In some ways, conceding leadership of the drug fight to Mexico hews to a guiding principle of Mr. Obama's foreign policy, in which American supremacy is played down, at least publicly, in favor of a multilateral approach.
This flood of capital will be less devastating to them than the harm they would suffer if the West descended into deflation and stagnation, but it can still cause problems.Collective Seoul-searchingAll this cries out for a multilateral approach, in which institutions such as the IMF and the G20 forge consensus among the big economies.
An early critic of the U.S. invasion of Iraq, he quickly visited the Middle East after he took office to broadcast a new message about building partnerships in the region and adopting a multilateral approach to security decisions.
Should our foreign policy primarily pursue unilateral interest through military power or a multilateral approach grounded in diplomacy?
While emerging economy states have sought greater latitude to play economic catch-up to the industrial powers, more developed states as Canada and Australia have perhaps inflicted some of the greatest injury to a multilateral approach by backtracking in substance and commitment.
A multilateral approach, with tough talk in private, is also more likely to succeed against other egregious policies.
The broader framework of Mrs. Clinton's remarks was to emphasize a multilateral approach to economic issues in Asia that parallels the American effort to seek multilateral negotiations in the region on security issues.
Last Thursday, the Times reported that, after meeting with Jordan's King Abdullah II, the Trump Administration is considering a multilateral approach to negotiations, bringing in Jordan, Egypt, and Saudi Arabia.
The state department, announcing Kerry's weekend talks, said tthe Lausanne and London talks were to "discuss a multilateral approach to resolving the crisis in Syria, including a sustained cessation of violence and the resumption of humanitarian aid deliveries".
They must recognise that the much-maligned Bush administration has dutifully pursued a multilateral approach over both Iraq and the war in Afghanistan.
