The World As It Is–Part 2–President Obama’s View

Yesterday we “>addressed the United Nations General Assembly confirming that analysis,

I often tell young people in the United States that despite the headlines, this is the best time in human history to be born, for you are more likely than ever before to be literate, to be healthy, to be free to pursue your dreams…..
                                                                                                             
We see the future not as something out of our control, but as something we can shape for the better through concerted and collective effort.  We reject fatalism or cynicism when it comes to human affairs.  We choose to work for the world as it should be, as our children deserve it to be.

The President was not in denial about the problems we face internationally, he confronted them head on. The speech focused on the threat posed by “religiously motivated fanatics and the trends that fuel their recruitment”—predominantly in the Muslim world. He proposed paths to deal with their threats. He is no Pollyanna, he is a realist.

He also did not shy away from the issues that confront us at home, he did not suggest that we have arrived at nirvana, in fact he urged that our efforts to create a “more perfect union” be examined by the world, we will not be found wanting,

But we welcome the scrutiny of the world — because what you see in America is a country that has steadily worked to address our problems, to make our union more perfect, to bridge the divides that existed at the founding of this nation.  America is not the same as it was 100 years ago, or 50 years ago, or even a decade ago.  Because we fight for our ideals, and we are willing to criticize ourselves when we fall short.  Because we hold our leaders accountable, and insist on a free press and independent judiciary.  Because we address our differences in the open space of democracy — with respect for the rule of law; with a place for people of every race and every religion; and with an unyielding belief in the ability of individual men and women to change their communities and their circumstances and their countries for the better.

After nearly six years as President, I believe that this promise can help light the world.

Amen Mr. President.