Le discours d’investiture de Barack Obama
Inaugural Address
By President Barack Hussein Obama
My fellow citizens: I stand here today humbled by the task before us, grateful for the trust you’ve bestowed, mindful of the sacrifices borne by our ancestors.
I thank President Bush for his service to our nation — (applause) — as well as the generosity and cooperation he has shown throughout this transition.
Forty-four Americans have now taken the presidential oath. The words have been spoken during rising tides of prosperity and the still waters of peace. Yet, every so often, the oath is taken amidst gathering clouds and raging storms. At these moments, America has carried on not simply because of the skill or vision of those in high office, but because we, the people, have remained faithful to the ideals of our forebears and true to our founding documents.
So it has been; so it must be with this generation of Americans.
That we are in the midst of crisis is now well understood. Our nation is at war against a far-reaching network of violence and hatred. Our economy is badly weakened, a consequence of greed and irresponsibility on the part of some, but also our collective failure to make hard choices and prepare the nation for a new age. Homes have been lost, jobs shed, businesses shuttered. Our health care is too costly, our schools fail too many — and each day brings further evidence that the ways we use energy strengthen our adversaries and threaten our planet.
These are the indicators of crisis, subject to data and statistics. Less measurable, but no less profound, is a sapping of confidence across our land; a nagging fear that America’s decline is inevitable, that the next generation must lower its sights.
Today I say to you that the challenges we face are real. They are serious and they are many. They will not be met easily or in a short span of time. But know this America: They will be met. (Applause.)
On this day, we gather because we have chosen hope over fear, unity of purpose over conflict and discord. On this day, we come to proclaim an end to the petty grievances and false promises, the recriminations and worn-out dogmas that for far too long have strangled our politics. We remain a young nation. But in the words of Scripture, the time has come to set aside childish things. The time has come to reaffirm our enduring spirit; to choose our better history; to carry forward that precious gift, that noble idea passed on from generation to generation: the God-given promise that all are equal, all are free, and all deserve a chance to pursue their full measure of happiness. (Applause.)
In reaffirming the greatness of our nation we understand that greatness is never a given. It must be earned. Our journey has never been one of short-cuts or settling for less. It has not been the path for the faint-hearted, for those that prefer leisure over work, or seek only the pleasures of riches and fame. Rather, it has been the risk-takers, the doers, the makers of things — some celebrated, but more often men and women obscure in their labor — who have carried us up the long rugged path towards prosperity and freedom.
For us, they packed up their few worldly possessions and traveled across oceans in search of a new life. For us, they toiled in sweatshops, and settled the West, endured the lash of the whip, and plowed the hard earth. For us, they fought and died in places like Concord and Gettysburg, Normandy and Khe Sahn.
Time and again these men and women struggled and sacrificed and worked till their hands were raw so that we might live a better life. They saw America as bigger than the sum of our individual ambitions, greater than all the differences of birth or wealth or faction.
This is the journey we continue today. We remain the most prosperous, powerful nation on Earth. Our workers are no less productive than when this crisis began. Our minds are no less inventive, our goods and services no less needed than they were last week, or last month, or last year. Our capacity remains undiminished. But our time of standing pat, of protecting narrow interests and putting off unpleasant decisions — that time has surely passed. Starting today, we must pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and begin again the work of remaking America. (Applause.)
For everywhere we look, there is work to be done. The state of our economy calls for action, bold and swift. And we will act, not only to create new jobs, but to lay a new foundation for growth. We will build the roads and bridges, the electric grids and digital lines that feed our commerce and bind us together. We’ll restore science to its rightful place, and wield technology’s wonders to raise health care’s quality and lower its cost. We will harness the sun and the winds and the soil to fuel our cars and run our factories. And we will transform our schools and colleges and universities to meet the demands of a new age. All this we can do. All this we will do.
Now, there are some who question the scale of our ambitions, who suggest that our system cannot tolerate too many big plans. Their memories are short, for they have forgotten what this country has already done, what free men and women can achieve when imagination is joined to common purpose, and necessity to courage. What the cynics fail to understand is that the ground has shifted beneath them, that the stale political arguments that have consumed us for so long no longer apply.
