THE 2017 INAUGURAL ADDRESS
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 to restore its promise
for all of our people. We are all part of one Union not part of one
effort and Mr. President, with all due respect, we are not close to uniting on
your solutions to our challenges.
Together, we will determine the course of
America and the world for years to come. Come on Mr. President, what you mean is that
you will be proxy for the people and do what you can to determine the course of
America and the world (for better or for worse)
We will face challenges. We will confront
hardships. But we will get the job done. What job exactly, Mr. President?
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. Nice gesture, but in sharp
contrast with what follows
Today’s ceremony, however, has 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 American People. You’re
sure that’s what you want to do? It looks more like you want to monopolize the
power for yourself so that you can exercise it in the discretionary
distribution of favors to your supporters
For too long, a small group in our nation’s
Capital has reaped the rewards of government while the people have borne the
cost. Incorrect, the rewards have gone to the privileged few inside and
outside of government
Washington flourished – but the people did
not share in its wealth.
Politicians prospered – but the jobs left,
and the factories closed.
The establishment protected itself, but not
the citizens of our country.
No doubt the political system has failed,
for decades now, to address the many challenges the nation faces but big
business, including yours, has wanted it that way and has benefited handsomely,
more so than the political establishment. Inaction, obliviousness to the
Peoples’ interest, not greed has been the establishment’s misfeasance
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. Can’t think of many celebrations or
victories on capitol hill
That all changes – starting right here, and
right now, because this moment is your moment: it belongs to you. It
does not feel like my moment. Just a new sheriff in town
It belongs to everyone gathered here today
and everyone watching all across America.
This is your day. This is your celebration. You
mean ‘the check is in the mail’?
And this, the United States of America, is
your country. Although, of course, we may jail or deport you if you don’t do as I say
What truly matters is not which party
controls our government, but whether our government is controlled by the
people. What you really mean, Mr. President, is that you want a free hand to deal
directly with the people without interference by that pesky thing called
Congress
January 20th 2017, will be remembered as the
day the people became the rulers of this nation again. And
you are their strawman even though less than 27% of the people voted for you?
The forgotten men and women of our country
will be forgotten no longer. They will probably be deported or in jail
Everyone is listening to you now. Yes, in
equal parts fanatically or with trepidation and distaste
You came by the tens of millions to become
part of a historic movement the likes of which the world has never seen before.
We
have seen populist movements throughout history and find it hard to name any
that changed the world for the better
At the center of this movement is a crucial
conviction: that a nation exists to serve its citizens. Citizens as opposed to ‘its
residents’ much less humanity in general
Americans want great schools for their
children, safe neighborhoods for their families, and good jobs for themselves. Just like
the rest of the world
These are the just and reasonable demands of
a righteous public. Only the righteous?
By the way, Mr. President, can you only
speak in tweetable sentences?
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 knowledge; and the crime and gangs and drugs
that have stolen too many lives and robbed our country of so much unrealized
potential. You make a believer out of your many sceptics if you can make this all
go away in your term as President; have you thought on who to blame when you
fall short of making a difference?
This American carnage stops right here and
stops right now. If you say so?
Let your word be heard all through the land
from the South side of Chicago to where? From Sea to shining Sea?
We are one nation – and their pain is our
pain. Their dreams are our dreams; and their success will be our
success. We share one heart, one home, and one glorious destiny. E
Pluribus Unum!
The oath of office I take today is an oath
of allegiance to all Americans. Legal residents and undocumented aliens be
damned
For many decades, we’ve enriched foreign
industry at the expense of American industry; Not exactly confirmed on Wall
Street
Subsidized the armies of other countries
while allowing for the very sad depletion of our military; We are spending more on our
military than the next seven nations (including China and Russia) combined
We've defended other nation’s borders while
refusing to defend our own; Don’t tell our border agents
And spent trillions of dollars overseas
while America's infrastructure has fallen into disrepair and decay. You
got a point there; so please don’t lead us into any new misguided military
adventures with your blustery rhetoric
We’ve made other countries rich while the
wealth, strength, and confidence of our country has disappeared over the
horizon. You must then be the exception that confirms the rule
One by one, the factories shuttered and left
our shores, with not even a thought about the millions upon millions of
American workers left behind. You are about thirty years short of trying
to alter the course of globalization, something you have personally benefitted
from in your business
The wealth of our middle class has been
ripped from their homes and then redistributed across the entire world. Or
did it go to the privileged 0.1% you belong to?
