Барак Обама цитаты

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„В отличие от тебя, Владимир, я не могу редактировать статью перед ее выходом.“

„Мы облажались.“

„Ни одна страна не должна отказывать людям в праве на свободу слова или свободу вероисповедания. Также ни одна страна не должна лишать людей их прав из-за тех, кого они любят.“

„Для преодоления кризиса нет быстрых и простых решений.“

„То, что мой отец черный, как смоль, а мать белая, как молоко, практически никак не отложилось в моем сознании.“

„У меня очень хорошо получается убивать людей.“

„Братья должны подтянуть штаны. Вы идёте рядом с вашей матерью, вашей бабушкой, ваше нижнее белье видно. Вот мое к этому отношение: я думаю, что принимать закон о запрете приспущенных штанов — это пустая трата времени… Но это не значит, что люди не могут проявить определённый здравый смысл и некоторое уважение к другим людям. Вы знаете, некоторые, возможно, не хотят смотреть на ваше нижнее белье, и я являюсь одним из них.“

„Мне бы не хотелось Вас обманывать. Я человек, который живет обычной жизнью, и так случается, что я человек, который совершает ошибки. И вопрос в том, что ты признаешь свои ошибки и учишься на своих ошибках. Поэтому я могу сказать, что я благодарен своим ошибкам за возможность учиться.“

„Надежда — основа нашей нации, вера в то, что судьба не написана нам, а пишется нами — всеми теми людьми, которые не довольствуются тем миром, который им дан, а осмеливаются сделать мир таким, каким он должен быть.“

„Исключительной нации нужен исключительный лидер, лидер в лице исключительного президента. И для меня такой человек – президент Барак Обама!“

„Америка друг каждой нации и каждого мужчины, каждой женщины и каждого ребенка, который стремится к мирному и достойному будущему, и мы готовы вести мир вперед опять.“

„Огромная честь быть ответственным за самую важную организацию в мире — за правительство США, за нашу армию и за все хорошее, что мы делаем в мире.“

„Те, кто хочет уничтожить планету, пусть знают, что мы их разгромим. Те, кто стремится к миру и безопасности, пусть знают, что мы их поддержим. Всем тем, кто сомневается в том, что путеводная звезда Америки горит по-прежнему ярко, сегодня вечером мы еще раз доказали, что подлинная сила нашей страны не в мощи нашего оружия, не в размерах нашего богатства, но в непоколебимой силе наших идеалов — демократии, свободы, широты возможностей и неугасаемой надежды.“

„Иран, Куба, Венесуэла — все это крошечные страны по сравнению с Советским Союзом. Они не представляют для нас такой угрозы, какую представлял Советский Союз. И тем не менее мы готовы были вести переговоры с Советским Союзом даже тогда, когда нам говорили: «Да мы вас с лица земли сотрем».“

„Я верю, что все гомосексуальные пары заслуживают тех же самых законных прав, как и любая другая пара в этой стране!“

„По моему опыту, эволюция более обоснованна, чем ангелы.“

„Деньги — это возможность распугать конкурентов и побороть свой собственный страх. Деньги не гарантируют победы, но без них ты почти гарантированно проиграешь.“

„Я — в президенты? Глупости какие. Вы лучше поговорите с моей женой. Мне она постоянно твердит, что я даже с грязными носками не могу управиться.“

„В прошлом году, когда мы и наши союзники тяжело трудились над тем, чтобы наложить санкции, некоторые предполагали, что агрессия господина Путина была примером мастерской стратегии и силы. Ну а сегодня Америка сильна и едина с нашими союзниками, в то время как Россия изолирована, а ее экономика — в клочьях.“

„Лучший способ скрыть свое невежество — помолчать. Однако это не свойственно некоторым публичным людям. Результат один — они становятся предметом всеобщей насмешки.“

„Самое главное в политике – не стать циником.“

„У меня больше не будет предвыборных кампаний. Я знаю это, потому что выиграл обе.“

„корр.: Что ваш брат знает про Россию?
— В доме родителей была русская кассета с каким-то идиотским фильмом, который он смотрел бесконечно. Потом на все вопросы Барак отвечал: «Ку!»“

