Thoughts on Obama's inaugural address.

[MagicRat]

If you missed his presentation, the text can be found here.

I think most politicians' speeches are just so much fluff to rally the loyal troops and persuade the naive.
But this one is different, since it was listened to by so many around the world and obviously is a neat declaration of intent by his administration.

Frankly it had something for just about everyone, since he touched on so many basic issues.
However, I am sure many people will feel excluded or feel he overlooked some issues.

At least people like me were included... ungraciously called 'non-believers' though.

So, what is your thought/complaint about the address?

[fredjacksonsan]

There's been a need for change in Washington for some time. Hopefully this is the start of it.

[HotZ28]

Originally Posted by MagicRat

At least people like me were included... ungraciously called 'non-believers' though.

So, what is your thought/complaint about the address?

Well, he mentioned the “non-believers” once, and God 5-times, so that should either offend you, or give you a reason to consider an alternative to nothing. BTW, what is a “non-believer,” do you just rely on the Big Bang or Chaos Theory, 0+0=0? Have you ever wondered how nobody + nothing can equal everything?

Anyway, this speech was nothing unusual, or different from the last nine inaugural speeches I’ve witnessed; they all had good speechwriters! Just a lot of bullshit served up as burgers. I feel bad knowing a lot of false hope was given to many people that the America Goverment will work hard to help them overcome their hardships & suffering. As of today, the American people & Government are $10,628,881,485,510.23 in debt!

Government control & spending is not the solution to our problem, unless we plan a closed society where corruption is institutionalized by the State and dissent is disallowed! 350-billion tax dollars recently vanished and I have not seen any improvement in our economy; in fact, it continues to decline and only the balance sheets at the banks have improved. The rest was totally wasted bailing out Wall Street and the big three! It is a simple mathematical fact, if you spend more money than you have, your financial future will continue on a downward spiral. Yeah, it might look good on the surface; however, that’s the same picture Enron, Madoff, and 47 failed US banks painted! Obviously, this guy can Talk the Talk, but only time will tell if he can Walk the Walk!

[MagicRat]

Originally Posted by HotZ28

Well, he mentioned the “non-believers” once, and God 5-times, so that should either offend you, or give you a reason to consider an alternative to nothing. BTW, what is a “non-believer,” do you just rely on the Big Bang or Chaos Theory, 0+0=0? Have you ever wondered how nobody + nothing can equal everything?

My point was somewhat satirical. The speech was a pretty good one if all I can nit-pick is just two words.

However, that speech was largely symbolic and for that reason, I believe it was poor judgment to label the 60 million Americans who describe themselves as having 'no religion' as "non-believers".

That term is dismissive and inaccurate. Frankly everyone is a "non-believer" because none of us believe in all religions at the same time. It's impossible to do so because religions are so often contradictory in their content.

FWIW I do agree with your point about continued deficit spending in the US. It is harmful to the nation in the long run and there has been zero leadership displayed by anyone about how it can be resolved.

['97ventureowner]

Originally Posted by MagicRat

At least people like me were included... ungraciously called 'non-believers' though.

Call me ignorant, but I read and re-read the text from the link you provided and could not find the term "non-believer." ( I even did a search of that page for the word with no results.) From reading that address I found the following passage ( link supplied in MagicRat's OP) that I think has more to do with the term "non-believer":
"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. "
If one can use the term "non-believer" I think it has to do more with those that question the abilities or ambition of the President rather than using the term in a religious perspective,it has more to do with the "nay-sayers".

[BNaylor]

Originally Posted by '97ventureowner

Call me ignorant, but I read and re-read the text from the link you provided and could not find the term "non-believer."

Are you sure?

"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 non-believers." - Barack H. Obama

Originally Posted by HotZ28

I feel bad knowing a lot of false hope was given to many people that America will work hard to help them overcome their hardships & suffering.

Too many people drinking kool-aid.

[MagicRat]

imo Obama as 'false hope' says much more about people's overblown expectations of him and the capabilities of the office than anything Obama has actually said or done.

At present, I can only criticize Obama for being an opportunist, like almost any politician.
Also, imho he has not fully stated the difficulty of the long-term economic tasks that should (but probably won't) be done, like deficit reduction.

Frankly, it would be politically difficult for him to do so. The electorate would not want to hear it. Also, the short sound bites afforded him by the media is not condusive to the discussion of complicated fiscal policy.

[thegladhatter]

We shall see what we shall see. A speech doth not a president make.

The innauguration was so badly over hyped it was nauseating. The crowd's response to GWB was disgusting.

I fear we are living in the period of a new Dr Zhivago. The commies have taken the capitol!

['97ventureowner]

Originally Posted by BNaylor

Are you sure?

"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 non-believers." - Barack H. Obama

Okay, NOW I found it on my next attempt. Too much too read while multitasking at the same time When you put the text up with those words, it was easier to find. I wonder why the search turned up no results when I ran it, I even typed other variations of the word. I was beginning to think that link in the OP was a condensed version of the speech. My bad.
There has been much discussion in my local area between those that hope for the changes that Obama proposes, and there are those, which he outlines in his speech to which I quoted in my above post that are cynics. I had thought, originally, by reading this thread that the discussion had taken on a more "national" appeal concerning the opposing groups, and it wasn't just this area where it was highly debated. So without going off topic further, I'll let you get back to the original discussion.

