Asia Needs A Little Obamamania

TOKYO -- No sooner had Bernard Kouchner, the most pro-American French foreign minister in memory, concluded that the "magic is gone" for America in the world than Obamamania swept Europe after the lanky pol with big ears seized the Democratic nomination for president.

The foreign policy director of the German Marshall Fund, John K. Glenn, enthused that Barack Obama "reaffirms in European minds the vitality of the U.S." "Thanks to Obama," French analyst Dominqiue Moisi gushed, "America has returned to be the emotional center center of gravity of the world." Famously, even some Hamas leaders have applauded Obama.

Yet Obamamania was scarcely to be found on recent visits to Asia, including Japan, China and South Korea. Of course there are many who look forward to George W. Bush leaving office, and there are certainly supporters of Obama, especially in Indonesia where he partly grew up. But the wild enthusiasm just isn't there.

The official Chinese Communist Party paper, the People's Daily even tried to knock down the whole Obama phenomenon by arguing it meant nothing about the state of racial justice in America, but was rather "only" a matter of successful assimilation of a black man who had given up his identity by going to Harvard. Apparently China's authorities still miss the whole point of America -- a racially-hybrid cosmopolitan culture that, under the rule of law, can work for all individuals.

No doubt the absence of Obamamania across the Pacific has much to do with the fact that Asia's modernizing elites are more attentive to interests than values. They see in Obama, as well as any Democrat, the specter of protectionism. For them, Republican rule has been favorable to the free trade and globalization which has elevated them to ever greater prosperity.

Such a point of view is not only shortsighted, but historically wrong.

In the first place, Bill Clinton largely transformed the Democratic Party away from its fear of trade. He shepherded NAFTA through Congress and laid the groundwork for China's entry into the World Trade Organization. Long before Clinton, John F. Kennedy liberalized trade in the so-called "Kennedy Round."

Second, it is precisely the Democratic focus on universal health care, reliable pensions, the reduction of college costs and housing foreclosure rescues that promises to relieve the middle class anxieties that would sink globalization. The great economic lesson of our time is that an effective national safety net and public investment, especially in educating a highly skilled population, is the precondition for benefitting from global free trade.

The paradox, as the successful Scandinavian model has illustrated, is that social security enables flexibility and openness to change, not undermines it. The counterintuitive reality is that a simple anti-tax, anti-government, free enterprise agenda will bring globalization down, not sustain it.

As Bob Reich, the former US labor secretary has pointed out, historically the backlashes against globalization occur not under Democrats but under Republicans, as they did under Herbert Hoover and now George W. Bush. That is because America's huge middle class doesn't do as well under Republicans. "Because their jobs and incomes are threatened -- the median wage, adjusted for inflation, is lower than it was when Bush came to office -- they fear trade and other global commitments," says Reich.

The reality is that globalization inexorably creates losers as well as winners. For America to remain the land of opportunity where all comers can join the vast, prosperous middle class that buys up what the rest of the world produces, it will need what the Democrats today proscribe.

For this reason, Asia would benefit from a little Obamamania. In the end, the rise of a global middle class, particularly in India and China, is not sustainable if it means the demotion of the American middle class. Until the emerging economies reach a level of prosperity in which their own consumers are rich enough to buy most of what they produce -- the holy grail of decoupling -- their prospects are still linked to the fortunes of the American consumer.

Comments

[GravitonX]

The Chinese have an exceptionally sophisticated understanding of the game Blacks must play in America to be allowed to prosper.

[Highwind]

There are some older Asians who still look at their kind with darker skin as somewhat inferior. The older Asian society in some ways, especially if you go to Japan, do not like foreigners in their countries. You can literally go there and see some Japanese only signs. So, it's not surprising. It's actually funny that the author totally forgets about Obama, Japan, which sells all kinds of Japanese made Obama memorabilia.

[GravitonX]

You confuse China with Japan. Very different societies.

[FirstShirt]

Nothing is wrong with change. But, I fear there is too much hyperbole right now. Obama is being touted as something of a savior. He is a man with a man's flaws and when it happens, and he will make mistakes, his supporters are likely to be his most vehement detractors.

[watchingthings]

I guess they're worried that the politicians they have in their back pocket won't do them any more good if Obama and the Democrats get a hold of the reins. Also, they may worry that Democrats may not be so easy to buy.

[mergina]

Actually, what the WHOLE WORLD needs is a LOT LESS OBAMAMANIA. No one should be propped up on a pedestal, NO ONE. Obama is a man, a politician, and it is looking like he is a rather naive, inexperienced and overwhelmed one at that. Take away this guys speeches, and his is actually a rather bland sputtering politician.

[NTO08]

Well put, and oh so true...it seems the world as a whole is not so keen on the anointed one...

[Highwind]

What the world needs is a lot less trolls on this board spewing their BS Obama hate.

[Amalek]

China is blocking access to Obama's website, as well as the Democratic party. McCain's website and the Republican's remain open. Go figure that out.

This website is also blocked, a recent development, but most everyone in China knows how to use a proxy server.

[edtastic]

After reading this article I have no reason to believe Asia does not like Obama. Yes the author puts forth reasons why they ought not support him but does not establish his thesis is correct. Where is the proof Asia does not support Obama? I think the writers need to be more careful before they label a large reason of the world. It seems people have become careless with accusations as a means of getting attention to their views.

"The official Chinese Communist Party paper, the People's Daily even tried to knock down the whole Obama phenomenon by arguing it meant nothing about the state of racial justice in America, but was rather "only" a matter of successful assimilation of a black man who had given up his identity by going to Harvard. Apparently China's authorities still miss the whole point of America -- a racially-hybrid cosmopolitan culture that, under the rule of law, can work for all individuals."

I have two problems this segment of the post. First it assumes the Chinese Goverment writes everything and the papers view are offical goverment policy. Second it assumes the Peoples Daily is wrong or some how against Obama. I think the Peoples Daily view is realistic, we dont need to live in fairy tale land to support Obama. Obama will not end racism in Appalachia or assimilate all black culture into the mainstream.

[Amalek]

This particular author rarely offers empirical data for his broad sweeping conclusions, most of which any Asia watcher discounts heavily.

[karela]

At a recent gathering of the Asian Society Forum, 83% of Asian leaders proclaimed themselves to be for Obama. One of them said this of his countrymen, "Many would feel that if the United Sates chooses Obama for President that it would immediately fix 50% of America's image problem." There may be some governments in Asia who aren't excited about Obama, but there are certainly a lot of Asian people who are excited about him. Indonesia is very excited about Obama. Many people in Japan, Singapore, India and countries all over the world are hopeful that America will move back towards it's ideals if Obama is President. And they are hopeful that if America lives up to it's own ideals, then the world will be better for everyone. See the web site, The World Wants Obama, at this link:
http://www.theworldwantsobama.org/

[NTO08]

More propaganda...duly ignored.

[emsique]

HuffPost's Pick

In my travels in China I find that everyone I talk to is excited by the prospect of Obama as president. These are everyday folks, not the ones in power. Our country has done an outstanding job making a hash of the middle east and destabilizing the world. They see an Obama presidency as something that may help remedy some of the ills the rich white Americans in power have infected the world with. Obamamania may not exist as a great media event in Asia, but people are excited.