In the beginning of President Barack Obama’s final State of the Union address he announced that his speech would focus on “our future.” His speech touched on the traditional points of the state of the economy, heath care, terrorism and the environment. However, the common thread woven throughout Obama’s entire speech was a warning about the damage fear mongering and isolationism could have on the country and America’s standing in the world. Donald Trump was not directly mentioned; however it was obvious that the popular embrace of some of Trump’s more controversial statements was of concern for Obama.

Below is a selection of significant quotes on some of the main issues addressed in Obama’s speech.

Terrorism:

“As someone who begins every day with an intelligence briefing, I know this is a dangerous time. But that’s not because of diminished American strength or some looming superpower. In today’s world, we’re threatened less by evil empires and more by failing states.”

“But as we focus on destroying ISIL, over-the-top claims that this is World War III just play into their hands.”

“If this Congress is serious about winning this war, and wants to send a message to our troops and the world, you should finally authorize the use of military force against ISIL. Take a vote.”

“We also can’t try to take over and rebuild every country that falls into crisis. That’s not leadership; that’s a recipe for quagmire, spilling American blood and treasure that ultimately weakens us. It’s the lesson of Vietnam, of Iraq – and we should have learned it by now.”

The Economy:

“Let me start with the economy, and a basic fact: the United States of America, right now, has the strongest, most durable economy in the world.”

“Anyone claiming that America’s economy is in decline is peddling fiction.”

“Food Stamp recipients didn’t cause the financial crisis; recklessness on Wall Street did. Immigrants aren’t the reason wages haven’t gone up enough; those decisions are made in the boardrooms that too often put quarterly earnings over long-term returns.”

Environment and Green Energy:

“But even if the planet wasn’t at stake; even if 2014 wasn’t the warmest year on record – until 2015 turned out even hotter – why would we want to pass up the chance for American businesses to produce and sell the energy of the future?”

“Now we’ve got to accelerate the transition away from dirty energy. Rather than subsidize the past, we should invest in the future – especially in communities that rely on fossil fuels. That’s why I’m going to push to change the way we manage our oil and coal resources, so that they better reflect the costs they impose on taxpayers and our planet.”

Fear and Isolationism:

“American leadership in the 21st century is not a choice between ignoring the rest of the world – except when we kill terrorists; or occupying and rebuilding whatever society is unraveling.”

“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.”

“But democracy does require basic bonds of trust between its citizens. It doesn’t work if we think the people who disagree with us are all motivated by malice, or that our political opponents are unpatriotic.”

“As frustration grows, there will be voices urging us to fall back into tribes, to scapegoat fellow citizens who don’t look like us, or pray like us, or vote like we do, or share the same background.”

To read this piece on EWI's Nextgen blog, click here. 

To read the entire State of the Union address, click here.