In this post I take a look at the Trump inauguration speech and make a few comments. Other popular pundits have already made a few rough comments and mine are not based on theirs in any way.
Trump: "in quotes"
My Response: without quotes
"Chief Justice Roberts, President Carter, President Clinton, President Bush, President Obama, fellow Americans and people of the world, thank you. We, the citizens of America, are now joined in a great national effort to rebuild our country and restore its promise for all of our people."
During his campaign he often spoke of "all our people" or something similar, but he also was very derogatory to many people and groups. Democrats do not trust him when he says "all our people". We interpret that to mean all the people who supported Trump, including members of the KKK, white supremacists, peope who hate Pres. Obama for his skin color, and many who simply hate Democrats for standing in their way.
"Together, we will determine the course of America and the world for many, many years to come. We will face challenges. We will confront hardships. But we will get the job done."
Republicans have made it clear and Trump seems to be of the same mind, that the word "together" applies only to them. They have no interest in hearing the complaints or objections of Democrats. That has already been made clear by the confirmation votes on some of Trump's cabinet-level nominees who have important problems (of various kinds). So, once again, we do not believe him when he says "together".
It is ludicrous to believe "we" will determine the course of"..."the world". We do not rule or control the entire world. Our role as Americans is also often a response to the rest of the world.
"Every four years we gather on these steps to carry out the orderly and peaceful transfer of power.
And we are grateful to President Obama and first lady Michelle Obama for their gracious aid throughout this transition.
They have been magnificent.
Thank you."
After the years of attack, it is amazing to hear this praise -- such hypocrisy.
"Today's ceremony, however, has a very special meaning because today we are not merely transferring power from one administration to another or from one party to another, but we are transferring power from Washington, D.C., and giving it back to you, the people."
The implication here is that when the Democrats had the presidency, the government was NOT in the hands of "the people". And, the way Trump savaged Pres. Obama over the last eight years indicates, he didn't believe his presidency was legitimate. With the cabinet appointments Trump has made it seems clear to Democrats today that it is Trump who has taken the presidency (and with his help the Senate) away from the majority of the voters who wanted Democrats to control the presidency and the Senate and handed it to elite rich people who in no way reflect the views of the typical American voters.
"For too long, a small group in our nation's capital has reaped the rewards of government while the people have bore the cost. Washington flourished, but the people did not share in its wealth. Politicians prospered but the jobs left and the factories closed."
To be correct English, shouldn't it say that the "people have borne the costs"?
I wouldn't say a "small group in our nation's capital has reaped the rewards of government" so much as a small elite of rich people around our nation has repeated the financial rewards of our nation. I wonder what he means by the "rewards of government". Does he believe that power in government entitles one to the "spoils of war"?
It would be nice if he actually cared that "politicians prospered, but the jobs left and the factories closed." Democrats have been making that point for years and the Republicans have heartlessly ignored it. During the campaign the Republicans pinned NAFTA on Hillary Clinton and simply tossed aside Republican involvement in changing laws which enabled companies to offshore jobs. It was conveniently ignored that during the Obama administration legislation was advanced to change that tax law, but Republicans blocked it from becoming law.
"The establishment protected itself, but not the citizens of our country. Their victories have not been your victories. Their triumphs have not been your triumphs. And while they celebrated in our nation's capital, there was little to celebrate for struggling families all across our land."
It is truly difficult to know who he thinks of when he says "establishment". I think of the rich and the Republicans who allowed the mortgage industry melt-down and said of the car companies, let them fail. On the other hand, I do think of many of Pres. Obama's victories as being the victories for all Americans: saving the economy, healthcare reform, a nuclear arms reduction treaty with Russia, ending the Al Qaeda threat to America, and many others.
"That all changes starting right here and right now, because this moment is your moment."
If those kinds of victories end now, then what will be the goals of the Trump administration. What kinds of things will he consider "victories for the citizens of our country".
"It belongs to you.
It belongs to everyone gathered here today and everyone watching all across America."
This is your day.
This is your celebration."
I didn't watch, so it clearly isn't for me.
"And this, the United States of America, is your country.
What truly matters is not which party controls our government, but whether our government is controlled by the people."
If he believed this notion of "majority rule" he would step aside and let Hillary Clinton be President. Clearly he has no idea what he is saying.
