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GLOBAL pe rspec t ive s | PRESIDENTIAL INAUGURATION
Large television screens and speakers en-
H ope an d U nit y: abled the largely good-natured crowds to lis-
ten out for the introductions and the swear-
ing-in ceremonies for the Vice-President, Joe
Biden and for barrack Obama. The weather
was mercifully kind and despite forecasts of
The Inauguration of President snow, none emerged on the day.
The morning started with President Elect
Barack H. Obama
Obama having a final meeting with President
Bush at the White House before the two of
them departed for the Capitol building.
Vice-President Cheney was present, though
wheelchair bound due to an injury sustained
while preparing to move out of his offices.
At the Capitol building itself, the swearing in
ceremony was performed by the Chief Jus-
By J e f f rey Brad ford Ph D
tice and used, at Obama’s request, the bible
belonging to former President Lincoln.
For a few rare moments on January 20, 2009 in Washington DC it was At the end of the oath, the crowds jubilant
possible to feel a change in time as if the Earth paused on its axis. cries could be hear ringing all around central
Washington DC. The new President then
Following nearly two years of campaigning the former Democrat
made a brief 18 minute address seeking to
Senator for Illinois was anointed President of the United States.
Near the front of the some 1.5 – 2 million people crowding the long
‡ ‡ ‡ ‡ ‡ ‡ ‡ ‡ ‡ ‡ ‡ ‡ ‡ ‡‡
fields known as the “Mall” extending from the front of the US Capitol
Building to the Washington Monument you could feel the palpable
sense of anticipation for change.
Inaugural Address:
(Photo: Getty images)
By President Barack Hussein Obama
My fellow citizens:  I stand here today hum-
bled by the task before us, grateful for the
trust you’ve bestowed, mindful of the sacri-
fices borne by our ancestors.       So it has been; so it must be with this gen-
     I thank President Bush for his service to our
nation -- (applause) -- as well as the generos-
ity and cooperation he has shown throughout
this transition.
     Forty-four Americans have now taken the
presidential oath.  The words have been spo-
ken during rising tides of prosperity and the
still waters of peace.  Yet, every so often, the
oath is taken amidst gathering clouds and
raging storms.  At these moments, America
has carried on not simply because of the skill
or vision of those in high office, but because
Crowds in front of the US Capitol building
32 | G LO BAL V ISION MAGA Z I NE
GLOBAL perspec t i v e s | PRESIDENTIAL INAUGURATION
rally people to the challenges ahead in terms
of both the economy and the international
security situation.
After a lunch with political leaders, the new
President led the ritual parade from the Capi-
tol building to the White House by Presiden-
tial limousine flanked by police, military and
Secret Service guards, responsible for person-
al protection of the President and his family.
The event itself, whilst simple, required a
huge security operation led by Secret Ser-
vice. Large areas of Washington were closed
for the days immediately preceding the inau-
guration. Car parks were closed on the day
and some 75 miles of buses and coaches were
needed to be accommodated bringing peo-
ple into Washington from all over to watch
the event.
In the night before a series of star-studded
celebrity and society players held parties
across the City. One of the most exclusive
events was thrown by the influential political
we, the people, have remained faithful to the
ideals of our forebears and true to our found-
ing documents.       These are the indicators of crisis, subject to
eration of Americans.
    
That we are in the midst of crisis is now well
understood.  Our nation is at war against a
far-reaching network of violence and hatred.       Today I say to you that the challenges we
Our economy is badly weakened, a conse-
quence of greed and irresponsibility on the
part of some, but also our collective failure to
make hard choices and prepare the nation for
a new age.  Homes have been lost, jobs shed,
businesses shuttered.  Our health care is too
costly, our schools fail too many -- and each
day brings further evidence that the ways we
paper, The Huffington Post. Attendees in-
cluded actress Demi Moore, Actors Dustin
Hoffman, Ashton Kucher, Gerald Butler and
Robert DeNiro.
On inauguration night itself a mass of balls
and parties were thrown. The new First Cou-
ple attended no less than ten, ranging from
the Commander-in-Chief Ball (armed forces
only) through to the neighbourhood ball ex-
clusively held for locals in Washington DC.
The Creative Coalition event for example,
held an intimate concert with Soul legend
Sam Moore, Police front man Sting and Elvis
Costello rocking the night away.
The following morning the concrete barri-
cades and additional security were gone, a
small army of cleaners were picking up rub-
bish and putting Washington DC back to-
gether. Once the hotels departures had been
conducted en masse all was still for another
four years, and the first day of the new ad-
ministration.
(Photo: Getty images)
use energy strengthen our adversaries and
threaten our planet.
data and statistics.  Less measurable, but no
less profound, is a sapping of confidence
across our land; a nagging fear that America’s
decline is inevitable, that the next generation
must lower its sights.
face are real.  They are serious and they are
many.  They will not be met easily or in a
short span of time.  But know this America: 
They will be met.  (Applause.)
