President Obama’s inaugural address emphasized, throughout the narrative, that the United States seeks to be a great power — but not a superpower. And greatness means when the people have equal opportunities, medical coverage, social security, investment in infrastructure, educational opportunities, openness to immigrants and an emphasis on empowerment of those who are vulnerable.
The speech was basically inward-looking, extricating the United States from the lingering results of the financial crisis of 2007-2008. This was emphasized by phrases such as, “We the people believe that enduring security and lasting peace do not require perpetual war.” In stating, “We cannot mistake absolutism for principle, or substitute spectacle for politics, or treat name-calling as reasoned debate,” he also signaled to his political opposition, in a subtle way, that his second mandate as president includes objectives that should be common, but are unnecessarily rendered controversial. There is no doubt that he is now emboldened.
