Earlier today, President Obama addressed the leaders of the world at the United Nations Headquarters in New York. In his speech, he laid out the four pillars of his foreign policy. What were those four pillars and what do you think of them? Are they feasible? Do you think the president should add any priorities to his list?
Please answer these questions in your post.
24 comments:
His four pillars were nuclear disarmament, the pursuit of peace, preservation of our planet, and having a strong economy. What I heard of the speach (I am pretty sure that the part about he preservation of the planet and the economy were skipped) it was pretty nice speach, but I am not going to think much of it until action is actually taken. Anyone can talk, but everyone actually does what they say. I think the pillars are somewhat feasable, but not in our lifetimes. I think that the world peace he is talking about won't happen, if ever, for a long time. For priorities the President should focus on making America as best that it can be and then worry about others.
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Obamaas speach consisted of the four pillars and those pillars were nuclear disarmament, the pursuit of peace, preservation of our planet, and having a strong economy. Obama believes that we should disassemble the nuclear wepons. Over all the speach was great a little hard to keep up with but the points he brought up were strongly put and he knew what he was talking about.
The four Pillars
#1) Disarmerment and Proliferation
#2) Persuit of peace
#3) Perservation of the Earth
#4) Global Economy
1) I belive that Obama is correct about striving for Disarmerment of Nuclear weapons and striving toward safe nuclear energy.
2) Inorder to gain peace everone must see the reasons to strive for that and what they would gain.
3) Everyone must have the need to get rid of the more "money making" polution making fuels. For exsample Gas over hydrogen fuel.
4) With everyone helping eachother then when some country begins to collapse then the other countries would help sablize that country. In turn that country will help other countries when they begin to collapse.
I do not belive that there is more to add to his priorities. I just belive he should keep to his word.
I do indeed feel that the four pillars are feaseable.
"Anyone can talk, but everyone actually does what they say." I meant to say that not everyone does what they say that they are going to do.
Obama's speech to The UN was slightly inspiring. All Of his "4 pillars" nuclear disarmament, the promotion of peace and security, preservation of the planet, and a global economy that offers opportunity for all people,
should be something that each of the United Nations should all be striving for.Although just because Obama says America will strive for to do each of the pillars dosent mean it will actually happen. When i see actual results then i will be less skeptical then i am now. Obama has good intentions hopefully the rest of the UN also does.
he did touch on the bases of some Serious things, talking about world wide nuclear disarmament, and breaking the gruges of the 21st century, not leting the " Citizens" of the world be opressed by any one, and asking that globle problems be solved by the whole world. was his statements feasable? i say yes, and no. yes to the fact that we need to have a united world to save the world, and no do to the fact that he is not a us Citizen, and that he should not be president.
i think that his points about coice, equal rights of all nations,forgeting old issues and old vendetas were good and strong valid points.
we are Anonymous. we are legion
In President Obama's speech the four main "pillars" were clear. First, he addressed nuclear disarmament and holding countries accountable for their participation in international law. Second, he talked about promotion of peace and security. Next, he addressed he talked about the preservation of our planet. Finally, Obama spoke on having a global economy. I do not exactly agree with the plausibility of these four main topics. World peace???? What is that about? World peace was a theory from the hippies back in the 1960s when everyone was high on opium. Also, nuclear disarmament is just a dream that could never possibly be achieved nor should it. If we or any other country gives up their right to nuclear arms they give up their potential national defense. However, i do agree that not all countries should be allowed to possess nuclear weapons. As they are a privilege and as the President said, they do not belong in the hands of violent extremists. Finally, a stable global economy. About this, we already have a global economy. However, it is not a stable economy, as it is all dependent on the success of America's economy. As far as priorities that I believe should be added to the President's list; finishing up what we started in the Middle East. As well as fixing our economy the right way ( not that anyone necessarily knows what "the right way" is). Finally, he should prioritize listening to ALL of the American people and taking each parties input into consideration. As you all know the balance in not only the House of Representatives but also in the Senate is greatly unbalanced. Democrats form the VAST majority. Republican votes do not even count. Which is not the way the system was designed. The government was formed the way it was so that there would be a series of checks and balances. As of now there are no checks and balances within the system.
obama seems to have the tendency to bite off more than he can chew.
1. Non-proliferation of nuclear weapons
2. the pursuit of peace
3. preservation of our planet
4. global economy/stability
First of all, I really find it hard to belive that all nations will perm. prohibit the testing of nuclear weapons. As said in his speech, we need to prevent them from falling into the hands of extremists, but not every world leader will agree with this statement. That's a no-brainer.
Second, the UN WAS founded on the basis that all nations should work together towards peace, and I still believe most nations in the UN still agreee with this statement. This portion of Obama's speech seemed to be more motivational than usual, which is fortunate. The world need not ever give up striving towards peace. ever.
I only heard a little bit of Obama's third pillar, but it makes sense. There are still people out there, believe it or not, who refuse to accept that humans have any affect whatsoever on the climate.
Lastly, our globe's economic stability is extremely important. If only a few nations are economically strong, it makes no difference. This is exactly why Obama brought up this subject when the UN were together; I think it is an important topic that needs to be aknowledged by the entire world, not simply big nations.
The four pillars are nuclear disarmament, the promotion of peace, global warming, and to create a thriving global economy. It would seem that every agenda listed has to do with further expanding the United Nations.
Obama said he wouldnt name names on the countries that didnt copperate with the UN's bi-laws and then he named off North Korea and Iran...?!?!?!? WTF?
Any who...
He pretty much stressed that we should eliminate all nukes from the face of the earth. which should apease the hippies and the past tense hippies!
Obama went on to comment that all our arguments *cough cold war cough* are in the past and it is time for change!
