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Barack Obama

1,038 quotes

“I believe that we must develop alternatives to violence that are tough enough to actually change behavior — for if we want a lasting peace, then the words of the international community must mean something. Those regimes that break the rules must be held accountable. Sanctions must exact a real price. Intransigence must be met with increased pressure — and such pressure exists only when the world stands together as one.”
Barack Obama (born 1961) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Peace is not merely the absence of visible conflict. Only a just peace based on the inherent rights and dignity of every individual can truly be lasting. It was this insight that drove drafters of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights after the Second World War. In the wake of devastation, they recognized that if human rights are not protected, peace is a hollow promise.”
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“There's no simple formula here. But we must try as best we can to balance isolation and engagement, pressure and incentives, so that human rights and dignity are advanced over time.”
Barack Obama (born 1961) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“A just peace includes not only civil and political rights — it must encompass economic security and opportunity. For true peace is not just freedom from fear, but freedom from want. It is undoubtedly true that development rarely takes root without security; it is also true that security does not exist where human beings do not have access to enough food, or clean water, or the medicine and shelter they need to survive. It does not exist where children can't aspire to a decent education or a job that supports a family. The absence of hope can rot a society from within.”
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“Agreements among nations. Strong institutions. Support for human rights. Investments in development. All these are vital ingredients in bringing about the evolution that President Kennedy spoke about. And yet, I do not believe that we will have the will, the determination, the staying power, to complete this work without something more — and that's the continued expansion of our moral imagination; an insistence that there's something irreducible that we all share.”
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“The one rule that lies at the heart of every major religion is that we do unto others as we would have them do unto us. Adhering to this law of love has always been the core struggle of human nature. For we are fallible. We make mistakes, and fall victim to the temptations of pride, and power, and sometimes evil. Even those of us with the best of intentions will at times fail to right the wrongs before us.”
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“We can acknowledge that oppression will always be with us, and still strive for justice. We can admit the intractability of deprivation, and still strive for dignity. Clear-eyed, we can understand that there will be war, and still strive for peace. We can do that — for that is the story of human progress; that's the hope of all the world; and at this moment of challenge, that must be our work here on Earth.”
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“The Middle East is obviously an issue that has plagued the region for centuries.”
Barack Obama (born 1961) first seen 2010 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Remarks by the President and the Vice President at Town Hall Meeting in Tampa, Florida (28 January 2010)
“We said from the start that it was going to be important for us to be consistent in saying to people if you can have your — if you want to keep the health insurance you got, you can keep it, that you're not going to have anybody getting in between you and your doctor in your decision making. And I think that some of the provisions that got snuck in might have violated that pledge.”
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Recorded in: Meeting with House Republicans, (January 2010)
“The notion that I would somehow resist doing something that cost half as much but would produce twice as many jobs — why would I resist that? I wouldn't. I mean, that's my point, is that — I am not an ideologue. I'm not. It doesn't make sense if somebody could tell me "You could do this cheaper and get increased results" that I wouldn't say, great — the problem is, I couldn't find credible economists who would back up the claims that you just made.”
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Recorded in: Speech to the House Republican Conference (29 January 2010), quoted in Who's an "Ideologue"? by Mark W. Hendrickson at American Thinker (17 February 2010); full transcript in "Obama At House Republican Retreat In Baltim…
“Let me just make this point, John...We're not campaigning anymore. The election's over.”
Barack Obama (born 1961) first seen 2010 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Responding to Senator John McCain (R-Ariz.) at the healthcare summit after McCain complained about the proposed healthcare bill (25 February 2010)]
“We have to acknowledge that those past human right abuses existed and so we can't go forward without looking back, and understanding that was enormous problem, not just for America but also problem for the Indonesian people...”
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Recorded in: Interview with Putra Nababan in the White House (March 2010)
“I think that living in Indonesia also reminded me how big the world is, you know, I've... Indonesia such a big country, such a diverse country and so many different people there and it reminded me that we have to have a broad view of the world and recognize that we all are interconnected and that's very important...”
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Recorded in: Interview with Putra Nababan in the White House (March 2010)
“They call it Armageddon, the end of freedom as we know it. After I signed the bill, I looked around to see if there were any asteroids falling, some cracks opening up in the earth. Turned out it was a nice day.”
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Recorded in: At a speech at the University of Iowa after signing the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (25 March 2010)
“Whether we like it or not, we remain a dominant military superpower...”
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Recorded in: Obama: America a Superpower 'Whether We Like It or Not', FoxNews.com (15 April 2010)
“I do think at a certain point you've made enough money.”
