Another interesting saturday

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Foreign Affairs (July/Aug 08)

Future of North America:

• Canada & Mexico US’ most important trading partners
• Immigration and NAFTA (dem opinion) have led to decline in opinion re: US for Mexicans and Canadians

NATO Summit

• Germany led, our power is fucked, huge decline during bush admin
• damaged relationship w/Europe
• Bush has improved: worked w/Europe to demand halt to Iranian Enrichmens and sanctions against Tehran
• change in european leadership: Merkel in Germany and Nicolas Sarkozy in France, hope for better relations with U.S.
• however, European public, not European leaders that dislike policy
• value gap w/Europeans: death penalty, Abu Gahrib
• climate change

National Interest: Condelezza Rice

• democratic state building is vital to our national interest–freedom and democracy are the only things that can lead to long/lasting stability
• Relationships with China/Russia rooted in common ground instead of really common values
• concerned about china’s weapons systems
• China/Russia = power players we need
• Canada, Mexico, Colombia, Brazil, and Chile= allies we share values with
• previous middle-east policy:supported authoritarian regimes in exchange for stability in the region
• now m.e. policy = fight the underlying cause of the apparent instability (no channels for expression—result in radical measures) human rights and promote democratic development
• mission1 : resist the threat of violent global islamic extremism

Economist

“Unhappy America”

• need a change in attitude re: america’s relative decline compared to asia—it will take @least 25 years for china to catch up and “internal tensions” in its economy may cause problems before then
• india/china’s growth will result in more trade with us, and their success is largely b/c they have emulated us

“Sarkozy’s Progress”

• early on, appeared to do nothing, accomplish nothing
• recently passed a string of reforms b/c: had to, 2: weakness of socialist party which has offset his unpopularity, and taming of the trade unions
• reforms are important b/c of slowing euro. economy and essiential in the longterm
• has 2 aspects: economic liberalizer who wants French to break with the past in order to push fwd with the future, 2nd who wants to protects jobs and factories and distrusts free-traders and the market

Zimbabwe “Only Talk Tough”

• Morgan Tsvangirai won against Robert Mugabe agreed to talks with Mugabe after winning first round o elections
• only alternative: otherwise risk more bloodshed violence
• this only real viable option, way to let him leave w/some shred of dignity

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