{"id":395,"date":"2009-01-20T15:30:36","date_gmt":"2009-01-20T15:30:36","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/onecity\/2009\/01\/the-inaugural-speech-first-thoughts.html"},"modified":"2009-01-20T15:30:36","modified_gmt":"2009-01-20T15:30:36","slug":"the-inaugural-speech-first-thoughts","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/onecity\/2009\/01\/the-inaugural-speech-first-thoughts.html","title":{"rendered":"The Inaugural Speech: first thoughts"},"content":{"rendered":"

I know everyone is thrilled about the inauguration; I certainly am. I don’t mean to throw any cold water on it, but I nonetheless thought I’d take a second look at the inaugural address, with which I was underwhelmed.
\nThe full text is here<\/a>.
\nI found it banal, full of platitudes and remarkably empty of substance. While platitudes are perhaps to be expected, I was surprised to find it inelegant as well (To the people of poor nations, we pledge to work alongside you to make your farms flourish and let clean waters flow.<\/em> . . ugh)
\nAlso not so keen on:
\n
\nOur 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.<\/em>
\nThis is a curious bit of equivocation. Our economy is badly weakened primarily because everyone, centrist Democrats like Obama included, was sold on “Washington consensus”<\/a> neoliberalism and was willing to let the foxes guard the hen house. Unfortunately, based on Obama’s appointments we’ve seen a lot more “same we can’t believe in” than change, at least so far. Rather audacious to blame our economic woes on a “collective failure,” unless he’s just talking about Washington and Wall Street.
\n[Our journey] 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.<\/em>
\nWait, what? I know it’s no good to enjoy leisure at times when work is appropriate. But is it really a bad thing to prefer leisure to work? Says who, Cotton Mather? (OK, this is a quibble, and I know work is on people’s minds right now, but this sort of mindless puritanism grates.)
\nOn the other hand, I was pleased with the inclusion of the following
\nFor 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. We are shaped by every language and culture, drawn from every end of this Earth.<\/em>
\nEspecially the non-believers part.
\nWhat did you think?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I know everyone is thrilled about the inauguration; I certainly am. I don’t mean to throw any cold water on it, but I nonetheless thought I’d take a second look at the inaugural address, with which I was underwhelmed. The full text is here. 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