Obama’s Triumph
January 20, 2009
Love him or hate him, today is the big day of transitition, and one which promises to be a big spectacle. Obama will become the 44th President of the United States at noon, EST.
With the crowds and celebrations all around me, this is the closest thing I’ve experienced to a Roman styled triumph. With all the pomp, with all the celebration, the Romans made sure of one thing: the one who is being led along the capitol in his triumph knew he was still a man. There would be someone next to him reminding him of this: “Respica te, hominem te memento.”
Today, I would like to remind Barack Obama: You are just a man.
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it’s amazing that a CATHOLIC blog could, with a straight face, begin a post with “Love him or hate him.” From the vitriol frequently spewed here it is not merely implicit but explicit that the latter response is approved. As though Catholics are ever permitted to hate (as least the Head of the Church wouldn’t have it that way).
btw, i would hope he remembers the same
Darren
Where is hate for Obama being approved? The comment begins with the kinds of reaction I have seen people have for him. I’ve seen quite a bit of hate. I am not accusing anyone, nor am I suggesting such hate is good. If anyone has read my posts on Obama, they would know I’ve been fighting against it. But I can recognize the reactions people have, and describe it as a phenomenom.
Nonetheless, living in the metro DC area, I feel this is quite the “triumph” in the Roman sense. I’m not opposed to them (if anyone knows me, I think such things are important, as well). But I do think, whatever the triumph, humility remains central. And that’s the point. Which I am glad you agree with.
Of course they could hire the guy from the Vatican who points out, “Sic transit gloria mundi” :-P
This pomp and circumstance of American culture is rather worrisome when it’s serious (unlike, say, July 4th BBQ). Leni Riefenstahl would have been proud. Can you bear another American flag ? It’s like fearing you’ll get Type II diabetes from the umpteenth donut you’ve had shoved down your throat.
The cult of Obama, before having done anything, is rather disturbing in particular, given the plebs’ perennial urge for the “strong man.” Go to iTunes and download the 48-songs-for-Obama pack. Heh. Of course, all this worldwide cult would not have been possible without the terrible Texan who should be moved to The Hague.
Here’s hoping that Obama, unlike Bush, is a pragmatical opportunist. I think his picking of gay bishop Gene Robinson and the boorish, ultimate American megachurchian Rich Warren is a pretty good sign of that, and it’s a relief. People with visions belong in mental asylums, not the White House.
More troops will be sent to Afghanistan, American employees’ rights and benefits will still be the laughingstock of the Western world and business/finance will continue to laugh all the way to the bank, unless, in an outburst of manic greed, they ruin the very bank they were laughing all the way to. But, he can’t be as bad as his despicable predecessor. That kind of scourge is rare and requires dedication beyond ordinary humans’ talents.
Henry, I can picture you running after the motorcade with laurels, a scepter and a crown :-) The plebs does want its panem et circenses, yes. But, it’s always rather dangerous. I prefer peoples with a relaxed view of their country, who don’t remember the lyrics of the anthem (I can’t remember the Austrian) and have less of a propensity to put a flag on even the last outhouse, and wage war under said banner. But hey, everyone loves “one more parade.”
Gerald I think the Pomp is important.
The view I have of these events is that it shows the the wonderful peaceful transfer fo power. It is encouraging in a way. That depsite what the moonbats say and their conspiracy theories it still happens. It is of course more jarring when the transfer is between tow parties.
It should be noted that the only time this did not go well at all was in 1861 (Lincoln had to sneak into D.C) that it was sign of the worst carnage this nation has ever seen.
Good speech.
I think the pomp, jingoism, pledges of allegiance and so forth is what makes this country so bellicose and for a war-like people. Transfer of power should go without saying. It’s exactly these triumphalist spectacles with the perennial self-congratulation for being American (an achievement how ?), the duty, honor, country BS that makes this country the most dangerous (heck, the only dangerous one) in the Western world. Spending 47% of the world’s military budget – with military around the globe – has a tendency to do that. Soldiers have been and are still being sent to murder hundreds of thousands of people (aka collateral damage). Obama won’t make any fundamental changes, he couldn’t if he wanted to. It’s the American Way (TM). Granted, I do think he’ll be much better than Bush, of course that’s not a high bar to pass. Still, I wouldn’t be surprised if his presidency will be better than average.
Sure, it’s great that a (by American standards) black man has been elected. The pomp and circumstance is still troubling but befits a nation based on and steeped in hysterics.I tried to buy into the whole American Dream (TM) stuff, only to return to my European senses. This “dream” is a nightmare for countless people, “foreign and domestic”.
