Prez Obama's Inaugural Address

Full transcript below.

So far the commentators have been rather unenthused.

I found the speech substantively highly satisfactory. Yes, it was somber -- Obama may well have no more than four years in which to try to address the horrific problems created at break-neck pace over the preceding eight years and more. And Obama's already shown he can inspire "rock-star"-like enthusiasm; he didn't need to do that again today, and if he had, it might not have particularly furthered his goal (in fact, I can easily imagine certain constituencies using it against him). Rather, his goal, I hope, was to make sure everyone understands the gravity of the difficulties we face, and to further the work he's already begun on solving them.

Here's the full text of Obama's speech (all emphasis supplied), with a few of my thoughts bracketed and in blue (I think I heard the address at least 30 times today; if you did, too, you can just read the blue {heh heh, my} parts).

PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA:

"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 forbearers, and true to our founding documents." [Since the Bush administration has wrought far more damage to our federal constitutional rights than any other in my lifetime, I'm very glad Obama's actually taught constitutional law -- per Wikipedia, for twelve years. Here and in many other parts of the speech, he places a reassuringly strong emphasis on the importance of those rights.]

"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." [The commentators I've heard so far have discussed the speech as a message to conservatives, to U.S. citizens in general, and to the world; but I also heard this and other portions of the address as a message to Congress, whose failure to make the "hard choices" strikes me as particularly culpable and destructive -- choices such as to stand up against tax cuts that mainly benefit the top 1%; to stand up for needed regulation of financial markets, or environmental protections; to stand up against the invasion of Iraq, etc.] "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 short-cuts or settling for less. It has not been the path for the faint-hearted - 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 towards prosperity and freedom." [I hope he's saying, our greatness has resulted as much or more from the efforts and ingenuity of the common people as it has from Wall St. "innovators" and the like.]

"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. [They did this not just for themselves, but for us, their children, and for ours.]

"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 commentators I've heard so far have failed to note that this specifically follows mention of the "big plans" Obama thinks are needed. They may be correct that it refers to other things as well, but again, to me, this seemed directed toward conservatives in Congress who have already expressed opposition to spending plans aimed at creating jobs, etc., as opposed to just handing cash and tax cuts to economic elites. And when Obama says "[t]heir memories are short," I can't help but think how these same critics voted to give Sec. of the Treasury Paulson billions to bail out elites, with no oversight or, so far, accountability.] "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." [Hallelujah. The Bush administration's record reads like one determined to prove government cannot work, at least not for you and me. History proves otherwise, but we need the reminder. And transparency is crucial; anything less is an invitation to abuse.]

"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." [In my view, our current economic crisis can ultimately only be solved from the bottom up. Even elites cannot prosper, if only they can afford to invest or buy goods or services. Many of them don't care whether such investors and consumers live in the U.S. or elsewhere; if people here are tapped out, there are others in other countries. I care about people in other countries; but I do also care about us here in the U.S., and there can be no recovery here without jobs here, too.]

"As for our common defense, we reject as false the choice between our safety and our ideals." [Again, I hope this is a reference to a goal of restoring our constitutional rights. I've heard commentators refer to torture and Abu Ghraib; I'm hopeful Obama also means our First and Fourth Amendment rights (freedom of speech and peaceable assembly and freedom from searches and seizures {including warrantless spying} without probable cause), as well as the constitutional checks on executive tyranny, among others.] "Our Founding Fathers, faced with perils we can scarcely imagine, drafted a charter to assure the rule of law" [as contrasted with the defiance of the rule of law by the current administration] "and the rights of man, a charter expanded by the blood of generations" [this "charter" being the constitution and Bill of Rights, "expanded" by, among other things, amendments such as the 13th abolishing "involuntary servitude"]. "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." [This as well as the reference to the "blood of generations" reminds us that the hardships we face now are no greater than those our parents and ancestors endured in order to give us the opportunity to pass on to our own children the same rights and ideals, as well as the "task" Obama refers to below.] "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." [Again, I find this paragraph reassuring. It reminds me of both eastern and western teachings to the effect that power used unwisely depletes itself, while power used wisely increases itself; physical and material force are inefficient and costly tools.]

"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." [I believe it's a well-accepted socio-historical fact that the greatest flourishings of civilization and culture have often occurred after diverse peoples have come into contact with and mixed with one another]. "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; 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." [I do not take this so much as a reference to Obama's father, as one commentator suggested, but rather to our mutual interest in peace, among other things, and the respect to which I believe all humans are entitled.] "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." [I can't help but think this would include the Bush administration. In any case, I'd say, we will all be judged on what we build, AND on what we destroy. We must hold ourselves responsible for all our consequences, not just those we wishfully hoped for.] "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." [Almost none of us can afford to behave as if we can wall ourselves off from problems in the rest of the world. I do not suppose Obama had in mind the fact that the City of Dallas has decided to approve a request to transform the neighborhood in which Bush recently bought a home into a "gated community."]

"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." [Totally agreed. In fact, I blame various media machines and those who control them for keeping Americans as divided and diverted as they've been; and I'm struck that another smart strategy Obama seems to be deploying is to simply by-pass the corporate media, going directly to the people both via the Internet and physically, by means such as his "whistle-stop" tour to D.C.]

"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." [Totally agreed. We're citizens, not just consumers. There can be no greater purpose in life, than to help make the world better; and there is no greater opportunity to do that, than during difficult times.]

"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 sixty 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," [and truly, I understand, it hung by a thread] "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."

During the last few decades, many presidents, rather than leading us, have instead sought to manipulate us by appealing to our more childish, wishful selves -- describing whole countries as good or evil, with the U.S., of course, always "good"; telling us we can have our "cake" -- our tax cuts -- and a greater society, too; encouraging us to consume without restraint; etc. They analyzed us in order to discover what our smallest selves wanted to hear, and while we listened to their siren song, they went ahead and did what they wanted to do, to the detriment of us and our children.

Obama's speech is in part an important experiment in appealing to our larger selves, to determine whether we are now ready to listen as adults, to rejoin the "reality-based community," bring ourselves to face the problems we've allowed to multiply, and work together to fix them.

And I hope by this point, most of us find it more reassuring to hear our leaders acknowledge real problems, rather than continuing to be told reassuring tales.

Bush started worrying about his legacy near the end of his second term. Obama's clearly been working on his since some time ago.

I have reservations about many of Obama's appointments, etc. to date, and I remain horrified at his vote on the FISA bill. But this speech makes me feel more hopeful.

(Photos from Spiegel Online.)

P.S.: Per AP, that stumble during Obama's oath of office was caused by Bush appointee Chief Justice Roberts, who mixed up the word order. Obama waited for Roberts to correct himself, which Roberts did, before proceeding.

P.P.S.: Nice slide show here.

UPDATE: The Daily Show was awesome tonite.