Obama’s inaugural speech
I cannot honestly say I was blown away by Obama’s speech. There were some interesting glimpses of his vision of America and his politics along with some rhetorical flourishes, but this was not a killer speech. Perhaps it is unfair to expect it in a modern inaugural speech; it would dominate the news agenda and any policy statement would be analysed, re-analysed and over-analysed in twenty and thirty second blocks for a couple of days. Equally, Obama’s aim seemed to be to introduce a dose of realism and to damp down rampant expectations.
A few thoughts about his speech.
Right off the bat, he thanked President Bush:
“I thank President Bush for his service to our nation, as well as the generosity and co-operation he has shown throughout this transition.”
This was about all he could say about Bush; it gets it out of the way. He had to mention his predecessor but couldn’t say much about a deeply unpopular president against whose invocation he campaigned.
“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 healthcare 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.”
He identifies two problems – this nebulous war and the economic situation – but only looks at the latter. I find that problematic; we hear that the term ‘war on terror’ is out of favour – something I welcome – but then it is invoked. Why this mysticism of a ‘war president’? Nevertheless, on the economy, Obama identifies two causes and the symptoms. Most interesting is the ‘collective failure to make hard choices’ line. That covers reducing the national debt, the balance of payments deficit, balancing the budget, sorting out Medicare and Medicaid and so on.
After describing these, he goes on to say
“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.”
In other words, there will not be an ‘orderly management of the decline of the American empire’. That may be, in retrospect, one of the most important parts of the speech. In the speech, there is also a recasting of Americanism away from the Palinesque ‘pro-American parts of America’ that comes up a few times.
“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.”
and
“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.”
There is also the simultaneous message that he is a Christian and that not being a Christian or not being religious at all is no bar to be an
American. What a state we are in if that has to be made clear. Taken together, these make an attempt to change the language of politics and to neutralise the FOX News tendency of regarding all government as big government and all big government as bad government. It’s also tied in with some (very) small-c conservative images, tapping into the traditional self-images of America and Americans. When mentioning Concord, Gettysburg and Normandy, he adds Khe Sahn; a battle in Vietnam.
That having been done, he establishes what some of his principles are and that they are not extreme or liberal and so on and so forth. One big line – that protecting security doesn’t mean sacrificing values – has already led to the ordering closed of Guantanamo.
“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 co-operation 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 spectre of a warming planet. We will not apologise for our way of life, nor will we waver in its defence, 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.
The juxtaposition of ‘roll back the spectre of a warming planet’ with ‘we will not apologise for our way of life’ is unfortunate. In terms of
the exercise of liberty, no apology should be given; in terms of carbon emissions, it’s not so clear. There is also an interesting mix of
Kennedy and, er, Nikita Khruschev, who said ‘we will bury you’. Interesting.
One last thought. Near the end, Obama recalled the words George Washington ordered read to his soldiers to rally them:
“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].”
Those words are from Thomas Paine’s first Crisis pamphlet; the beginning of that tract is very famous:
“These are the times that try men’s souls: The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of his
country; but he that stands it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman.”
Perhaps I read to much into it, but I cannot help but think of the Winter Soldier Investigations.
xD.
