• This is a political forum that is non-biased/non-partisan and treats every person's position on topics equally. This debate forum is not aligned to any political party. In today's politics, many ideas are split between and even within all the political parties. Often we find ourselves agreeing on one platform but some topics break our mold. We are here to discuss them in a civil political debate. If this is your first visit to our political forums, be sure to check out the RULES. Registering for debate politics is necessary before posting. Register today to participate - it's free!

Post US World Born in Phnom Penh

LowDown

LowDown

Curmudgeon
DP Veteran
Joined
Jul 19, 2012
Messages
14,185
Reaction score
8,768
Location
Houston
Gender
Male
Political Leaning
Libertarian
Asia Times Online :: Post-US world born in Phnom Penh

It is symptomatic of the national condition of the United States that the worst humiliation ever suffered by it as a nation, and by a US president personally, passed almost without comment last week. I refer to the November 20 announcement at a summit meeting in Phnom Penh that 15 Asian nations, comprising half the world's population, would form a Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership excluding the United States.

President Barack Obama attended the summit to sell a US-based Trans-Pacific Partnership excluding China. He didn't. The American led-partnership became a party to which no-one came.

Instead, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, plus China, India, Japan, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand, will form a club and leave out the United States.
Click to expand...

Elsewhere I read that Obama's Trans Pacific Parternship is still being negotiated by 11 nations, so it is not clear that this US initiative is dead. Nor is there anything that precludes these nations from belonging to both international groups. But in order to get a deal Obama will have to agree to trash protectionism that is propping up certain US industries.

After election, pressure grows on Obama in Asia-Pacific trade talks | Reuters
 
Not surprising since we are not part of the Asian-Pacific region.
 
Obama doesn't have the ability to show leadership in any venue. He's still operating as a community agitator, and is incapable of leading people or nations to anything constructive.
 
Diogenes said:
Obama doesn't have the ability to show leadership in any venue. He's still operating as a community agitator, and is incapable of leading people or nations to anything constructive.
Click to expand...

What leadership are you expecting Obama to show in a regional discussion when we aren't a part of that region?

I mean, China didn't have any part of NAFTA's discussion, right? You wouldn't expect them to.

"Post US World." :lamo
 
Technically you are in the region since you are on the Pacific Ocean and you have Hawaii.
 
China is a major and still rising power in Asia. No credible Pacific economic partnership can exclude it. The U.S. has the luxury of being located far from China and can effectively exclude it. China's neighbors don't have that luxury and they have to live within a balance of power in which China is evolving to become Asia's dominant power. Hopefully, the emerging partnership can be expanded to include the U.S., as it would be mutually beneficial to make such an arrangement and, in terms of the benefits of trade, any agreement that lowers trade barriers would also enhance consumer welfare.
 
American said:
Not surprising since we are not part of the Asian-Pacific region.
Click to expand...

That is not strictly correct. The US has territories, commonwealths and protectorates in the region, Guam, Norther Mariana Islands, Howland Island, Baker Island and American Somoa
 
Technically China has territory in North America (embassies) but that doesn't mean they sat in on NAFTA.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom