ALL POLITICS IS GLOBAL, TOO

摘要

Last november, just as the war against terrorism was reaching its climax in Afghanistan, U.S. trade negotiators were playing a leading role in launching a new round of trade liberalization. The talks took place, symbolically enough, at Doha, Qatar, in the Persian Gulf. I never tire of stressing the strategic value that the substance and timing of this new WTO round ―beyond the significant potential economic effects ―have for international stability and security. At Doha the industrialized countries, and particularly the U.S., told the world that constructive interdependence (rather than isolationism) and concerted multilateralism (rather than aggressive unilateralism) are essential components of the answer to the challenges that became brutally evident on Sept. 11. It seemed to be the beginning of a coalition, broader than the military one, that would fight decisively against the dangerous polarization between the haves and have-nots of the world. This position was reinforced at the UN. Financing for Development Conference in March. Unfortunately I must, too soon, tone down my optimism.