the most negative, depressing speech ever given at an inauguration. disgraseful. talk about global warming. this was an expiration of mass amounts of hot air.
On Jan 20, 9:47 pm, Morpheal <[email protected]> wrote: > COMMENTS ON PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA'S INAUGRURATION ADDRESS: > > The inauguration speech was anything other than disappointing. It > surpassed any and all expectations in its nuances as to the depths and > extent of the changes as to the shape of things to come in America. In > many ways Barack Obama does promise to be the first truly post Cold > War president of the United States of America, making allusion to H.G. > Wells’ tale of rebuilding from ruin particularly poignant. In many > ways it is not only infrastructure that must be rebuilt, but also > trust, diplomacy, and genuine progress. It is interesting that > tradition has always placed the symbols of destruction in the west, > and the symbols of new life and rebirth of hope in the east. In that > sense President Barack Obama chose the east, not the west, as he began > his term in office. His predecessors, in that sense, due to > limitations of circumstances and sometimes limitations of vision, > chose the west. . It is in the east that the sun rises. This new > administration, in its idealism, is not to be seen as a setting of the > sun, into the darkness of the west, but rather its rising, as renewed > illumination in the east. At least that appears to be the intent. > > President Obama has declared independence from many of the groundless > beliefs of many of his predecessors. He has set forth a new foundation > upon which America can potentially be rebuilt. It remains to be seen > whether the reassertion of the ideals that he clearly cherishes can > and will be transformed into realities. President Obama was quoted as > saying that "in America anything is possible", and yet he is only > beginning to learn about what is possible, beyond even his furthest > abilities to imagine. We know that whatever is potentially for good > can be turned to evil, if vigilance and wisdom chance to fail. That is > now the greatest peril and perhaps the most difficult to defend > against. More difficult than it ever was before. The same advances > that can take the human species to the furthest reaches of the galaxy > can destroy all of humanity, at this most crucial step in humanity's > evolution. The greatest steps forward always carry the greatest of > risks. > > We are so near, in ground breaking theory, fledgling experiment, and > technical breakthrough, to building the means to travel to distant > stars, far flung regions of the galaxy, and yet we are in danger on > Earth of destroying ourselves and our own humanity, in avarice, self > centeredness, obsession with profit, in conflict, in ignorance and in > irrationality. We are standing so near to the gate to the heavens, and > yet we are still utterly humbled by our species' savagery, brutality, > and unwillingness to cooperate together for the mutual progress of all > to a greater destiny than most are able to imagine possible. > > To be the President in this time is similar to being the president > when the first satellites were launched, or when the first men were > launched into space and to the moon. Now truly, we come to a time, > when anything is possible in America including the conquest of space, > as only science fiction once dreamt of it. When we talk of budgets, > deficits, and government spending, we again place barriers in the way > of real progress. Genuine science, and technological advance, > invention and innovation, must never be allowed to suffer from the > effects of a failed system, and its failed reliance on fiscal policies > that become the sole obstacle to real progress. This is a time when > monetary policies of the past must not be allowed to stand in the way > of real progress and particularly scientific and technical progress at > the gateway to our species’ destiny. Where the existing system does > not provide the means to progress, we must change the system and > further than progress. Time is never on our side, and any brilliance > is but a momentary spark in infinity. We cannot afford to waste even > one tiny spark of intelligence. Where existing beliefs and policies > cripple talents and efforts, they must be changed. Whether we will see > sufficient change, under President Obama remains a question, but it is > the most vital question that humanity as a whole has ever come to > face. > > Of particular significance in President Obama’s speech is the > recognition as to the necessity of the watchful eye, in commerce, > science and technology, to assure that human good is served, along > with the liberty necessary for genuine innovation and invention, while > safeguarding against corrupt and evil intent. As new technological > frontiers are breached, the ever present danger shifts towards a > greater danger from within than that which was always perceived from > outside. The new advances are more perilous, than any that came > before, and it requires greater foresight and wisdom to manage and > guide human progress to its impending and true destiny. President > Obama already hints that he realizes in principle, the necessity that > technical and