„Три месяца — целая жизнь в политике.“

„Экономика не работает хорошо, когда немногие процветают за счет растущего среднего класса.“

„Перед выборами я стал действительно черным, как туча.“

„У нас есть консерваторы в голубых штатах и гей друзья в красных штатах. Есть патриоты, которые против войны в Ираке, а есть те, кто ее поддерживает…“

„Мы владеем интернетом. Наши компании его создали, развили и достигли такого уровня совершенства, что они не могут конкурировать с нами.“

„Нам не удастся легко и быстро выкопать самих себя из ямы, в которой мы находимся. Но Америка — сильная и выносливая страна, и я знаю, что мы добьемся успеха, если сможем оставить в стороне партийные пристрастия и политические разногласия и начать работать вместе как единая нация.“

„Не продавайте себя задешево. Вы же сказочники нашего времени.“

„Я слишком публичен, по сравнению со мной Пэрис Хилтон — просто монашка-отшельница.“

„Мы по-прежнему больше, чем набор «красных» и «синих» штатов. Мы есть и всегда будем Соединенными Штатами Америки.“

„Недавно Маккейн назвал меня социалистом за то, что я хочу отменить сокращения налогов, введенные Бушем для богатейших американцев. К концу недели он будет обвинять меня в том, что я являюсь тайным коммунистом, потому что в детском саду я делился игрушками, делился своим бутербродом с ореховым маслом и вареньем.“

„Осторожнее с тем, что вы постите на Facebook. Что бы это ни было, это еще всплывет когда-нибудь в вашей жизни.“

„Политика стала такой ожесточенной и пристрастной, настолько пропитанной деньгами и влиянием, что мы не можем заняться серьезными проблемами, требующими решения. И это первое, что требуется изменить.“

„Если Вы идете верным путем и будете продолжать по нему идти, то в конечном счете добьетесь успеха.“

„Будучи против тех, кто представляет рынок единственным решением любых экономических проблем, мы начинаем мешать применению рыночных принципов и там, где это необходимо. Сопротивляясь усилению церкви, мы приравняли терпимость к почти полному исключению религии из жизни общества.“

„На восстановление экономики уйдут годы, а не месяцы.“

„…мы говорим вам сейчас, что наш дух сильнее и не может быть сломан, вы не в состоянии нас изжить, и мы вас победим“

„ИГИЛ является прямым наследником «Аль-Каиды» в Ираке, который вырос из нашего вторжения в эту страну.“

„Я уже раньше говорил, что считаю своей самой большой внешнеполитической ошибкой интервенцию в Ливии в составе международной коалиции. Страны НАТО поддержали повстанцев, которые вели борьбу с режимом Муаммара Каддафи, но не смогли вовремя обеспечить стабильность и оказать помощь в формировании нового правительства страны.“

„Соединенные Штаты никогда не будут в состоянии войны с исламом.“

„Аннексия Крыма обернётся для России не выгодой, а большими потерями. <…> Путин принял это решение по поводу Крыма и Украины не в силу какого-то грандиозного стратегического плана, а потому что был внезапно захвачен протестами на Майдане и бегством Януковича.“

„И вообще, меня Обама поражает. Ещё совсем недавно чернокожие люди в Америке рабами были, а сегодня уже об исключительности какой-то заявляют.“

“My fellow Americans, I am confident we will succeed in this mission because we are on the right side of history. We were founded upon a belief in human dignity — that no matter who you are, or where you come from, or what you look like, or what religion you practice, you are equal in the eyes of God and equal in the eyes of the law. Even in this political season, even as we properly debate what steps I and future Presidents must take to keep our country safe, let’s make sure we never forget what makes us exceptional. Let’s not forget that freedom is more powerful than fear; that we have always met challenges — whether war or depression, natural disasters or terrorist attacks — by coming together around our common ideals as one nation, as one people. So long as we stay true to that tradition, I have no doubt America will prevail.”

“This weekend, our hearts are with the people of San Bernardino — another American community shattered by unspeakable violence. We salute the first responders — the police, the SWAT teams, the EMTs — who responded so quickly, with such courage, and saved lives. We pray for the injured as they fight to recover from their wounds.”