The question we ask today is not whether our government is too big or too small, but whether it works — whether it helps families find jobs at a decent wage, care they can afford, a retirement that is dignified. Where the answer is yes, we intend to move forward. Where the answer is no, programs will end. And those of us who manage the public’s dollars will be held to account, to spend wisely, reform bad habits, and do our business in the light of day, because only then can we restore the vital trust between a people and their government.
Nor is the question before us whether the market is a force for good or ill. Its power to generate wealth and expand freedom is unmatched. But this crisis has reminded us that without a watchful eye, the market can spin out of control. The nation cannot prosper long when it favors only the prosperous. The success of our economy has always depended not just on the size of our gross domestic product, but on the reach of our prosperity, on the ability to extend opportunity to every willing heart — not out of charity, but because it is the surest route to our common good. (Applause.)
As for our common defense, we reject as false the choice between our safety and our ideals. Our Founding Fathers — (applause) — our Founding Fathers, faced with perils that we can scarcely imagine, drafted a charter to assure the rule of law and the rights of man — a charter expanded by the blood of generations. Those ideals still light the world, and we will not give them up for expedience sake. (Applause.)
And so, to all the other peoples and governments who are watching today, from the grandest capitals to the small village where my father was born, know that America is a friend of each nation, and every man, woman and child who seeks a future of peace and dignity. And we are ready to lead once more. (Applause.)
Recall that earlier generations faced down fascism and communism not just with missiles and tanks, but with the sturdy alliances and enduring convictions. They understood that our power alone cannot protect us, nor does it entitle us to do as we please. Instead they knew that our power grows through its prudent use; our security emanates from the justness of our cause, the force of our example, the tempering qualities of humility and restraint.
We are the keepers of this legacy. Guided by these principles once more we can meet those new threats that demand even greater effort, even greater cooperation and understanding between nations. We will begin to responsibly leave Iraq to its people and forge a hard-earned peace in Afghanistan. With old friends and former foes, we’ll work tirelessly to lessen the nuclear threat, and roll back the specter of a warming planet.
We will not apologize for our way of life, nor will we waver in its defense. And for those who seek to advance their aims by inducing terror and slaughtering innocents, we say to you now that our spirit is stronger and cannot be broken — you cannot outlast us, and we will defeat you. (Applause.)
For we know that our patchwork heritage is a strength, not a weakness. We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus, and non-believers. We are shaped by every language and culture, drawn from every end of this Earth; and because we have tasted the bitter swill of civil war and segregation, and emerged from that dark chapter stronger and more united, we cannot help but believe that the old hatreds shall someday pass; that the lines of tribe shall soon dissolve; that as the world grows smaller, our common humanity shall reveal itself; and that America must play its role in ushering in a new era of peace.
To the Muslim world, we seek a new way forward, based on mutual interest and mutual respect. To those leaders around the globe who seek to sow conflict, or blame their society’s ills on the West, know that your people will judge you on what you can build, not what you destroy. (Applause.)
To those who cling to power through corruption and deceit and the silencing of dissent, know that you are on the wrong side of history, but that we will extend a hand if you are willing to unclench your fist. (Applause.)
To the people of poor nations, we pledge to work alongside you to make your farms flourish and let clean waters flow; to nourish starved bodies and feed hungry minds. And to those nations like ours that enjoy relative plenty, we say we can no longer afford indifference to the suffering outside our borders, nor can we consume the world’s resources without regard to effect. For the world has changed, and we must change with it.
As we consider the role that unfolds before us, we remember with humble gratitude those brave Americans who at this very hour patrol far-off deserts and distant mountains. They have something to tell us, just as the fallen heroes who lie in Arlington whisper through the ages.
We honor them not only because they are the guardians of our liberty, but because they embody the spirit of service — a willingness to find meaning in something greater than themselves.
And yet at this moment, a moment that will define a generation, it is precisely this spirit that must inhabit us all. For as much as government can do, and must do, it is ultimately the faith and determination of the American people upon which this nation relies. It is the kindness to take in a stranger when the levees break, the selflessness of workers who would rather cut their hours than see a friend lose their job which sees us through our darkest hours. It is the firefighter’s courage to storm a stairway filled with smoke, but also a parent’s willingness to nurture a child that finally decides our fate.
Our challenges may be new. The instruments with which we meet them may be new. But those values upon which our success depends — honesty and hard work, courage and fair play, tolerance and curiosity, loyalty and patriotism — these things are old. These things are true. They have been the quiet force of progress throughout our history.
