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Tue 20 Jan, 2009 12:18 pm
My fellow citizens:
I stand here today humbled by the task before us, grateful for the trust you have bestowed, mindful of the sacrifices borne by our ancestors. I thank President Bush for his service to our nation, as well as the generosity and cooperation he has shown throughout this transition.
Forty-four Americans have now taken the presidential oath. The words have been spoken during rising tides of prosperity and the still waters of peace. Yet, every so often, the oath is taken amidst gathering clouds and raging storms. At these moments, America has carried on not simply because of the skill or vision of those in high office, but because We the People have remained faithful to the ideals of our fore bearers, and true to our founding documents.
So it has been. So it must be with this generation of Americans.
That we are in the midst of crisis is now well understood. Our nation is at war, against a far-reaching network of violence and hatred. Our economy is badly weakened, a consequence of greed and irresponsibility on the part of some, but also our collective failure to make hard choices and prepare the nation for a new age. Homes have been lost; jobs shed; businesses shuttered. Our health care is too costly; our schools fail too many; and each day brings further evidence that the ways we use energy strengthen our adversaries and threaten our planet.
These are the indicators of crisis, subject to data and statistics. Less measurable but no less profound is a sapping of confidence across our land -- a nagging fear that America's decline is inevitable, and that the next generation must lower its sights.
Today I say to you that the challenges we face are real. They are serious and they are many. They will not be met easily or in a short span of time. But know this, America: They will be met.
On this day, we gather because we have chosen hope over fear, unity of purpose over conflict and discord.
On this day, we come to proclaim an end to the petty grievances and false promises, the recriminations and worn-out dogmas, that for far too long have strangled our politics.
We remain a young nation, but in the words of Scripture, the time has come to set aside childish things. The time has come to reaffirm our enduring spirit; to choose our better history; to carry forward that precious gift, that noble idea, passed on from generation to generation: the God-given promise that all are equal, all are free, and all deserve a chance to pursue their full measure of happiness.
In reaffirming the greatness of our nation, we understand that greatness is never a given. It must be earned. Our journey has never been one of shortcuts or settling for less. It has not been the path for the fainthearted -- for those who prefer leisure over work, or seek only the pleasures of riches and fame. Rather, it has been the risk-takers, the doers, the makers of things -- some celebrated, but more often men and women obscure in their labor -- who have carried us up the long, rugged path toward prosperity and freedom.
For us, they packed up their few worldly possessions and traveled across oceans in search of a new life.
For us, they toiled in sweatshops and settled the West; endured the lash of the whip and plowed the hard earth.
For us, they fought and died, in places like Concord and Gettysburg; Normandy and Khe Sahn.
Time and again, these men and women struggled and sacrificed and worked till their hands were raw so that we might live a better life. They saw America as bigger than the sum of our individual ambitions; greater than all the differences of birth or wealth or faction.
This is the journey we continue today. We remain the most prosperous, powerful nation on Earth. Our workers are no less productive than when this crisis began. Our minds are no less inventive, our goods and services no less needed than they were last week or last month or last year. Our capacity remains undiminished. But our time of standing pat, of protecting narrow interests and putting off unpleasant decisions -- that time has surely passed. Starting today, we must pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and begin again the work of remaking America.
For everywhere we look, there is work to be done. The state of the economy calls for action, bold and swift, and we will act -- not only to create new jobs, but to lay a new foundation for growth. We will build the roads and bridges, the electric grids and digital lines that feed our commerce and bind us together. We will restore science to its rightful place, and wield technology's wonders to raise health care's quality and lower its cost. We will harness the sun and the winds and the soil to fuel our cars and run our factories. And we will transform our schools and colleges and universities to meet the demands of a new age. All this we can do. And all this we will do.
Now, there are some who question the scale of our ambitions -- who suggest that our system cannot tolerate too many big plans. Their memories are short. For they have forgotten what this country has already done; what free men and women can achieve when imagination is joined to common purpose, and necessity to courage.
What the cynics fail to understand is that the ground has shifted beneath them -- that the stale political arguments that have consumed us for so long no longer apply. The question we ask today is not whether our government is too big or too small, but whether it works -- whether it helps families find jobs at a decent wage, care they can afford, a retirement that is dignified. Where the answer is yes, we intend to move forward. Where the answer is no, programs will end. And those of us who manage the public's dollars will be held to account -- to spend wisely, reform bad habits, and do our business in the light of day -- because only then can we restore the vital trust between a people and their government.
