Obama Sums Up The Depressing State Of The World In One Sentence

 

Official White House Photo by David Lienemann
Official White House Photo by David Lienemann

 

He covered four different subjects in his 10-minute address, but President Barack Obama got his July 16 message across with this one sentence:

“We live in a complex world and at a challenging time.”

He’s quite accurate in that summation, too. Obama leads just one nation with only five percent of the world’s population, but he’s got his hands full with all of the major conflicts and crises that continue across the globe.

At least some of the conflicts enjoyed recent improvement, Obama said in a foreign policy address from the White House press briefing room. Afghanistan is making positive progress with its recent election dispute, Obama said. Aided by U.S. consultants, presidential candidates Abdullah Abdullah and Ashraf Ghani both agreed to an audit of their recent election. Both agreed to abide by the results of that audit, too, the president said.

Improvements in U.S. relations with Iran were also noted. Iran has met all terms of the agreement it made with the U.S. last year regarding nuclear energy development, including open inspections of its facilities. More progress is still needed, Obama said, regarding Iran’s relations with other nations and its commitment to refrain from nuclear weapon development.

 
News wasn’t as positive for the current crisis between Israel and the Palestinian community, however. Hamas rebels recently violated a cease-fire agreement, Obama said, and the conflict has claimed civilian lives in the Gaza region, too. The U.S. will join the neighboring country of Egypt in continued peace promotion, according to the president.

Obama took a stronger stance regarding conflict in another part of the world. The U.S. will impose new economic sanctions against Russia, he’said. Because the Putin-led nation has taken no firm steps towards resolution with Ukraine, the U.S. must now impose restrictions on its government and governmental leaders, as well as its major banks and even a Russian weapons manufacturer.

It was the close of Wednesday’s conference on these four topics of conflict and crises that the president offered his brief, yet quite in-depth, summary. And those words, from that one president of just?one country with just five percent of the population, can hopefully appeal to many ears worldwide.

“So in closing, I’ll point out the obvious. We live in a complex world and at a challenging time. And none of these challenges lend themselves to quick or easy solutions, but all of them require American leadership. And as Commander-in-Chief, I’m confident that if we stay patient and determined, that we will, in fact, meet these challenges.”

Do you agree with President Obama’s perception of ?a complex world? that is ?at a challenging time?? Offer your comments on Liberal America’s Facebook page.

I had a successful career actively working with at-risk youth, people struggling with poverty and unemployment, and disadvantaged and oppressed populations. In 2011, I made the decision to pursue my dreams and become a full-time writer. Connect with me on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook.