NOT THAT HE EVEN KNOWS HE GAVE IT:

Obama's Best Speech: In India, the president defended free markets, free trade and free societies. (Brett Stephens, 11/08/10, WSJ)

[T]he president gave a terrific speech. Not that it was particularly eloquent. But for all my cavilling, he stood up for free trade, free markets and free societies. He also finally beat an honorable and unequivocal retreat from his July 2011 withdrawal deadline from Afghanistan. Here's a sampler from the speech, since the best of it seems to have escaped notice in most press accounts:

• Afghanistan: "While I have made it clear that American forces will begin the transition to Afghan responsibility next summer, I have also made it clear that America's commitment to the Afghan people will endure. The United States will not abandon the people of Afghanistan—or the region—to the violent extremists who threaten us all." (My emphasis.)

• Pakistan: "We will continue to insist to Pakistan's leaders that terrorist safe havens within their border are unacceptable, and that the terrorists behind the Mumbai attacks be brought to justice. We must also recognize that all of us have an interest in both an Afghanistan and a Pakistan that is stable, prosperous and democratic—and none more so than India."

• Free trade: "Together we can resist the protectionism that stifles growth and innovation. The United States remains—and will continue to remain—one of the most open economies in the world. By opening markets and reducing barriers to foreign investment, India can realize its full economic potential as well."

• The sources of India's success: "Instead of resisting the global economy, you became one of its engines—reforming the licensing raj and unleashing an economic marvel." The "licensing raj" refers to the regulatory state that used to dictate all "private" economic decision-making in the country and still dominates the country's educational establishment.