     On this day, we gather because we have
chosen hope over fear, unity of purpose over
conflict and discord.  On this day, we come to
proclaim an end to the petty grievances and
GLO BAL V I SI O N MAGA ZI N E | 33
GLOBAL pe rspec t ive s | PRESIDENTIAL INAUGURATION
false promises, the recriminations and worn-
out dogmas that for far too long have stran-
gled our politics.  We remain a young nation.  tion, bold and swift.  And we will act, not only
But in the words of Scripture, the time has
come to set aside childish things.  The time
has come to reaffirm our enduring spirit; to
choose our better history; to carry forward
that precious gift, that noble idea passed on
from generation to generation:  the God-giv-
en promise that all are equal, all are free, and
all deserve a chance to pursue their full mea-
sure of happiness.  (Applause.)
     In reaffirming the greatness of our nation
we understand that greatness is never a giv-
en.  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 mak-
ers of things -- some celebrated, but more of-
ten men and women obscure in their labor
-- who have carried us up the long rugged
path towards prosperity and freedom.  assure the rule of law and the rights of man
     For us, they packed up their few worldly
possessions and traveled across oceans in
search of a new life.  For us, they toiled in
sweatshops, and settled the West, endured
the lash of the whip, and plowed the hard
earth.  For us, they fought and died in places
like Concord and Gettysburg, Normandy and
Khe Sahn.  grandest capitals to the small village where
     Time and again these men and women
struggled and sacrificed and worked till their
hands were raw so that we might live a better
life.  They saw America as bigger than the
sum of our individual ambitions, greater than
all the differences of birth or wealth or fac-
tion.
     This is the journey we continue today.  We
remain the most prosperous, powerful nation
on Earth.  Our workers are no less productive
than when this crisis began.  Our minds are
no less inventive, our goods and services no
less needed than they were last week, or last
month, or last year.  Our capacity remains
undiminished.  But our time of standing pat,
of protecting narrow interests and putting off
unpleasant decisions -- that time has surely
passed.  Starting today, we must pick our-
selves up, dust ourselves off, and begin again
the work of remaking America.  (Applause.)
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     For everywhere we look, there is work to be
done.  The state of our economy calls for ac-
to create new jobs, but to lay a new founda-
tion for growth.  We will build the roads and
bridges, the electric grids and digital lines
that feed our commerce and bind us together.  generate wealth and expand freedom is un-
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 har-
ness 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 uni-
versities to meet the demands of a new age.  product, but on the reach of our prosperity,
All this we can do.  All this we will do.
     Now, there are some who question the
scale of our ambitions, who suggest that our
system cannot tolerate too many big plans.  (Applause.)
President barack Obama
Their memories are short, for they have for-
gotten what this country has already done,
what free men and women can achieve when
imagination is joined to common purpose,
and necessity to courage.  What the cynics fail
to understand is that the ground has shifted
beneath them, that the stale political argu-
ments that have consumed us for so long no
longer apply.  does it entitle us to do as we please.  Instead
     The question we ask today is not whether
our government is too big or too small, but
whether it works -- whether it helps families
find jobs at a decent wage, care they can af-
ford, a retirement that is dignified.  Where the
answer is yes, we intend to move forward. 
Where the answer is no, programs will end.  We are the keepers of this legacy.  Guided by
And those of us who manage the public’s dol-
lars will be held to account, to spend wisely,
GLOBAL perspec t i v e s | PRESIDENTIAL INAUGURATION
reform bad habits, and do our business in the
light of day, because only then can we restore
the vital trust between a people and their gov-
ernment.
     Nor is the question before us whether the
market is a force for good or ill.  Its power to
matched.  But this crisis has reminded us that
without a watchful eye, the market can spin
out of control.  The nation cannot prosper
long when it favors only the prosperous.  The
success of our economy has always depended
not just on the size of our gross domestic
on the ability to extend opportunity to every
willing heart -- not out of charity, but because
it is the surest route to our common good. 
     As for our common defense, we reject as
false the choice between our safety and our
ideals.  Our Founding Fathers -- (applause)
-- our Founding Fathers, faced with perils that
we can scarcely imagine, drafted a charter to
-- a charter expanded by the blood of genera-
tions.  Those ideals still light the world, and
we will not give them up for expedience sake. 
(Applause.)
     And so, to all the other peoples and gov-
ernments who are watching today, from the
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 dig-
nity.  And we are ready to lead once more. 
(Applause.)
     Recall that earlier generations faced down
fascism and communism not just with mis-
siles and tanks, but with the sturdy alliances
and enduring convictions.  They understood
that our power alone cannot protect us, nor
they knew that our power grows through its
prudent use; our security emanates from the
justness of our cause, the force of our exam-
ple, the tempering qualities of humility and
restraint.
