Obama, a model for future leaders, or not?
During last night’s State of the Union address, US President Obama said, “We need to out-innovate, out-educate, and out-build the rest of the world.”
I wonder what the impact would be, and what would actions and new thinking would be inspired if he had said instead, “We need to innovate, educate and build in collaboration with the rest of the world. We need to be more active in making our contribution to the welfare of the planet and it’s citizens.”
Is it inspiring for leaders to acknowledge they are not in it alone; that what they do, and their country’s activities all influence and impact all life on the planet? I really wonder what the effect might be if they did.
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I understand the point you are trying to make about collaboration, but in the State of the Union Address in a country as divided and torn as ours, if President Obama had spoken in that manner, Republicans might have eaten him alive right there on the Senate floor. His statement was a bit of pandering to conservatives, who are historically much more in favor of competition than cooperation, and the president was attempting to establish common ground with them by setting up an us vs. them competition in the global economy.
Good point. Hadn’t thought of that.
On the idealistic side, in this day and age, given where we are all going, and that we are all going there together… wouldn’t it be nice to have a message that the US, amidst all the turmoil, is open to innovating for a grander purpose that will ultimately serve each and every citizen within its borders?
Yes, that would be a wonderful, refreshing new chapter for us, and I’m not trying to be contentious. Personally, I would love to see a more open-minded, cooperative America that embraced innovation.
Didn’t take it that way, the contentious bit. Appreciated the point of view. Thanks for that.
Obama said, “…innovation doesn’t just change our lives, it is how we make our living.” Again, if the US is considering taking a lead at defining the flavour of innovations to come my vote would be for the collaborative sort too, one where the planet, and it’s citizens all win.