Thursday, 21 January 2010

Newsnight video notes

Promises and efforts
  • To normalize relationships with 'problematic' countries (Iran, North Korea, Russia etc).
  • Mentioned putting an end to nuclear weapons.
  • To close Guantanamo within a year.
  • To fix the economy.
  • To support the Palestinian movement.
  • To reshape the health care system.
  • To improve the relationship with muslim communities.
  • To cut emissions by 40%. To take a leading role in climate change.
  • Provide healthcare for the wider population.
Positives
  • He has opened the dialogue with other countries.
  • Troops have been withdrawn from Iraq.
  • He has changed the dynamic of the political world and created a sense of new opportunities.
  • The economic stimulus package has helped in some areas, such as important maintenance work and so on.

Negatives
  • Guantanamo has yet to be closed.
  • The stimulus package has not helped the employment situation. In fact, 15.5 million Americans are currently out of work.
  • The billions of dollars spent on a recovery package have not really helped the regular population.
  • National security concerns - people don't feel safer.
  • A huge increase in the number of troops in Afghanistan (30,000).
  • Overspending has negative implications for future generations.
  • Losing popularity due to healthcare reforms - the conservative movement is growing in strength.

Extenuating factors
  • He inherited the economic crisis.
  • Many international leaders simply do not want to build relations with the US.
  • Many of the problems need political reorientation.
  • Things take time, so we can't have unrealistic expectations.

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