Obama: If We Don’t Solve Our Problems, We See a ‘Creeping Emergence’ of an Us Vs Them Mentality

“Now that doesn t ░░░░░░░░ that we can be ░░░░░░░░ because today dangerous forces ░░░░░░░░ threaten to pull the ░░░░░░░░ backward and our progress ░░░░░░░░ not inevitable These challenges ░░░░░░░░ Europe and they threaten ░░░░░░░░ transatlantic community We re ░░░░░░░░ immune from the forces ░░░░░░░░ change around the world ░░░░░░░░ they have elsewhere barbaric ░░░░░░░░ have slaughtered innocent people ░░░░░░░░ Paris and Brussels and ░░░░░░░░ and San Bernardino California ░░░░░░░░ we see these tragedies ░░░░░░░░ places central to our ░░░░░░░░ lives an airport or ░░░░░░░░ a workplace or a ░░░░░░░░ and it unsettles us ░░░░░░░░ makes us unsure in ░░░░░░░░ day to day lives ░░░░░░░░ not just for ourselves ░░░░░░░░ those that we love ░░░░░░░░ from South Sudan to ░░░░░░░░ to Afghanistan have sent ░░░░░░░░ fleeing seeking the relative ░░░░░░░░ of Europe s shores ░░░░░░░░ that puts new strains ░░░░░░░░ countries and local communities ░░░░░░░░ threatens to distort our ░░░░░░░░ Russian aggression has flagrantly ░░░░░░░░ the sovereignty and territory ░░░░░░░░ an independent European nation ░░░░░░░░ and that unnerves our ░░░░░░░░ in Eastern Europe threatening ░░░░░░░░ vision of a Europe ░░░░░░░░ is whole free and ░░░░░░░░ peace And it seems ░░░░░░░░ threaten the progress that ░░░░░░░░ been made since the ░░░░░░░░ of the Cold War ░░░░░░░░ economic growth in Europe ░░░░░░░░ in the south has ░░░░░░░░ millions unemployed including a ░░░░░░░░ of young people without ░░░░░░░░ and who may look ░░░░░░░░ the future with diminishing ░░░░░░░░ And all these persistent ░░░░░░░░ have led some to ░░░░░░░░ whether European integration can ░░░░░░░░ endure whether you might ░░░░░░░░ better off separating off ░░░░░░░░ some of the barriers ░░░░░░░░ the laws between nations ░░░░░░░░ existed in the 20th ░░░░░░░░ Across our countries including ░░░░░░░░ the United States a ░░░░░░░░ of workers and families ░░░░░░░░ still struggling to recover ░░░░░░░░ the worst economic crisis ░░░░░░░░ generations And that trauma ░░░░░░░░ millions who lost their ░░░░░░░░ and their homes and ░░░░░░░░ savings is still felt ░░░░░░░░ meanwhile there are profound ░░░░░░░░ underway that have been ░░░░░░░░ on for decades globalization ░░░░░░░░ that in some cases ░░░░░░░░ depressed wages and made ░░░░░░░░ in a weaker position ░░░░░░░░ bargain for better working ░░░░░░░░ Wages have stagnated in ░░░░░░░░ advanced countries while other ░░░░░░░░ have gone up Inequality ░░░░░░░░ increased And for many ░░░░░░░░ it s harder than ░░░░░░░░ just to hold on ░░░░░░░░ is happening in Europe ░░░░░░░░ see some of these ░░░░░░░░ in the United States ░░░░░░░░ across the advanced economies ░░░░░░░░ these concerns and anxieties ░░░░░░░░ real They are legitimate ░░░░░░░░ cannot be ignored and ░░░░░░░░ deserve solutions from those ░░░░░░░░ power Unfortunately in the ░░░░░░░░ if we do not ░░░░░░░░ these problems you start ░░░░░░░░ those who would try ░░░░░░░░ exploit these fears and ░░░░░░░░ and channel them in ░░░░░░░░ destructive way A creeping ░░░░░░░░ of the kind of ░░░░░░░░ that the European project ░░░░░░░░ founded to reject an ░░░░░░░░ versus them mentality that ░░░░░░░░ to blame our problems ░░░░░░░░ the other somebody who ░░░░░░░░ t look like us ░░░░░░░░ doesn t pray like ░░░░░░░░ whether it s immigrants ░░░░░░░░ Muslims or somebody who ░░░░░░░░ deemed different than us ░░░░░░░░ you see increasing intolerance ░░░░░░░░ our politics And loud ░░░░░░░░ get the most attention ░░░░░░░░ reminds me of the ░░░░░░░░ by the great Irish ░░░░░░░░ W B Yeats where ░░░░░░░░ best lack all conviction ░░░░░░░░ the worst are full ░░░░░░░░ passionate intensity.”