Nor is the question before us whether the market is a force for good or ill. Its power to generate wealth and expand freedom is unmatched, but this crisis has reminded us that without a watchful eye, the market can spin out of control -- and that a nation cannot prosper long when it favors only the prosperous. The success of our economy has always depended not just on the size of our gross domestic product, but on the reach of our prosperity; on our ability to extend opportunity to every willing heart -- not out of charity, but because it is the surest route to our common good.
As for our common defense, we reject as false the choice between our safety and our ideals. Our Founding Fathers, faced with perils we can scarcely imagine, drafted a charter to assure the rule of law and the rights of man, a charter expanded by the blood of generations. Those ideals still light the world, and we will not give them up for expedience's sake. And so to all other peoples and governments who are watching today, from the grandest capitals to the small village where my father was born: Know that America is a friend of each nation and every man, woman and child who seeks a future of peace and dignity, and that we are ready to lead once more.
Recall that earlier generations faced down fascism and communism not just with missiles and tanks, but with sturdy alliances and enduring convictions. They understood that our power alone cannot protect us, nor does it entitle us to do as we please. Instead, they knew that our power grows through its prudent use; our security emanates from the justness of our cause, the force of our example, the tempering qualities of humility and restraint.
We are the keepers of this legacy. Guided by these principles once more, we can meet those new threats that demand even greater effort -- even greater cooperation and understanding between nations. We will begin to responsibly leave Iraq to its people, and forge a hard-earned peace in Afghanistan. With old friends and former foes, we will work tirelessly to lessen the nuclear threat, and roll back the specter of a warming planet. We will not apologize for our way of life, nor will we waver in its defense, and for those who seek to advance their aims by inducing terror and slaughtering innocents, we say to you now that our spirit is stronger and cannot be broken; you cannot outlast us, and we will defeat you.
For we know that our patchwork heritage is a strength, not a weakness. We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus -- and nonbelievers. We are shaped by every language and culture, drawn from every end of this Earth; and because we have tasted the bitter swill of civil war and segregation, and emerged from that dark chapter stronger and more united, we cannot help but believe that the old hatreds shall someday pass; that the lines of tribe shall soon dissolve; that as the world grows smaller, our common humanity shall reveal itself; and that America must play its role in ushering in a new era of peace.
To the Muslim world, we seek a new way forward, based on mutual interest and mutual respect. To those leaders around the globe who seek to sow conflict, or blame their society's ills on the West: Know that your people will judge you on what you can build, not what you destroy. To those who cling to power through corruption and deceit and the silencing of dissent, know that you are on the wrong side of history; but that we will extend a hand if you are willing to unclench your fist.
To the people of poor nations, we pledge to work alongside you to make your farms flourish and let clean waters flow; to nourish starved bodies and feed hungry minds. And to those nations like ours that enjoy relative plenty, we say we can no longer afford indifference to suffering outside our borders; nor can we consume the world's resources without regard to effect. For the world has changed, and we must change with it.
As we consider the road that unfolds before us, we remember with humble gratitude those brave Americans who, at this very hour, patrol far-off deserts and distant mountains. They have something to tell us today, just as the fallen heroes who lie in Arlington whisper through the ages. We honor them not only because they are guardians of our liberty, but because they embody the spirit of service; a willingness to find meaning in something greater than themselves. And yet, at this moment -- a moment that will define a generation -- it is precisely this spirit that must inhabit us all.
For as much as government can do and must do, it is ultimately the faith and determination of the American people upon which this nation relies. It is the kindness to take in a stranger when the levees break, the selflessness of workers who would rather cut their hours than see a friend lose their job which sees us through our darkest hours. It is the firefighter's courage to storm a stairway filled with smoke, but also a parent's willingness to nurture a child, that finally decides our fate.
