Inspired by Obama’s SOTU

In his third State of the Union speech, on Jan. 24, American President Barack Obama laid out his administration’s priorities for ensuring the growth of a sustainable economy. The speech centered on his plan to support and bolster the middle class with increased opportunities for education, comprehensive reform and regulation of immigration law and tax reform — citing special tax laws for the richest Americans.

With this speech to the American nation, to launch a re-election campaign, Obama was back in top form — enthusiastic and lively, and shining with brilliant rhetoric. This former glow of his had faded and Obama had become known more for apathy and uncertainty, which perhaps also put a damper on his eloquence. This fading over the past two years was a result of the betrayal his plans and programs were subjected to on the part of the Republicans in Congress — especially in the House of Representatives where they enjoy the majority — as well as his betrayal of himself for retreating under pressure from the fastest rising and most extremist wing in the Republican Party, the “tea party.” He became subordinate to their blackmail on a number of essential issues that had defined his election campaign to change the country.

Nevertheless, it must be recognized that Obama, with this speech, returned again to the forefront of the conflicting political arena in his country, with his precise diagnosis of the ailing “American dream” and the exquisite manner in which he detailed the impasse of its revival as well as the challenges that it presents for the future of the United States. He has inspired Americans to restore control over the reins of global leadership in every field. He singled out from among these sectors the provision of quality education for America’s children in order to attract a whole new generation to technical and manufacturing jobs with rewarding incomes. He also singled out this generation’s ability to control its own energy, security, stability and prosperity without dependence on the unstable regions of the world. After all, he said, we must produce “an economy built to last, where hard work pays off, and responsibility is rewarded.”

In his brimming speech, full of the spirit of hope, optimism and acceptance of the challenge posed by the tough economic situation in the country, Obama pointed proudly to enlivened industrial growth and the restoration of General Motors’ seat on the throne of the global automotive industry. This is true: General Motors exceeded its main competitor — Japan’s Toyota — in last year’s sales, since Toyota’s production and sales were affected by the Fukushima earthquake. Obama then spoke at length and with passion, seeking to convince nonbelievers, about the tax reform that should, from his point of view, take into consideration American companies that move jobs and capital outside of America, as well as American companies that prefer to remain and work in the American market despite suffering from the highest average tax rates in the world.

Perhaps it is beneficial to glance quickly at the hot-button issues, domestic and international, that Obama handled in his speech. They were found in his speech in the following sequence:

Equity in international trade. “Our competitors don’t play by the rules,” said Obama. He named China, in particular, saying that America “brought trade cases against China at nearly twice the rate as the last administration.” The sound of applause rang out in the hall.

Training a skilled workforce. President Obama demanded that Republicans join him in training two million Americans for the market, so that they would not have to explain why America does not have skilled workers.

Education. “At a time when other countries are doubling down on education, tight budgets have forced states to lay off thousands of teachers.”

Oil and gas. “Over the last three years, we’ve opened millions of new acres for oil and gas exploration, and tonight, I’m directing my administration to open more than 75 percent of our potential offshore oil and gas resources,” said Obama. “This country needs an all-out, all-of-the-above strategy that develops every available source of American energy. A strategy that’s cleaner, cheaper, and full of new jobs. We have a supply of natural gas that can last America nearly 100 years.”

International issues. The President considered the American withdrawal from Iraq an achievement that permits America to focus its efforts against al-Qaida from Pakistan to Yemen. He continued, saying, “From this position of strength, we’ve begun to wind down the war in Afghanistan. Ten thousand of our troops have come home. Twenty-three thousand more will leave by the end of this summer.” And he went on to attribute an indirect measure of credit to his country for the revolutions that happened in Tunisia, Egypt, Libya, Yemen and Syria. He added that Iran became isolated thanks to diplomatic successes. Furthermore, he spoke with arrogance about the rise of America’s leadership role and America’s growing effect on the world. Twice he stressed the expression of iron-like commitment to Israel, as well as the presence of the most durable military cooperation in history. Concerning military expenditures, Obama confirmed that he would be careful to have America’s military excellence continue, despite the cut of $500 billion to the defense budget.

Very briefly, we can deduce the following two interesting points from Obama’s speech, which may be considered as a new program for this American administration.

First, the return of thousands of troops: Obama spoke of a pledge to secure 135 thousand jobs for veterans, and incentives for companies that hire them. From Obama’s speech: There will be an increase in the special budget for military retirees and an effort to place them in civil defense and other jobs. This economic problem and social pressure related to the absorption of these workers comes at the same time the unemployment average has reached 10 percent of the labor force.

Secondly, that America is severely divided between Republicans and Democrats: Obama’s speech distilled many benchmarks and signs of the deep division. The only thing Americans who care for the stability and prosperity of their country can hope for is that President Obama still has a few tricks up his sleeve, and that these tricks, together with the timing of his speech, its tone and its length, cannot be matched by the Republican onslaught of attacks against him, such as the criticism that he is working to divide America according to class.

The speech was election propaganda at its best. While Obama tried to address the ills of the “aging” American model, he was more eager to titillate Americans, to excite American determination and chivalry and to court Republicans in an attempt to win them over with a loving nationalistic speech. These attempts saw him caught in some unfortunate dogmatism to summon warm applause, and in terms of winning over Republicans, do not seem to have been effective. All in all, we can quite easily deduce that there are many dark spots on the American model that need to be addressed with far more than mere rhetoric.