    
these principles once more we can meet those
new threats that demand even greater effort,
‘Soul-man’ Sam Moore and Elvis Costello duet at the Creative Coalition Ball
GLO BAL V I SI O N MAGA ZI N E | 35
GLOBAL pe rspec t ive s | PRESIDENTIAL INAUGURATION
even greater cooperation and understanding
between nations.  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.
    
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 say to
you now that our spirit is stronger and cannot
be broken -- you cannot outlast us, and we
will defeat you.  (Applause.)
     For we know that our patchwork heritage
is a strength, not a weakness.  We are a na-
tion of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hin-
dus, and non-believers.  We are shaped by ev-
ery language and culture, drawn from every
end of this Earth; and because we have tasted
the bitter swill of civil war and segregation,
and emerged from that dark chapter stronger
and more united, we cannot help but believe
that the old hatreds shall someday pass; that
the lines of tribe shall soon dissolve; that as
the world grows smaller, our common hu-
manity shall reveal itself; and that America
must play its role in ushering in a new era of
peace.
     To the Muslim world, we seek a new way
forward, based on mutual interest and mu-
tual respect.  To those leaders around the
globe who seek to sow conflict, or blame their
society’s ills on the West, know that your peo-
ple will judge you on what you can build, not
what you destroy.  (Applause.)   lies.  It is the kindness to take in a stranger
     To those who cling to power through cor-
ruption and deceit and the silencing of dis-
sent, 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.  (Applause.)
     To the people of poor nations, we pledge to
work alongside you to make your farms flour-
ish and let clean waters flow; to nourish
starved bodies and feed hungry minds.  And
to those nations like ours that enjoy relative
plenty, we say we can no longer afford indif-
ference to the suffering outside our borders,
nor can we consume the world’s resources
without regard to effect.  For the world has
Celebrating in style: Police front man, Sting at The Creative Coalition Ball
3 6 | G LO BAL V ISION MAGA Z I NE
GLOBAL perspec t i v e s | PRESIDENTIAL INAUGURATION
changed, and we must change with it.
     As we consider the role that unfolds before
us, we remember with humble gratitude those
brave Americans who at this very hour patrol
far-off deserts and distant mountains.  They
have something to tell us, just as the fallen
heroes who lie in Arlington whisper through
the ages.  is nothing so satisfying to the spirit, so defin-
We honor them not only because they are the
guardians of our liberty, but because they em-
body the spirit of service -- a willingness to
find meaning in something greater than
themselves.  the knowledge that God calls on us to shape
     And yet at this moment, a moment that
will define a generation, it is precisely this
spirit that must inhabit us all.  For as much as
government can do, and must do, it is ulti-
mately the faith and determination of the
Newly elected President Obama and his wife michelle
American people upon which this nation re-
when the levees break, the selflessness of
workers who would rather cut their hours
than see a friend lose their job which sees us
through our darkest hours.  It is the firefight-
er’s courage to storm a stairway filled with
smoke, but also a parent’s willingness to nur-
ture a child that finally decides our fate.
     Our challenges may be new.  The instru-
ments with which we meet them may be new.  and with eyes fixed on the horizon and God’s
But those values upon which our success de-
pends -- honesty and hard work, courage and
fair play, tolerance and curiosity, loyalty and pa-
triotism -- these things are old.  These things are
true.  They have been the quiet force of progress
throughout our history.  the United States of America.
What is demanded, then, is a return to these
truths.  What is required of us now is a new
era of responsibility -- a recognition on the
part of every American that we have duties to
ourselves, our nation and the world; duties
that we do not grudgingly accept, but rather
seize gladly, firm in the knowledge that there
ing of our character than giving our all to a
difficult task.
     This is the price and the promise of citizen-
ship.  This is the source of our confidence --
an uncertain destiny.  This is the meaning of
our liberty and our creed, why men and wom-
en and children of every race and every faith
can join in celebration across this magnificent
mall; and why a man whose father less than
60 years ago might not have been served in a
local restaurant can now stand before you to
take a most sacred oath.  (Applause.)
     So let us mark this day with remembrance
of who we are and how far we have traveled. 
In the year of America’s birth, in the coldest
of months, a small band of patriots huddled
by dying campfires on the shores of an icy riv-
er.  The capital was abandoned.  The enemy
was advancing.  The snow was stained with
blood.  At the moment when the outcome of
our revolution was most in doubt, the father
of our nation ordered these words to be read
to the people: 
     “Let it be told to the future world...that in
the depth of winter, when nothing but hope
and virtue could survive... that the city and
the country, alarmed at one common danger,
came forth to meet [it].”
     America:  In the face of our common dan-
gers, in this winter of our hardship, let us re-
member these timeless words.  With hope and
virtue, let us brave once more the icy currents,
and endure what storms may come.  Let it be
said by our children’s children that when we
were tested we refused to let this journey end,
that we did not turn back nor did we falter;
grace upon us, we carried forth that great gift
of freedom and delivered it safely to future
generations.
     Thank you.  God bless you.  And God bless
GLO BAL V I SI O N MAGA ZI N E | 37