Great inauguration speech from new President Obama, full of great imagery, great phrases and (obviously) fantastically well narrated. It is genuinely exciting time even as a non-American, as lets face it, the choice of US president affects the world...
I liked the way he described the days we live in:
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. Our economy is badly weakened, a consequence 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.
It just underlines the difficult times we live in, and whilst I think he will be very much more than capable in his new job, I don't envy his position. All new jobs start with a bit of nervous anticipation, but becoming US President at this point in time, well I think he'd be right to be just a little nervous...
And I liked the imagery he deployed when talking about normal people:
For as much as government can do and must do, it is ultimately the faith and determination of the American people upon which this nation relies. It is the kindness to take in a stranger 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 fire-fighter’s courage to storm a stairway filled with smoke, but also a parent’s willingness to nurture a child, that finally decides our fate.
I'm not generally a fan of public speeches and the like, but I have to say, I liked this one...
