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Months before he
leaves the White House in January, Obama wrote that a certain
anxiety over globalization had taken hold in the United States,
not unlike the discontent leading to Britain's vote in June to
leave the European Union.
"The world is more prosperous than ever before and yet our
societies are marked by uncertainty and unease," the Democratic
president wrote.
"So we have a choice - retreat into old, closed-off economies or
press forward, acknowledging the inequality that can come with
globalization while committing ourselves to making the global
economy work better for all people, not just those at the top."
Calling capitalism the greatest driver of prosperity the world
has ever known, Obama argued that trade had helped the U.S.
economy much more than hurt it.
His enthusiastic advocacy for trade runs counter to the stated
policies of both his potential successors, who say many trade
deals hurt U.S. workers.
The Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal championed by the
president is opposed by Republican presidential nominee Donald
Trump and his Democratic rival in the Nov. 8 election, Hillary
Clinton, whom Obama has endorsed.
Obama listed four major structural challenges facing the United
States - "boosting productivity growth, combating rising
inequality, ensuring that everyone who wants a job can get one
and building a resilient economy that's primed for future
growth."
Trumpeting the achievements of his eight-year presidency, led by
preventing the 2007-2009 recession from turning into a
depression, Obama said a foundation was laid for a better
future.
"America must stay committed to working with all nations to
build stronger and more prosperous economies for all our
citizens for generations to come," he wrote.
(Reporting by Mohammad Zargham in Washington; Editing by Peter
Cooney)
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