Our challenges may be new. The instruments with which we meet them may be new. But those values upon which our success depends -- hard work and honesty, courage and fair play, tolerance and curiosity, loyalty and patriotism -- these things are old. These things are true. They have been the quiet force of progress throughout our history. What is demanded then is a return to these truths. What is required of us now is a new era of responsibility -- a recognition, on the part of every American, that we have duties to ourselves, our nation and the world; duties that we do not grudgingly accept but rather seize gladly, firm in the knowledge that there is nothing so satisfying to the spirit, so defining of our character, than giving our all to a difficult task.
This is the price and the promise of citizenship.
This is the source of our confidence -- the knowledge that God calls on us to shape an uncertain destiny.
This is the meaning of our liberty and our creed -- why men and women and children of every race and every faith can join in celebration across this magnificent Mall, and why a man whose father less than 60 years ago might not have been served at a local restaurant can now stand before you to take a most sacred oath.
So let us mark this day with remembrance, of who we are and how far we have traveled. In the year of America's birth, in the coldest of months, a small band of patriots huddled by dying campfires on the shores of an icy river. The capital was abandoned. The enemy was advancing. The snow was stained with blood. At a moment when the outcome of our revolution was most in doubt, the father of our nation ordered these words be read to the people:
"Let it be told to the future world ... that in the depth of winter, when nothing but hope and virtue could survive... that the city and the country, alarmed at one common danger, came forth to meet [it]."
America. In the face of our common dangers, in this winter of our hardship, let us remember these timeless words. With hope and virtue, let us brave once more the icy currents, and endure what storms may come. Let it be said by our children's children that when we were tested, we refused to let this journey end, that we did not turn back, nor did we falter; and with eyes fixed on the horizon and God's grace upon us, we carried forth that great gift of freedom and delivered it safely to future generations.
So what do you guys think?
Evil dictator or Hope for a better future?
@Icon,
You should not have been rebels and stayed in the common wealth..It was not taxation but robbery you still belong to us..look out the red coats are coming.No seriously I wish you well.
@Icon,
Hi Folks.
Evil dictator or Hope for a better future? .......niether I feel, Just a guy taking the seat at the controls of the same "machine" as his predecessors, hope for the world can only come from the people on mass, it's up to us all to shape the future not 1 man.
Good luck to him though ..... it's gotta be the toughest of jobs.
Cheers Folks,
TTFN:shocked:
@schloopfeng,
schloopfeng wrote:Hi Folks.
Evil dictator or Hope for a better future? .......niether I feel, Just a guy taking the seat at the controls of the same "machine" as his predecessors, hope for the world can only come from the people on mass, it's up to us all to shape the future not 1 man.
Good luck to him though ..... it's gotta be the toughest of jobs.
Cheers Folks,
TTFN:shocked:
Dont agree its a mood, a mood for change that will carry him forward like a wave of hope.
@Icon,
He has the ear of the people and the hope of the youth.
Will youthful idealism be beaten again by old stubborness?
@Icon,
In all due respect, I do not know this man. In saying that my knowledge of any one that became president all I had that I could trust was the words they used and the manner in which they delivered those words. Even then it is hard to measure the depth of their heart as many are extremely talented in the use of the English language as one such President, who has virtually no moral character, was. Many may believe morality has no part in politics. All I can say to that is an all out effort by the ACLU has attempted to do just that and has for the most part succeeded. IMO, no nation can survive without a moral code that strives to seek the truth.
Having seen Obama's deliver his inaugural address, I felt something was missing. To me it was entirely a feat of memorization and entirely too fast. All the right words were there, but I honestly don't think he fully realized what he was saying. Of course I realize there are speech writers and to those Presidents, of which there have only been a very few, who want to speak from the heart are instrumental in not only what they have to say, but the emphasis on the words they use, take part in the writing of their speeches. I don't think Obama had anything to do with the words he spoke. I could be wrong and he could have just had butterflies in his gut. That is understandable.
I have enormous empathy for anyone in such a position who has heart and the strength it takes, as schloopfeng indicated, to stand up to the machine that truly controls our political structure. We can only hope this man does.
In all due respect the speech in it's entirely had a hollowness to it. I could be wrong. I read the speech first in the forum and was impressed with the words I read. Then I observed the delivery and I have to tell you I was disappointed. My two cents.
William
@Icon,
hammersklavier wrote:
This line struck me: it echoes... I think it may be one of the greatest Inaugural quotes of all time.
