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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsQuoting Gandhi, Obama Calls for Religious Tolerance, Gender Equality in Final Speech in India
Last edited Tue Jan 27, 2015, 11:28 AM - Edit history (4)
While the American media delivers Americans snow jobs and footballs your President delivered a televised major speech to an Indian national audience in an emerging world major economic power and new ally!
Delivered to a world wide audience outside of Media Fortess America to an audience of hundreds of millions - touching upon a wide variety of issues and policies and not to mention a more detailed follow up on a major victory in the climate change war.
As Obama conquers a sub-continent without firing a shot, please folks, look away.
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New Delhi, Jan. 27 (ANI): US President Barack Obama on Tuesday called for religious tolerance across the world, stating that upholding freedom of faith is not only the responsibility of the government but also the responsibility of every citizen.
"Our nations are strongest when we see we are all god's children: we are equal in his eyes and worthy of his love. Across our two great countries, we have Hindus and Muslims, Christians and Sikhs, Jews and Buddhists and Jains and so many faiths. We remember the wisdom of Gandhi ji who said 'for me, people of different religions are like beautiful flowers from the same garden'. They are branches of the same majestic tree," President Obama said, while addressing a gathering at the Siri Fort auditorium in the national capital.
"Our freedom of religion is written into our founding documents. It is part of America's very first amendment. Your Article 25 says that all people are equally entitled to freedom of conscience and the right to freely profess, propagate and practice religion. In both our countries, in all countries, upholding this fundamental freedom is not only the responsibility of the government but also the responsibility of every person," he added.
"Obama said no society is immune from man's darkest impulses, as he raised the 2012 shooting at a Sikh temple in Oak Creek, Wisconsin that killed six people. "In that moment of shared grief, our two countries reaffirmed a basic truth, as we must again today, that every person has the right to practice their faith how they choose, or to practice no faith at all, and to do so free of persecution and fear and discrimination," Obama said."
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Earlier, the Obamas met with Nobel Peace Prize winner and anti-child labor activist Kailash Satyarthi and his wife. They were accompanied by three children -- a 12-year-old rescued from a button factory, an 8-year-old who lost a finger as a farm worker and a 12-year-old girl who has advocated for clean drinking water in school and against child marriages. Satyarthi said there are still more than 5 million child slaves worldwide and thanked Obama for helping fight the scourge.
In his speech, Obama also raised his pursuit of an agreement with India to cut greenhouse gas emissions. "I know the argument made by some -- that it's unfair for countries like the United States to ask developing nations and emerging economies like India to reduce your dependence on the same fossil fuels that helped power our growth for more than a century," Obama said. "But here's the truth -- even if countries like the United States curb our emissions, if countries that are growing rapidly like India with soaring energy needs don't also embrace cleaner fuels, then we don't stand a chance against climate change."
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https://in.news.yahoo.com/quoting-gandhi-president-obama-calls-religious-tolerance-world-092235858.html
Bluenorthwest
(45,319 posts)religious tolerance at all. So there is what a person says and what a person does.
Fred Sanders
(23,946 posts)Awkward.
As awkward as Britain lowering flags to half mast, or the spectacle of a Saudi prince marching in Paris in support of freedom and human rights.
Paradoxes are breaking out all over.
snappyturtle
(14,656 posts)guise of climate change??? or.....there's so much going on today that this trip hasn't gotten enough attention from me. So-o, maybe I'm uneasy for no reason. But then with the economic turmoil and India is probably one of the friendliest of the BRICS to the U.S. my mind goes wandering.
Recursion
(56,582 posts)He was supposed to stay longer but the funeral interrupted it
snappyturtle
(14,656 posts)to celebrate Republic Day, but......wouldn't that be a bit like President Obama inviting Modi to the U.S. to celebrate the Fourth of July?
Fred Sanders
(23,946 posts)President to be so honored.
Chief State Guest of Honour
"Since 1950, India has been hosting a head of state or government of another country as the state guest of honour for Republic Day celebrations in New Delhi. During 19501954, Republic Day celebrations were organised at different venues (like Irwin Stadium (National Stadium), Kingsway (Rajpath), Red Fort and Ramlila grounds). It was only starting 1955 when the parade in its present form was organised at Rajpath. The guest country is chosen after a deliberation of strategic, economic and political interests.
