Tuesday 20 January 2009

Inauguration blues

Obama's just finished his speech. Obviously it contained all the usual stuff about the greatest nation on earth, and all his brilliant trademarks, but what really struck me was the seriousness of tone. Quoting Washington's address from the darkest moments of the Independence War was stunning - he really does appear to feel that the US is endangered by the financial, moral and environmental challenges ahead. 

He promised, of course, to spread democracy around the globe. So did Blair and Bush. What they, and I suspect, Obama meant, is capitalism for all and democracy for the unimportant or annoying. Hamas are elected, and that didn't help. The Saudis and Burmese (and the North Koreans) compete for the title of worst government, but nobody's planning to ask them when the elections are. As long as the oil etc. keeps flowing, we won't ask any awkward questions. 

Aretha Franklin was embarrassingly awful, Yo-Yo Ma and Co. were tunefully bland, and the poet (missed her name) is rather good - applause from the crowd distinctly muted. 

1 comment:

Benjamin Judge said...

Do you want to borrow my moniker Mr Cynical? I liked the speech. I particularly liked the fact he said he was going to put science back in its rightful place, that he actually mentioned non-believers in a list of American beliefs, and that he has already started on the oil companies (brave man).

Oh and the poem. The poem. The poem was bramble. Hawthorn. Song for the poem. Song for. The poem. Was shit.