[Gohan Ryu]

Here's GWB's first inaugural address from 8 years ago. It inspires hope and confidence in his administration, doesn't it? He talks about reforming education and saving us all from terrorism and paving the pathway democracy etc...pretty much the same thing EVERY new president talks about in his inauguration speech. BTW it's not really worth reading, my point is a speech is a just speech blah blah blah...

http://www.bartleby.com/124/pres66.html

[VR43000GT]

Originally Posted by Gohan Ryu

Here's GWB's first inaugural address from 8 years ago. It inspires hope and confidence in his administration, doesn't it? He talks about reforming education and saving us all from terrorism and paving the pathway democracy etc...pretty much the same thing EVERY new president talks about in his inauguration speech. BTW it's not really worth reading, my point is a speech is a just speech blah blah blah...

http://www.bartleby.com/124/pres66.html

Didn't he also follow through with those things? There hasn't been another attack on US soil since 9/11/2001. I would say that must mean he did something right to prevent further attacks no?

As far as education, Bush(to name a few things):

1) Signed the No Child Left Behind Act which increased the standards of our schools. (which even now is still highly favored amongst US citizens) This also funded for new materials and general educational funding.

2) Required annual reading and math tests on grades 3-8.

3) Est. a $2.4 billion fund to states to implement teacher accountability

[Gohan Ryu]

Originally Posted by SL3000gt

Didn't he also follow through with those things? There hasn't been another attack on US soil since 9/11/2001. I would say that must mean he did something right to prevent further attacks no?

9/11 didn't happen until after GWB was elected, so when he said that he was simply repeating what his writer told him to say, and what Clinton's writer told him to say 4 years previous, etc... And since 9/11 was the only attack on American soil since the WW2, he can't be credited with 'protecting us' from any foreign attacks. If anything we should be saying the only attack on American soil in over 70 years happened during Bush's administration. Bush said the same thing in his 2nd inaugural speech and Obama said the same thing in his inaugural speech.

Originally Posted by SL3000gt

As far as education, Bush(to name a few things):

1) Signed the No Child Left Behind Act which increased the standards of our schools. (which even now is still highly favored amongst US citizens) This also funded for new materials and general educational funding.

2) Required annual reading and math tests on grades 3-8.

3) Est. a $2.4 billion fund to states to implement teacher accountability

I'll just take your word for it that he did all these things. Apparently they didn't help. Why is education still an issue that needs to be addressed by Obama's administration? I mean, we can all make gestures and attempts at fulfilling promises, but can Bush claim to have actually fulfilled anything significant he promised in his inaugural speech? Can any president we've elected claim to have fulfilled even half of their campaign promises (rhetoric question for those who take everything literally).

[CL8]

Obamas speech was eloquent, unfortuately, it was only from his mouth, not from his heart.

[HotZ28]

Originally Posted by Gohan Ryu

Can any president we've elected claim to have fulfilled even half of their campaign promises

Funny that you would mention that, I have listened to many campaign promises & inaugural speeches in the last 60-years and they all sound the same to me; like I said before, just a lot of bullshit served up as a steak burger.

I will admit, this particular ceremony did put the icing on the cake! It was an inaugural exhibition that Hollywood would have been proud to produce. This one looked more like a theatrical presentation than a swearing in ceremony! Just seeing all the money wasted at this event, made my stomach turn! Viewing this from around the world, the people would never imagine that we are over 10-trillion in debt and thousands are losing their jobs every day! So much for the glamour, now show us how to cut spending and downsize government, starting with the IRS! I wonder if Obama has even heard of the Fair Tax proposal? I suppose not, gluttony-101 is one of Harvard’s most respected subjects! Hot off the press--Obama just put a salary freeze on the White House staff making over 100K. There will be some unhappy cooks and maids there tomorrow!

[03cavPA]

Originally Posted by MagicRat

However, that speech was largely symbolic and for that reason, I believe it was poor judgment to label the 60 million Americans who describe themselves as having 'no religion' as "non-believers".

That term is dismissive and inaccurate. Frankly everyone is a "non-believer" because none of us believe in all religions at the same time. It's impossible to do so because religions are so often contradictory in their content.

It just looked to me like he was trying to be inclusive. He could have said, "and those who don't believe in any of those things," but it was easier to say "non-believers".

Originally Posted by MagicRat

FWIW I do agree with your point about continued deficit spending in the US. It is harmful to the nation in the long run and there has been zero leadership displayed by anyone about how it can be resolved.

I doubt we'll see any from this administration, either.

As for the inauguration, it was over-hyped and far too expensive. The speech was a speech, much like many others given by politicians. It sounds nice. Unfortunately, we do have some legitimate reasons to view our government in DC with cynicism, and it started long before GW.

I'll reserve judgment until I see the man perform some of the miracles his followers want to attribute to him. Let's see what kind of follow-through we get for our money.