What is demanded, then, is a return to these truths. What is required of us now is a new era of responsibility — a recognition on the part of every American that we have duties to ourselves, our nation and the world; duties that we do not grudgingly accept, but rather seize gladly, firm in the knowledge that there is nothing so satisfying to the spirit, so defining of our character than giving our all to a difficult task.
This is the price and the promise of citizenship. This is the source of our confidence — the knowledge that God calls on us to shape an uncertain destiny. This is the meaning of our liberty and our creed, why men and women and children of every race and every faith can join in celebration across this magnificent mall; and why a man whose father less than 60 years ago might not have been served in a local restaurant can now stand before you to take a most sacred oath. (Applause.)
So let us mark this day with remembrance of who we are and how far we have traveled. In the year of America’s birth, in the coldest of months, a small band of patriots huddled by dying campfires on the shores of an icy river. The capital was abandoned. The enemy was advancing. The snow was stained with blood. At the moment when the outcome of our revolution was most in doubt, the father of our nation ordered these words to be read to the people:
« Let it be told to the future world…that in the depth of winter, when nothing but hope and virtue could survive… that the city and the country, alarmed at one common danger, came forth to meet [it].»
America: In the face of our common dangers, in this winter of our hardship, let us remember these timeless words. With hope and virtue, let us brave once more the icy currents, and endure what storms may come. Let it be said by our children’s children that when we were tested we refused to let this journey end, that we did not turn back nor did we falter; and with eyes fixed on the horizon and God’s grace upon us, we carried forth that great gift of freedom and delivered it safely to future generations.
Thank you. God bless you. And God bless the United States of America.
Tags: Barack Obama, Discours, Inauguration Day
L’investiture de Barack Obama – Charlie Rose
Invités : Barton Gellman, Thomas L. Friedman, Al Hunt, Jon Meacham, Doris Kearns Goodwin et Vernon Jordan
Tags: Al Hunt, Barack Obama, Barton Gellman, Charlie Rose, Doris Kearns Goodwin, Jon Meacham, Thomas L. Friedman, Vernon Jordan Doris Kearns Goodwin
Les Unes de la presse américaine au lendemain de l’investiture du président Barack Obama
Les titres de la presse américaine sont étonnamment divers ce 21 janvier 2009. Seul le Wall Street Journal se contente d’un sobre et attendu President Barack Obama.
Wall Street Journal
President Barack Obama By Jonathan Weisman And Laura Meckler
New York Times
Obama Takes Oath, and Nation in Crisis Embraces the Moment by Peter Baker
Rejecting Bush Era, Reclaiming Values by David E. Sanger
A Portrait of Change, In First Family, a Nation’s Many Faces by Jodi Kantor
Washington Post
In Obama’s Moment, Many in Crowd Feel Echoes of Their Own Stories By David Maraniss
A Historic Inauguration Draws Throngs To the Mall By Michael D. Shear and Anne E. Kornblut
Chicago Tribune
Barack Obama’s inauguration: ‘We must pick ourselves up’ Amid bleak times, a bright day for U.S. by Christi Parsons and Peter Nicholas | Washington Bureau
LA Times
New President Barack Obama calls for hope amid cold reality by Christi Parsons and Peter Nicholas
Tags: Anne E. Kornblut, Barack Obama, Chicago, David E. Sanger, Jodi Kantor, Jonathan Weisman, Laura Meckler, New York Times, Peter Baker, Wall Street, Wall Street Journal, Washington, Washington Post
La Cérémonie d’investiture du nouveau président des Etats-Unis Barack Obama en direct
Le Live de MSNBC
15:26 AM / 21:26
Avec une heure de retard, le président Barack Obama rejoint la Maison Blanche.
14:32 AM / 20:32
La parade se prépare.
Ted Kennedy s’est évanoui pendant le déjeuner.
11:07 AM / 18:07
Bush quitte le capitole à bord de l’ex Marine One, maintenant Executive One.
On attend la parade maintenant.
11:07 AM / 18:07
Barack Obama s’exprime. Le texte du discours.
Barack Obama parle des « challenges » que les Etats-Unis auront à surmonter. Mais know this, America : they will be met.
The time has come. Pour que l’égalité soit enfin une réalité.
