In a wide ranging speech to the United Nations General Assembley, US President Barack Obama said the world is too small to resort to fundamentalism and racism.
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In a wide ranging speech to the United Nations General Assembley, US President Barack Obama said the world is too small to resort to fundamentalism and racism.
He said we are too packed together to resort to this old way of thinking
In his his eighth and final address to this Assembly, the US president spoke on themes of liberal democracy, world finance and raising the standards for workers.
He said liberal democracy was a respect for human rights, an independent judiciary and a respect for the rule of law around the world.
He added that ideals had won out. Ideas that opened doors for women and minorities.
These things, he said, made it “possible for someone like me to be president of the United States”.
He went on to say: “For those who believe in democracy, we need to speak out forcefully. That doesn’t mean it is without flaws.
“We must reject any form of fundamentalism and racism …. We must embrace tolerance.”
Obama spoke out about the abuses of big business and $8tn dollars it had stashed away in tax havens. He said we need to work to curbed these excesses.
He said he had worked hard strengthening the safety net for people.
He said business had created 15 million of new jobs and poverty fell at the fastest rate in 50 years during his tenure.
He spoke also on the crises in Syria and the Middle East. He implored Israel and Palestine to work harder on their differences.