I spent most of today in Puerto Montt and the lake district in southern Chile. There really is nothing like being 5000 miles from home to give one a completely different perspective on the world. It is not just that I am out of the USA. On top of that, I am also out of the land of the endless news loops. No one in Chile (at least no one I met) cared at all what was said on the Sunday shows yesterday in the USA. The day to day disputes about small points or phony issues have no impact around here. The folks that I spoke to in the area were concerned about only two issues regarding the USA. The first was whether or not America would regain its economic growth. This is not a small issue for the Chileans. A faster growth rate in the USA helps the economy of Chile more than almost any other economic event coming from outside the country. The second concern I heard was whether or not America still cared about the rest of the world. The perception exists in Chile that the USA is pulling back from its commitments around the globe. We are no longer concerned about our friends in the same way that we used to be. I have to say that I was surprised to hear regular people say this. That means that the foreign policy (or lack thereof) followed by president Obama and his administration has been perceived in South America at least as one of withdrawal from the world. No one could argue that this is a good development.
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