"January 20th, 2017, will be remembered as the day the people became the rulers of this nation again."
Again he is implying that when a Democrat is president that "the people" are not sovereign. Maybe he has forgotten that the Congress has been controlled by Republicans for a few years now. Is he saying they are not "the people"?
"The forgotten men and women of our country will be forgotten no longer. Everyone is listening to you now. You came by the tens of millions to become part of a historic movement, the likes of which the world has never seen before."
Here he seems to be referring to something akin to Richard Nixon's "silent majority", but in the election Clinton won about 3 million more votes than Trump.
"At the center of this movement is a crucial conviction that a nation exists to serve its citizens. Americans want great schools for their children, safe neighborhoods for their families and good jobs for themselves.
These are just and reasonable demands of righteous people and a righteous public."
These goals of good schools, safe neighborhoods and more jobs are goals of Democrats, so I have to wonder what he is suggesting. Does he believe Democrats have opposed efforts to achieve those goals? Remember that it has been Republicans who put forward zero jobs bills and opposed every attempt at jobs creation legislation Democrats proposed during the Obama administration. It is Republicans who oppose better background checks or gun safety to make neighborhoods safer. And, with their attempt to destroy teacher's unions and opposition to Common Core standards, it is Republicans who are trying to destroy the public schools.
"But for too many of our citizens, a different reality exists.
Mothers and children trapped in poverty in our inner cities, rusted out factories scattered like tombstones across the landscape of our nation.
An education system flush with cash but which leaves our young and beautiful students deprived of all knowledge."
Pure and utter drivel. What educational system is "flush with cash"? Is this the school system where teachers buy supplies out of their own pockets, where schools are rotting? The man is ill informed or delusional.
"And the crime and the gangs and the drugs that have stolen too many lives and robbed our country of so much unrealized potential. This American carnage stops right here and stops right now."
If police officers would cease shooting down unarmed people in the street the carnage would stop sooner, but Trump supports the police -- right or wrong. Democrats are going to aim for legalization of marijuana because it has been used as a political weapon by Republicans to prevent Blacks from voting and marijuana is not a major problem in people's lives except that it accounts for approximately one-third of all our prisoners in over-crowded prisons and (one would assume) a very large expense which might better be applied to helping addicts of opioids to kick their habits. I suspect Trump's "law and order" stance and his selection of Senator Sessions of Alabama to be Attorney General will not be friendly to the states which have legalized marijuana sale.
"We are one nation, and their pain is our pain."
Tell that to the Trump selection for Treasury Secretary, who gained tremendously while some people experienced great pain losing their homes during the mortgage collapse.
"Their dreams are our dreams, and their success will be our success. We share one heart, one home and one glorious destiny."
Trump's disgusting mocking of the disabled, women, non-white ethnic groups, and many others during the campaign do not feel Trump's dreams are their dreams.
"The oath of office I take today is an oath of allegiance to all Americans.
For many decades we've enriched foreign industry at the expense of American industry, subsidized the armies of other countries while allowing for the very sad depletion of our military."
Trump's own products are made in foreign countries. How can we trust him to change the laws? How can we trust the Republicans who created these laws to change them?
We have assisted other nations to have stronger armies. We do that in part, so that we don't have to send our own sons and daughters to fight. We do that to have a larger array of partner nations working with us to achieve important goals. We are stronger together and paying an economic price for that is small.
His claim that there has been a "very sad depletion of our military" is bizarre. Our military today is the strongest the world has ever known.
"We've defended other nations' borders while refusing to defend our own."
We have defended other nations' borders to maintain our commitments and alliances which benefit us. We do not do this just to waste treasure and lives. Our choice of how much to spend on 'defending' this or that border or for spending on this or that social program or the military is entirely the choice of the House of Representatives. No president has a big say in that.
"And we've spent trillions and trillions of dollars overseas while America's infrastructure has fallen into disrepair and decay."
We have spent a lot overseas, but where he gets the "trillions and trillions of dollars" idea is unknown. We have allowed our infrastructure to fall into disrepair and decay. The reason is that when Pres. Obama and Congressional Democrats put forward infrastructure bills, the Republicans blocked them.
"We've made other countries rich while the wealth, strength and confidence of our country has dissipated over the horizon."
