That is the central fact of our time. It is up to us to understand those forces and respond in the proper way so that every man and woman within our reach, every boy and girl, can live to the fullest of their God-given capacities. A global economy, constant innovation, instant communication, they're cutting through our world like a new river, providing both power and disruption to all of us who live along its course. The Cold War has clearly given way to a new birth of freedom in Central and Eastern Europe. And this means enormous opportunities.
Stubborn unemployment is especially endemic in Europe.
And here in the United States, our incomes are still largely stagnant, even when the economy is growing. Here in America we're preparing for this new world by putting our fiscal house in order, dramatically cutting our deficit, by aggressively opening our efforts to increase access to foreign markets. We're helping our working people adapt and prosper in the global economy by creating a system of standards for world class education, and a better system for moving our young people from school to work when they don't go to college, and better opportunities for people who do go to college, and finally, a system of lifetime learning and reemployment for those who lose their jobs. And we must work to give them health care security as well. From the first day of preschool to the last day before retirement, every American will have to continue to be a learner.