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Recorded in: Remarks by the President on Wall Street Reform in Quincy, Illinois (28 April 2010)
“The Jonas Brothers are here; they're out there somewhere. Sasha and Malia are huge fans. But boys, don't get any ideas. I have two words for you, 'predator drones.' You will never see it coming. You think I'm joking?”
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Recorded in: President Obama's jokes at the White House Correspondents Dinner (1 May 2010)
“I said very early on, as a senator, and continued to believe as a presidential candidate and now as president that we can absorb a terrorist attack. We'll do everything we can to prevent it, but even a 9/11, even the, the biggest attack that ever took place on our soil, we absorbed it and we are stronger. This is a strong, powerful country that we live in and our people are incredibly resilient.”
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Recorded in: July 2010 interview with Bob Woodward, recounted on World News with Diane Sawyer (27 September 2010)
“We can never say it enough. The United States and the United Kingdom enjoy a truly special relationship. We celebrate a common heritage. We cherish common values. . . . Above all, our alliance thrives because it advances our common interests. . . . When the United States and the United Kingdom stand together, our people—and people around the world—are more secure and they are more prosperous. In short, the United States has no closer ally and no stronger partner than Great Britain.”
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Recorded in: Watchtower ONLINE LIBRARY Statement made by U.S. President Barack Obama at a joint press conference with Prime Minister David Cameron of the United Kingdom in July 2010
“Ramadan is a celebration of a faith known for great diversity and racial equality.”
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Recorded in: Statement by the President on the Occasion of Ramadan (11 August 2010)
“I look forward to hosting an Iftar dinner celebrating Ramadan here at the White House later this week, and wish you a blessed month.”
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Recorded in: Statement by the President on the Occasion of Ramadan (11 August 2010)
“The only people who don't want to disclose the truth are people with something to hide.”
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Recorded in: Weekly Address (21 August 2010)
“And I think anybody who’s occupied this office has to remember that success is determined by an intersection in policy and politics and that you can’t be neglecting of marketing and P.R. and public opinion.”
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Recorded in: As quoted in "The Education of President Obama" by Peter Baker in The New York Times Magazine (12 October 2010)
“As I said last year, each country will pursue a path rooted in the culture of its own people. Yet experience shows us that history is on the side of liberty, that the strongest foundation for human progress lies in open economies, open societies, and open governments. To put it simply, democracy, more than any other form of government, delivers for our citizens.”
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Recorded in: Remarks to the United Nations General Assembly in New York City," September 23, 2010. Online by Gerhard Peters and John T. Woolley, The American Presidency Project
“The world that America seeks is not one we can build on our own. For human rights to reach those who suffer the boot of oppression, we need your voices to speak out. In particular, I appeal to those nations who emerged from tyranny and inspired the world in the second half of the last century, from South Africa to South Asia, from Eastern Europe to South America. Don't stand idly by, don't be silent when dissidents elsewhere are imprisoned and protesters are beaten. Recall your own history, because part of the price of our own freedom is standing up for the freedom of others.”
Barack Obama (born 1961) first seen 2010 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Remarks to the United Nations General Assembly in New York City," September 23, 2010. Online by Gerhard Peters and John T. Woolley, The American Presidency Project
“Prosperity without freedom is just another form of poverty. Because there are aspirations that human beings share -- the liberty of knowing that your leader is accountable to you, and that you won’t be locked up for disagreeing with them; the opportunity to get an education and to be able to work with dignity; the freedom to practice your faith without fear or restriction. Those are universal values that must be observed everywhere.”
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Recorded in: Remarks by the President at the University of Indonesia in Jakarta, Indonesia November 10, 2010
“There's no single speech can eradicate years of mistrust, but I believe then and I believe today that we do have a choice. we can choose to be defined by our differences and give in to a future of suspicions and mistrusts, or we choose to do the hard-work of forging common ground and commit ourselves to the steady pursuit of progress and I can promise you, no matter what setback may come, the United States is committed to human progress, that's who we are, that's what we've done, and that's what we will do.”
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Recorded in: Remarks by the President at the University of Indonesia in Jakarta, Indonesia November 10, 2010
“What we learned in the recent economic crisis is that we have each stake of each other success, America has a stake in indonesia's growing and development with prosperity that broadly shared by among Indonesians people because the raising middle class of Indonesia means new market for our goods.”
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Recorded in: Remarks by the President at the University of Indonesia in Jakarta, Indonesia November 10, 2010
“The more that TV pundits reduce serious debates into silly arguments, and big issues into sound bites, our citizens turn away.”
