Barack Obama's Berlin Speech July, 2008 Berlin, Germany

Barack Obama's Berlin Speech July, 2008 Berlin, Germany

     

I come to Berlin as so many of my countrymen have come before. Although tonight I speak do not as a candidate for president. But in the service. A proud citizen of the United States and a fellow citizen of the world. I know that I don't look like the Americans who previously spoken in this race. The journey that led me here is the problem. My mother was born in the heartland of America. But my father grew up. Can His-His father. My grandfather was a cook. A domestic servant to the British. At the height of the Cold War. My father decided like so many others in the forgotten corners of the world that his yearning. His brain require the freedom and opportunity promised by the west. And so we won't letter after letter to universities all across America. Until somebody somewhere answered his prayer for a better life. That is why I am here. And you are here because you to know that you're. This of all cities knows the dream of freedom. Well, you know that the only reason we stand there tonight. Is because men and women from both of our nations came together to work, struggle and sacrifice for that better life. 

      Ours is a partnership, the truly began 60 years ago this summer. On the day when the first American plane touched down at temple. On that day, I'm very much of this continent still lay in ruins. The role of the city had yet to be built into a wall. The Soviet shadow it swept across Eastern Europe while in the west America Britain and France took their stock of their loss. Under the world might be remain. This is where the 2 sides met. And on 6/24/1948. The communists chose to blockade the western part of the city. They cut off. 5 to more than 2000000 Germans you never to extinguish the last flame of freedom in Berlin. The size of our forces was no match for the larger Soviet on. And yet retrieved would have allowed communism to March across Europe. Where the last war had ended. Another World War could easily be got. And all that stood in the way. Was growing. And that's when. That's when the airlift began. When the largest and most unlikely rescue in the history. Brought food and hope to the people of this. 

      The odds were stacked against success. In the winter. I heavy fog filled the sky above them many planes were forced to turn back without dropping off the needed supplies. The streets where we stand were filled with hungry families who have no comfort from the cold. But in the darkest hours. The people of Berlin kept the flame of hope burning. The people of Berlin refuse to give up. And on one folder. Hundreds of thousands of Berliners came here for the tear garden. I heard the city's mayor implore the world not to give up on free. There is only one possibility he said. For us to stand together United until this battle is won. The people of Berlin have spoken. We have done our duty he said and we will keep on doing our duty. People of the world. Now do your duty. The world. Look at Berlin. People in the world look at. With the Germans and Americans learn to work together and trust each other less than 3 years after Beijing is either on the field about.
    
      Look at Berlin where the determination of a people met the generosity of the Marshall Plan created a German American. We're. Victory over turning gave rise to NATO. The greatest alliance of reform to defend our common security. Look at Berlin where the bullet holes in the buildings in the somber stones and pillars. The Branden burgers insist that we never forget our common humanity. People of the world look at Berlin. Wall came down a comment came together and history proves that there is no challenge to write. World that stands as one. 6 years after the airlift. We are all the phone again. History has led us to a new crossroad. With no problems. When you the German people tore down that wall. A wall that divided east and west. Fear and hope walls came tumbling down around the world. From the Cape Town prison camps were close and the doors of democracy World. Markets open to and the spread of information and technology reduce barriers opportunity and prosperity. Well the twentieth century taught us that we share a common destiny. 

