US Opinion and Commentary

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Some Not-Worse-Case Scenarios for 2017

Posted December 27th, 2016 at 10:14 am (UTC-4)
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By Barbara Slavin At long last, 2016 is almost behind us. For the majority of Americans who voted for Hillary Clinton and for millions beyond our borders, 2017 is filled with apprehension. But in the spirit of a new year, this analyst hopes that Donald Trump will exceed expectations and that those who opposed him […]

The U.S. Election Through European Eyes

Posted September 9th, 2016 at 3:59 pm (UTC-4)
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Seen through the eyes of a European, it has been more than interesting. It has been, in turn, riveting, appalling, and at times frightening. Assumptions we have long taken for granted, assumptions central to the foundations of the U.S.-European alliance, have suddenly become open for discussion.

Here’s a Problem with the TPP that Hillary Clinton Ignores at her Peril

Posted July 25th, 2016 at 11:29 am (UTC-4)
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There is not a single mention of climate change or human rights in the treaty text….While leaked documents from the TPP negotiations suggest the U.S. acquiesced to other countries attempts to weaken the agreement, history shows that tying environmental and human rights issues into larger strategic agreements actually strengthens these treaties.

In Merkel, Obama Finds Like-minded Ally

Posted April 25th, 2016 at 12:09 pm (UTC-4)
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They are both calm, cool and collected. Neither are prone to melodrama; rather, they look for practical solutions. And they have both demonstrated maturity by getting past a nasty spat prompted by revelations that the U.S. government was listening in on German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s telephone conversations for several years. Shortly after arriving in Germany on Sunday for his final visit, Obama praised Merkel for sticking to a welcoming policy towards migrants even as Europe capitals have been shaken by deadly terrorist attacks carried out by ISIS: “What’s happening with respect to her position on refugees here, in Europe. She is on the right side of history on this,” he said. In return, officials say Obama hopes to get more support to fight ISIS militants, and for a trade deal with the European Union. As the president winds down his two-terms in office, he seems driven to secure America’s best friends and raise the public discourse during a particularly pugilistic American election season that will determine his successor.

Anti-Trade America?

Posted April 8th, 2016 at 4:43 pm (UTC-4)
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In the name of reducing US inequality, presidential candidates in both parties would stymie the aspirations of hundreds of millions of desperately poor people in the developing world to join the middle class….it will mark a historic turning point in global economic affairs, one that bodes ill for the future of American leadership.

What Mexico Thinks about Trump

Posted March 21st, 2016 at 12:51 pm (UTC-4)
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Mexican politicians and pundits are now debating how best to deal with Mr. Trump. For Mexico, it is not only about pride or political correctness. It is about maintaining a decent working relationship between two countries that share one of the world’s longest borders, highest amounts of trade and largest migration flows…

Thre Great Trans-Pacific Partnership Debate

Posted November 10th, 2015 at 1:40 pm (UTC-4)
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So are we better off with or without the TPP? If Congress ratifies it, that won’t turbocharge the U.S. economy. If Congress blocks the deal, that won’t stop globalization. And like any trade agreement, it creates winners and losers.

The World — Including China — Is Unprepared for the Rise of China

Posted November 9th, 2015 at 9:02 am (UTC-4)
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For the first time in centuries, China affects the global economy as much as it is affected by the global economy. In the years ahead, China is likely to account for between one-third and one-half of growth in global incomes, trade and commodity demand…

President Obama Needs to Fight for His New Trade Deal

Posted October 6th, 2015 at 8:40 am (UTC-4)
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…Monday’s agreement is just the end of the beginning for TPP: Obama still has to get Congress to pass it, and that’s no done deal.

China-U.S. Trade Soars, Benefitting Both Nations

Posted September 22nd, 2015 at 12:06 pm (UTC-4)
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As President Xi Jinping visits the United States this week, history tells us that Sino-U.S. economic cooperation is win-win. For more than 30 years, our bilateral trade and investment has brought real benefits to our peoples and contributed to great development in both countries.

Democrats Being Democrats

Posted June 15th, 2015 at 4:27 pm (UTC-4)
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On Friday, House Democrats shocked almost everyone by rejecting key provisions needed to complete the Trans-Pacific Partnership, an agreement the White House wants but much of the party doesn’t.  

Obamanomics, Sidetracked

Posted June 15th, 2015 at 9:08 am (UTC-4)
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….Before repudiating Obama’s entire program, it’s worth recalling this: Obamanomics has not failed. It just has not been tried.

Congress Derails Obama’s Pitch for “Fast Track” Trade Authority

Posted June 12th, 2015 at 12:07 pm (UTC-4)
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In a stunning defeat, Democrats deserted their president on a vote for the Trans-Pacific Partnership, a bill that would have bolstered his negotiating power in trade deals with 11 other Pacific Rim countries. Ironically, House Republicans largely supported the measure that would have allowed Obama to make deals with far less congressional meddling.