy.com 10/2011
The future of politics will be decided in Asia, not Afghanistan or Iraq, and the United States will be right at the center of the action.
Hillary Clinton October 11, 2011
As the war in Iraq winds down and America begins to withdraw its forces from Afghanistan, the United States stands at a pivot point...
Snip
...With Iraq and Afghanistan still in transition and serious economic challenges in our own country, there are those on the American political scene who are calling for us not to reposition, but to come home. They seek a downsizing of our foreign engagement in favor of our pressing domestic priorities. These impulses are understandable, but they are misguided. Those who say that we can no longer afford to engage with the world have it exactly backward we cannot afford not to. From opening new markets for American businesses to curbing nuclear proliferation to keeping the sea lanes free for commerce and navigation, our work abroad holds the key to our prosperity and security at home. For more than six decades, the United States has resisted the gravitational pull of these "come home" debates and the implicit zero-sum logic of these arguments. We must do so again.
Beyond our borders, people are also wondering about Americas intentions our willingness to remain engaged and to lead. In Asia, they ask whether we are really there to stay, whether we are likely to be distracted again by events elsewhere, whether we can make and keep credible economic and strategic commitments, and whether we can back those commitments with action. The answer is: We can, and we will...snip
...Our treaty alliances with Japan, South Korea, Australia, the Philippines, and Thailand are the fulcrum for our strategic turn to the Asia-Pacific. They have underwritten regional peace and security for more than half a century, shaping the environment for the regions remarkable economic ascent. They leverage our regional presence and enhance our regional leadership at a time of evolving security challenges...snip
...We are also making progress on the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), which will bring together economies from across the Pacific developed and developing alike into a single trading community. Our goal is to create not just more growth, but better growth. We believe trade agreements need to include strong protections for workers, the environment, intellectual property, and innovation. They should also promote the free flow of information technology and the spread of green technology, as well as the coherence of our regulatory system and the efficiency of supply chains. Ultimately, our progress will be measured by the quality of peoples lives whether men and women can work in dignity, earn a decent wage, raise healthy families, educate their children, and take hold of the opportunities to improve their own and the next generations fortunes. Our hope is that a TPP agreement with high standards can serve as a benchmark for future agreements and grow to serve as a platform for broader regional interaction and eventually a free trade area of the Asia-Pacific...
Complete article (free registration required) http://foreignpolicy.com/2011/10/11/americas-pacific-century/
Some of Hillary's foreign policy, as described by Hillary. A must read.
Wilms
(26,795 posts)Any questions?
nationalize the fed
(2,169 posts)Hillary said (at 4:04)
"Nafta did not do what many had hoped"
Not a fan of NAFTA during many debates. There are plenty of juicy quotes.
arcane1
(38,613 posts)A bunch of fucking slogans to justify continued empire.
Read this with George W's voice in your head, and you won't know the difference.
truedelphi
(32,324 posts)Protecting TPP!
And ALL Hail to Ms Clinton, for her efforts in bringing about this New Brave World!
99Forever
(14,524 posts)... I will vote my conscience this time around.
And I am not alone.
OKNancy
(41,832 posts)lofty goals --- of course it's been 3 1/2 years since this article or the time she was in the State department working for her boss, President Obama.
I'd say wait to find out how she feels about it's progress since then. She has had no part of it for several years.