If anything, flags should be flown half-mast and upside down.
I’m kind of surprised at the degree people think they should have an opinion about it. When I’ve watched them, I’ve enjoyed innaugarations. I might see some video tonight of today’s events, but not watching it live isn’t a political statement from me. And to be clear, I have no issue with what Henry wrote.
Dr. Joseph Lowery’s Benediction (from today’s Inaugaration):
God of our weary years, God of our silent tears, thou who has brought us thus far along the way, thou who has by thy might led us into the light, keep us forever in the path, we pray, lest our feet stray from the places, our God, where we met thee, lest our hearts, drunk with the wine of the world, we forget thee. Shadowed beneath thy hand may we forever stand — true to thee, O God, and true to our native land.
We truly give thanks for the glorious experience we’ve shared this day. We pray now, O Lord, for your blessing upon thy servant, Barack Obama, the 44th president of these United States, his family and his administration. He has come to this high office at a low moment in the national and, indeed, the global fiscal climate. But because we know you got the whole world in your hand, we pray for not only our nation, but for the community of nations. Our faith does not shrink, though pressed by the flood of mortal ills.
For we know that, Lord, you’re able and you’re willing to work through faithful leadership to restore stability, mend our brokenness, heal our wounds and deliver us from the exploitation of the poor or the least of these and from favoritism toward the rich, the elite of these.
We thank you for the empowering of thy servant, our 44th president, to inspire our nation to believe that, yes, we can work together to achieve a more perfect union. And while we have sown the seeds of greed — the wind of greed and corruption, and even as we reap the whirlwind of social and economic disruption, we seek forgiveness and we come in a spirit of unity and solidarity to commit our support to our president by our willingness to make sacrifices, to respect your creation, to turn to each other and not on each other.
And now, Lord, in the complex arena of human relations, help us to make choices on the side of love, not hate; on the side of inclusion, not exclusion; tolerance, not intolerance.
And as we leave this mountaintop, help us to hold on to the spirit of fellowship and the oneness of our family. Let us take that power back to our homes, our workplaces, our churches, our temples, our mosques, or wherever we seek your will.
Bless President Barack, First Lady Michelle. Look over our little, angelic Sasha and Malia.
We go now to walk together, children, pledging that we won’t get weary in the difficult days ahead. We know you will not leave us alone, with your hands of power and your heart of love.
Help us then, now, Lord, to work for that day when nation shall not lift up sword against nation, when tanks will be beaten into tractors, when every man and every woman shall sit under his or her own vine and fig tree, and none shall be afraid; when justice will roll down like waters and righteousness as a mighty stream.
Lord, in the memory of all the saints who from their labors rest, and in the joy of a new beginning, we ask you to help us work for that day when black will not be asked to get back, when brown can stick around — (laughter) — when yellow will be mellow — (laughter) — when the red man can get ahead, man — (laughter) — and when white will embrace what is right.
Let all those who do justice and love mercy say amen.
AUDIENCE: Amen!
REV. LOWERY: Say amen –
AUDIENCE: Amen!
REV. LOWERY: — and amen.
AUDIENCE: Amen! (Cheers, applause.)
Mr. Naus,
Some moderation and humility seems to be in order.
The Austria and Europe that you love will be dead in 50 years.
You have aborted, contracepted and consumed yourselves out of existence.
Muslims and Russians will take your place (not meant as anti-Islam/Communism boogeymen, just demographic reality)
I love America because she still wants to stand and fight. She might be accidentally disarming herself with this new administration. But the will is still there. I cannot say the same for Europe, which has embraced the fetal position.
I was disgusted by the displays of staged political theater today. But life marches on, Bush begat Clinton begat Bush begat Obama begat the next pragmatic member of the political class to wield control over $2 trillion.
But the fact remains that Americans are willing to stand and fight.
You seem to only want to stand and whine.
Speak to me in 50 years and see the fruits
“Elihu Yale,” you are off your rocker: I live in modern, vibrant, culturally rich Europe right now. Her schools are better than yours in America. Her public transportation and health systems work for EVERYBODY. Her government-regulated banks are, except for the British ones, more reliable and solvent than America’s.
The prescription for America to get better is to become less belligerent, more invested in education and research, etc. The only thing I’ve recently noticed America doing better is assimilating Muslims, as opposed to Hispanics.