“Change happens. Hope happens. Not perfection. Not every bit of cruelty and sadness and poverty and disease suddenly stricken from the earth. There will still be problems. But with each new candidate that surprises you with a victory that you supported, a spark of hope happens.”

“So if you don’t like what’s going on right now – and you shouldn’t – do not complain. Don’t hashtag. Don’t get anxious. Don’t retreat. Don’t binge on whatever it is you’re bingeing on. Don’t lose yourself in ironic detachment. Don’t put your head in the sand. Don’t boo. Vote. You’ve got to vote. When you vote, you’ve got the power to make it easier to afford college, and harder to shoot up a school. When you vote, you’ve got the power to make sure a family keeps its health insurance; you could save somebody’s life.”

“Because in the end, the threat to our democracy doesn’t just come from Donald Trump or the current batch of Republicans in Congress or the Koch Brothers and their lobbyists, or too much compromise from Democrats, or Russian hacking. The biggest threat to our democracy is indifference. The biggest threat to our democracy is cynicism – a cynicism that’s led too many people to turn away from politics and stay home on election day. To all the young people who are here today, there are now more eligible voters in your generation than in any other, which means your generation now has more power than anybody to change things. If you want it, you can make sure America gets out of its current funk. If you actually care about it, you have the power to make sure we seize a brighter future. But to exercise that clout, to exercise that power, you have to show up.”

“One election will not fix everything that needs to be fixed, but it will be a start. And you have to start it. What’s going to fix our democracy is you. People ask me, what are you going to do for the election? No, the question is: what are you going to do? You’re the antidote. Your participation and your spirit and your determination, not just in this election but in every subsequent election, and in the days between elections.”

“And we won’t win people over by calling them names, or dismissing entire chunks of the country as racist, or sexist, or homophobic. When I say bring people together, I mean all of our people. You know, this whole notion that has sprung up recently about Democrats need to choose between trying to appeal to the white working class voters, or voters of color, and women and LGBT Americans, that’s nonsense. I don’t buy that. I got votes from every demographic. We won by reaching out to everybody and competing everywhere and by fighting for every vote. And that’s what we’ve got to do in this election and every election after that.”

“It should not be Democratic or Republican, it should not be a partisan issue to say that we do not pressure the attorney general or the FBI to use the criminal justice system as a cudgel to punish our political opponents. Or to explicitly call on the attorney general to protect members of our own party from prosecution because an election happens to be coming up. I’m not making that up. That’s not hypothetical. It shouldn’t be Democratic or Republican to say that we don’t threaten the freedom of the press because they say things or publish stories we don’t like. I complained plenty about Fox News but you never heard me threaten to shut them down, or call them enemies of the people. It shouldn’t be Democratic or Republican to say we don’t target certain groups of people based on what they look like or how they pray. We are Americans. We’re supposed to stand up to bullies. Not follow them. We’re supposed to stand up to discrimination. And we’re sure as heck supposed to stand up, clearly and unequivocally, to Nazi sympathizers. How hard can that be? Saying that Nazis are bad. I’ll be honest, sometimes I get into arguments with progressive friends about what the current political movement requires. There are well-meaning folks passionate about social justice, who think things have gotten so bad, the lines have been so starkly drawn, that we have to fight fire with fire, we have to do the same things to the Republicans that they do to us, adopt their tactics, say whatever works, make up stuff about the other side. I don’t agree with that.”

“But when there’s a vacuum in our democracy, when we don’t vote, when we take our basic rights and freedoms for granted, when we turn away and stop paying attention and stop engaging and stop believing and look for the newest diversion, the electronic versions of bread and circuses, then other voices fill the void. A politics of fear and resentment and retrenchment takes hold. And demagogues promise simple fixes to complex problems. They promise to fight for the little guy even as they cater to the wealthiest and the most powerful. They promise to clean up corruption and then plunder away. They start undermining norms that ensure accountability, try to change the rules to entrench their power further. And they appeal to racial nationalism that’s barely veiled, if veiled at all.”

