Inauguration AD 2009
23 January AD 2009
Wspousal of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Barack Obama's inaugural speech was well written and, though I was unable to listen, I know that it was well delivered—Mr. Obama is nothing if not an engaging speaker. In the manner of a good general-manager, he mentioned the major problems facing Americans. But, not surprisingly, he left out the most important civil problem of all—the lack of legal protection of human beings from their conception until their natural death—the protection granted to them under the fifth and fourteenth amendments to our Constitution, to be safe from deprivation of life, liberty, or property without the due process of law determined by the jury trial guaranteed by amendment seven. Unless, unlikely as it seems, Mr. Obama meant to include the very young and the disabled in his reaffirmation of “that noble idea, passed on from generation to generation: the God-given promise that all are equal, all are free, and all deserve a chance to pursue their full measure of happiness” [emphasis supplied]. Likewise there was no mention of restoring the first, second, and fourth amendment rights which have become so worn down in recent years; the free exercise of religion, the freedom of speech and assembly, the freedom to protect one's self from harm, the right of .people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects. May Mr. Obama's own words be prophetic:
And for those who seek to advance their aims by inducing terror and slaughtering innocents, we say to you now that our spirit is stronger and cannot be broken -- you cannot outlast us, and we will defeat you.
Yet, Mr. Obama did say some good things. George Washington, Thomas Jefferson and I would question Obama's ideas about what Jefferson called “entangling alliances”—I would like to believe that Obama is referring to ad hoc alliances in the paragraph below, which says a lot that is good [emphasis mine]:
As for our common defense, we reject as false the choice between our safety and our ideals. Our Founding Fathers -- our Founding Fathers, faced with perils that we can scarcely imagine, drafted a charter to assure the rule of law and the rights of man -- a charter expanded by the blood of generations. Those ideals still light the world, and we will not give them up for expedience sake.
And so, to all the other peoples and governments who are watching today, from the grandest capitals to the small village where my father was born, know that America is a friend of each nation, and every man, woman and child who seeks a future of peace and dignity. And we are ready to lead once more.
Recall that earlier generations faced down fascism and communism not just with missiles and tanks, but with the sturdy alliances and enduring convictions. They understood that our power alone cannot protect us, nor does it entitle us to do as we please. Instead they knew that our power grows through its prudent use; our security emanates from the justness of our cause, the force of our example, the tempering qualities of humility and restraint.
While Islam is an historic enemy of Christianity, no honest man can say that in recent years Muslims have sinned against their neighbors more than they have been sinned against by their neighbors: Mr. Obama's words to the Muslim world should have been directed to the entire world:
To the Muslim world, we seek a new way forward, based on mutual interest and mutual respect. To those leaders around the globe who seek to sow conflict, or blame their society's ills on the West, know that your people will judge you on what you can build, not what you destroy. To those who cling to power through corruption and deceit and the silencing of dissent, know that you are on the wrong side of history, but that we will extend a hand if you are willing to unclench your fist.
Since most of the address is directed toward an undoubted increase in the size of government, Obama at least gives lip service to the reality that material prosperity and freedom is achieved only through work and productivity, often at personal risk and instead of more pleasant alternatives:
In reaffirming the greatness of our nation we understand that greatness is never a given. It must be earned. Our journey has never been one of short-cuts or settling for less. It has not been the path for the faint-hearted, for those that prefer leisure over work, or seek only the pleasures of riches and fame. Rather, it has been the risk-takers, the doers, the makers of things -- some celebrated, but more often men and women obscure in their labor -- who have carried us up the long rugged path towards prosperity and freedom.
Nonetheless, in spite of the good things, there is a distinct aroma of socialism permeating the inaugural address. Obama assumes, like many of his predecessors, that the role of the federal government is all encompassing. Quite incorrectly he states that “we, the people, have remained faithful to the ideals of our forebears and true to our founding documents”—the signers of the Declaration of Independence and the framers of our Constitution would not recognize these United States if they were to return. What Obama describes as “a most sacred oath” has become the act of perjury by which modern Presidents take office—moments before they give an address explaining how they propose to violate that “most sacred oath” to “preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.”
