President Barack Obamas Inauguration Speech - Essay Example

One can witness members of the audience hooting, nodding, or clapping in approval during pauses in the speech. The repetitive usage of the phrase “We, the People.” added a sense of gravity to the delivery, as these were the same words with which the Preamble to the constitution begins. It thus invoked a sense of history and continuity from the time of the Declaration of Independence.When one searches the speech for significant policy measures that would benefit the majority of the population there were hardly any.

Platitude after platitude forms a tired old pattern. Allusions to ‘unity’, ‘racial equality’, ‘destiny’, ‘security’, ‘bipartisanship’, etc flow fluidly from the President’s tongue. There was nothing concrete to suggest if any of these sentiments will translate into constructive policy measures for the people. Seen in this view the speech can be termed as uninspiring. Although the tenor of President’s voice was serious and its effect on the audience somewhat dramatic, there is little of substance to the entire 20-minute long address to the nation.

President Obama covers foreign and domestic affairs without going into specifics. For instance, he says that every child in America should have an equal opportunity for success. But, whether this means a greater infusion of funds for the public education system and an overall reduction in tuition fee is anybody’s guess. Likewise, Obama talked about creating a conducive environment for businesses. Taken as such it is a benign idea, but if he was implying huge bailouts for corporations out of tax-payer money then it is a bad deal for citizens.

The President’s equivocations also spread to the most potent threat facing the survival of the human species (that, obviously, includes Americans). He said that America will do the need to tackle climate change. But one only needs to look at America’s voting record in United Nations conferences on climate change to figure how contradictory the President’s actions were. It is equally unclear how the President will make America a leader in alternative energy technologies. This is a dubious claim to make in light of the fact that America is the leading consumer of fossil fuels in the world and the oil company lobby holds way over members of the Congress and the Senate.

In sum, the inaugural speech by President Obama is pleasing on the ears of a casual listener. But the moment one analysis the assumptions, implications, and practicalities behind the words, an unpleasant message emerges. The message to American people is to expect nothing drastic in terms of improvement of their quality of life. The President’s allusion to the legacy of a long chain of Presidents that will continue for centuries into the future is rather telling. It is the President’s way of saying that perhaps some President in the future will do something substantive to reduce the distress suffered by a majority of the American population.