In his nearly hourlong speech to Tampa business and political leaders under a dome that was painted with blue sky and clouds, Vice President Joe Biden offered quite the rosy view of the future—assuming we don't go down the path of policies that reflect, say, nationalism or bigotry.
His Wednesday afternoon speech, put on at the University of Tampa by the Greater Tampa Chamber of Commerce, was something of a contrast to much of the over-the-top rhetoric that's lately been clogging up the public sphere, especially in presidential politics.
Biden said despite the extreme views that are voiced among some politicians and factions of at least one political party, diplomacy among and relationships between Western Hemisphere nations (namely within the Americas) have improved, and that's going to lead to more economic stability.
“We're increasingly seeing political pragmatism replacing populism," he said. "And across the region, nations are stepping up on the global scale, and they're contributing more internationally. For the first time in our history, in my opinion, I think it's possible to imagine a hemisphere that is middle class, secure…all the way from the northern reaches of Canada to the tip of Chile.”
The key word, of course, is "imagine," given that some Central and South American nations are still riddled with corruption and human rights abuses (a few activists stateside would even argue such affronts continue to happen in the U.S. of A.), including Cuba and Venezuela, both countries once viewed as foes.
Broadening the middle class across the Americas, of course, means better infrastructure — or, really, just infrastructure — in places accustomed to limited electricity and little to no internet.
“Communities have to be able to literally flip on a switch to turn on the lights and connect to the Internet. A significant part of Latin America cannot do that now," Biden said.
The U.S. could help better that, he said (in a manner that would probably not enthuse environmentalists): by exporting more liquid natural gas out of places like Port Tampa Bay using the soon-to-be-expanded capacity of the Panama Canal, which would allow massive freighters to cut through Central America rather than go all the way down around Cape Horn.
And while the Vice President didn't call any candidate or party out by name, he did vocally criticize the rhetoric Republicans like GOP presidential frontrunner Donald Trump are employing that stigmatize immigrants, particularly non-white immigrants, and other nations in general.
“I understand what it means to compete in a heated election like this,” he said. “By tarring our own immigrants with a xenophobic brush, some leaders are actively undermining our security and our prosperity."
Yet when it comes to progress, it's the opposite that's required.
“Everyone, everyone, everyone is entitled to treatment with dignity and respect," Biden said. "It's just basic. It's just basic.”
This article appears in May 5-11, 2016.