What you don’t realise is that the European countries–led, in particular, by France–don’t consider membership in their national communities to be a matter of race, ethnicity or religion; instead, it’s a matter of speaking the language(s) and swearing allegiance to a political culture which is entirely secular. Once you do that, you’re French or German or Italian, etc., no matter what your country of origin was. Or, at least, that’s what’s enshrined in the laws of these countries, even if they do have occasional difficulty in putting it into practice.
I’m actually glad people are publicizing Lowery’s “benediction”. I heard it live over the air. Later on the same radio station on the news. On NBC Nightly News tonight and read it here. I was actually drawn into it and was surprised until then totally shocked at the end. You see I have lived in metro Atlanta for 21 years and am very familiar with Lowery. I have always taken him to be a racial huckster like Jessie Jackson. I was surpised by 99% of the benediction because I was moved by it. But then the old race baiting Lowery had to slander an entire race at the end. When I first heard it live, I immediately said f___ you Joseph Lowery and turned off the radio and came back to my senses. I was talking it over with my wife at home tonight and my teenage daughter overheard us and said she noticed that he said nice things about all other races except whites. I told her he’s been doing that for decades and will continue to do so for the rest of the few years he has left. And since when is a benediction a time to yuck it up for laughs, let alone stoke racial divisions?
“Mr. Naus,
Some moderation and humility seems to be in order.
The Austria and Europe that you love will be dead in 50 years”
Don’t talk about the Elephant that is the room lol
Tim F.,
I am white and not the slightest bit offended by Lowery’s words.
Your response is puzzling,
“What you don’t realise is that the European countries–led, in particular, by France–don’t consider membership in their national communities to be a matter of race, ethnicity or religion; instead, it’s a matter of speaking the language(s) and swearing allegiance to a political culture which is entirely secular. Once you do that, you’re French or German or Italian, etc., no matter what your country of origin was. Or, at least, that’s what’s enshrined in the laws of these countries, even if they do have occasional difficulty in putting it into practice.”
I guess I shall be tuning in when France puts a black in Office. Needless to say the European powers have had ton of opportunities since a good deal of their immigrants come from Africa
“it’s a matter of speaking the language(s) and swearing allegiance to a political culture which is entirely secular.”
Your banking system is a house of cards. Your benefits and public services are a Ponzi scheme. Your diversity masks a cultural confusion.
And yet, Europe is not wholly secular. Her brain might be compromising and capitulating. Her heart might be feeble . But her soul, no, no, her soul is Christian.
You cannot transplant a soul.
Islam, Secularism, Relativism. They will be rejected by the body of Europe, or consumed like a drug until the moment of rehab comes. The withdrawal pains will be quite severe.
And I don’t know if she has the will to survive it.
You can mock American exceptionalism, but it is the air in our lungs. It keeps us fighting.
Lowery was brilliant. Tim, why can’t you just hear what he said, say “fair enough” and move on? For those that do justice and love mercy say amen! If you can agree with him there, than that is what matters most.
Lowery is the old order civil rights movement. He was hosed and bitten and publicly shamed. It is hard to let that rest, I imagine. Show him some grace. Know his heart is in doing justice and loving mercy. Say amen.
Is the worry that the author and some of those leaving comments have toward the Inauguration also experienced when a new pope is coronated? It seems that the Obama inauguration is much less worrisome; at least he doesn’t claim to speak for God.
Yeah, but Pope’s don’t run on ‘change,’and the Church is far less fragile than a country.
You might want to take a look at teen pregnancy and abortion rates in this country, several times higher than most European countries. This country would have comparable birth rates if it weren’t for immigrants from less developed countries. Not to mention that Europe won’t be “dead” in 50 years. It is a pretty safe bet though that a lot of people will be dead within the next 50 years at the hands, bombs and guns of American soldiers.
Not to mention that whatever fate may befall Europe has nothing to do with what a dangerous and insane country this is. And for some reason those birth rates are viewed as some odd defense of the American status quo, as one genius stated here once – well, look at the precious rights that European mothers have and they still don’t have many children. And this would make those rights and benefits bad how ? Certainly, the most horrid places on earth have high birth rates. If only we could treat women that way, we’d have women poppin’ ‘em out left and right.
“look at your birth rates, we don’t want that, so we’ll continue to screw working people and bomb other countries ! After all, we’re not Socialists!” This may actually not be satirical.
Whatever’s your hobby horse, its presence in America means that everything about the American system (minus abortion, of course) has to be bought as well. The kind of arguments one hears in this country might strike one as jokes.
MJO
Did you read my reply here? I am not against pomp. I’ve already said that. I just think in the middle of all pomp, an aspect of humility is also good.