During the 1950s1970s, a number of NAM and Eastern Bloc countries were hosted by India. In the post-Cold War era, India has also invited several Western leaders on a state visit during the Republic Day. It is notable that before India fought wars with China and Pakistan, leaders from these countries were invited as state guests for the Republic Day celebrations. Interestingly, Pakistan Food and Agriculture Minister was the second state guest from that country for Republic Day in 1965, a few days after which the two countries went to a war. Countries which have been invited multiple times include India's neighbours (Bhutan, Sri Lanka and Mauritius), defence allies (Russia/USSR, France and Britain), trade partners (Brazil) and NAM allies (Nigeria, Indonesia and erstwhile Yugoslavia).
France and Bhutan have the distinction of being the guest of honour for the maximum (four) number of times followed by three visits each from Mauritius and USSR/Russia. In 2014, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was the Chief Guest at Republic Day Parade. US President Barack Obama was the Chief Guest at Republic Day 2015 celebrations."
snappyturtle
(14,656 posts)country that has sent so many of our jobs to it. (Sorry,,,,humor me....it's just my old 6th sense kicking in.)
Fred Sanders
(23,946 posts)And a strong American dollar makes it all even cheaper. Someone has to make that stuff for cheap.
snappyturtle
(14,656 posts)Recursion
(56,582 posts)Fred Sanders
(23,946 posts)snappyturtle
(14,656 posts)Recursion
(56,582 posts)US tariffs kept Indian manufactured goods prohibitively expensive in the US; from their point of view we were stealing their jobs that whole time.
Fred Sanders
(23,946 posts)snappyturtle
(14,656 posts)The U.S. did quite well, imho, pre-income tax, with tariffs to fund ourselves. The global trade policies have lost us jobs and kept wages down to stay competitive....and who benefits?
I liked the good ol'days when one could visit a foreign country and it didn't look like my backyard.
If foreign and domestic goods cost more under my ideas....they cost more. One benefit would be to keep consumerism and greed under control. Neither of which has done us any favors. End of rant.
karynnj
(59,475 posts)His meeting has been to signal that we do accept the legally elected leader - even though there were years he was denied a visa to the US.
The climate change issue is extremely important. Remember back even before the Kyoto treaty, one of the demands of the Byrd/Hagel resolution was that for a treaty to be acceptable, both the developed and developing world had to have some restrictions - though obviously not the same ones. (This vote is often said to be "voting against Kyoto", but it PRECEDED the treaty by several months and was intended as a guideline. The Kyoto treaty itself was never put before the Senate for a vote.) There was a reason that Ban Ki Moon and Kerry were there together with Modi - and spoke of climate change. This plus the China pact are essential to any movement before the Paris conference. (There was a real reason why Kerry was in India - rather than in France for the Sunday march, when his heart was clearly with France.)
Where you are likely uneasy is that President Obama (and SoS Kerry) also did raise the trade issue.
However, like the China trip, what gest ignored in the media accounts is that in addition to the bucket list of what is accomplished, there is a broader, far greater goal -- to improve the overall relationships to facilitate future foreign policy overtures. In the case of China, to make the relationship less hostile; in the case of India to make it more trusting and positive. It is clear that the US relationship with Pakistan - needed because we are in Afghanistan, which is land locked - has made India wary of the US.
snappyturtle
(14,656 posts)karynnj
(59,475 posts)basis for many American Israel/Palestine peace efforts.
There are strategic reasons our President and diplomats meet with many people with whom there are major differences in fundamental values. I would imagine, that horrible as their treatment of women, gays, and probably others is, a greater concern is that there have been times when SA has aided (funded) - or at least sheltered - terrorists.
At this point, where he has died, everyone will speak in a way that is likely more respectful than they feel. That is true in many cultures. There is nothing to gain by being seen to disrespect the country's deceased leader. I assume that they hope there will be some gain in doing this - that we can push SA to do better.
I would expect that any Obama statement will be very carefully written - to focus on anything he can, holding to his own values, praise - staying quiet on anything where his own values are 180 degrees different. It will sound positive because it will be designed to do so.
Fred Sanders
(23,946 posts)karynnj
(59,475 posts)It really shows the amount of importance the US places on the relationship with SA.
SidDithers
(44,228 posts)until they all figure out they're full of crap.
Sid