What it takes to succeed – by Obama

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What I have shared with the Prime Minister is the core belief that societies that respect rule of law; that respect freedom of speech; that respect the right of opposition to oppose, even when it drives you crazy, even when it’s inconvenient; the respect for freedom of assembly; the respect for people of different races and different faiths and different political philosophies… those values are at the core of who the US is, but also I think are a pretty good gauge of whether a society is going to be successful in the 21st century or not.

Barack H Obama
press conference, Putrajaya
27 April 2014

Photo: The Star

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…no country is going to succeed if a part of its population is put on the sidelines because it’s discriminated against. Malaysia won’t succeed if non-Moslems don’t have opportunity. Myanmar won’t succeed if the Moslem population is oppressed. No society is gonna succeed if half your population, meaning women, aren’t getting the same education and employment opportunities as men.

Barack H Obama
town hall meeting, Kuala Lumpur
27 April 2014

-Uppercaise