At the 2016 State of the Union Obama addressed four key questions

For those who missed the live stream, the Outlook staff has created a handy overview of those four questions and President Obama’s answers and future plans.

1. How do we give everyone a fair shot at opportunity and security in this new economy?

• America has one of the best and sturdiest economies in the world, anyone who says differently is “peddling fiction”.
• Technological advances in the workforce make it harder for Americans to get on their feet. “Although none of these trends are unique to America, they do offend our uniquely American belief that everybody who works hard should get a fair shot.”
• We have to make college affordable for every American. No hardworking student should be stuck in a rut. We must cut the cost of college, and according to Obama, providing two years of community college at no cost for every responsible student is one of the best ways to do that.
• Must strengthen Social Security and Medicare And the Affordable Care Act, which gives help to Americans who need it to meet their basic health needs.

2. How do we make technology work for us, and not against us — especially when it comes to solving urgent challenges like climate change?

• Space race to Wright Brothers, the spirit of discovery is in our DNA.
• Obama stated climate change as a fact but wasn’t there to argue with those who disagree, instead he asked, “even if the planet wasn’t at stake; even if 2014 wasn’t the warmest year on record — until 2015 turned out even hotter — why would we want to pass up the chance for American businesses to produce and sell the energy of the future?”
• Gas under two bucks a gallon is not bad.

3. How do we keep America safe and lead the world without becoming its policeman?

• Obama’s number one priority is protecting the American people and going after terrorist networks.
• If you doubt that just ask Osama bin Laden.
• The world is going to look to America for a solution, so we need to be prepared with actions and policies that will work and not just good for TV sound bites
• Obama explains that we must help countries in crisis but we also can’t try to take over and rebuild every country that has a crisis. According to him, that’s not leadership; that’s a recipe for quagmire, spilling American blood and treasure that ultimately weakens us. It’s the lesson of Vietnam, of Iraq — and we should have learned it by now.
• Obamas plan for the future is for America to mobilize the world to work with us, and make sure other countries pull their own weight.

4. How can we make our politics reflect what’s best in us, and not what’s worst?

• According to Obama, Right now, we are on track to end the scourge of HIV/AIDS, and we have the capacity to accomplish the same thing with malaria

To quote the President,

• “That’s strength. That’s leadership. That’s why we need to reject any politics that targets people because of race or religion. This isn’t a matter of political correctness. It’s a matter of understanding what makes us strong”
• “Democracy does require basic bonds of trust between its citizens. Democracy grinds to a halt without a willingness to compromise; or when even basic facts are contested”
• “The world respects us not just for our arsenal; it respects us for our diversity and our openness and the way we respect every faith.”