President
Obama delivers the third and final State of the Union Address
of
his term: Much more competitive than the last two, Obama had a
tough message
for China and Iran, but completely ignored North Korea.
Tokushima Shimbun, Japan
U.S. State of the
Union Tweaks China; Sends 'Wrong Message' to North Korea
"The president announced the formation
of a new agency to investigate unfair trade practices on the part of China. … this
is likely to intensify friction with China. … Also puzzling was the absence of
any mention of North Korea's nuclear program …This lack of acknowledgement
could send the wrong message to Pyongyang, which already possesses a nuclear
weapon."
EDITORIAL
Translated By Anthony Figueroa
January 27, 2012
Japan
- Tokushima Shimbun - Original Article (Japanese)
U.S. President Barack Obama has
delivered the State of the Union address outlining his administration's plans
for the coming year. For the most part, the speech was filled with talk of the domestic
economy and building a fairer society with less income disparity, such as a proposal
for raising taxes in wealthier Americans, which Republicans oppose.
And delivering a stern
warning to Iran, which is suspected of seeking to develop nuclear weapons, the
president stated that he "will take no options off the table,"
including military action.
With all eyes focused on the
presidential election in November, middle class tax reform is the key issue for
a majority Americans, while Republican opposition to such measures remains clear.
Perhaps to fend off harsh
criticism from weak-kneed Republicans, Mr. Obama found in necessary to showcase
a tough stance on foreign affairs.
In his last two State of the
Union addresses, Mr. Obama took a conciliatory stance, calling on Republicans
to cooperate to pass important legislation. In an election year, domestic issues
tend to be the focus. But confronting such issues as openly and directly Obama
did in the speech is almost unheard of in the history of the U.S. Congress. One
would have to call such an address an "inwardly focused" re-election
speech.
While Obama stressed the
success of his employment policies and financial reform, the U.S. unemployment
rate remains high at 8.5 percent. The speech focused on the issue of wealth
disparity, and people speculate that this was a way of turning voter attention away
from the sagging economy.
Four years ago, Mr. Obama was
elected as the president of "change," but over the last three years,
the chasm between the American public and Congress has widened considerably,
with Congress becoming increasingly dysfunctional.
Obama would like both parties
to avoid escalating the confrontation and seemingly endless argument in order
to achieve an early U.S. economic recovery. After all, economic trends in the
United States - and Japan - have a major impact on the rest of the world.
In terms of diplomacy and security,
Mr. Obama once again declared the Asia-Pacific region as America's highest
priority, declaring again that the United States is a "Pacific power."
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This is a welcome direction, which
will lead to a strengthening of ties with Japan, which is a desire Tokyo reciprocates.
On the other hand, due to the issue of job creation and a hotly-disputed presidential
election, it is clear that the U.S. also wants to find additional ways into the
Asian market.
Posted by WORLDMEETS.US
Moreover, called for an
"economy built to last," in order to pint out the need to bring manufacturing
jobs from Asia back to the U.S. The president also announced the formation of a
new agency to investigate unfair trade practices on the part of China.
It appears that the new agency
will responsible for protecting intellectual property rights and conducting
anti-dumping investigations, and is likely to only intensify friction with
China.
Obama also announced that
pressure on Iran would be maintained until the country's attitude changes. But if
he has a concrete strategy to change Tehran's attitude, he failed to mention it.
After ratcheting up the
pressure, how will Washington go bringing Iran's leaders, who take great pride
in the nation's nuclear development, agree to a compromise? Tough words alone
won't do the job. The United States must outline steps leading to a peaceful
resolution.
Also puzzling was the absence
of any mention of North Korea's nuclear program, which is a topic that was
mentioned in Obama's precious State of the Union speech. This lack of
acknowledgement could send the wrong message to North Korea, which already possesses
a nuclear weapon.
There was no direct mention
of Japan. The last two State of the Union addresses also reflected a distinct reduction
of Japan's presence. Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda has advocated for a
strengthening of the U.S.-Japan alliance. If that is something he wishes to
pursue, then it is paramount for him to step up Japan's global presence.
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