State of the Union: Middle-Class America vs. the Rest of the World

In his State of the Union address this evening, President Obama will propose aid mechanisms that benefit middle-class Americans struggling to send their children to college while carrying the economic burden of aging parents and combating rising unemployment. Without appearing to deepen the federal deficit, these proposals aim to convince the many Americans facing financial struggle that President Obama understands their economic pains.

Now I understand the significance of promising Americans financial benefits during a time of elusive economic progress and political upheaval, but have we forgotten Copenhagen already? The summit commenced amidst a whirlwind of lofty expectations for international cooperation and compromise. While noteworthy progress was made, Copenhagen definitely fell short of all such expectations. United Nations official Yvo de Boer reports that many countries have yet to submit plans for greenhouse gas reduction though the deadline quickly approaches.

With the state of the Copenhagen Accord up in the air, President Obama must promise his support for the U.S. emission-reduction pledge to refocus the world's attention toward global warming. What better time than tonight? Excluding climate change policy from the President's annual report concerning his most pressing policy initiatives could signify the U.S. reneging on its promise to help slow rising climate temperatures. Not only must the U.S. persistently advocate climate change policy because of its position as a world leader, but the ecological deterioration resulting from global warming inevitably threatens the economic, political and social stability of all global citizens. While President Obama's middle-class initiatives serve as "icing on the cake," we can only wait and hope that climate change is addressed in the real "meat" of his address.