Obama’s report card

Barack Obama’s final State of the Union address was understandably an inward-looking speech because the US is already in election mode. He courageously made a robust defence of American values that made his country strong and resilient. He spoke with passion and conviction and clarity. When he asked his countrymen to reject politics targeting people, Obama made it clear it isn’t a matter of political correctness. “When a politician insults Muslims, when a mosque is vandalised, it doesn’t make us safer. The world respects us not just for our arsenal; it respects us for our diversity and our openness and the way we respect every faith.”

It may be surprising to hear a US President deploy ideas and phrases that are deemed to have outlived their validity by many an Indian politician. That workers have less leverage for a raise, companies less loyalty to their communities and more and more wealth and income is concentrated at the very top, “offended the belief” that everybody who works hard should get a fair shot. That’s why, he pressed for the strengthening of social security and medicare, the two key areas that do not seem to interest many of our policy makers anymore.

And no, President Obama didn’t name Pakistan as a safe haven for terrorists. Rather he felt “parts” of it were going to be roiled by unrest for some time to come. His forecast for US foreign policy was reassuring to the global community that has come to view American military intervention as a sure recipe for sustained chaos. The US had learnt its lessons from Vietnam and Iraq and would therefore not resort to state building, at least till the Democrats are in power. And that over-the-top claims that any fight with a terrorist organisation is World War III, “plays into their hands”. As the handshakes with Iran and Cuba showed, Obama has tried to craft a different US and a different approach to the global order. He will be applauded by all peace-loving people the world over.