Terry McCarthy was appointed President and CEO of the Los Angeles World Affairs Council in July 2012.  Prior to that, he traveled the world for television and print media for 27 years, covering politics, business, military, social and environmental issues across the US, Europe, Asia and Latin America.  He has managed bureaus in the US and overseas, and set up two bureaus in war zones. He speaks six languages, has won four Emmys and an Edward R Murrow award.

McCarthy made the case the the US is the most indispensable country in the world and that we need to continue to embrace that role.

Some example of where only the US could or can make a difference;

• US played critical role in peace in Northern Ireland. According to McCarthy, peace could not have been brokered by any other country in the world.
• Yugoslavia – Europe couldn’t solve the genocide problem in their own backyard. It was the US involvement that made the difference.
• Syria – No other country could lead an intervention if Syria we to use chemical weapons.
• Iran – We don’t want to send in troops so we are using sanctions, but we are being blocked by Russia and China. There is no one else in the world besides the US that can stand up to Russia and China. We need the sanctions to work because war would involve US troops.
• China – China would like to take more and more control in South East Asia. If it weren’t for the US, Japan and other island countries would be in trouble.

It is also in the US interest to remain active in the world and to not pull back. If we ignore these problems, we will pay a much higher price later on.

“There is no other country in the world as indispensable as the United States, and long may it last.” – Terry McCarthy