scientific advancement imposes, for education in ethics, > in morality of use, and for wisdom to guide progress which otherwise > would most easily be led astray into dangerous and evil purposes. Any > tool can be used for good or evil, and has no good or evil in its own > nature as to itself. When we realize that fact we know that it all > depends on improving education. > > It was noteworthy that Abraham Lincoln was present as a material > legacy. In many ways Abraham Lincoln failed to finish the work that he > claimed as champion. The connection between Barack Obama and Abraham > Lincoln now seems more akin to that unfinishedness. The train ride, > Lincoln’s Bible, and a repast styled after Lincoln’s own preferences, > appears to mark Lincoln’s legacy of an idea that was never really > began to be most fully realized until a century later. In many ways > America’s history since the Civil War has been largely confined to > concentration on material legacy, and somewhat obsessed with that side > of its own life. I think President Obama has exactly that problem in > mind. While Lincoln’s idea of emancipation provided a hope, the lack > of any greater illumination lasted for generations, and in fact gained > slow momentum from the early decades of the 20th century into the > civil rights movement of nearly 45 years ago. > > Nevertheless Lincoln’s legacy provided for significant material > progress, but without equality as to enjoyment of it. It was a long > and very arduous journey from the days of Lincoln to these times of > Obama, and it also warns us as to how long a time it can take for real > change to become effective, from the inception of a new idea to where > it is most fully realized. The material connections with Lincoln’s > legacy, of an idea, take on a strangely symbolic role in the pageant > of inauguration and progress. Interesting in the fact that America and > the world cannot wait that long for slow increments of social, > technical, political, environmental, and economic progress. Lifetimes > too are much shorter than that, and cycles of economic turbulence, > consistent instability, and faltering principles, have eaten away at > countless lives. Where conservatism, of Lincoln's time and subsequent > to that time, continually battered the very idea of real progress, > President Obama, now champions progress, in a very human form rather > than as a legacy of historic artifact and custom. It is that change > that I see picking itself up off the floor and dusting itself off, to > take on the challenge. Material legacy is not enough. Humanity must be > more fully considered. That is the humanity, inclusive of the true > potential, of every person. > > Some things remain unclear. There were nuances of realization that > although we all now know that we cannot divide less and less among > more and more, until little of anything remains for anyone, there are > those who have very much more than they themselves really need or can > possibly use. The Cold War era was a pitched battle between those who > believed in the principle of dividing everything among an infinite > number, and those who opposed that in practice and principle. Although > it remains unclear in President Obama’s speech, it might be hoped that > we are entering a time when both infinite population growth, and > unlimited market growth, are both seen as dangerous and destructive > tendencies. A time when growth is no longer measured by recourse to > unlimited production and consumption, with little regard as to what is > produced and consumed in terms of any higher criteria of value beyond > immediate profit. That population growth has been dangerously > increased by policies that define population as market, without regard > for long term consequences to the environment and human quality of > life. Thanks to previous administrations rebuilding a globalized > America is in fact very much a rebuilding of more than America itself, > and needs to have profound consideration for that globalized reality, > beyond its previous self centeredness, which it carelessly sought to > proselytize across an entire planet. > > The quality of human life, its inherent value, the values of positive > culture, can only be preserved in terms of lasting values, inclusive > of lasting material values that fight the evils of obsolescence, and > an increasingly disposable view of everything that comprises society > and its products. The world cannot withstand the globalization of > those values, and their radical overthrow will continue to be a major > challenge to the success of any long term success in rebuilding > America and its already globalized influence. > > When things of truer value are made, expressing originalities, > talents, craftsmanship and ingenuity, people who make them are also > given value. > > Despite the need to gradually expand and improve the quality of public > transit, throughout America’s cities, the automobile remains a pillar > of American life. Will we begin with the primary symbol of the > American economic dream, the American automobile, redesigned for the > real needs of this new era ? Will we see a vehicle built to last, > rather then predestined to the scrap heap and its energy wasteful > environmental degradation ? Will cars and