International Engagement Vital to North Dakota Future – Michael J. Haugen
“International Engagement Vital to North Dakota Future”
by Michael J. Haugen
The Forum of Fargo-Moorhead, March 30, 2011
This week, the Global Business Connections conference will be held in Fargo. It is a perfect illustration of the importance of international trade to our local economy. Prominent speakers, including Gov. Jack Dalrymple and Gregory Page, chairman and CEO of Cargill Inc., are coming together with other state leaders to strategize about the future of global business in our state.
We live in an interconnected world that becomes smaller every day, and the benefits of investing in international engagement are clear. Our state’s economy has prospered as a result of the global marketplace.
Nearly 1,000 North Dakota businesses are exporting $2.5 billion in products overseas every year. Eighty-five percent of those companies are small or medium-sized businesses in communities across our state. International companies have created more than 10,000 jobs for North Dakota families, demonstrating continued economic benefits. One-fifth of all manufacturing jobs in North Dakota depend on exports, and close to half of U.S. exports now go to the developing world. To keep up in the global economy, we must invest in our International Affairs programs to further support these efforts.
Contrary to what many Americans believe, the United States spends only
1 percent of the federal budget on the International Affairs Programs – State Department foreign aid – yet they return big dividends. This investment funds counterterrorism operations in Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iraq, works to prevent conflicts in hot spots before they occur, builds infrastructure to support stable societies, fights poverty and disease, both of which can cause instability and extremism.
Having worked to protect North Dakota for my entire career, I care deeply about what is best for our state. Based on my experience, one of the best ways to do this is by supporting a strong and effective U.S. International Affairs Budget.
During my 39-plus years in the military, I have seen firsthand how these programs work to support our men and women in uniform and help keep us safe. That’s why one of the biggest proponents of the International Affairs Budget is Defense Secretary Bob Gates, who has said time and again that “without development, we will not be successful in either Iraq or Afghanistan.” Gen. David Petraeus pointed out just this month that in Afghanistan, “Inadequate resourcing of our civilian partners could, in fact, jeopardize accomplishment of the overall mission.”
I am proud North Dakota is home to some 60,000 of my fellow veterans. Our state is full of strong leaders who have made it clear we now live in a very different world, with new threats to our security – threats that require us to use a range of foreign policy tools, including our development and diplomatic operations alongside defense, to keep our families safe.
In the past we have used “soft power” (diplomacy) or “hard power” (military). We now need to transition to a new form of foreign policy, based on relationships, friendships and partnering in a “smart power” approach. This will ultimately cost us less is both dollars and human capital – namely our military forces.
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce and local businesses in our community have said the International Affairs Budget is critical for our nation’s economic growth. I encourage the leaders of North Dakota to stand up for a strong and effective International Affairs Budget. It is the right decision for our state and nation’s future.
Retired Maj. Gen. Haugen is the former adjutant general of the North Dakota National Guard. He is a member of the state Board of Higher Education.
