In his inaugural speech, President Obama addressed the world for the first time as president of the United States, but unlike his former speeches, Obama was noted for his sober mood and message of humility as opposed to his usual rhetorical flourish. Heading the challenge of an ailing economy, an unpopular war, and following in the footsteps of an inept administration, Obama made clear that the challenge before the nation required all Americans to unite in order to persevere.
In his article, “The Age of Responsibility,” Roger Cohen, the foreign editor for the New York Times since March 2002, praises Obama for his willingness to differ from former presidents, juxtaposing him with former president Bush. Cohen notes that Obama’s subtle, yet powerful words are centered on moral issues, and that “Responsibility, restraint, humility, peace: [these are] not the habitual vocabulary of America’s heroic narrative.” From areas ranging from Gitmo to god and foreign relations, Cohen portrays Obama as calling for responsibility and humility—learning from our mistakes to become accepted—once again—in our global community.
Are Obama’s radical changes in policy from the former administration essential to the prosperity of our nation? Given the fact that it may take many years for issues such as the economy and many months for a removal in Iraq to materialize, we may as well start with the one thing that is most important and the one factor we, as Americans, believe to act by—a moral code. The humility to learn from our mistakes I believe is as critical to our nation’s prosperity in a global society as a growing economy. We cannot continue to belittle and manipulate other nations for our own personal benefit. With such a change in ideology from the Bush administration, Cohen puts it best in asking “Are Americans ready to die for responsibility?
Cohen’s main concern is the “change” in Obama’s plans for our nation. In class we read With God on Our Side, which focuses on the change of American society through time. Although it may seem Obama’s proposals may seem extreme, it is important to note the constant change that American society has endured and benefited from. In this respect, Cohen has little to worry about. I guess Obama won’t be the only one looking at our nation with a “watchful eye.”
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1 comment:
Rahul makes a great point in saying that, "we cannot continue to belittle and manipulate other nations for our own personal benefit." I think this was one of the most important messages from Obama's speech; the fact that we must look at the world in a new way. Although this seems like a broad, sweeping change from the ideas of American exceptionalism and manifest destiny, perhaps, in the modern world, an attitude of humility is the best way to gain the respect and support of other nations. In a sense, there is no true change because we are still seeking to attain our nation's goals, but we will do so in a way that is more reflective of the founding fathers' ideas, rather than the imperialist attitudes that followed. I feel that this change is not something we have to "endure," but is instead a change we should look forward too, and have respect for. In a world of increasing violence, peace and humility are signs that a nation truly has its sights focused on bettering humanity rather than destroying it.
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