And so we had to act fast and take some emergency steps to prevent the economy from going back into what could have been a Great Depression.

WHITEHOUSE: The Economy and the American Family

Second, and very importantly, because we have to act fast.

UNESCO: "Rio +20 is an extraordinary opportunity that should not be wasted", says Lidia Brito | United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization

We had to act fast.

WHITEHOUSE: Fairmont Hotel, San Francisco, California

But as fast as we act, as tough as it seems compared to the 1970s or 1980s, for the public it is not fast or tough enough.

BBC: NEWS | UK | Politics | Full text: Blair on law and order

"When we're under pressure to act fast in a high-stakes situation, it often leads us to a set of traps, " he adds.

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Fast forward to 2012, as we approach the 50th anniversary of the Equal Pay Act, and gender discrimination is still being debated and still making headlines, most recently in the form of a lawsuit brought by Ellen Pao against Silicon Valley venture capital firm Kleiner Perkins.

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