reissued on 28 August, first published on 22 January to coincide with the parade saluting Obama's re-election
Barack Obama was once again inaugurated President of the United States on Martin Luther King Day. For him, as for all of America, the American dream still resonates.
50 years after Martin Luther King's speech at the Lincoln Memorial (28 August 1963), Barak Obama in turn saluted his memory and recalled the foundations of the American people, which make them fundamentally, intrinsically, always more united than divided. Using the phrase "we the people", Barak Obama invited us to share a common destiny, irresistible to the American people and their spirit of conquest.
Like a pioneer immigrant from the Wild West, and even inviting us to follow in their footsteps, Barak Obama reminded us in his inaugural speech that "the journey is not over", and would not be until the objectives of the major issues and major dossiers had been achieved: welcoming immigrants; living in safety and protecting ourselves from evil; being all equal before the law; being the driving force behind the energy transition; making choices to reduce the cost of healthcare and the debt; being an architect of peace in the world...
Obama is inviting us on a journey in the same way that Martin Luther King formulated a dream. An American dream, even when shaken by the economic climate, that remains the primary engine of enthusiasm, power and pride of belonging. Through speeches, ceremonies and attitudes, America and its President are still dreaming, and they are necessarily shaking us up and intriguing us. What if we allowed ourselves to dream a little too?
The dream to urge patriotism and pride in belonging without being accused of xenophobia at worst, demagoguery at best.
The dream for the Americans to continue to be the world's leading economic power when this position is challenged as never before.
The dream to be convinced that nothing can stand in the way of Americans who think and act "together", a word used repeatedly in Obama's speech.
The dream organise an absolutely kitsch, improbable and iconoclastic parade of school bands, army corps, gaypride floats, Navajo delegations, seeing-eye dogs, bronx drums, War of Independence commemorations, the Mars Curiosity module proudly displayed on a NASA podium, whose budgets the President has nevertheless cut considerably, cheerleaders of all kinds... without being accused of bad taste and absolute silliness. America's strength is also its ability to celebrate and show off without modesty, in the 'good-natured' spirit that is often used in images, as if to excuse them.
The dream to be able to salute a delegation representing southerners in the parade by being a black president, without being accused of high treason or revisionism.
The dream to be able to salute a delegation of Navajo Indians and take responsibility for their history, without necessarily spilling over into official, collective repentance.
The dream to see a hilarious president, with a smile on his face, swaying and bobbing his head to the rhythm of the bands. Of course, we would gladly do without the chewing gum, but a cool attitude that both challenges and fascinates us.
The dream to be able to be astonished and enthusiastic about this America, without being accused of blissful Americanism by primary anti-Americanism.
The dream to maintain this exceptional national identity, in what is undoubtedly the most diverse nation in the world, and at a time when this racial and ethnic diversity will become ever greater, with demographics that will soon make "whites" a minority. In some states, Spanish is already more widely spoken than English... without ever considering that we can do without it.
The dream to reconcile immigration and growth, to see in it the consolidation of a nation rich in diversity when often it is the fear of the dilution of national identity that prevails.
The dream to reconcile environmental protection and intensive economic development ... without being afraid of paradoxes and contradictions by calling for the intensification of "green business" without having signed the Kyoto Protocol and by intensively developing the exploitation of shale gas!
The dream of being able to believe in dreams.
As I wrote at the time of Bin Laden's death, which generated spontaneous movements of crowds chanting "USA USA": " America's religion is America" .
For pleasure: "I have a dream", Martin Luther King's speech on 28 August 1963 in front of the Lincoln Memorial:
On the same theme:
"USA USA", published on 3 May 2011 at the time of Bin Laden's death
http://newcorp.canalblog.com/archives/2011/05/03/21048754.html
"Forward" to say "we still canpublished on 1 May 2012 as Obama entered the campaign trail
http://newcorp.canalblog.com/archives/2012/05/01/24214651.html