The sea of Americans which on a sunny winter day of January 20, 2009 filled the open spaces stretching from the Capitol to Lincoln Memorial could be the largest crowd gathered in the nation’s capital. But Barack Hussien Obama, the son of a Kenyan Muslim inaugurated that day as the 44th president of the United States, had his long gaze drawn out far beyond the steps of the memorial building where Dr. Martin Luther Kin g, Jr. had delivered his “I have a Dream” speech for the future of Blacks and Whites in America. Unusually somber, the newly sworn-in president rose to talk to his countrymen of every color, race and belief as well as the peoples of the world.
The speech had little of the peculiar poetry of Dr. Kings’ (or even of Obama’s own trademark campaign oratories) that many expected to see in the most superlative form at the presidential inaugural. In quick retrospect, that seemed understandable now for, given the “winter of hardship” America and the world are facing, the new president apparently took the risk of giving a let’s-get-to-work prose instead “(to usher) in a new era of peace.”
Barack Obama was unequivocal on this singular intention: “Starting today,” he announced, “we must . . . begin again the work of remaking America . . . .” Or “lay a new foundation” and “meet the demands of the new age.” Hence, rather than merely to inspire or uplift momentarily, the inaugural speech was meant to be reflected on many times for its deeper meanings.
What are we learning so far?
Firstly, the meager reference in a hugely momentous discourse of the first ever U.S. president of African ancestry to the civil rights movement or even the liberation struggle of the Negro serves to underscore the dominant message: address not only the ongoing economic crisis in America in the immediate term or commence the remaking of America in the long term but also come to grips with the concerns of “our common humanity” from global hunger and ignorance to the warming planet, the continuing nuclear threat and the potential for a clash of civilizations.
On the remaking of America, Obama made it clear the new foundation for the demands of a new age must still occur within the American system because that system – which allows “free men and women (to) achieve when imagination is joined to the common purpose”- still works. To him, what doesn’t are “worn-out dogmas” and “stale political arguments.” Thus, the role of government (whether too big or too small) must not be dictated by certain preconceived ideologies but only by the practical imperatives of whether it works or it doesn’t specifically in terms for instance of being able to help families find decent jobs or other sources of income, senior citizens retire in dignity or whether the market, absent a watchful eye, “favors only the prosperous.”
The new American leader then affirmed the founding fathers’ ideal that the rule of law and the civil liberties of men are sacrosanct whether the times are ordinary or extraordinary.
Obama repeated the same affirmation of the nation’s legacy as a beacon to others when he turned his sight on the country’s dealings with the rest of the world assuring each nation that the overwhelming powers of America do not entitle it to do as it pleases; on the contrary, in spite or because of them, America must be humble enough to temper its aspirations with restraints and as keeper of that great legacy it should lead the world by example.
To the Muslim world, he offered a “new way forward” based on mutual interest and respect and to authoritarian rulers and aspiring despots of the world, he reminded them that they are “on the wrong side of history.”
The inaugural speech may have given away Obama’s messianic complex (as certain mischief had pointed out during the campaign). But should that worry Filipinos or anyone?
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Abe,
You seem to miss that part where President Obama spoke vigorously:
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..
of course it should.
Tony,
That part was a rehash of what Obama said in his acceptance speech which sounds hawkish or Dubya-ish or bullish to me. There’s a Chinese saying I think that when your words are bitter that may mean that your cause is weak.
Abe: Was that Chinese saying the blogpost entry that got benign0 kicked out of the EllenTordesillas website?
We have cause for worry for the appearance of messiahs, whether they be democratically elected or those who grabbed the crown for themselves.
‘Coz if they can’t deliver, we will be in deep s_it! History teaches us that they can’t!
I find this reassuring — a do-over — where Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. traveled to the White House to re-administer the oath, and in the Map Room of the White House:
— Roberts donned his black robe; “Are you ready to take the oath?” Roberts asked.
“I am, and we’re going to do it very slowly,” Obama replied.
After a flawless recitation that included no Bible and took 25 seconds, Roberts smiled and said, “Congratulations, again.”
Obama said, “Thank you, sir.”
Don’t they crucify Messiahs?
Here’s Jon Stewart sharpening some nails?…
Abe: What do you mean by “messianic complex”? Do you mean like Dubya and the Dubya-belief that not only was he “born-again” but Dubya heard The Lord tell him/Dubya that he should be president?
I know Buddhists and Iglesia-ni-Kristo were not mentioned, but Barack inauguration speech did include:
our patchwork heritage is a strength, not a weakness. We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus — and non-believers. We are shaped by every language and culture, drawn from every end of this Earth…
Abe…. do you consider Barack Obama your president?
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Barack Obama was unequivocal on this singular intention: “Starting today,” he announced, “we must . . . begin again the work of remaking America . . . .” Or “lay a new foundation” and “meet the demands of the new age.” Hence, rather than merely to inspire or uplift momentarily, the inaugural speech was meant to be reflected on many times for its deeper meanings. ABE.
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If you remake America then it would not have been able to elect a Black President. America as it is now, feels proud for transcending the “race barrier”. It is like saying, America is great, it is a land of opportunity, “let us change it”.
Guys,
If you really think about it, it may seem that Obama himself is an allegory or a paradigm of some sort of human behavior, and judging ourselves or our ideas by his symbolism, we may get something out of it or at least get a better glimpse of ourselves.
I think Obama, the ideal, has many ingredients of a real hero.
from a point of view of the media may be he is a hero. bu there is nothing new about this idealism. american global intentions are known as early as President Monroe, rebuildig a country by doing personal sacrifice is JFK, equality among people and nations is Jeffersonian. Unclench fist and we will defeat you is Bush. :)
here another one:
“the time has come to set aside childish things”
the crowd booing the outgoing president is childish. objecting to Rick Warren to say the prayer is childish. and those that were acting childish are the Obama Crowd. :)
jcc,
The passage lifted from Corinthian is supposed to convey the reality that America, as powerful as it is today, is still a young nation. To Obama, attaining maturity, politically at least, is to relive the old values that have brought the nation to what so far it is today, i.e., the strongest and the wealthiest in the world. Thus, Obama appears to counsel against “worn-out dogmas” and “stale political arguments” that could obscure our knowledge of true freedom and the good political order. America has then to be remade not only because it may have been driven off course by these false dogmas in its quest for the attainment of the good society but also in practical terms it must allow for adjustments to changing global realities.
The sentiments around the metro-WashingtonDC area should change very fast with Barack Obama as the White House resident. I wonder what happens at the next “Million Man March”?
And already, in cognizance that on Jan 20/2009 the USA inaugurated a president who is a staunch supporter of abortion rights, the annual anti-abortion anti-Roe-v-Wade March for Life — which includes rallies at Verizon Center, on the Mall and at the Supreme Court — has a distinctly different feel than it did during the eight years when President George W. Bush, an abortion opponent, was in the White House.
Organizers said the shift in political power has created an even greater sense of urgency among antiabortion activists. In addition, this year’s events are drawing more participation than in the past from groups pushing for a shift in the abortion debate — away from efforts to outlaw the procedure and toward programs to support pregnant women and reduce the demand for pregnancy termination.
But this abortion — health-care, privacy, religion mish-mash — is not a problem in the Philippines.
In the Philippines, my understanding is that there is considerably less support for public health education nor on support of health-care issues of pregnant women.
But back to the new USA President — I applaud his executive order; I will be so glad when the U.S. detention facility at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba is closed.