President Barack Obama’s State of the Union address understandably focused on domestic affairs. But it also dealt with foreign policy issues and he made it clear that the decade of war followings the 9/11 tragedy was coming to an end. The US was more concerned with economic recovery affecting middle and working classes. The State has a big role in bringing it about. Obama indicated four areas for economic revival-manufacturing, energy, infrastructure and housing. It is reminiscent of the growth drive in the US post-world war II. Hi tech gets its due share. But Obama feels that there is an unnecessary obsession with abstract economic activity relating to Wall Street and the Silicon Valley. It has led to a distortion of the country’s social profile. US foreign policy takes second place in the address. The country’s military capacities will be curtailed. Troops will be brought back home to save money. Obama also spoke of a diminution of the US nuclear arsenal, cutting costs and radioactive contamination of the environment. Carbon mitigation and climate change will be very much on the agenda. But more emphasis will be put on economic and technological opportunity to generate renewable energy.
Obama extended an appeal to the Republican opposition to participate in the implementation of the agenda. The executive will however have a greater say than the legislature in case Romney’s men put up obstacles. Republicans would do well not to oppose social reforms like the Immigration reform. The state of the union is not satisfactory. It will be Obama’s job to turn it around with two mantras- proactive at home, passive abroad. The situation in West Asia and North Africa however may make the policy hard to pursue without occasional departures.