trucks, from President > Obama’s era, last 20 or more years ? Will lasting quality be made > more affordable to more people, by removing the costly impact of > automotive fashion, from the provision of quality, affordable, lasting > value in transportation ? Lasting a longer time, is paid for across a > longer span of time, and an improvement in value. What will happen > with automotive craft will invariably impact many other areas of > economic activity. Will we see the resurgence of real craftsmanship > and quality as the saving grace to both economy and environment ? Is > this where the billions in automotive bailout loans end up going ? > Will the money now being provided, and spent, truly rebuild America > and its values into something that can be a suitable model for this > new phase in the world’s economic development ? The plight of the > automakers are merely a symptom of a much deeper and debilitating > illness. There are cures, but the medicine is unconventional, and many > will be reluctant and afraid to accept as radical a therapy as is > required for survival. The same has become true throughout the > economic sphere. > > An apocalyptic economics, of here today and gone tomorrow, has gained > control, and won over popular belief, when what is most needed are > lasting values. This too is a Cold War legacy, in its impact upon the > mass psyche. > The time of live for today, and today's profits, and forget about > tomorrow, has gone, along with the Cold War. This is a different time, > needing different values. > > What previous administrations have done, will now have to be undone. > In some ways some of the values that Abraham Lincoln knew of, in his > America, can provide valuable lessons for today. Then too, a war, > brought apocalyptic disaster, with an exceptionally long period of > slow recovery from its effects. We are still attempting to recover > from a century of war, including WWI, WWII, Korean, Vietnam, and Cold > War, and a number of lesser military involvements, and it will not be > an easy recovery. It will be further complicated by the unfamiliar > choice of peace, requiring a Commander in Chief, an elder statesman, a > senior diplomat, who is exceptionally capable at maintaining, > promoting, and where necessary enforcing, the peace. Only in that way > can the rebuilding truly succeed. Can President Obama succeed in this > exceptional task ? It is the hope of the world and certainly he > cannot do it alone. Where new means and ways are necessitated to bring > about, restore and maintain peace, to protect civilian populations, to > preserve and further the ideals of liberty, and to further the > creation of an effective, empowered, international justice system, to > enforce peaceful resolution of differences and disputes, will the > President have the courage to empower those means fully and > unhesitatingly ? Previous administrations tended to falter and fall > short, mired in an excess of conservatism, often failing to uphold > fundamental principles of progressive civilization. > > We know that peace keeping and peace enforcement, and the enforcement > of internationally empowered governing resolutions, needs military > power to back what is right, in the same way as cities, communities, > need the power of policing to maintain order, and to battle crime. > Wayward city gangs, and organized crime, are not so very much > different from predatory nations who attack their own civilians, or > the people of other nations. The world needs international enforcement > of international resolve to peace. Will President Obama back that new > paradigm, and help to change the world ? Can we now break away from > the 20th century, mired in constant conflict, and from the Cold War > contentions of the past ? > > That and many other questions remain to be answered, as they no doubt > will be answered. The question is whether America will truly regain > the lead, as to real progress. We have already learned that good does > not come from what is poorly managed, poorly led, poorly directed, and > left abandoned in what becomes a socio-economic wilderness. Industry, > commerce, the stock market, is no exception to that fact. Those too > have become lost in that wilderness. Will President Obama, restore > real leadership, and thus real progress in terms of genuine liberty, > real wisdom, real truth, and positive material values consistent with > real and meaningful progress to America and the world community ? Can > President Obama lead America out of the wilderness and to a world of > promise where the good is really possible once again ? Can the > watchful eye be restored to a role of benevolence, serving true > liberty, real progress, and achievement of human potential, rather > than being subverted to the role of miserly dragon, guarding the > surplus wealth of a relatively few ? > > Robert Ezergailis --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ Thanks for being part of "PoliticalForum" at Google Groups. For options & help see http://groups.google.com/group/PoliticalForum * Visit our other community at http://www.PoliticalForum.com/ * It's active and moderated. Register and vote in our polls. * Read the latest breaking news, and more. -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
