Lessons for India in Barack Obama’s State of the Union

US President Barack Obama calls on reporters to ask a question in the Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House. — AFP

Consider these excerpts from US President Barack Obama’s final State of the Union address: “...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. It doesn’t work if we think that our political opponents are unpatriotic or trying to weaken America. Democracy grinds to a halt without willingness to compromise, or when even basic facts are contested, or when we listen only to those who agree with us. Our public life withers when only the most extreme voices get all the attention. And above all, democracy breaks down when the average person feels their voice doesn’t matter; that the system is rigged in favour of the rich or the powerful or some especial interest.”

His thoughts are as relevant for the rest of the world as for America. His address was a statesman-like articulation of America’s core values and unique characteristics, national priorities for today and tomorrow, inescapable challenges thrown up by a fast-changing world, thoughts for addressing the domestic and foreign challenges, stress on maintaining peace, harmony, diversity and plurality of society and caring for those who have been left behind, remaining ahead in innovation, research and skill up-gradation, reminding fellow Americans and the world at large that the US is still the most powerful nation militarily and economically that will protect its nationals and allies wherever needed and hunt down and destroy the ISIS, but will not act as a global policeman.

He also emphasised the need of bipartisan national priorities and bringing about fundamental changes in the political system. It reflected America’s self-confidence, institutional strength, determination and a broad vision tempered by prevailing ground realities at home and abroad.

It resonates when Mr Obama stresses that the thriving private sector is the lifeblood of America’s economy and outdated regulations and red tape needed to be done away with and that in a new economy workers and start-ups and small businesses need a greater voice.

Using his own phrases and idioms, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has also been putting emphasis on these issues.

Launching the Start-Up campaign at Vigyan Bhavan in New Delhi in the presence of over 1,000 young entrepreneurs, including several internationally known IT icons, setting up a Mega Start-up Fund of `10,000 crore and offering a three-years tax holiday, the PM also promised all clearances in a single day. Let us hope he delivers.

Mr Obama didn’t think that ISIS posed an existential threat to the US or was capable of starting World War Three. He termed them as killers and fanatics “who have to be rooted out, hunted down and destroyed”. He referred to the likelihood of “instability for decades” in West Asia, Afghanistan, and Pakistan, part of Central America, Africa and Asia. But he cautioned, “We can’t try to take over and rebuild every country that falls into crises, even if it is done with the best of intentions. That’s not leadership, that’s a recipe for quagmire, spilling American blood and treasure that ultimately will weaken us. It’s the lesson of Vietnam; it’s the lesson of Iraq — and we should have learnt it by now.” This is the most candid admission of the failure of American intervention in various countries by any sitting US President ever.

He enunciated the fundamentals of US foreign policy that should reassure friends and allies alike, he stressed, “On global concerns, we will mobilize the world to work with us, and make sure other countries pull their own weight.”

Mr Obama’s diagnosis of social and political issues holds good for India as well. “We need to reject any politics that targets people because of race or religion... if we want a better politics, it is not enough just to change a Congressman or change a Senator or even change a President. We have to change the system to reflect our better selves... changes in our political processes — in not just who gets elected, but how they get elected — that will only happen when the American people demand it. It depends on you. That’s what is meant by a govt of, by and for the people.”

Eventually, it’s the responsibility of the people to elect right representatives. In India, too, advocates of political reforms have talked about it but have got nowhere.

Every political party in India claims to be working tirelessly for the aam aadmi, only their results aren’t too visible. Obama’s dreams for common citizens seem typically Indian: “The future we want — all of us want — opportunity and security for our families, a rising standard of living, a sustainable, peaceful planet for our kids — all that is within our reach. But it will happen if we work together; it will only happen if we can have rational, constructive debates. It will happen if we fix our politics.”

Even his detractors will concede that for normalising relations with Cuba after six decades, achieving a thaw with Iran and facilitating the COP 21 Paris agreement with 190 countries on board, Barack Obama has justified being a Nobel peace laureate.

The writer is a former ambassador