What is the Value of Living Abroad?
Recently Hillary Clinton mocked Barack Obama for saying his time living abroad has value when it comes to foreign policy. Yet, as someone who has lived abroad more than 15% of his life, I think that the experience contributes tremendously to understanding how foreign policy affects people outside of the US, and almost as importantly, how it is perceived.
One of the most telling things about the Bush presidency is that he had only left the country three times before he decided to run. This despite having a father who was a senator, head of the CIA, vice president, and president. Not to mention the fact that his two home states sit in close proximity to Mexico and Canada. (The dirty little secret is that Bush is NOT from Texas, but instead from Connecticut. In fact, he didn’t even live in Texas until his mid twenties!)
When he arrived in the Washington he had little understanding of the world beyond baseball, frats, and oil. He did not know how to connect with people from other cultures, and had little ability to see things from any perspective other than his own. It’s not that he is dumb, per se, it’s that he is ignorant. He just does not know any better, and does not care to.
This brings us back to Hillary’s point. She callously dismissed Obama’s time living abroad. But as someone who has lived in a lot of different places, and heard a lot of people’s view that I disagree with, I believe that there is value in it. This does not mean that if you live in China you should agree with Beijing’s Tibet policy, or even be an expert on it. Instead, you should understand that when people see human rights violations in Guantanamo Bay they are unlikely to take your criticism of the treatment of the Dalai Lama or other ‘enemies of the state’ particularly well.
There is value to seeing the world from a different perspective, to understanding why people resent us. Sometimes they are wrong, and sometimes they are right, but we should always understand why these things happen.
Had I never lived in China what might I think of the country? Perhaps in certain cases I would have a clearer and less biased view, but I do not think I could possibly have as rich and accurate an understanding. This is the value of living abroad, and apparently it is something that Hillary, on her self-righteous high-horse, can never understand. Unless she’s being completely disingenuous. But that’s not her style, right?
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Jeremy responds:
Posted: November 23rd, 2007 at 11:19 am →
It’s amazing that Hillary has the chutzpah to say that - of course it may ring true with the majority of Americans.
And that, Josh, is the problem =)
Maybe if we had mandatory stints abroad to third world countries after high school, sans Peace Corps benefits? Sure would do a lot to change the average American’s view of the world.
Josh responds:
Posted: November 24th, 2007 at 11:41 am →
Jeremy:
Why do you hate freedom so much!
China Law Blog responds:
Posted: November 26th, 2007 at 1:25 am →
@Josh,
I agree with you, but isn’t it the case that Obama has barely left the country since he was something like 8 years old?
@ Jeremy,
“mandatory stints abroad.” Wow!
Josh responds:
Posted: November 26th, 2007 at 8:36 pm →
@Dan
If you look at the candidates the only one who has real foreign policy experience is Richardson and arguably McCain. I mean if having your city attacked doesn’t qualify you for everything.
ERIC responds:
Posted: November 29th, 2007 at 6:12 am →
chris dodd is a foreign policy guru.
although he’s the also-ran in so many elections that people barely notice he exists anymore….
not that it matters very much
american politics had always been about domestic policy, and foreign policy to the extend that ordinary (read=NOT Upper East Siders) Americans can viscerally understand (read= Iraq).
No one gives a rat’s ass if Bush solved the palestinian question in annapolis.
sad, but true.