Brent Scowcroft, U.S. National Security Adviser under Presidents Gerald Ford and George H.W. Bush, calls the Cold War the “division of Europe” in a discussion about the fall of the Berlin Wall at the Newseum in Washington, D.C. on Monday. (0:34)
Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) says new U.S. missile defense plans in the Czech Republic and Poland could weaken ties between the countries and the United States. He also says new policies indicate more willingness to warm up to Russia. (1:38)
By Celia Canon – Talk Radio News Service
During an address on Latin America and the economic crisis at the Brookings Institute yesterday, Chilean President Michelle Bachelet discussed her country’s comparatively strong economy, explaining that the 1980’s economic crisis in Latin America taught the region to take measures to insulate itself from global financial crises.
“This time in Latin America, fundamental [institutions] were better and policy responses were swift,” Bachelet said. “Central banks move quickly to offset the lack of liquidity in dollars using either sovereign funds or international reserves accumulated during the commodity boom earlier this decade.”
Chile’s current financial stability is largely due to the fact that it has moved away from American policies in recent years, eschewing the Washington Consensus, a set of American recommendations to Latin American states on how to rebuild their economies in 1989. The recommendations focused on maintaining a free market economy with little to no government involvement.
“This approach of no regulation is an approach that we have come to call in Chile the ‘Paradigm of Passivity,’ ” Bachelet said. “The crisis has taught us what we should have known all along: that the state is not and cannot be passive when it comes to economic activity or financial regulation.”
The Chilean president added: “When I talk about not being passive, I’m not talking necessarily about [an] interventionist state. I’m not calling for a government involved in all sectors of the economy or prone to over-regulating markets.”
Bachelet also compared Western states and Chile with regard to the policies implemented to reduce the impact of the global financial crisis.
“Unlike the U.S. and much of Europe, in 2009, tax payers have not have to pay the burden of bailing out” national companies, said Bachelet.
Additionally, the Chilean government has produced its own stimulus package, which aims to maintain the population’s purchasing power, rather than bail out industries.
“This [stimulus] package was designed to inject resources directly into the pockets of the most deprived families to promote employment by increasing public investment, and by granting subsidies to youth employment and to encourage private investment with temporary tax rebates,” Bachelet said.
Bachelet, a moderate socialist, is currently in Washington, D.C. to meet with President Barack Obama in hopes of increasing bilateral ties and improving trade partnerships. During her speech, she was quick to empathize with the Americans, echoing Obama’s frequent calls for an economic restructuring to lead to “lasting prosperity.”
States should not “go back to the same situation that we were in before, because that would mean we haven’t learned the lessons of the crisis,” Bachelet said.
Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell (D) says that the U.S. can not be content with 110 mile high speed rail systems.
“If we do that we are absolutely consigning ourselves to second class citizenship compared to Asia and Europe. We have to find a way to build and finance true high speed rail,” said Rendell (0:35)
By Michael Combier-Talk Radio News Service
Philip H. Gordon, Assistant Secretary for European and Eurasian Affairs, says that the United States will push for Turkey’s integration into the European Union because it will benefit Europe. (0:31)
By Michael Combier-Talk Radio News Service
In the midst of a global crisis, two wars and nuclear threats, it is crucial that the United States reinforce its relationships with its European allies, especially Russia said Philip H. Gordon, assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs. Gordon’s remarks came during testimony he issues in front of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs.
Gordon argued that the United States should put its past difficulties with Russia “behind us to the extent possible.” However, in a reference to last July’s conflict between Georgia and Russia, Gordon said that the U.S. “will not abandon our principles or ignore concerns about democracy and human rights…We don’t recognize any privilege sphere of influence for Russia in Europe [and] we will also continue to support the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Russia’s neighbors.”
“The U.S. and Russia can still work together where our interests coincide while seeking to narrow our differences in an open and mutually respectful way.”
Said Gordon, “the greatest success we have in preventing Iran from developing nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles, the less there is a need for a missile defense system in Europe. If that threat goes away, the need for the system also goes away,” adding that a nuclear North Korea and nuclear Iran also pose great threats to Russia’s security as well.
Four members of the French Parliament were present in the audience during the hearing.
By Courtney Ann Jackson- Talk Radio News Service
Nile Gardner, director of the Margaret Thatcher Center for Freedom at the Heritage Foundation, explains what Obama’s upcoming trip overseas, particularly his time in Europe, will mean in terms of the United States’ international relations. He also discusses Obama’s previous European visit and the repercussions of his statement about American arrogance. (1:28)
Senator and Senate Foreign Relations Commmittee Member Bob Corker (R-Tenn.)asks Secretary of State Hillary Clinton a question about the energy issue in Europe. He expresses concern that the U.S. seems more concerned with Europe’s energy security than they do. Clinton explains what she knows about the issue. (1:54)
by Christina Lovato, University of New Mexico-Talk Radio News Service
Former Colombian President, César Gaviria, said this week that the policy of trying to stop the flow of drugs to the U.S. is a failure and he suggested that the U.S. take a look at the drug policy in Europe because they have been very successful. Gavira offered his criticism at an event in Washington discussing a new report the by Latin American Commission on Drugs and Democracy. (00:27)
by Christina Lovato, University of New Mexico-Talk Radio News Service
Today at a discussion titled, “The Implications of the G-20 Summit for the Political Sovereignty and Economic Freedom of the United States,” J.D. Foster, a senior fellow in the economics of fiscal policy at the Thomas Roe Institute for Economic Policy Studies of the Heritage Foundation, spoke about the upcoming G-20 summit in April and how France’s President, Nicolas Sarkozy is suggesting that Europe take the lead of the country and the United States follow. Foster said that Barney Frank (D-Mass.) would not allow that to happen. (01:09)
