This article is from the source 'rtcom' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.rt.com/usa/360017-obama-speech-un-general-assembly/
The article has changed 6 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| WATCH LIVE: Obama gives final speech at UN General Assembly | WATCH LIVE: Obama gives final speech at UN General Assembly |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| US President Barack Obama is giving his final address to the United Nations' General Assembly, on the first day of its 71st regular session in New York. | US President Barack Obama is giving his final address to the United Nations' General Assembly, on the first day of its 71st regular session in New York. |
| Obama is expected to underscore his continued commitment to collective action as the best means of tackling shared challenges, from the refugee crisis and terrorism to international peace and security, according to the State Department. | Obama is expected to underscore his continued commitment to collective action as the best means of tackling shared challenges, from the refugee crisis and terrorism to international peace and security, according to the State Department. |
| Most of Obama's speech focused on the signs of prosperity over the last 10 years. | |
| “The world is by many measures less violent and more prosperous than ever before," he said, noting that "our societies are filled with unease and strife.” | |
| “The integration of our global economy has made life better for billions,” he said adding that extreme poverty went from 40% to 10%. | |
| Although he mentioned ISIS and fighting extremists in passing, Obama's last UNGA speech as a president was more of a sales pitch for globalization and international trade agreements. | |
| He called on the world not to reject global integration, but to “work together to see the benefits of integration are more broadly shared.” | |
| He did noted that the globalization and rapid progress of technology have diminished ability of workers to earn a decent wage with many good paying jobs disappearing. | |
| He said that the defeat of communism and colonialism gave people choice and increased the number of democracies. He gave examples of North Korea and South Korea as showing that command economy doesn't work. He didn't mention years of sanctions by US and other countries on North Korea. | |
| Obama called on advanced economies to do more to close the gap between rich and poor nations. | |
| “I do not think America can or should impose our model on other countries,” he said, noting, however that if there is a conflict between liberalism and authoritarianism “I am not neutral in that conflict. I believe in a liberal political order.” |