However, while both of the quotes you've mentioned from the past are a call to action, Obama's quote suggests that action has already been taken... and I don't necessarily agree that it has. In time we may find that it has, and that he's correct, but that proof isn't yet evident.
@Icon,
It was meant to be an inspirational speech, not a policy speech. The aim of such a speech is to send a message that he is inclusive and forward-thinking. Inauguration, national convention, and state of the union speeches are always going to be hollow if you're looking for substantive details about policy and philosophy.
More importantly, I think we all recognize the singularity of this historical moment. I mean no one knows how his presidency will be judged when it's all over. But one undeniable thing is that his inauguration marks a monumental change in the way we see ourselves, in the things we think are possible, and in the way we are seen. Don't forget that most of the developed world has had female leaders, many central and south american countries have now had native leaders, but we've had 43 white protestant men and 1 white catholic man. The rest of the world already looks at us differently now that we've elected him -- they don't see us as quite as backwards as they thought (and believe me, that is a very common sentiment about us elsewhere in the world). Even if his presidency is mediocre, Obama isn't going to be a Carter, a Ford, a Fillmore, a Garfield -- he's going to be remembered as one of the seminal people in the history of our country, and THAT is what the inauguration is about.
Beyond that, we'll see what happens. With a tanking economy and an 11 trillion dollar debt, he's going to need more than good policy to deliver us to a better place in 4 years.
@xris,
xris wrote:Dont agree its a mood, a mood for change that will carry him forward like a wave of hope.
Thats cool:shocked: .... I was perhaps a little vague...... I must ask though ....where did the "mood" come from if not from the people on mass that elected the bloke? ......... I'm english so I don't count anyway ....it's just an observation from afar ........ & if this is the threshold of change then we should see some exciting times ahead .... but I still say it's up to us all to make them happen, politicians are as much our servants as we are theirs.
Cheers Folks,
TTFN
@Icon,
Great, another political speech.
Q. How do you know a politician's lying?
A. His/her lips are moving.
We learn that all through their 'residency', and immediately forget it when the election rhetoric abounds. Hope is not the only thing that springs eternal; naivette' and gullibility and stupidity join 'hope'.
All i got to say about Obama is we'll see what we'll see; the proof is in the pudding!
For me, he has no credibility at all if he doesn't bring the previous gang of political criminals up on well deserved charges, all of them!
If he has no respect for our national 'honor' ('justice'), he has none either.
We'll see...
@Aedes,
Aedes wrote:More importantly, I think we all recognize the singularity of this historical moment.
I consider
any election of a new president to be of equal historical value. I refuse to give any more or less value of import to Obama's inauguration than any other based solely on his race, gender, or anything else that might set him apart from me or other politicians in a superficial way.
@MuseEvolution,
MuseEvolution;43818 wrote:I consider any election of a new president to be of equal historical value. I refuse to give any more or less value of import to Obama's inauguration than any other based solely on his race, gender, or anything else that might set him apart from me or other politicians in a superficial way.
Then you refuse to acknowledge the sheer unlikelihood of this given our history. And among all the other presidents, not all inaugurations have been equal. FDR's first inauguration was also a seminal moment for the country. So was Lincoln's. So was Reagan's in a somewhat lesser way. On the other hand, Polk's inauguration was not such a big moment. Taft's was not such a big moment. Obama's is an immense moment.
@MuseEvolution,
MuseEvolution wrote:I consider any election of a new president to be of equal historical value. I refuse to give any more or less value of import to Obama's inauguration than any other based solely on his race, gender, or anything else that might set him apart from me or other politicians in a superficial way.
Unfortunately, for you history separates Obama from you in a major way (I am assuming you are not black or a different minority). Rich, white, Protestant males have dominated the Presidency since the beginning (minus JFK--he was Catholic). Therefore, it is significant when someone outside of that exclusive group is elected.
@Icon,
It's not just that he's outside the exclusive group. The election of a Korean-American would also be a
racial breakthrough, but it would not be nearly the same. This country sent 600,000 young people to their deaths from 1861-1865 in a brutal war that was at every level about slavery. Only southern revisionists have transformed it into a war about southern pride and self-determination. It was about slavery. The sacrifice that this country (including the Confederacy) had to endure to come out whole is part of our identity. In fact this issue had been growing in importance since before the Revolution, and some historians see the Civil War as finally closing the book on the Revolution: we would finally be one nation afterwards.