Unless he is referring to the George W. Bush years, this is (again) a bizarre statement. Our nation's GDP is the highest it has ever been. Our stock market is the envy of the world. Our productivity, innovation, output, and influence in the world of trade, is unmatched and unrivaled. America has been "the indispensable nation".
"One by one, the factories shuttered and left our shores with not even a thought about the millions and millions of American workers that were left behind."
Democrats have been concerned with this, but Republicans not so much. Trump is a Republican and we worry he will simply use government for personal gain and will leave the rest of America to fend for itself.
"The wealth of our middle class has been ripped from their homes and then redistributed all across the world. But that is the past, and now we are looking only to the future."
I don't know why he says the "wealth" has been "redistributed all across the world". Clearly the rich in America have been the primary beneficiaries. Either way the economics idea which led to that was Republican and Republicans have continued to receive sufficient support to control Congress. What can Trump or Democrats do to end that nonsensical idea that market will regulate themselves if the people who get hurt continue to vote for the muggers.
"We assembled here today are issuing a new decree to be heard in every city, in every foreign capital and in every hall of power. From this day forward, a new vision will govern our land."
From "this day forward" (for a few years) Trump will be president, but it takes all three branches of our government for governance of our nation to occur.
"From this day forward, it's going to be only America first, America first."
America First is eerily similar to Hitler's Germany First slogan. It has been said that Trump read Hitler regularly. Does he aim for some reliving of that nightmare? What are the odds that at this time, with this Hitler-like leader, the opposition leader in the US Senate would be a Jew, Charles Schumer, also from New York?
"Every decision on trade, on taxes, on immigration, on foreign affairs will be made to benefit American workers and American families. We must protect our borders from the ravages of other countries making our product, stealing our companies and destroying our jobs."
He is apparently claiming that this hasn't been the goal of government and politicians. How bizarre. I wonder what he means by "other countries making our product".
"Protection will lead to great prosperity and strength. I will fight for you with every breath in my body, and I will never ever let you down."
Historically protectionism has been a failure when our trading partners could afford to reciprocate. Most of our trading partners today can and will reciprocate. Trade protectionism is not a winning idea today.
"America will start winning again, winning like never before.
We will bring back our jobs.
We will bring back our borders.
We will bring back our wealth, and we will bring back our dreams."
These kinds of statements have led many people to support him, but the world is a changing place and simply trying to return to some prior time isn't the solution. Manufacturing and agriculture are done today with many fewer workers than fifty (50) years ago. We need many different thing and in diversity we will find a more stable economy as well as steadier growth. That means we should promote new kinds of industry (such as clean energy) and research universities and the national laboratories and corporate R&D (with better tax code) and small businesses.
"We will build new roads and highways and bridges and airports and tunnels and railways all across our wonderful nation."
Already Republicans have said they do not want to spend the kind of money Trump has proposed. Democrats might work with him if the infrastructure spending is satisfactory, but Republicans have said they will not. Of course, they may change their minds if they think it would cost them politically. Naturally, in the tradition of Reagan and Bush Republicans, Trump wants lower taxes. Combining the higher spending and lower taxes would raise the deficit unnecessarily and Democrats could not support that.
"We will get our people off of welfare and back to work, rebuilding our country with American hands and American labor."
Years ago Pres. Clinton signed a bill into law to push people off welfare and get them back to work, but then he had a growing economy to absorb that labor. Today's economy is growing, but at a much slower rate. In this economy it would be sadistic and costly to push people off welfare.
"We will follow two simple rules: Buy American and hire American."
That kind of trade protectionism and hiring policy is virtually impossible today. Products are designed in one place, raw materials come from others, manufacturing of parts in another and final assembly in another. How do you know what is "American"? We have already seen one state (at least) try to do away with illegal immigrant labor and it nearly destroyed their agricultural product. Companies simply do not pay sufficient wages for an American to support an American lifestyle on the below minimum wages they pay migrant workers. We need better immigration law.
"We will seek friendship and goodwill with the nations of the world, but we do so with the understanding that it is the right of all nations to put their own interests first."
Everyone already knows this.
"We do not seek to impose our way of life on anyone, but rather to let it shine as an example.
We will shine for everyone to follow."
Many countries would welcome this because the push to enforce Democracy on the world has made us appear as aggressors and upset many nations. I doubt he will find supporters in the Republican Congress.
