Obama Speech "You didn't build that."

Summary

In this excerpt, the speaker emphasizes the importance of shared responsibility and collective effort in achieving national prosperity. The speaker advocates for a balanced approach to reducing the deficit, where the wealthy contribute more, drawing on historical examples of successful policies. Highlighting the interconnectedness of individual success with public investments in infrastructure, education, and research, the speaker argues that the country's greatest achievements—like the internet, the moon landing, and the GI Bill—stem from collective action. The message underscores that we rise or fall together, and that is the core belief driving the speaker's presidential candidacy.

Takeaways

• 😀 The speaker emphasizes not cutting investments that drive economic growth in favor of tax breaks for the wealthy.
• 😀 A balanced approach to reducing the deficit is proposed, involving cuts and asking the wealthy to pay a bit more.
• 😀 The speaker references Bill Clinton's administration, where raising taxes on the wealthy helped turn a deficit into a surplus and created millions of jobs.
• 😀 Success is not solely due to individual efforts; help from others, such as teachers and infrastructure, plays a significant role.
• 😀 The speaker critiques the notion that success is only the result of personal intelligence or hard work, acknowledging external support and opportunities.
• 😀 The internet, a key component of modern business, was made possible by government-funded research and innovation.
• 😀 Collective effort is crucial for achieving large-scale successes, such as fighting fires or building infrastructure.
• 😀 The speaker underscores the importance of working together as a nation to address challenges and create opportunities for all.
• 😀 Public investments, like the GI Bill, the Golden Gate Bridge, the Hoover Dam, and the internet, have been key to national progress.
• 😀 The speaker calls for a united approach to governance and believes that the success of the nation is a shared responsibility.
• 😀 The speaker expresses a belief in the idea that 'we're in this together' as a foundational principle of their presidential campaign.

Q & A

What is the speaker's stance on tax breaks for the wealthy?

The speaker opposes giving tax breaks to wealthy individuals like himself or others who do not need them. He emphasizes the importance of reducing the deficit in a balanced way, which includes asking the wealthy to pay a little more.

What is the speaker's plan to reduce the deficit?

The speaker proposes reducing the deficit by making additional cuts, amounting to another trillion or trillion and a half, while also asking the wealthy to pay more in taxes.

How does the speaker justify raising taxes on the wealthy?

The speaker justifies raising taxes on the wealthy by referencing a successful precedent set during Bill Clinton's presidency, when higher taxes on the wealthy helped create 23 million jobs and turn a deficit into a surplus.

What does the speaker say about the success of wealthy individuals?

The speaker argues that no one becomes successful purely on their own. He highlights the role of external support such as teachers, infrastructure, and public investments like roads, bridges, and government-funded research (e.g., the internet) in enabling success.

What point is the speaker making with the example of the internet?

The speaker uses the internet as an example to show that success is often built on government investments. He points out that the internet was invented through government research, which allowed businesses to profit from it.

How does the speaker compare individual initiative and collective effort?

The speaker acknowledges the importance of individual initiative but stresses that success is also due to collective efforts. He argues that certain things, like fighting fires or building infrastructure, are better done together as a society.

Why does the speaker mention the GI Bill, the Golden Gate Bridge, and the Hoover Dam?

The speaker mentions these examples to illustrate how collective action and public investment have contributed to American success. He uses them to argue that some achievements are only possible when people work together, rather than individually.

What metaphor does the speaker use to explain the idea of collective effort?

The speaker uses the metaphor of fighting fires to explain collective effort. He imagines a scenario where everyone had their own fire service, which would be inefficient, suggesting that working together as a society is more effective.

What is the speaker's overall message about success and the role of government?

The speaker's overall message is that success is a combination of individual effort and government investment. He believes that the government plays a crucial role in creating opportunities and fostering the environment in which individuals and businesses can succeed.

Why is the speaker running for president, according to this speech?

The speaker is running for president because he believes in the idea that people succeed together as a society. He wants to uphold the values of collective effort and shared responsibility to ensure that the nation thrives as a whole.