Obama’s Anxious “Sputnik Moment”

President Obama’s 2011 State of the Union Address can be described as a blatant replay of the first time that a U.S. president’s message contained strong anxiety. He said that half a century ago, when the Soviet Union launched its first “Sputnik” satellite, the United States was shocked. This shock motivated the United States into action, and they were able land on the moon before the Soviet Union. Obama said: Now is the United States’ “Sputnik Moment”.

Obama’s “Sputnik Moment” refers to the emergence of China and India and that the “rules of the world economy have changed”. As to how to the respond to “China-India-nik”, Obama pointed out that only when all politicians put aside their differences and work together will we be able to resolve the challenge. The underlying message was that the United States’ democratic system is fundamentally better than the political systems of China and India.

The subtext of this State of the Union Address is that the United States is in decline. In his speech, Obama referred to China four times, referring to education, technology, infrastructure and other aspects of its rapid development to remind the American people not to fall behind. He also said that South Korean broadband internet access is more convenient than that in the United States, and that European and Russian investment in road and rail is better than that in the United States. Obama also pointed out that China is building more airports and trains and even the world’s fastest computers. In Obama’s eyes, South Korea’s education system is better than the United States. This prompted Obama to describe the situation as a “Sputnik Moment”.

In the eyes of Obama and some Americans, the decline in America’s national power, the tea party’s hatred for the government and other factors have all given rise to a serious problem that has already threatened America’s ability to “win to future”.

Obama said the ruling and opposition parties should respect each other, but the country is the common responsibility of all political parties. During Obama’s fifth mention of China in his speech, he said that some countries do not have this problem (political debate); the central government can open a railway regardless of the number of homes to be leveled. If you do not want bad news to hit the papers, no one will write it.

Then Obama seemed to show contradictory feelings. One the one hand, he was a bit worried and said that American democracy may sometimes feel confused and frustrating. On the other hand, he also expressed self-confidence and perseverance and said no one would want to exchange our system for another country’s.

This is America’s problem, but it also reflects a problem that afflicts the entirety of human civilization. At the time, the Soviet Union was winning the space race as a result of Sputnik. But Sputnik could not prevent the total collapse of the Soviet Union, which occurred later. Exactly as Obama said, people living in free society would not want to exchange our system for any other. Even in the face of the present “Sputnik Moment” they are reluctant. But is it possible that the free and democratic system will simply be remembered as the two-party system or by the actions of the tea party? Furthermore, is it doomed to being unable to surpass “socialism with Chinese characteristics?”

After a night of chaotic American democracy, how is it possible to face the “Sputnik Moment”? Not only are Americans watching; the whole world is too. Because not only is the American democratic system on trial but all of human civilization as well!