We will re-enforce old alliances and form new ones and unite the civilized world against radical Islamic terrorism, which we will eradicate completely from the face of the earth."
During the campaign he said he was considering the abolishment of NATO and here he says he will "re-enforce old alliances". Is he insane or simply a liar?
"At the bedrock of our politics will be a total allegiance to the United States of America, and through our loyalty to our country we will rediscover our loyalty to each other."
This statement will irritate a lot of people who saw the election turn in his favor primarily because of his disloyalty to America and call for assistance from the Russians. Among even his supporters I doubt that "loyalty to our country" will push them toward "loyalty to each other" since they hate Democrats and people of color.
"When you open your heart to patriotism, there is no room for prejudice."
He is incorrect.
"The Bible tells us how good and pleasant it is when God's people live together in unity. We must speak our minds openly, debate our disagreements honestly, but always pursue solidarity. When America is united, America is totally unstoppable. There should be no fear. We are protected and we will always be protected. We will be protected by the great men and women of our military and law enforcement. And most importantly, we will be protected by God."
This is in direct contradiction to what he said during the campaign. He essentially cursed the media and protesters who did speak their minds openly. He even called for violence against some of them. The idea that he will "pursue solidarity" can only be directed at his supporters since Democrats feel no reason to support him, other than the call from President Obama and Secretary Hillary Clinton, to give Trump a chance.
"Finally, we must think big and dream even bigger. In America, we understand that a nation is only living as long as it is striving. We will no longer accept politicians who are all talk and no action, constantly complaining but never doing anything about it.
The time for empty talk is over. Now arrives the hour of action.
Do not allow anyone to tell you that it cannot be done. No challenge can match the heart and fight and spirit of America. We will not fail. Our country will thrive and prosper again.
We stand at the birth of a new millennium, ready to unlock the mysteries of space, to free the earth from the miseries of disease, and to harness the energies, industries and technologies of tomorrow."
I hope he knows we recently began a "new millennium", so it will be a while before another.
Whether he is ready to "harness the energies and technologies of tomorrow" remains to be seen. Scientific research and technological development is usually a step away from politics and will move at the speed of the scientists, but if government supports it with funding it can do more. For Trump and today's Republican-led Congress, the proof will be in the pudding.
"A new national pride will stir ourselves, lift our sights and heal our divisions. It's time to remember that old wisdom our soldiers will never forget, that whether we are black or brown or white, we all bleed the same red blood of patriots."
His words ring very hollow after the way he spoke during the campaign.
"We all enjoy the same glorious freedoms and we all salute the same great American flag."
Not everyone enjoys the same "glorious freedoms" when millions of people are held in prison because they tend to vote Democratic and they were caught with marijuana. We now know the drug war was primarily a mechanism to remove certain people from the voting booths and they are not free. If he will end that and other kinds of voter suppression many more will be able to "enjoy the same glorious freedoms".
"And whether a child is born in the urban sprawl of Detroit or the windswept plains of Nebraska, they look up at the same night sky, they fill their heart with the same dreams and they are infused with the breath of life by the same almighty creator."
No, not all children fill their heart with the same dreams and many have no dreams at all. Many do not even believe they exist because of "the same almighty creator". America is supposed to be a place which is inclusive by not being prejudiced toward such a view. Infusing our government with religious symbology is a very bad step.
"So to all Americans in every city near and far, small and large, from mountain to mountain, from ocean to ocean, hear these words: You will never be ignored again. Your voice, your hopes and your dreams will define our American destiny. And your courage and goodness and love will forever guide us along the way.
Together we will make America strong again, we will make America wealthy again, we will make America proud again, we will make America safe again.
And, yes, together we will make America great again."
I don't know who has been ignored. We have public elections and though many people ignore their opportunity to participate there aren't so many impediments to involvement for most people. If Trump would fight to reduce impediments to people it would be a good thing. During the campaign he benefited from impediments to some people.
His claim that America must be "made strong again" implies we have lost our greatness. That is utter boloney. His claim we are not wealthy is beyond stupidity. We are the wealthiest nation on Earth. I might have more faith he could fight to make "America safe again", were it not for Republicans in Congress who oppose regulations of possession of guns. Trump would not be president without their support and any effort on his part to regulate gun possession would immediately cost him their support.
"Thank you.
God bless you.
And God bless America."
