archy

Some speech, eh?
I listened to most of the Inauguration speech yesterday. I was not impressed. His writers have done better in the past. Sure it was full of happy talk and nice platitudes about freedom, but it lacked substance and, when set against the record of his last four years, was more ironic than inspiring.

How seriously can we take statements like, "All who live in tyranny and hopelessness can know the United States will not ignore your oppression, or excuse your oppressors. When you stand for your liberty, we will stand with you"? Does that mean we will be rushing to the aid of the Chechens, Uzbeks, Burmese, Saudis, and Kurds of Turkey? Oh course not. Just as it was with Reagan, our commitment to freedom and human rights leads to action only when it supports our existing strategic objectives. As great as his expressed sentiments on freedom are, I can only be embarrassed when I think of the rest of the world hearing them and comparing his words with his actions.

As I have said many times before, I'm not a fan of Bush's speaking style. His affected folksiness, overly precise pronunciation of multisyllable words, and delivery in three word bursts--like a bad William Shattner imitation--grates on my nerves. The combination of insincere platitudes badly delivered made my eyes glaze and my attention wander. Though I normally appreciate anything that leads to napping, it was not a good condition to be in, since I was driving my mother to the airport at the time.