      The 20 first century has revealed a world more intertwined than any time in human history. The fall of the Berlin Wall brought New Hope. But they're very close. That's given rise to new dangers. Dangers that cannot be contained within the borders of a country or buy the distance of an ocean. Think about it the terrorists of September 11 plotted in Hamburg and train in Kandahar Karachi before killing thousands from all over the globe on American soil. As we speak cars in Boston and factories in Beijing are melting the ice caps in the arctic shrinking coastlines in the Atlantic and bringing drought to farms from Kansas to Kenya. For the secure nuclear material in the former Soviet Union or secrets from a scientist would help build the bomb that that makes it Paris. The pop music in Afghanistan come to Berlin in the form of heroin the poverty and violence in Somalia breeds the terror of tomorrow the genocide in Darfur change the conscience of us all. In this New World. Such dangerous currents swept along faster than our efforts to contain the. And that is why we cannot afford to be divided. No one nation no matter how large your power can defeat such challenges alone.
      None of us can deny these threats or escape responsibility. In meeting them. Yet in the absence of Soviet tanks terrible wall. It's become easy to forget this truth. For honest with each other we know that sometimes on both sides of the Atlantic we have drifted apart. And forgotten our shared destiny. In Europe the view that America is part of what has gone wrong in our world rather than a force to help us make it right. Come all to come. In America there are voices that the riot and deny the importance of Europe's role in our security and our future. Both views missed the truth that Europeans today are bearing new burdens and taking more responsibility and critical parts of the world and that just as American bases built in the last century still help to defend the security of this continent so does our country still sacrifice greatly for freedom around the globe. Yes there have been differences between America and Europe. No doubt there will be differences in the future. But the burdens of global citizenship continued to bind us together. 
  
       A change of leadership in Washington will not let this burden. This new century Americans and Europeans alike will be required to do more not less. Partnership and cooperation among nations is not a choice. Is the only one. The one way to. Our common security and advance our common humanity. That is why the greatest danger of all. Is to allow new walls to divide us from one another. The walls between old allies on either side of the Atlantic cannot stand. The walls between the countries with the most and those with the least cannot stand. The walls between races and tribes natives and immigrants Christians and Muslims and Jews cannot stand. What we know? We know that these walls of fallen before. After centuries of struggle the people of your, the promise and prosperity. Here at the base of a column built to mark victory in war. We meet in the center of Europe but these. Not only have walls come down in Berlin but they calm down in Belfast. Then in Catholic found a way to live together. In the Balkans well what a good one. More than once war criminals to justice and in South Africa where the struggle of a gracious people defeated a part time. So. The walls can be torn down. But the task is never easy. Troll partnership. And your progress requires constant work. And sustain sacrifice.

      They require sharing the burdens of development and diplomacy of peace and progress they were allies who will listen to each other learn from each other and most of all from each other. That is why America cannot turn inward. That is why Europe cannot turn inward. America has no better. Then you're not. Not the time to build new bridges across the globe as strong as the one that binds us across the Atlantic. Now is the time to join together through constant cooperation and strong institutions and shared sacrifice and a global commitment to progress to meet the challenges of the 20 first century it was. That led airlift planes to appear in the sky above our heads and people to assemble where we stand today. And this is the moment when our nations and all nations. Some of that. This is the moment when we must defeat terror. And dry up the well of extremism that supports. This threat is real and we cannot shrink from responsibility to compare. If we could create NATO to face down the Soviet Union. We can join in a new global partnership to dismantle the networks. Rock in Madrid and I'm up in London volley in Washington and New York. If we could win a battle of ideas against the communists we can stand with the vast majority of Muslims who reject extremism that leads to hate and start a whole. 

     This is the moment when we must renew our resolve to route the terrorists who threaten our security in Afghanistan and the traffickers who sold drugs on your streets. No one welcomes you. I recognize the enormous difficulties in Afghanistan. But my country yours have a stake in seeing that NATO's first mission beyond Europe's borders is a success for the people of Afghanistan and for our shared security the work must be done. America can't do this alone. The Afghan people need our troops and your troops are support and your support to defeat the Taliban and al Qaeda to develop their economy and to help them rebuild their nation we have too much at stake. To turn back now. This is the moment when we must remove the goal of a world without nuclear weapons. The 2 super powers the biggest each other across the wall of the city came too close to often to destroy all we have built in all the we love. Without gone we need not stand idly by and watch the further spread of the deadly Adam. It is time to secure all loose nuclear material to stop the spread of nuclear weapons and reduce the arsenals from another era this is the moment to begin the work of seeking the views of a world without nuclear weapons. This is the moment when every nation in Europe. Had the chance to choose its own tomorrow. 

