The Issue of Inequality: Obama’s State of the Union Address

Published in Asahi
(Japan) on 26 January 2012
by (link to originallink to original)
Translated from by Taira Ishikura. Edited by Peter McGuire.
The speech symbolized the beginning of the 2012 presidential election. In his State of the Union address on January 24, President Obama made his stance against the Republican Party clear. The speech was an appeal to the American people for his reelection in November.

The president, who is focused on the middle class and workers, outlined his domestic agenda. Stating, “We can restore an economy where everyone gets a fair shot, everyone does their fair share and everyone plays by the same set of rules,” he laid out plans to expand tax cuts for workers and help households suffering under bad mortgages from the aftermath of the housing bubble.

One of the major points of contention is the taxation system.

A hopeful Republican presidential candidate, former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney, recently disclosed his tax return. While his income from investment last year exceeded $20 million before taxes, the tax rate applied to him was just 13.9 percent. Had his income been employment-based, he would have had 35 percent appropriated in taxes.

In the country where adoration for success stories and favorable treatment of the wealthy is approved because it is seen to motivate others, President Obama asked “Do we want to keep these tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans? Or do we want to keep our investments in everything else — like education and medical research; a strong military and care for our veterans? Because if we’re serious about paying down our debt, we can’t do both.” His statements reflected the superrich investor Warren Buffett’s remark: “It is unfair that my tax rate is lower than my secretary’s.”*

How much inequality should be allowed? This is a major question driving the election.

The GOP, with its focus on making a “small government,” claims that further deregulation — including tax cuts for the rich — is necessary, while contending that Obama’s economic stimulus package “expanded deficits with unnecessary spending.”*

The rise of economic nationalism is what is concerning. In his speech, Mr. Obama repeated the theme of “bring[ing] jobs back home” and outlined plans to give preferential treatment to corporations that create jobs domestically.

President Obama also criticized China, where “unfair trading practices” such as music and film piracy occur, and announced the establishment of an organization that would investigate such injustices.

To suppress foreign investment by adopting such policies may distort the very trade that contributes to global development. Because labeling “unfair trading” could encourage economic friction, the decision to use such a label should have been more carefully considered.

There were few words on the international front.

Mr. Obama refused to accept Iran’s development of nuclear weapons, stating, “I will take no options off the table to achieve that goal.” In response to Republicans who call for an attack on Iran, the president showed a strong, uncompromising stance.

Political positions tend to be extreme in election years. Protectionism and hard-line foreign policy approaches give a candidate’s popularity a boost. These positions, however, can compromise long-established international cooperation and cause America to stumble. Focused and productive discussions are to be looked forward to.

*Editor’s Note: These quotations, accurately translated, could not be verified.


選挙戦の開幕を告げる演説だった。オバマ米大統領は24日の一般教書演説で、共和党との対決姿勢を鮮明にした。再選をめざす11月の投票にむけての国民への訴えだったからだ。

 内政では、勤労者など中間層を重視して「誰にも公平な経済を作り直す」と述べた。勤労者への減税を拡大し、バブルの後遺症で住宅ローンに苦しむ世帯を救済するという。

 大きな争点は税制である。

 共和党の有力候補ロムニー前マサチューセッツ州知事が所得を公開した。一昨年は投資で2千万ドル(約15億6千万円)を超える年収を得たが、支払った税率は13.9%。給与所得ならば約35%が適用されるのに比べ、大幅に低い。

 成功物語への憧れが強い米国では、富裕層の優遇も「人々の意欲を刺激する」と認められてきた。大富豪の投資家バフェット氏が「私の税率が秘書より低いのは不公平」と公言していることにふれて、オバマ氏は「最も豊かな人への減税を続けるのか。教育や医学研究にまわすのか。赤字を減らすなら、両方はできない」と迫った。

 米国社会で、格差をどこまで認めるべきか。この論議は選挙を占う大きな要素だろう。

 「小さな政府」を掲げる共和党は、富裕層を含めた減税やいっそうの規制緩和が必要だと主張し、オバマ政権の景気刺激策は「無駄な出費で赤字を拡大させた」と攻撃している。

 気になるのは、経済ナショナリズムの高まりだ。オバマ氏は「雇用を米国に戻す」と繰り返し、国内で雇用を作り出す企業を優遇する方針を打ち出した。

 そして、音楽、映画などの海賊版や「不公正な貿易」が横行していると中国の名をあげ、そういう不公正を調査する新たな組織も設けるという。

 対外投資を政策で抑えることは、世界を発展させる貿易をゆがめかねない。「不公正貿易」というレッテルを貼るのも、相手国との経済摩擦を引き起こしかねないだけに、決めつけには慎重であるべきだ。

 外交への言及は少なかった。

 オバマ氏はイランの核兵器開発を許さないとして、「あらゆる選択肢を排除しない」と述べた。イラン攻撃を唱える共和党の主張を受けて、妥協しない姿勢を打ち出したようだ。

 選挙の年は、主張が過激になりがちだ。保護主義や強硬な外交が大衆受けする。だが、そうした主張は、これまで築いてきた国際協調を弱め、米国の足元を掘り崩しかねない。冷静で実のある論争を期待したい。
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