“Appealing to tribe, appealing to fear, pitting one group against another, telling people that order and security will be restored if it weren’t for those who don’t look like us or don’t sound like us or don’t pray like we do, that’s an old playbook. It’s as old as time. And in a healthy democracy it doesn’t work. Our antibodies kick in, and people of goodwill from across the political spectrum callout the bigots and the fearmongers, and work to compromise and get things done and promote the better angels of our nature.”

“This weekend, as we celebrate Memorial Day, 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.”

“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.”

“There are any number of reasons America emerged from its humble beginnings as a cluster of colonies to become the most prosperous, most powerful nation on earth. There is the hard work, the resilience, and the character of our people. There is the ingenuity and enterprising spirit of our entrepreneurs and innovators. There are the ideals of opportunity, equality, and freedom that have not only inspired our people to perfect our own union, but inspired others to perfect theirs as well. But from the very start, there was also something more. A steadfast commitment to serve, to fight, and if necessary, to die, to preserve America and advance the ideals we cherish. It’s a commitment witnessed at each defining moment along the journey of this country. It’s what led a rag-tag militia to face British soldiers at Lexington and Concord. It’s what led young men, in a country divided half slave and half free, to take up arms to save our union. It’s what led patriots in each generation to sacrifice their own lives to secure the life of our nation, from the trenches of World War I to the battles of World War II, from Inchon and Khe Sanh, from Mosul to Marja.”

“That commitment – that willingness to lay down their lives so we might inherit the blessings of this nation – is what we honor today. But on this Memorial Day, as on every day, we are called to honor their ultimate sacrifice with more than words. We are called to honor them with deeds. We are called to honor them by doing our part for the loved ones our fallen heroes have left behind and looking after our military families. By making sure the men and women serving this country around the world have the support they need to achieve their missions and come home safely. By making sure veterans have the care and assistance they need. In short, by serving all those who have ever worn the uniform of this country – and their families – as well as they have served us.”

“This idea of purity and that you’re never compromised and you’re always politically woke — you should get over that quickly. … The world is messy. There are ambiguities. People who do really good stuff have flaws. People who you are fighting may love their kids, and share certain things with you. … I do get a sense sometimes now among certain young people, and this is accelerated by social media — there is this sense sometimes of the way of me making change is to be as judgmental as possible about other people, and that’s enough. If I tweet or hashtag about how you didn’t do something right or used the wrong verb, then I can sit back and feel pretty good about myself. Did you see how woke I was, I called you out. Then I’m going to get on my TV and watch my show … That’s not activism. That’s not bringing about change. If all you’re doing is casting stones, you’re probably not going to get that far.”

“Some of you may be aware our gun laws in the United States don’t make much sense. Anybody can buy any weapon any time — without much if any regulation, they can buy it over the Internet, they can buy machine gun.”

“And we shared the story of Korean War veteran Dick Shank, who made it home to that baby boy, and lived out his life -- at 84 years old, he was still roller skating -- because no war should ever be forgotten and no veteran should ever be overlooked.”

“Our system of self-government depends on ordinary citizens doing the hard, frustrating but always essential work of citizenship -- of being informed. Of understanding that the government isn’t some distant thing, but is you. Of speaking out when something is not right. Of helping fellow citizens when they need a hand. Of coming together to shape our country’s course. And that work gives purpose to every generation. It belongs to me. It belongs to the judge. It belongs to you. It belongs to you, all of us, as citizens. To follow our laws, yes, but also to engage with your communities and to speak up for what you believe in. And to vote -- to not only exercise the rights that are now yours, but to stand up for the rights of others.”

“I know that Americans of goodwill continue to hold a wide range of views on this issue. Opposition in some cases has been based on sincere and deeply held beliefs. All of us who welcome today’s news should be mindful of that fact; recognize different viewpoints; revere our deep commitment to religious freedom. But today should also give us hope that on the many issues with which we grapple, often painfully, real change is possible. Shifts in hearts and minds is possible. And those who have come so far on their journey to equality have a responsibility to reach back and help others join them. Because for all our differences, we are one people, stronger together than we could ever be alone. That’s always been our story. We are big and vast and diverse; a nation of people with different backgrounds and beliefs, different experiences and stories, but bound by our shared ideal that no matter who you are or what you look like, how you started off, or how and who you love, America is a place where you can write your own destiny.”