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“Let's try common sense. A novel concept.”
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“It turns out, by the way, that oil rigs today generally don't cause spills. They are technologically very advanced.”
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Recorded in: Reforms Slow to Arrive at Drilling Agency (April 2, 2010)
“The true engine of economic growth will always be companies like Solyndra.”
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Recorded in: Speech at Solyndra, May 26, 2010.
“I do not want to see BP nickel and diming these businesses that are having a tough time.”
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Recorded in: Florida workers getting $5000 checks from BP -- but will it be enough?, Palm Beach Post (June 8, 2010)
“I have not spoken to him directly. Here's the reason. Because my experience is, when you talk to a guy like a BP CEO, he's gonna say all the right things to me. I'm not interested in words. I'm interested in actions.”
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Recorded in: I would have fired BP chief by now, Obama says (June 8, 2010)
“We talk to these folks because they potentially have the best answers, so I know whose ass to kick.”
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Recorded in: I would have fired BP chief by now, Obama says (June 8, 2010)
“Even though I'm president of the United States, my power is not limitless. So I can't dive down there and plug the hole. I can't suck it up with a straw. All I can do is make sure that I put honest, hard-working smart people in place … to implement this thing.”
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Recorded in: Radio interview, Grand Isle, LA, June 11, 2010.
“This weekend, as we celebrate , families across America will gather in backyards and front porches, fire up the barbeque, kick back with friends, and spend time with people they care about. That is as it should be. But I also hope that as you do so, you’ll take some time to reflect on what Memorial Day is all about; on why we set this day aside as a time of national remembrance.”
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“It’s fitting every day to pay tribute to the men and women who wear the uniform of the United States of America.”
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“On this day, we honor not just those who’ve worn this country’s uniform, but the men and women who’ve died in its service; who’ve laid down their lives in defense of their fellow citizens; who’ve given their last full measure of devotion to protect the United States of America. These are the men and women I will be honoring this weekend, and I know many of you are doing the same.”
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“The presidency has a funny way of making a person feel the need to pray.”
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“Societies held together by fear and repression may offer the illusion of stability for a time, but they are built upon fault lines that will eventually tear asunder.”
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Recorded in: Barack Obama: "Remarks at the Department of State," May 19, 2011. Online by Gerhard Peters and John T. Woolley, The American Presidency Project.
“Lincoln -- they used to talk about him almost as bad as they talk about me. So democracy has never been for the faint of heart.”
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Recorded in: Obama: I’m Just Like Lincoln (16 August 2011)
“Take off your bedroom slippers. Put on your marching shoes. Shake it off. Stop complainin'. Stop grumblin'. Stop cryin'. We are going to press on. We have work to do.”
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Recorded in: Remarks to the Congressional Black Caucus on the 2012 election (24 September 2011)
“Having encountered many setbacks, Havel lived with a spirit of hope, which he defined as “the ability to work for something because it is good, not just because it stands a chance to succeed.” His peaceful resistance shook the foundations of an empire, exposed the emptiness of a repressive ideology, and proved that moral leadership is more powerful than any weapon. He played a seminal role in the Velvet Revolution that won his people their freedom and inspired generations to reach for self-determination and dignity in all parts of the world.”
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Recorded in: Statement of President Obama on the death of Vaclav Havel (18 December 2011)
“I would put our legislative and foreign policy accomplishments in our first two years against any president -- with the possible exceptions of Johnson, FDR, and Lincoln -- just in terms of what we've gotten done in modern history.”
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Recorded in: An interview with 60 Minutes, December 20, 2011.
“To the families of those we've lost; to all who called them friends; to the students of this university, the public servants gathered tonight, and the people of Tucson and Arizona: I have come here tonight as an American who, like all Americans, kneels to pray with you today, and will stand by you tomorrow.”
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“There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy place where the Most High dwells. God is within her, she will not fall; God will help her at break of day.”
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“Gabby called it "Congress on Your Corner" — just an updated version of government of and by and for the people.”
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“These men and women remind us that heroism is found not only on the fields of battle. They remind us that heroism does not require special training or physical strength. Heroism is here, all around us, in the hearts of so many of our fellow citizens, just waiting to be summoned — as it was on Saturday morning.”
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“But at a time when our discourse has become so sharply polarized — at a time when we are far too eager to lay the blame for all that ails the world at the feet of those who think differently than we do — it's important for us to pause for a moment and make sure that we are talking with each other in a way that heals, not a way that wounds.”
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