In his address, Mr. Obama used the word “we” some sixty times. “What do you mean 'we' Kimosabe?” Do you mean the American people, or do you mean the government? God forbid anyone begins to think that the two are one in the same thing! Inheriting a Bush-Clinton-Bush mess—really, one that goes back at least to Wilson—Mr. Obama proposes to emulate Franklin Roosevelt who inherited the Wilson-Harding-Coolidge-Hoover mess. An economic disaster caused by debased money, war, and government interference is to be resolved Roosevelt style, with more of the same. One and all should remember that the Great Depression was prolonged for ten years, and ended only in a disastrous war—ended only after men who had gotten used to shooting at socialists returned home in large numbers:
The state of our economy calls for action, bold and swift. And we will act, not only to create new jobs, but to lay a new foundation for growth. We will build the roads and bridges, the electric grids and digital lines that feed our commerce and bind us together. We'll restore science to its rightful place, and wield technology's wonders to raise health care's quality and lower its cost. We will harness the sun and the winds and the soil to fuel our cars and run our factories. And we will transform our schools and colleges and universities to meet the demands of a new age. All this we can do. All this we will do.
With the war against Iraq now seeming to wind down, we must move it to Afghanistan! The British fought three wars there, ranging from disastrous to questionably profitable. The mighty Soviet Union eventually tired of having the Mujahideen ship its soldiers home in body bags. Although largely distracted by activities in Iraq, according to CNN, in Afghanistan, "There have been 1,052 coalition deaths -- 636 Americans... of January 23, 2009, according to a CNN count.... At least 2,664 U.S. personnel have been wounded in action, according to the Pentagon."
We will begin to responsibly leave Iraq to its people and forge a hard-earned peace in Afghanistan. With old friends and former foes, we'll work tirelessly to lessen the nuclear threat, and roll back the specter of a warming planet.
The “specter of a warming planet”! — “We'll restore science to its rightful place” It is difficult to think of any area in which socialism has debased science more than in the area of “global warming.” Unless, perhaps, in the area of “evolution.” The earth has experienced fluctuations in climate throughout human memory; the periods have been short and long, warm and cool. Modern science has been able to detect global warming on Mars, which is devoid of SUVs and power plants, if not of life itself. It is the height of hubris to think that man contribute much of anything to cool or warm the planet—but a governmental hubris that could certainly destroy man and his society if allowed to control the processes which make civilization possible.
The “global warming” was very much in evidence at the Obama inauguration as temperatures rose from the teens to the high twenties. “NPR's Laura Sullivan [said] the first aid tent in the middle of the Mall is filled with people suffering from the effects of the cold. A few people came to the tent unconscious.” According to the National Weather Service, the normal January 20 low and high temperatures in Washington are 26° and 42° Farenheit. To be fair, though, Ronald Reagan's second inauguration day in 1985 was so cold—4° below zero and 7° above at noon—that it had to be held indoors. Reagan also holds claim to the hottest January 20th inauguration, his first, in 1981, with temperatures at a balmy 55°—which goes to show that climate is simply changeable. Apparently Washington cooled 48° in just four years! (Just joking.)
The questions I proposed for the Presidential Debates are still pretty much in order for the incoming administration:
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Do you believe that human beings have the right to life from the moment of conception until natural death?
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How do you reconcile taking the Presidential oath of office with your campaign promises to implement programs in violation of the Constitution?
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Do you intend to pardon George W. Bush ?
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Do you understand the damage that the Federal Reserve System and its fiat money have done to our economy; and what do you you propose to do about it?
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Will you keep honest books, reflecting all liabilities of the government, including but not limited to Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, and military retirement and medical care?
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How do you propose to pay down the $100+ Trillion actual national debt?
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Will you prosecute persons and federal, state, and local entities that violate the Constitution?
in XTO,
Fr. Brusca
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