I counted and obama said change just about ten times for the record all and all i though it was a pretty good speach!
In response to obama's speach i have so say, "YES WE CAN!"
The challenges he outlined in this speech are having less nuclear weapons, increasing security from terrorists, peace in the Mideast, and a strong and good working economy. These are problems America and the rest of the world are allready working on a long time. There are no new problems or challenges to be solved. I don't think anybody can solve these problems from one day of the other. But they might be feasible. Not only America is working on these problems, many other countries are too. I think if everybody will work together, just as Obama suggested in his speech, it might be possible. But in my opinion, his main goal should be concentrating on America. If you don't have a strong economy in your own country, you can't help anybody else. But anyway, I think his speech included some good appendages.
It sounds to me like you're concerned that Obama is paying too much attention to the rest of the world while America suffers. Well, that's one of the tensions a president has to balance. It's not easy to serve as the leader of the free world and reform domestic American health care at the same time.....
Thilo,
I find your international perspective fascinating. If I read you correctly, it seems like you think the American President should take a step back and focus on domestic policies. Is that correct? Are you tired of having American presidents setting the agenda for the entire world?
-Ned-
America was always able to help other countries because it had always a strong economy. But if Obama can't kepp up this economy, there will be no room to help other countries anymore. You need a foundation to help other countries, and right now it seems to me that this foundation might fall away.
The four pillars of rock,iron and yes even copper are the removal of the vile nuclear weapons of mass destruction. Spread mad peace and love across the world. And curing the disease we call poverty. EW. And help mother nature survive as we torture her. I think that we could see some product of the actions oboma intends to exectute. I agree with "B-U-U-U-U-CKET HEAD" and do not think I will see world peace before my life is over unofortunatly. Theres probaly some more pressing matters to take action on but I have no idea.!.!.!.!
Good speach by the way!
The four pillars were non-proliferation of nuclear weapons, the pursuit of peace, preservation of our planet and global economy/stability. I think, like a few of us who watched the speech, that we wont see world peace in our lifetime. :[ I also dont think that everyone i the united nations is going to stop using nuclear weapons. No matter how many nations decide to stop, one will always want to have them. I think Obama might have a little more on his hands than he can handle.
The whole speech was very gallant and well spoken. Nicely worded, but the four pillars seem much harder to obtain than he made it seem while he was speaking. Admittedly, he did say something about the four pillars not being easily obtained, and how nothing would get done if they just sat around and talked about it.
The four pillars in and of themselves I think are wishful thinking. I think that’s possible if we can all work together on disarming nuclear weapons, but I know a few countries are not very interested in giving up nuclear power. This does complicate things a lot, because while America and its president may want to disarm nuclear weapons, other countries might seem hesitant to do such a thing.
As far as I’m convinced, it is definitely wishful thinking to assume we can effect climate change drastically. If we even created the problems with climate change, which I have mixed feelings about, then how would we take something like that back? We’d have to have like half of Americans just up and stop using gas powered cars to give a big effect in the climate, if we even did the damage. (And what if it wasn’t just us?)
I think the easiest obtainable of the ‘four pillars’ is definitely the global stability of economy. It could take a lot of work, and, I don’t really know what we’d have to do to be able to change it, but up against world peace, disarmaments of nuclear weapons, and drastic climate change, it has a moderately good chance.
I try not to be a cynic, and I hope that all of these sorts of things can happen, even if not in my lifetime, but in my eyes, the chances of them happening are very slim.
As for priorities, I’m sure I could think of so many, but most of them about as feasible as the ones he proposed, so I think I’m going to stick to silence.
Mister Obama's speach was very interesting. I think that his dream of disarming all nuclear weaponry is, unfortunatly, not possible in his lifetime. If it were me, I would work on banning "Domestic" weaponry, such as handguns or rifles. Did you know that 100% of all gun crimes are commited with a firearm? Shocking, but true. Another point was unity. This, I think, would be a rather good thing. But it would also be horribly diffucult to do.
1. Non-proliferation of nuclear weapons
2. the pursuit of peace
3. preservation of our planet
4. global economy/stability
The first pillar that Obama brought up was Nuclear disarmament; Obama wants to stop them and to seek a world with out them. Obama believes that we will all be better off. He believes that if we keep them then it will cause terrier that we can not even imagine. I don’t fully agree with Obama on that, I understand that it could be a danger if in the wrong hands but it is a good source of protection. His second pillar was the pursuit of peace. The Union Nations was born of the belief that the people of the world can live their lives, raise their families, and resolve their differences very peacefully with out issues. And still we know that in too many parts of the world, this ideal remains and abstract dream for every one, a very far out dream. I wish the world had all peace but nothing works that way. His third pillar was the preservation of our planet. Obama brought a good point there will be no peace in less we make it happen. He believes that the climate change is a danger for us and are planet. Are responsibility can not be denied, we have a big part in it. His last pillar was having a strong economy; we are going to the greatest economy crises since the great depression. Which is true if something doesn’t change soon, are world will just fall apart.
I agree with Thilo in that I believe President Obama should be focusing as much as possible on the problems Americans are facing at home. But I also think that if he has nothing to say to the world at large, even more criticism will manifest since America is the global policeman, so to speak.
While we may speak ill of Mr. Obama's eternal optimism--sometimes reasonably so, sometimes not--one can not say that this approach is unmerited. To quote the British Telegraph, 'Speaking from the very podium where his predecessor, George W Bush, had threatened to invade Iraq, with or without the UN's approval, the President painted a picture of a harmonious world where no country would ride roughshod over another.' And I believe, if the leftist lean of RLA has not changed, this is exactly the sort of thing we want to hear from our president.
(Forgive that I didn't reiterate the 'four pillars.')
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