MEDIA REACTION - GLOBAL ECONOMY

UNCLAS SANTIAGO 001325 SIPDIS SIPDIS STATE FOR INR/R/MR, I/PP, WHA/BSC, WHA/PDA, WHA/EPSC STATE FOR INR/IAA, PM, INL E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: OPRC KMDR KPAO CI SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION - GLOBAL ECONOMY On June 15, conservative, influential newspaper-of-record "El Mercurio"(circ. 116,807) carried a column by international commentator Karin Ebensperger entitled, "The United States at a Crossroad." "There is so much news from the U.S. that one tends to focus only on the shocking ones...but in the U.S. the fine-tuning of politics reveals other elements. For example Hank Paulson...an environmentalist who transformed Goldman Sacks investment bank into a "green" Wall Street institution, was appointed secretary of the Treasury. This is important, because it shows a new trend. It is no secret that President Bush has shown almost no interest in environmental issues.... Today most essays analyze the crucial moment at which the U.S. finds itself with respect to energy and the need to regain a sense of nation after the mistakes made in Iraq.... It will be interesting to see the solutions as they arise, because the United States is still a free and open society and its ability to criticize, correct, and innovate is its greatest strength." KELLY