But that is the past. And now we are looking
only to the future. You had 76 characters to spare in this tweet
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. Can’t wait to hear what it is
From this day forward, a new vision will
govern our land. Don’t keep us in suspense
From this moment on, it’s going to be
America First. And second, and third etc. It is all about US
Every decision on trade, on taxes, on
immigration, on foreign affairs, will be made to benefit American workers and
American families. You know, it almost sounds believable if you had said ‘some American
workers and ‘some American families’. But you said you wrote the speech
yourself, so let’s dismiss it as an editing oversight
We must protect our borders from the ravages
of other countries making our products, stealing our companies, and destroying
our jobs. Protection will lead to great prosperity and strength. A
historic first! You really see trade as a zero-sum game, don’t you?
I will fight for you with every breath in my
body – and I will never, ever let you down. We will remind you of that
promise in four years, if not before
America will start winning again, winning
like never before. Better than in WW I and WW II?
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. How about some nightmares along the way?
We will build new roads, and highways, and bridges,
and airports, and tunnels, and railways all across our wonderful nation. That
we can do if we don’t kill our economy with misguided trade policies
We will get our people off of welfare and
back to work – rebuilding our country with American hands and American labor. Get
the lazy bastards off their duffs and let them have the jobs usurped by
Mexicans or let them build the wall
We will follow two simple rules: Buy
American and Hire American. Even in the Trump organization?
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. We will not blame Putin, Kim
Jong-Un or Assad if they place their interests first
We do not seek to impose our way of life on
anyone, but rather to let it shine as an example for everyone to follow. You
mean the gold faucets in your dwellings and planes?
We will reinforce 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. Mr. President, you are already 70
years old; how long do you plan on being the Commander in Chief?
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. Like by waving a magic wand
When you open your heart to patriotism,
there is no room for prejudice. Or greed, avarice or bigotry
The Bible tells us, “how good and pleasant
it is when God’s people live together in unity.” Mr. President, it has not
happened in recorded history
We must speak our minds openly, debate our
disagreements honestly, but always pursue solidarity. And, of course, not vilify those
of different persuasion
When America is united, America is totally
unstoppable. In this speech, you make a real strong effort to unite us, Mr.
President
There should be no fear – we are protected,
and we will always be protected. If you say so; just don’t tell the children of
Sandy Hook or the people in the Twin Towers
We will be protected by the great men and
women of our military and law enforcement and, most importantly, we are
protected by God. Mr. President, come on, you can do it on your own as you promised in
your campaign
Finally, we must think big and dream even
bigger. ‘We’ as in pluralis majestatis?
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. Your
sentences are getting shorter. Running out of steam?
Do not let anyone tell you it cannot be
done. No challenge can match the heart and fight and spirit of America. All
it takes is a fearless leader and visionary
We will not fail. Our country will thrive
and prosper again. If you say so, Mr. President
We stand at the birth of a new millennium, (thought
we are already 16 years into it) ready to unlock the mysteries of
space, to free the Earth from the miseries of disease, (and global warming), and
to harness the energies, industries and technologies of tomorrow.
A new national pride will stir our souls, lift
our sights, and heal our divisions. Hail to a nationalistic America
It is 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, we all enjoy the same glorious freedoms,
and we all salute the same great American Flag. Whatever happened to the blue
blood of privilege?
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. You want to change that too?
So to all Americans, in every city near and
far, small and large, from mountain to mountain, and from ocean to ocean, hear
these words:
You will never be ignored again. We
may spy on you, shoot at you, lock you up or deport you, but we will not ignore
you
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.
You sure make it sound as if we are a basket
case. You have your work cut out for you Mr. President. So much to do and so
little time to do it. Better put some family members to work. And smart that
you did not separate yourself from your business, you may need something to
fall back on.
Thank you, God Bless You, And God Bless
America.
AMEN
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