     From the shadows of yesterday. In this century we need a strong European your that deepens the security and prosperity of this comment while extending a hand abroad. In this century in this city of all cities we must reject the Cold War mindset of the past and resolve to work with Russia when we came to stand up for our values when we must and to seek a partnership that extends across this entire. This is the moment when we must build on the well that opens markets have created. Insurance benefits more equitable. Trade has been a cornerstone of our growth and global development. We will not be able to stay in this world if it favors the few and not a matter. Together. Together we must portray the truly warns the work the creates wealth. With meaningful protections for our people and our planet. This is the moment for trade that is free and fair for all. This is the moment we must answer the call for a new dawn in the Middle East. My country must stand with yours and with Europe in sending a direct message to Iran that it must abandon its nuclear ambitions. We must support the Lebanese who marched in blood for democracy and the Israelis and the Palestinians to seek a secure and lasting peace. And this. This is what the. 

       This is the moment when the world should support the millions of Iraqis who seek to rebuild their lives even as we pass responsibility to the Iraqi government and finally bring this war to a close. This. This is the moment when we must come together to save this planet. Let us resolve that we will not leave our children to a world where the oceans rise in them and spread. Terrible storms devastate our lands let us resolve that all nations including my own will act with the same seriousness of purpose that has your nation and reduce the carbon we send in or out of the sphere. This is the moment. That their future. This is the moment to stand as one. And this is the moment when we must give to those left behind in a globalized world. We must remember that the Cold War born in the city was not a battle for land or treasure. 60 years ago the planes that flew over Berlin did not drop bombs instead they deliver food and cold and candy to grateful children. And in that show of solidarity those pilots one more than a military victory they want hearts and minds love and loyalty and trust not just from the people in this city but from all those who heard the story of what they did. Now the world will watch and remember what we do here. What we do with this small. When we extend our hand to the people in the forgotten corners of this world who your allies marked by dignity and opportunity by security and justice. 

      We let the child in Bangladesh from poverty a shelter the refugee and fed and banish the scourge of aids in our. What we stand for the human rights of the dissident in Burma the blogger in a land where the voter in Zimbabwe will we. So the word devil in the polls. Well we. Well we had knowledge that there is no more powerful example than the one each of our nation's projects to the world. We reject torture and stand for the rule of law when we. Will we will we welcome immigrants from different lands and Sean discrimination against those who don't look like us worship like we do and the promise of equality and opportunity. I'll bring. People of the world. This is our home. This is our time. I know my country has not perfected itself. At times we've struggled to keep the promise of liberty and equality for all of our people. We made our share of mistakes. And there are times when our actions around the world have not lived up. To our best intentions. But I also know how much I love America. I'm. 

      There were more than 2 centuries we have strong and great recalls and great sacrifice to form a more perfect you to see with other nations and more hopeful world. Our allegiance has never been to any particular tribe or. Indeed every language is spoken in our country every culture has left its imprint on ours every point of view is expressed in a public square. What has always United us what has always been our people one girl my father to America's. Is this. The aspirations shared by all people. We can live free from fear and free from one. We can speak our minds and assemble with remember we choose and worship as we please. These are the aspiration joined the fates of all nations in this is a. These aspirations are bigger than anything that drives us apart. It is because of these aspirations that the airlift began. It is because of these aspirations that all 3. Everywhere. Became citizens of Berlin. It is in first. It is in pursuit of these aspirations that a new generation. Our generation. Let's make our mark on the world. People of Berlin. And people of the world. The scale of our challenges right. The road ahead will be long. I come before you to say that we are. To struggle for freedom. We are a people of improbable home with. With resolve. Let us remember this is an answer our destiny and remake the world once again thank you really. Thank you.