And in the ~150 years since, the struggle of black Americans has again been long, storied, and painful, and their struggle has been both political and cultural.
But lest we forget, slave labor and later sharecropping was the breadbasket of our country. Black laborers in the tens of thousands built the military machine during the first world war and to an even greater degree during the second. They were disproportionately drafted and sacrificed in Vietnam.
So in short, the entire history of our country has been inseparably intertwined with the black community, but they've always been marginalized. This moment is tremendous for ALL of us, because it legitimizes our mythos of an "American dream".
And there will be more such moments in the future. We're definitely ready for a woman to be president, that much is clear. Who knows who it will be or when it will happen, but that will mark another monumental achievement. And some day there will be a Native American president, another moment that exceeds all other inaugurations.
Also bear in mind that this isn't a happy time for the country. It's a time of uncertainty and stress, and the fact that we turned to a black man in a time that would seem to invite regression and conservatism is yet more remarkable.
@Icon,
"So what do you guys think?
Evil dictator or Hope for a better future?"
As regards the speech, I thought it was an excellent piece of rhetoric from an outstanding orator and genuinely personable guy. The inauguration was certainly lavish, but since it was mostly funded by large corporate donations (as opposed to my tax money), who cares?
Today was of obvious historical significance for all of the reasons so well articulated by Aedes, and I'm happy to see how even the majority of unshakable conservatives are comporting themselves gracefully and being supportive in the face of political loss.
It is ridiculously premature to judge the man in his capacity as president, and even my cynical self shall remain optimistic until given reason to reconsider him appropriately. I suspect that, in a matter of weeks, things will return to business-as-usual, and the forces that actually exert control over our country (special interests/lobby groups) will continue to seek out fulfillment of their own agendas.
As for the two primary spheres that the President resides over (foreign policy, domestic administration), it will be interesting to see how Obama plays the game. With the former he faces the vast difficulty of handling the Russian Bear's resurgence and troublesome energy ties to Ukraine and Europe; the still relevant question of Iranian influence in Iraqi stability; his pledged recommitment to the war in Afghanistan; the perpetual Israeli--Hamas/Hezbollah quagmire; Chavez and growing anti-U.S. sentiment in South America; China (on a number of factors: a new potential space race, Taiwan, growing internal civil strife)... just to name a few. As for the latter sphere of domestic issues, where does one begin? We are already well-acquainted with the terrible array.
Obama's cabinet appointments contradict those fears espoused by the right, the dread that his liberal Senate rating was a portent of his impending far-left, social progressive takeover. In action, Obama has thus far shown himself to be much more centrist, which I like. As a fiscal conservative/social liberal, third-side sort of political person, I avidly await Obama's domestic policy decisions. His rhetoric resonates with me--the talk of judging a program's merit on its pragmatic effectiveness, rather than political dichotomy for instance. Of course, only time will evince how the rhetoric and application contrast or overlap.
It would be absurd and incredibly naive to believe that Obama is some sort of American savior, that he can somehow stretch himself beyond the capacity of his office. And yet, there is a powerful feeling in the air that suggests almost that very thing; and while optimism and hope are wondrous, we should remain careful to check our grandiose expectations by the yardstick of reality, balancing our avidity for change with caution and prudence.
@Icon,
History is made by those events which break the foundation of the conventional and dare to stand out in the passing sands of time.
This is such a moment. Regardless of what you would like to think about all of this, the fact that a black man was elected is historical. He is also a man who is taking this position in the worst of possible times.
This country has been built on prejudice, ignorance, and a undetered drive to consume everything in it's path. This signifies a change of thought and a change of direction for this political war machine we call The United States of America. It is true that we cannot know where this is going but it is also true that we can learn from history and try to predict.
Up to this point, he has been an amazing orator and has captured the peoples hearts which is obvious by the popularity of this election compared to past elections. At this point, he has the entire world watching and an entire nation hoping. He can't screw this up lest he be known as the worst leader ever. This will do nothing but reinstate the old "club" to perpetual power.
@Icon,
This country..second star to the right...Wizard of oz..ummm
@xris,
Oh no its peter pan , no clue there ..
@Icon,
No idea where you are going with that.
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