Last night, I had the opportunity to hear former Mexico President Vicente Fox at The Schintz. Fox is the first in a glowing lineup of speakers for the 2008 World Affairs Council Speaker Series, which will include Kim Dae-Jung, former President of South Korea (April 18), and Sandra Day O’Connor, the first woman to serve on the U.S. Supreme Court. Justice O’Connor is scheduled to speak on Sept. 27.
In his talk President Fox addressed the necessity for continental trade agreements and called for immigration reform. He noted that in decades past, the United States has been a strong champion of establishing market economies and the democratic rule of law across the globe.
He addressed the threat of the United States’ increased protectionist stance against its neighbors.
“Today, it’s sad to see the leading nation of the world that taught all of us to open our markets is going backward. Now it’s building walls, now it’s isolating itself from the rest of the world,” he said. “Walls don’t work. The Chinese wall did not work. The Berlin Wall did not work. This wall is not going to work.”
Fox acknowledged that the struggles of Latin American countries in the 20th century have kept the region back from achieving its full potential. He stresses that Latin American countries are committed to building strong market economies that create jobs and wealth. But progress is not possible without a powerful package of social policies “that encompass underlying tensions.”
“Poverty is our worst problem in Latin America. Poverty in our neighborhoods and low levels of education are the enemies of democracy.”
“(Latin Americans) are working hard to reach its ‘American dream.’ We all want equal opportunities for all and democracy and freedom as a way of life. We work hard and have big aspirations.”
Fox also urged a more robust continental trade cooperation, which he believes will be a competitive advantage to meet the challenges set by the European Union and growing economies of China and India.
“God did not create borders – those are human creations. Both of us did not choose who’s going to be our neighbors.” he said. “(Our countries) have had a lot of difficulties in our history. But we’re neighbors, and we decided 12 years ago to be partners. If we work together, we can be very competitive.”
He addressed the threat of the United States’ increased protectionist stance against its neighbors.
“Today, it’s sad to see the leading nation of the world that taught all of us to open our markets is going backward. Now it’s building walls, now it’s isolating itself from the rest of the world,” he said. “Walls don’t work. The Chinese wall did not work. The Berlin Wall did not work. This wall is not going to work.”
Fox acknowledged that the struggles of Latin American countries in the 20th century have kept the region back from achieving its full potential. He stresses that Latin American countries are committed to building strong market economies that create jobs and wealth. But progress is not possible without a powerful package of social policies “that encompass underlying tensions.”
“Poverty is our worst problem in Latin America. Poverty in our neighborhoods and low levels of education are the enemies of democracy.”
“(Latin Americans) are working hard to reach its ‘American dream.’ We all want equal opportunities for all and democracy and freedom as a way of life. We work hard and have big aspirations.”
Fox also urged a more robust continental trade cooperation, which he believes will be a competitive advantage to meet the challenges set by the European Union and growing economies of China and India.
“God did not create borders – those are human creations. Both of us did not choose who’s going to be our neighbors.” he said. “(Our countries) have had a lot of difficulties in our history. But we’re neighbors, and we decided 12 years ago to be partners. If we work together, we can be very competitive.”