Obama Wants It All, And He Wants It Now
Published in Die Zeit
(Germany) on 25 February 2009
by Martin Klingst (link to original)
(Germany) on 25 February 2009
by Martin Klingst (link to original)
Translated from
by Ron Argentati.
Edited by .
He wants to turn America inside out. President Obama disclosed his entire program and promised the American people that their country would be stronger after the crisis than it has ever been before.
It was an evening of grand premiers. America’s new president spoke before Congress, the Supreme Court, the Cabinet, the diplomatic corps and millions of American television viewers across the nation.
For the first time in American history a black president stood on this stage, and for the first time the rebuttal to his address was given by the son of Indian immigrants; Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal gave the Republican response to Obama’s speech.
But that’s not all. For the first time since his inauguration, Obama laid out his entire agenda for the next four years. He wants to create or save 3.5 million jobs. Bank loans will again be available. The United States is to become independent of foreign oil and more energy efficient.
Within the current year, the president wants to inaugurate an affordable universal health care program and reform the decaying American education system. He wants to make social programs appropriate for the future and he wants to halve the current budget deficit. Future generations cannot be expected to shoulder this financial burden, he called out to the audience, and he garnered enthusiastic cheers, even from many Republicans.
But the applause didn’t last very long because Obama then reprimanded the conservatives for missing opportunities to straighten America out when they were in power. He said that he inherited a major portion of the debt from conservatives and now finds that he will have to put the nation further into debt in order to make up for what they neglected or mismanaged.
Also directed at Republicans once again, Obama said that while he himself was no adherent of big government, unlike them he was convinced that government played an important role in national renewal.
Barack Obama has taken on a great deal. He wants to take on everything that is important, and he wants to do it all at once. His credo: America can’t lose any more time and because everything is interconnected, he has to include everything that needs repair and even add new items to the list or America’s economy can’t be jump-started.
He left little room for doubt that over the next four years he wants to be one thing above all else: president of national renewal. “We will rebuild, we will recover, and the United States of America will emerge stronger than before,” Obama promised. His speech made only a few references to foreign policy.
Obama appeared self-confident, gripping and determined. He told his audience to show courage, he inspired confidence and he appealed to people’s sense of community and personal responsibility and asked them to make personal sacrifices. He introduced several people in the audience who had made great selfless contributions. The motivating forces in society aren’t the rich and famous, he said, but ordinary people who are anything but ordinary.
It was a great and important speech, something even his opponents grudgingly admitted. Barack Obama is still on cloud nine. His popularity figures are still high as is support for his policies. People like and trust him despite the daily round of new horror stories about bankruptcies, job loss and debts.
Republicans, on the other hand, are still losing popular support. The young Governor of Louisiana, Bobby Jindal, couldn’t reverse that trend either. He’s supposed to be one of the new best hopes for the Republican Party. But as long as he can’t come up with anything but the tired old conservative solutions – lower taxes and smaller government – there won’t be a new start there, either.
This era belongs to Barack Obama and the Democrats. At least for now.
It was an evening of grand premiers. America’s new president spoke before Congress, the Supreme Court, the Cabinet, the diplomatic corps and millions of American television viewers across the nation.
For the first time in American history a black president stood on this stage, and for the first time the rebuttal to his address was given by the son of Indian immigrants; Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal gave the Republican response to Obama’s speech.
But that’s not all. For the first time since his inauguration, Obama laid out his entire agenda for the next four years. He wants to create or save 3.5 million jobs. Bank loans will again be available. The United States is to become independent of foreign oil and more energy efficient.
Within the current year, the president wants to inaugurate an affordable universal health care program and reform the decaying American education system. He wants to make social programs appropriate for the future and he wants to halve the current budget deficit. Future generations cannot be expected to shoulder this financial burden, he called out to the audience, and he garnered enthusiastic cheers, even from many Republicans.
But the applause didn’t last very long because Obama then reprimanded the conservatives for missing opportunities to straighten America out when they were in power. He said that he inherited a major portion of the debt from conservatives and now finds that he will have to put the nation further into debt in order to make up for what they neglected or mismanaged.
Also directed at Republicans once again, Obama said that while he himself was no adherent of big government, unlike them he was convinced that government played an important role in national renewal.
Barack Obama has taken on a great deal. He wants to take on everything that is important, and he wants to do it all at once. His credo: America can’t lose any more time and because everything is interconnected, he has to include everything that needs repair and even add new items to the list or America’s economy can’t be jump-started.
He left little room for doubt that over the next four years he wants to be one thing above all else: president of national renewal. “We will rebuild, we will recover, and the United States of America will emerge stronger than before,” Obama promised. His speech made only a few references to foreign policy.
Obama appeared self-confident, gripping and determined. He told his audience to show courage, he inspired confidence and he appealed to people’s sense of community and personal responsibility and asked them to make personal sacrifices. He introduced several people in the audience who had made great selfless contributions. The motivating forces in society aren’t the rich and famous, he said, but ordinary people who are anything but ordinary.
It was a great and important speech, something even his opponents grudgingly admitted. Barack Obama is still on cloud nine. His popularity figures are still high as is support for his policies. People like and trust him despite the daily round of new horror stories about bankruptcies, job loss and debts.
Republicans, on the other hand, are still losing popular support. The young Governor of Louisiana, Bobby Jindal, couldn’t reverse that trend either. He’s supposed to be one of the new best hopes for the Republican Party. But as long as he can’t come up with anything but the tired old conservative solutions – lower taxes and smaller government – there won’t be a new start there, either.
This era belongs to Barack Obama and the Democrats. At least for now.
Heh, well we NEED it all! I liked Obama’s speech, but the only part I feel really inspired about is when he talks about energy. I’m really glad he’s finally taking Dean Baker’s advice (most eloquently written in “From Financial Crisis to Opportunity” in the book Thinking Big) and STOPPING the tax breaks for corporations that send their jobs overseas!!!
one problem that few in the world see or understand about america.
there are two groups of people in american politics.
one will take the bull by the horns and do whatever it takes to implement their ideology even if it destroys america. ie reagan economics.
those are the republicans.
the other political group are called democrats.
now the democrats are nice people and want to help others but they have one drawback they were born without a spine. they talk big and make great speeches like reagan did but lack bold courage and action.
they shutter in the shadow of the republicans. they have deep fear of the republicans.
america is a country in decline due to many factors: greed, arrogance, privitized health care, privitized military, mega military budget, imperialism with nation building desires all over the world, need to be known as a superpower, and actually believe they can buy thier way out of everything including iraq and afgan and even money for grades for their children.
i say these things not because i hate america as i am an american. but when we remove nationalism and patroitism we see america in a whole new light.
countries dont stay super powers forever germany should know that better than anyone. we are living on borrowed time and money and we will print money and borrow ourselves into total economic decline to keep that super power status and military might intact. ie national ego thing.