Gov. Palin in Seoul: 'You can trust freedom, not centralized government'

"Technology is taking power away from central authorities and providing individuals more choices."
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In South Korea Tuesday, Sarah Palin called for regime change in North Korea, said she's looking forward to the day the U.S. has a woman president, denounced crony capitalism and big government the world over and praised technology as a liberating force which empowers individuals.

In a wide-ranging speech to a forum in Seoul, the conservative commentator accused China of seeking to use its military influence in regional disputes and said she looked forward to the ousting of North Korea's regime.

Palin cited the Arab Spring as proof that new information technology was playing an "enormous role" in spreading cries for freedom.

"Technology means individuals have been empowered in ways they have never been empowered before in our entire history," she told the World Knowledge Forum hosted by Maeil Business Newspaper.

"Technology has taken power away from central authorities and provided individuals with more choices. We are no longer living in a top-down world. Now we are living in a bottom-up world, from entertainment and information to education."

But governments seemed to be going in the opposite direction, with the European Union in Brussels "dictating terms for the member states across the continent", she said.

In China, "where there have been some movements towards reform, the Communist Party still dictates to the Chinese what they can and what they can't do in so many respects", she added.

Even in the United States, the political elite "believe we just can't get along without them", Palin charged.

"Government officials like to push this idea because it gives them the opportunity to pick the economic winners and losers in our system... in other words, it gives them ultimate economic power.

"I just call it crony capitalism."

The former governor and Republican vice presidential candidate also voiced her support for the Free Trade Agreement between the United States and South Korea:

"I support what is being debated right now in Washington, D.C., with the FTA with South Korea because we are natural trading partners from automobiles to agricultural products."

"What government can do is to open the gate and then get out of the way and let the people trade, let the markets dictate what should be traded and much of the terms, and I do look forward to seeing that outcome from the U.S. and Korea free- trade agreement."

On North Korea:

"The first victims of his regime are his own people. That is so inherently unfair and unjust that I look forward to this entire regime being able to be rebuilt, South Korea being able to assist North Korea when that regime is finally ousted."

On spending on national security in the U.S.

"I want to make sure that we have no debt, but that we have enough money to spend on national security measures in order to help create a more peaceful and prosperous world for all of you, not just the U.S."

Though she did not discuss her political future and why she declined to run for president next year, Gov. Palin predicted that there "will be a woman president of the United States of America, and I look forward to that day".

- JP