Petit ou grand gouvernement. Mauvaise question. The question we ask today is not whether our government is too big or too small, but whether it works – whether it helps families find jobs at a decent wage, care they can afford, a retirement that is dignified.
Il parle de respect mutuel pour le monde musulman. To the Muslim world, we seek a new way forward, based on mutual interest and mutual respect.
Fin du court discours de Barack Obama.
Poème d’Elizabeth Alexander.
Bénédiction du Révérend Dr. Joseph E. Lowery.
Il est 11:37 AM / 18:37 à Paris. L’hymne nationale des Etats-Unis par The United States Navy Band “Sea Chanters”
11:58 AM / 17:58
Joe Biden prête serment de défendre la constitution. Joe Biden est le nouveau vice-président des Etats-Unis.
Intermède musicale : John Williams, compositeur/arrangeur avec Itzhak Perlman, (violin), Yo-Yo Ma (violoncelle), Gabriela Montero (piano) et Anthony McGill (clarinette).
Il est midi à Washington. Barack Obama est officiellement le 44ème président des Etats-Unis.
Le Chief Justice Roberts et Obama sont prêts. Petits accrocs — qui seraient au Chief Justice — pour Obama dans la récitation de l’oath. Rien de grave…
Les canons tonnent.
11:42 AM / 17:42
La cérémonie officielle commence.
Petite ovation pour Pelosi.
Discours de la sénatrice Dianne Feinstein (Chairman of the United States Congress Joint Committee on Inaugural).
Le pasteur Rick Warren présente l’invocation. Le pasteur est un peu hué (Rick Warren to deliver Obama invocation – gay community furious).
Aretha Franklin chante My Country Tis of Thee. Un chant patriotique américain écrit par Samuel Francis Smith en 1831 :
My country, ’tis of thee,
Sweet land of liberty,
Of thee I sing;
Land where my fathers died,
Land of the pilgrims’ pride,
From every mountainside
Let freedom ring!…
11:31 AM / 17:31
Michelle Obama, Jill Biden. Il ne manque plus que les « deux» présidents et les vice-présidents.
Joe Biden fait son entrée. Barack Obama est dans les couloirs avec Nancy Pelosi.
10:59 AM / 16:59
Barack Obama est arrivé au Capitole.
Les juges de la Cour Suprême font leur entrée. Les anciens vice-présidents à leur tour.
Hillary et Bill Clinton sont dans les couloirs du Capitole. Ils saluent George Bush. L’heure est proche. On annonce les anciens présidents : Jimmy Carter, George H. W. Bush, Bill Clinton.
10:47 AM / 16:47
Dick Cheney, en chaise roulante (mal de dos), et Joe Biden quittent la Maison Blanche pour le Capitole.
C’est au tour de Barack Obama et W.
10:28 AM / 16:28
Il fait très froid à Washington aujourd’hui. –5 degrés celsius.
9:54 AM / 15:54
Les Biden viennent d’arriver. Suivis par les Obama reçus par les Bush.
9:50 AM / 15:50
Les Obama et Biden quittent l’église St. John et devraient rejoindre la Maison Blanche pour un café avec les Bush et Cheney.
9:31 AM / 15:31
Selon CNN, on devrait dépasser les deux millions de personnes aujourd’hui. Sur le blog du NYTimes on parle d’une mer de gens, A Sea of People.
Le Mall est déjà noir de monde. Il est 9:26 AM à Washington, 15:26 à Paris.
Tags: Barack Obama, Bill Clinton, Capitole, CNN, Cour Suprême, Dick Cheney, Inauguration Day, Joe Biden, Maison Blanche, Michelle Obama, MSNBC, Nancy Pelosi, Vice-président, Washington
Programme de la journée d’investiture (Inauguration Day) du président-élu Barack Obama
« I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States. »Article II, Section 1 de la Constitution américaine
Cérémonie d’investiture / Swearing-in Ceremony
11:30 a.m. (17:30 Paris), West front of the U.S. Capitol
Programme :
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• Musical Selections: The United States Marine Band, followed by The San Francisco Boys Chorus and the San Francisco Girls Chorus
• Call to Order and Welcoming Remarks: Senator Dianne Feinstein
• Invocation: Dr. Rick Warren
• Musical Selection: Aretha Franklin
• Vice President-elect Joseph R. Biden, Jr. will be sworn into office by Associate Justice of the Supreme Court, the Honorable John Paul Stevens
• Musical Selection: John Williams, composer/arranger with Itzhak Perlman, (violin), Yo-Yo Ma (cello), Gabriela Montero (piano) and Anthony McGill (clarinet)
• President-elect Barack H. Obama will take the Oath of Office, using President Lincoln’s Inaugural Bible, administered by the Chief Justice of the United States, the Honorable John G. Roberts, Jr.
