President Sarkozy's addressed the "World Leaders Forum" at Columbia University on Monday, March 29, 2010.Here are some points I jotted down from President Sarkozy's speech and from the Q & A session that followed:
"ours is a multipolar world...today strength and power mean dialogue....the US and France must redesign a new idea together...if we don't do that no one else will...(we)have a totally open and a free discussion....call a spade a spade....(because)the world is interlocked and interdependent.... "
" ...world economic reformation cannot stand still....any Frenchman who comes to the US always a suspect...a socialist trying to regulate Capitalism....but a market economy and unbridled capitalism will no longer be accepted by people for too long....do you think we can defend Capitalism when there is so much injustice...it is impossible to defend...what happened 18 months ago must never happen again...I don't want it and I will not do it....Europe and US can redesign the rules to a better world economy....a barrel price for oil that is say $80/-....regulate the world economy, the commodities....design new criteria to gauge growth...how our economies grow differently...use education, our people's well being to measure our economies.....market economy creates value, a productive economy...over last 5 years world economy become a speculation economy....not a system in which I wish to live.... an absence of rules kills off freedom...."
"...a world of balanced rules....UN Security Council...not a single African country has a permanent seat... or a single Arab country....India does not have a permanent seat...Japan does not have a seat...no representatives of 2.5 billion people of the world....is that reasonable...not a single country from Latin America that has a permanent seat....does that make any sense to you...is it thinkable to you?...world governance must be reformed...to manage the conflicts of tomorrow...everyone has to be on board for world governance..."
"...alliance between US and Europe is of vital essence here...you need us and we need you...when NY was attacked the world democracy was attacked...when faced with terrorism we cannot stand divided...we don't want nuclear weapons to fall in the hands of terrorist...the world needs an open America, a generous America ...that shows the way... is attuned to the sufferings of the world..when you chose Obama the entire world placed its hope in you..."
Q & A session:
"...we admire your university system....equality is not uniformity, it is tailored to the needs of each and everyone...France has to open it's universities to creativity...university reform in France...change is difficult...it worries, goes against habit...a statesman must pursue change...we must be judged on what we produce..."
"Health Reform in US...we rub our eyes in disbelief...the poorest of America left out is astonishing...can't simply let people die who don't have the means...I admire Obama for what he did..."
"Economic crisis in Europe...27 countries who at one time at each others throats for years...decided to work collectively....16 countries decided we'd have the same currency...if we'd let Greece fail the crisis would have flared up...like when you walked away from Lehman the crisis flared...solidarity is essential...we are interdependent..."
6 comments:
I think we live in a world of unbalanced truths.
I think, the call they took on Greece was commendable in spite of some German concerns. Al though it made economic sense as well for Euro would have been devalued had Greece failed. So the idea of 'one world' may finally depend on our economic concern, which also would mean social development in a larger sense...
On a lighter note..was Carla also present there? she got one big admirer back in a stuffy cubicle in new delhi :)
D,
You are right, the 'one world' concept can only be economy driven as was proved by the formation of the European Union made up of countries that have been enemies historically for centuries, and yet they agreed to collectively work under one umbrella...so there's hope...even if it is money /market driven...which I believe is not necessarily always bad :)
Carla was there, and she stole the show wherever she showed up:
http://www.dnainfo.com/20100330/manhattan/carla-bruni-upstages-husband-nicolas-sarkozy-at-columbia-university/comments
starry,
'unbalanced truths'....can you expand on that..
If they are 'truths' then why or how are they 'unbalanced' and is man/society responsible for that?
i wish this man were to rule the whole world!
Hi Id,
He is undoubtedly a great orator and that is why he won the election two years ago.
Right now his score in polls is very low here in France because people feel he did not deliver.
Nevertheless, its good to listen to him. He makes you feel important.
Georg
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