Obama Calls for Fast Action

U.S. President Barack Obama reminded his nation to return to their identity and unite in facing such large shocks of change.

What is the American nation’s identity? President Obama mentioned, among others, a creative and innovative spirit that has already been pointed out from time to time. Nonetheless, why does President Obama feel the need to remember the identity of the American nation in the national speech that he gave last Tuesday, Jan. 25, in front of the congressional session and aired live on television?

It appears that Obama sees the nervousness of the American nation in facing the shaking currents of fast change that have altered the world deeply. The American nation gave the impression of loss of self-confidence when facing the great monetary crisis of 2008. The effect of that crisis was extraordinary. Many companies collapsed, and millions of people lost their jobs.

Now the U.S. economy has started to rise, but it is still suppressed by a deficit calculated to be $1.4 trillion and a debt of $14 trillion. No less heavy is the competition of the global economy that, among others, was triggered by the growth of the economies of China and India that dashed to a high level. In that speech that lasted 61 minutes, President Obama called for the American nation not to surrender in facing that global competition.

How did he do this? President Obama not only remembered the large potential of his nation, but also called for fast and deft action. Later on, Obama called for what was called “Sputnik momentum” in speeding up the creation of jobs. Sputnik momentum refers to the U.S. competition with the Soviet Union in the 1950s. The U.S. used the momentum of the launch of the Soviet Union’s Sputnik satellite to outer space to spur education and outer space technology.

It appears Obama wants to re-stimulate the competitive spirit of the American nation during the 1950s. Obama directly mentioned the factor of China and India in the global economic fight of today. In facing that competition, Obama called on the U.S. nation to rediscover itself and unite.

Specifically regarding foreign politics, Obama asserted the plan to withdraw U.S. troops from Afghanistan beginning in July 2011 and to withdraw all troops from Iraq at the end of this year. Regardless of the issue of foreign politics or even his heroic calls to the nation, Obama’s own political position is under pressure since the Republican Party won the midterm elections about three months ago.

Observers were inclined to assess that Obama used that national speech at the beginning of the year as an effort to attract support in facing the election to again become president next year. Of course, the influence of the speech cannot be measured yet at this time.