• Inaugural Address
• Poem: Elizabeth Alexander
• Benediction: The Reverend Dr. Joseph E. Lowery
• The National Anthem: The United States Navy Band “Sea Chanters»
Déjeuner d’inauguration / Inaugural Luncheon
Il suivra la cérémonie d’investiture. Le président et le Vice-président et leur famille seront présents.
Parade Inaugurale / Inaugural Parade
La parade devrait démarrer vers 2:30 p.m. (20:30 Paris).
Neighborhood Ball
7:00 p.m. (1:30 Paris). – Walter E. Washington Convention Center
Retransmis en direct sur ABC entre 8:00-10:00 p.m (2:30 – 4:30 Paris)
Tags: Barack Obama, Capitole, Inauguration Day
Bon débarras
Revoir les émissions politiques US du dimanche 14 décembre 2008 : Meet the Press, Face the Nation, Fox News Sunday…
Face the Nation
« Bob Schieffer speaks with Ill. Attorney General Lisa Madigan about Gov. Rod Blagojevich; Senators debate the auto bailout; Blagojevich’s effect on Barack Obama and the President-elect’s priority.»
Meet the press
« The debut of « Meet the Press with David Gregory» featured the very latest on the political turmoil in Illinois and the arrest of Governor Rod Blagojevich (D) with Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan (D) and Lt. Gov. Pat Quinn (D).»
Fox News Sunday
This Week
« McCain on ‘08 Race: ‘Nobody Likes a Sore Loser’»
George Will, Paul Krugman, Jerry Seib and Gwen Ifill.
The Green Room
CNN Late Edition
Tags: Barack Obama, CNN, CNN Late Edition, Face The Nation, Fox News, Fox News Sunday, Meet the Press, Paul Krugman
Barack Obama dans Meet the Press
« Exclusive! In his first Sunday morning television interview since winning the election, President-elect Barack Obama joins Tom Brokaw to discuss the economy, foreign policy and the upcoming transition of power. »
Tags: Barack Obama, Meet the Press
Revoir les émissions politiques US du dimanche 7 décembre 2008 : Meet the Press, Face the Nation, Fox News Sunday…
Face the Nation
« Sen. Chris Dodd and Sen. Jeff Sessions spoke to Bob Schieffer on a proposal to give part of the banks’ $700 billion bailout to the Big 3 auto companies.»
« The New York Times’ Thomas Friedman spoke to Bob Schieffer about where the Big 3 in the auto industry went wrong and the repercussions of the India attacks.»
Meet the press
« Exclusive! In his first Sunday morning television interview since winning the election, President-elect Barack Obama joins Tom Brokaw to discuss the economy, foreign policy and the upcoming transition of power. »
Fox News Sunday
This Week
The Roundtable: Political Dynasties. George Will, EJ Dionne, Cokie Roberts, and Peggy Noonan.
CNN Late Edition
Tags: Barack Obama, CNN, CNN Late Edition, Face The Nation, Fox News, Fox News Sunday, Meet the Press, New York Times, Peggy Noonan
Le premier mois d’Obama en 2 minutes (Video Slate)
Tags: Al-Qaida, Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, Sarah Palin, Slate
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A l'Affiche
- Requiem for a Maverick – Matt Taibbi, Rolling Stone
- The Perils of ‘Populist Chic’ – Mark Lilla, Wall Street Journal
- Near-Flawless Run Is Credited in Victory – Adam Nagourney, Jim Rutenberg And Jeff Zeleny, The New York Times
- Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner – Frank Rich, New York Times
- Obama is the Real Conservative – Jeffrey Hart, The Daily Beast
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Citation / Quote
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It has placed within reach of the Oval Office a woman who is a religious fanatic and a proud, boastful ignoramus. Those who despise science and learning are not anti-elitist. They are morally and intellectually slothful people who are secretly envious of the educated and the cultured.
Christopher Hitchens, Slate, le 27 octobre 2008
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Livres
Vu de France