I do not know why we should have to fight the “war on terror” period, but even if Americans allow for the “war on terror” to continue to be perpetrated in our name, this point in Obama’s address should constantly be cited as reason to repeal the Patriot Act and its amendments/expansions such as the Military Commissions Act of 2006.
“We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus - and non-believers.”
So the tent is now big enough for non-believers? I still think it’s worth wondering what’s in the tent and why non-believers would want to be in the tent, but the fact that non-believers were noted in his inaugural address is refreshing.
This is may be a strengthening of Obama’s goal to make sure every American has a seat at the table. Non-believers may have been awarded a seat at the inauguration or separation of church and state may have received a boost, but that doesn’t mean Obama will turn to either when looking to make policy changes. It just means Obama, unlike Bush, will acknowledge non-believers are, like Christians, Americans too.
“…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.”
A consultation of American history reveals a harsh reality that America’s campaigns waged to achieve peace have consistently failed and have instead bred militarism, violence, hatred, aggression, suffering, suppression, and death. But, going back to the point about cognitive dissonance, if Americans fight for a new era of peace---a true era of peace---it now has more potential of being realized than it did decades ago when previous presidents uttered remarks about waging peace.
“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.”
One cannot know if what is said here will result in the proper actions. For this remark to truly be heeded, America must humble itself.
America must apologize to the world for its actions over the past few decades. It must apologize for war crimes and crimes against humanity and bullying and unilateralism.
And then, it must change the game which it controls without being begged by other countries to do so. It must look at hotbeds of violence in the world and see what is breeding these conflicts. The common denominator between these situations must be found and Americans must demand actions be taken for humanity and not for profit.
The Bad
“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.”
Laced with machismo, this portion of Obama’s address is bad for the fact that it continues the “us vs. them” mentality that Bush reinforced through his rhetoric while president.
It also continues Obama’s tendency to not define what it is that he is talking about. “They”, the challenges, are never explicitly defined throughout the speech. He also never defines how “they” will be “met.” Keeping “they” amorphous and “met” unexplained is unacceptable.
“…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.”
This is a precarious section of Obama’s address because the new way forward should not be a continuance of the American tradition to wage conflicts and war. Too often America’s defense of so-called liberties and freedoms has been carried out by wielding the sword instead of wielding the human conscience.
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