Bill Clinton: “I would like to resume the discussion because I want to have as much time as possible just to listen and learn today.…”

“I would like to resume the discussion because I want to have as much time as possible just to listen and learn today. Let me say that in my former life I came here several times and met with business leaders on behalf of the interests of my State. I'm sure that the people who have spoken before me have basically outlined the strategy we are attempting to pursue back home. But essentially what we're trying to do is to deal with the major problems of America at home and then try to get ourselves in a better position to do what we can to be a good partner for the private sector in competing in a global economy. We are well on the way to passing a record-breaking deficit reduction plan that has great credibility in the financial markets. And we've got a big decline in long-term interest rates at home, which I think is quite good. For all the economic softness, and it's quite considerable at home, we have over 950,000 new jobs in the economy in the last 5 months. That's about as many as the United States produced in the previous 3 years. We've got a serious attempt going on to bring health care costs under control, which as all of you know is one of the major causes of America's lack of competitiveness. We're over 14 percent of GDP in health care; nobody is over 9 except Canada, and they're barely over 9. And we're working on significant changes in our policies with regard to technology, defense conversion, and trade, among other things. So, that's a basic outline of what I've been trying to do for the last 5 months. I wanted to come here and just listen to you today because you've been able to do something that I think is very important, which is to operate in Japan to create opportunity. And I just want to know what you think we should be doing and how we can do more to help you and to create more people like you. I didn't hear what Mr. Fallon said, but if the Ambassador fairly characterizes it, and he's pretty good at doing that, my attitude about this is that I prefer an open trading system. I don't think a wealthy nation can grow wealthier unless there is global economic growth. There are all kinds of challenges to that. Now, I think the environmental movement that is sweeping the globe actually gives us a chance to create more jobs, not lose them, if we do it in an intelligent way. But my view is also that the United States should try to get better rules but play by the rules that are in play. That's sort of always been my attitude. I could never have won an election if I wanted the rules to be different from those that obtain at the time. You can always try to improve the rules. We're trying to have a different campaign finance reform system, we're trying to have a different lobby reform system in America, but meanwhile we all play by the rules that are there. So, that's my attitude about that. I wish I'd heard exactly what you had to say but I think--I get criticized in some quarters for saying that, but normally when you show up for a game you've got to play by the operative rules, not the ones you wish were in play. [At this point, panelists discussed problems and successes unique to operating an American business in Japan.]”