President Barack Obama injected a healthy dose of realism into American political discourse with his Inaugural address on Tuesday. After eight years marked by hubris, deception, and a lack of accountability, Obama’s speech was refreshingly honest, openly identifying the problems plaguing the United States and urging Americans to enter “a new era of responsibility.”
The real strength of Obama’s message was its willingness to acknowledge and confront the difficulties facing the nation’s economy. “The challenges we face are real. They are serious, and they are many,” Obama said. Unlike the previous administration, Obama has laid out a comprehensive plan get the economy moving once again. His response to the economic crisis presents a stark contrast to the ad hoc, incoherent approach espoused by the Bush White House, which did little more than put a band-aid on a bullet hole.
For the past eight years, the United States political leadership often failed to publicly acknowledge the pluralism and diversity that characterize the United States, adopting a “city on a hill” mentality wholly divorced from reality. Obama’s mention of Christians alongside Jews, Muslims, Hindus, and even non-believers presents a welcome change from this pattern.
In discussing the Global War on Terror, however, Obama appeared to regress to the moral certainty that defined the Bush years. “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 will defeat you,” Obama said. Obama must steer clear of this dichotomous language which has worked to alienate America’s allies abroad and erode its moral authority internationally.
Yet, it appears that President Obama intends to keep his Inaugural pledge to slowly withdraw troops from Iraq. His move toward increasing Iraqi autonomy will do much to lessen the American presence there and begin to rehabilitate America’s maligned image in the Middle East.
President Obama did not withhold criticism of the outgoing Administration in his address Tuesday. Hopefully, he will subject his own decisions to the same scrutiny. Our 44th President has inherited an extraordinary set of challenges, many of which have plagued our nation and our world for many years. We are fortunate to now have a president who is willing to acknowledge those problems openly and publicly, and to address them with transparent, decisive action.