“You know, just over a decade ago, I gave a speech in Boston where I said there wasn’t a liberal America or a conservative America; a black America or a white America -- but a United States of America.”

“But how can we in good conscience justify war before we’ve tested a diplomatic agreement that achieves our objectives; that has been agreed to by Iran; that is supported by the rest of the world; and that preserves our options if the deal falls short? How could we justify that to our troops? How could we justify that to the world or to future generations? In the end, that should be a lesson that we’ve learned from over a decade of war. On the front end, ask tough questions. Subject our own assumptions to evidence and analysis. Resist the conventional wisdom and the drumbeat of war. Worry less about being labeled weak; worry more about getting it right.”

“What the marchers on Washington knew, what the marchers in Selma knew, what folks like Julian Bond knew, what the marchers in this room still know, is that justice is not only the absence of oppression, it is the presence of opportunity. Justice is giving every child a shot at a great education no matter what zip code they’re born into. Justice is giving everyone willing to work hard the chance at a good job with good wages, no matter what their name is, what their skin color is, where they live. Justice is living up to the common creed that says, I am my brother’s keeper and my sister’s keeper. Justice is making sure every young person knows they are special and they are important and that their lives matter -- not because they heard it in a hashtag, but because of the love they feel every single day not just love from their parents, not just love from their neighborhood, but love from police, love from politicians. Love from somebody who lives on the other side of the country, but says, that young person is still important to me. That’s what justice is.”

“We’ll advance human dignity by standing up for the rights of minorities, because no one’s equality should ever be denied. We will stand up for freedom of religion -- the right of every person to practice their faith as they choose -- because we are all children of God, and we are all fallible. And the notion that we, as a majority, or the state should tell somebody else what to believe with respect to their faith, is against our basic values. We will stand up for our gay and lesbian fellow citizens, because they need to be treated equally under the law. We will stand up for the rights and futures of our wives and daughters and partners, because I believe that the best measure of whether a nation is going to be successful is whether they are tapping the talents of their women and treating them as full participants in politics and society and the econ.”

“So progress is not inevitable. History does not always march forward. History can travel sideways and sometimes backwards. Building trust after years of conflict takes time. Being able to look past the scars of violence takes courage. Securing the gains of freedom and democracy requires good faith and strength of will, and tolerance and respect for diversity, and it requires vigilance from all citizens. The American people know well that rights and freedoms are not given; they have to be won through struggle and through discipline, and persistence and faith. And it’s often young people who have led these struggles; who have compelled us to slowly but surely perfect our own union in America over time.”

“Whenever I travel the world, from Europe to Africa, South America to Southeast Asia, one of the things I most enjoy doing is meeting young men and women like you.”

“I have made it clear that we will hunt down terrorists who threaten our country, wherever they are. That means I will not hesitate to take action against ISIL in Syria, as well as Iraq. This is a core principle of my presidency: If you threaten America, you will find no safe haven.”

“Of course, neither the United States nor Europe are perfect in adherence to our ideals, nor do we claim to be the sole arbiter of what is right or wrong in the world. We are human, after all, and we face difficult choices about how to exercise our power. But part of what makes us different is that we welcome criticism, just as we welcome the responsibilities that come with global leadership.”

“There was a recognition by all who participated in these reviews that the challenges to our privacy do not come from government alone. Corporations of all shapes and sizes track what you buy, store and analyze our data, and use it for commercial purposes; that’s how those targeted ads pop up on your computer and your smartphone periodically. But all of us understand that the standards for government surveillance must be higher. Given the unique power of the state, it is not enough for leaders to say: Trust us, we won’t abuse the data we collect. For history has too many examples when that trust has been breached. Our system of government is built on the premise that our liberty cannot depend on the good intentions of those in power; it depends on the law to constrain those in power.”

“Mandela taught us the power of action, but he also taught us the power of ideas; the importance of reason and arguments; the need to study not only those who you agree with, but also those who you don’t agree with.”