January 20, 1997

Ta ta la laaa, ta ta la laaaaaa

"My fellow citizens," started our new President, William Jefferson Clinton, for his 22-minute second inaugural address...

We are going on toward a new century, a new millennium, "from promised land to a land of new promise". "The government is not the problem, the government is not the solution. We, the People, are the solution." So, a "new government," a "smaller government", "but doing more, [...] giving opportunity to build better lives." "Beyond that, the future is up to us".

"We need a new sense of responsibility." We need to "embrace a new spirit of community." We need to "fight racism", to "live and work together" to reach this "land of new promise". And, "in this new land", education will have "the highest standard in the world", we will bring the information age to the reach of everybody, we will have "safety in the streets" and "medical care for all"; "anyone who can work will work" and we will have a strong defense against evil forces. "The world's oldest democracy [sorry Greece, sorry England] will lead a whole world of democracies."

We can "fortify the economy," "defend the environment," in a "nation ever moving forward" "to the full potential of its citizens" remembering that our "greatest power" is the "heart and decency of the human spirit."

"Nothing big ever come from being small." In the spirit of Martin Luther King and Cardinal Bernardin, let us "work together," "pursue the journey;" "let us build our bridge to a blessed land of new promise," toward a "more perfect Union," a "flame of Freedom".

"May God strengthen our hand and always, always, always bless our land."

In summary, a minimalist, almost libertarian, approach to a mythological future; a rehashing of over-used self-celebrating themes not even remotely close to the realities of the land, to the living conditions of over one fourth of the citizenry; a litany of feel-good lines, nested among prayers, hymns and anthems and totally meaningless but to the Barbara Walters of this surreal punditry.

It was too much for our soon-to-be reprimanded visionary Speaker, Newt Gingrich, who yawned for the television cameras during the final benediction!

How is it that they have not figured out a way to stop the inaugural show for commercials?