Il Presidente Obama non deve
pensare alla campagna elettorale per la rielezione. Ne ha gia' vinte due, come ha
detto scherzando durante il suo discorso sullo Stato dell'Unione. L'America e' un Paese polarizzato, diviso. Il
Congresso e' ormai nelle mani dei repubblicani. Il discorso di Obama di
altissimo livello e' stato letto sul teleprompter e pronunciato con grande
abilita' oratoria. I cinici diranno che non ha spostato di un millimetro
l'aspra opposizione in cui si trovano ad operare il governo e il parlamento
americano. Ma l'America e' una nazione in cui le parole giuste riescono ancora
a toccare le corde del sentimento, dell'immaginazione, della voglia di
cambiare. La democrazia americana e' costituita da 321 milioni di individui di
razze, pelle e culture le piu' diverse. Eppure nei momenti topici della loro
vita queste componenti, spesso in contrasto tra loro, ritrovano un comune
denominatore e agiscono tenendo conto dell'interesse comune.
Un grande insegnamento per quelle nazioni che assomigliano a un pollaio dove le galline chiocciano, schiamazzano, coccodiano, mentre il gallo sfiancato e depresso ha smesso da tempo di chicchiricchiare e di fare il suo dovere.
Un grande insegnamento per quelle nazioni che assomigliano a un pollaio dove le galline chiocciano, schiamazzano, coccodiano, mentre il gallo sfiancato e depresso ha smesso da tempo di chicchiricchiare e di fare il suo dovere.
(I titoli che seguono sono tratti
dall'edizione notturna del Washington Post)
_________________________________________________
'I still believe that we are one people'
“Over the
past six years, the pundits have pointed out more than once that my presidency
hasn’t delivered on this vision. How ironic, they say, that our politics
seems more divided than ever. It’s held up as proof not just of my own
flaws – of which there are many – but also as proof that the vision itself is
misguided, and naïve, and that there are too many people in this town who
actually benefit from partisanship and gridlock for us to ever do anything
about it. I know how tempting such cynicism may be. But I still think the
cynics are wrong. I still believe that we are one people. I still believe
that together, we can do great things, even when the odds are long.”
“You know,
just over a decade ago, I gave a speech in Boston where I said there wasn’t a
liberal America, or a conservative America; a black America or a white America
– but a United States of America. I said this because I had seen it in my
own life, in a nation that gave someone like me a chance,” Obama said,
reflecting on the 2004 Democratic National Convention speech that vaulted him
to national fame.
Il piccolo
Obama
'We respect human dignity'
As
Americans, we respect human dignity, even when we’re threatened, which is why
I’ve prohibited torture, and worked to make sure our use of new technology like
drones is properly constrained. It’s why we speak out against the
deplorable anti-Semitism that has resurfaced in certain parts of the
world. It’s why we continue to reject offensive stereotypes of Muslims –
the vast majority of whom share our commitment to peace,” he said, which is why
the U.S. defends free speech and condemns “the persecution of women, or religious
minorities, or people who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender.”
Obama on Guantanamo
“As
Americans, we have a profound commitment to justice – so it makes no sense to
spend three million dollars per prisoner to keep open a prison that the world
condemns and terrorists use to recruit. Since I’ve been President, we’ve
worked responsibly to cut the population of GTMO in half. Now it’s time
to finish the job. And I will not relent in my determination to shut it
down. It’s not who we are.”
Iran veto
Obama warned
Congress last week that he would veto
proposed bipartisan legislation to impose additional sanctions on Iran, and did
so again in the speech.
“I will veto
any new sanctions bill that threatens to undo this progress. The American
people expect us to only go to war as a last resort, and I intend to stay true
to that wisdom.”
“First, we
stand united with people around the world who’ve been targeted by terrorists –
from a school in Pakistan to the streets of Paris. We will continue to
hunt down terrorists and dismantle their networks, and we reserve the right to
act unilaterally, as we’ve done relentlessly since I took office to take out
terrorists who pose a direct threat to us and our allies.”
President
Obama’s State of the Union proposal to make community college free for all is
based in part on a program created under a Republican governor.
