Wall Street Reform by Barack Obama

 The following is a note by Barack Obama talking about Wall Street,


James --

It has now been well over a year since the near collapse of our entire financial system that cost the nation more than 8 million jobs. To this day, hard-working families struggle to make ends meet.

We've made strides -- businesses are starting to hire, Americans are finding jobs, and neighbors who had given up looking are returning to the job market with new hope. But the flaws in our financial system that led to this crisis remain unresolved.

Wall Street titans still recklessly speculate with borrowed money. Big banks and credit card companies stack the deck to earn millions while far too many middle-class families, who have done everything right, can barely pay their bills or save for a better future.

We cannot delay action any longer. It is time to hold the big banks accountable to the people they serve, establish the strongest consumer protections in our nation's history -- and ensure that taxpayers will never again be forced to bail out big banks because they are "too big to fail."

That is what Wall Street reform will achieve, why I am so committed to making it happen, and why I'm asking for your help today.

Please stand with me to show your support for Wall Street reform.

We know that without enforceable, commonsense rules to check abuse and protect families, markets are not truly free. Wall Street reform will foster a strong and vibrant financial sector so that businesses can get loans; families can afford mortgages; entrepreneurs can find the capital to start a new company, sell a new product, or offer a new service.

Consumer financial protections are currently spread across seven different government agencies. Wall Street reform will create one single Consumer Financial Protection Agency -- tasked with preventing predatory practices and making sure you get the clear information, not fine print, needed to avoid ballooning mortgage payments or credit card rate hikes.

Reform will provide crucial new oversight, give shareholders a say on salaries and bonuses, and create new tools to break up failing financial firms so that taxpayers aren't forced into another unfair bailout. And reform will keep our economy secure by ensuring that no single firm can bring down the whole financial system.

With so much at stake, it is not surprising that allies of the big banks and Wall Street lenders have already launched a multi-million-dollar ad campaign to fight these changes. Arm-twisting lobbyists are already storming Capitol Hill, seeking to undermine the strong bipartisan foundation of reform with loopholes and exemptions for the most egregious abusers of consumers.

I won't accept anything short of the full protection that our citizens deserve and our economy needs. It's a fight worth having, and it is a fight we can win -- if we stand up and speak out together.

So I'm asking you to join me, starting today, by adding your name as a strong supporter of Wall Street reform:

http://my.barackobama.com/StandForWallStreetReform

Thank you,

President Barack Obama

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President Obama addressing 100 nations at the U.N. General Assembly

President Obama at the United Nations this past week turned out to be similar to past Democratic Presidents, such as Woodrow Wilson, John Kennedy and Franklin Roosevelt. President Obama again was at his best as he demonstrated principles, aspirations, optimism and hope.
He systematically talked about what it would take to support international relations and make global progress during the next 20 years or so. First, he spoke about nuclear non-proliferation and disarmament efforts as he claims that the United States would further take steps to reduce its nuclear arsenal, in hopes to convince other nations to do the same. Second, he explained the need to create global structures to promote security and peace multilaterally, rather than just have the U.S. attempt to do it alone. Third, The importance to have a coordinated effort to protect the planet from catastrophic climate change. Last, to promote a new economic order that would eliminate the extremes of poverty around the world.
During his speech, he challenged other nations to act and react on their own regarding issues like terrorism and climate change, and not to watch what America does. He wants other countries to take their own initiative to interact without have America to lead the way all the time. He feels that if other countries would take the initiative, then there would be more worldwide "hope of human beings", as President Obama put it.

He just did not  speak abstractly about what the world needs to do. He was specific, especially when it came to promote nuclear disarmament, along with climate change policies, and to work together to promote peace in the Middle East.

He was the first U.S. President to criticize Israel publicly. President Obama claims that he would not be doing Israel any favors if he didn't say that Israel had to respect legitimate aspirations and rights of the Palestinians.
He went out of his way to explain how America was commited to solving global problems with other countries, not just by themselves.

He was putting forth to the U.N. assembly his vision for change, similar to his Presidential campaign, and explaining  how important it is to repair the United States image to the rest of the world.

Some people in the United States, namely Republican(conservative) base think that President Obama may be trying to do too much but he will fail. The odds may be against him, but he is thinking 'outside the box' and even if everything the President wants to accomplish is not successful, he will pass a considerablly more bills than most all other Presidents put together, especially for the last couple of decades.

Again, the hope factor was big in his speech. He explains that he wants people to believe that more and more things are possible, and that people with different beliefs can come together and agree on things.

Obama as usually showed how he can be calm and collected. He doesn't let criticism stop him from putting forward his ajenda that he carefully puts together. He's not concerned about opinion polls, and he doesn't let political spats side-track him.

Even though this may be true, the last several months have taken their toll on President Obama. His popularity has been dropping, but not too distant results in the economy and hopefully in health care will put the ice on the critics of President Obama. He has 'thrown out the bait' and now let's see what he can catch.

At the end after glancing how President Obama performed at the United Nations, you can easily recongnize the extraordinary qualities of this presidency. You can witness the vast change in American polices that are recongnized around the world, and the other world nations seem to accept it.

After all this the United Nations, it was overshadowed at the end, by the announcement of Iran and a second nuclear arsonel made know to the United States and the World. President Obama made note that he did not accept Iran's decision to operate such a facility and that it needs to be reduced in size or closed down. He immediately called for inspectors to tour the new nucleur facility, and expects Iran to give a detailed report by October 1st regarding the facility, and expects Iran to go by the United Nations decisions regarding the plant. President Obama also has not ruled out military actions against Iran if they do not comply.

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