The first draft of this speech was posted before the election of Barack Obama to the U.S. Presidency. "Errors" will be inserted, continuously, by "others" and corrected by me, every day. I have no control over advertisements or other items posted at blogger. I do not accept advertising in these blogs.
First Lady Michelle Obama, Mr. Chief Justice John Roberts, Justices of the U.S. Supreme Court, President Bush and Mrs. Bush, Vice President Joseph R. Biden and Mrs. Biden, Members of the House of Representatives and U.S. Senate, Honorable William Jefferson Clinton and Secretary of State Hillary Rodham-Clinton, Distinguished Public Servants, Ladies and Gentlemen.
My fellow Americans,
I begin my service as your President with great concern and optimism. I am mindful of the burden placed on my shoulders by history and, most importantly, by your trust and call upon me. I have come to answer that call.
We face daunting challenges in a highly dangerous and destructive military effort in Iraq that has cost far too many American and Iraqui lives, that exposes thousands of our young people and millions of others to horrible injuries and more deaths, every day, for questionable strategic gains. This war in Iraq must end.
We wonder whether a halt to military actions -- to killing and violence in that suffering nation -- is sufficient. More than American lives have been lost in Iraq and Afghanistan. America's reputation has been sullied by a failed and deplorable policy of torture that is not in keeping with our nation's Constitutional and ethical traditions. America is not a prison-like society.
We refuse to abandon our civil liberties in a fearful quest for an illusory security. We must remain safe and free. We are autonomous and equal before the power of government insisting on due process of law and democratic governance.
Let the world take note. These United States of America -- land of immigrants and freedom-loving opponents of tyranny -- will not torture or enslave anyone, anywhere, at any time.
The scourge of International Terrorism is still with us nearly a decade after 9/11, emboldened by a fervent and ill-considered hostility by extremist factions in the world based on mis-perception and hatred of the United States of America.
This great nation will not be defined by our enemies. We will not fall to the level of those poisoned by hatred and seduced by violence. We will not become our enemies. We insist on the right to define ourselves as the best example and hope to achieve lasting freedom with equality for all persons in the world.
We will pursue the struggle against International Terrorism by inviting the cooperation of other nations that are equally threatened by this evil, nations that will take up their share of this burden of civilization, with us, as equal partners in the cause of reason and ethics against terror.
America cannot "bring democracy" to lands without the historical preconditions for this form of government. We can only help persons to help themselves in choosing forms of government in keeping with basic principles of humanity and the rule of law.
These principles of humane governance must not be lost in our own country for the sake of transitory and ill-defined goals in distant lands, like Afghanistan or Pakistan, much less in the quest for an impossible or absolute security.
America is not threatened by the success of others in developing wealth. We know that increased global wealth will make everyone better off. Our concern is that billions of our fellow human beings languish in destitution and hunger when so much can be done to prevent this tragedy.
The effort to end hunger must be shared by new increasingly wealthy and powerful partners of America in promoting "stability" and "peace."
It is not enough to prosper. We must help our neighbors to prosper.
On several recent occasions, America's imminent demise was predicted by pundits. Many of those pundits are no longer commenting on public affairs.
America is still here -- still the world's largest economy, largest number of patents filed, greatest source of new ideas (even against recent competition) in the sciences and humanities, cinema and other arts. Financial and other troubles will not diminish America's long-standing genius and strength, if we continue to abide by the principles found in our Constitution.
America is often perceived as chaotic, sending "mixed messages" to the world about our intentions and policies. This ambiguity in our national identity is one result of our powerful democratic institutions in which dissent and conflict are not suppressed or destroyed -- we hope -- but are, or should be, allowed expression before policy judgments are made.
Dissent must be contained within the boundaries of lawful free speech and cannot become criminal or abusive of the rights of minorities.
America's political conversation is like the "Superconductor" in Berne, Switzerland -- the locus for a collision of ideas or elementary political particles leading (we hope and expect) to a policy that can be endorsed by all.
Whatever debates exist in America resulting from conflicts in values and ideology, ultimate responsibility rests with elected officials formulating foreign policy. Primarily, this responsibility is assigned by the Constitution to the Chief Executive. The buck stops here, with me, as President of the United States, not with the military or any person entrusted with executing policies whose task is not necessarily to "fade away," as did the proverbial "old soldier" invoked by General Douglas MacArthur, but to execute effective strategies to accomplish difficult missions without compromising the moral identity of the nation.
We cannot ask the military to perform this onerous task if we are unclear about the mission assigned to our men and women in uniform.
We must do what we can to bring peace and stability to Afghanistan. At the same time, it is clear that we will depart that land, promptly, in order to leave it to its people. The responsibility for the final outcome in that war-torn land will and must rest with the Afghan people.
We will leave Afghanistan in 2014 or as soon as reasonably possible.
We will work together to feed billions of hungry persons, also nourishing the spirit of those individuals condemned to silence through denials of education, spiritual life (however they define their spirituality), or equal rights for women and oppressed minorities in the world.
Emancipation of the oppressed and afflicted will be a cause to which this administration is committed.
Censorship and intolerance are unamerican policies, wherever they take place and whoever is responsible for them. These horrible practices must never be accepted or become routine in the United States of America. Censorship is never "business as usual" in this country.
An effort will be made -- with the good counsel and participation of the Honorable William Jefferson Clinton -- to address the global problem of anti-Americanism with global solutions. The University of America will be made available to the world through Internet access and public broadcasting, delivering lectures and films on America's political and aesthetic as well as economic culture and goals.
We will provide a daily introduction of our objectives as well as identity in the world. All who have doubts or questions about America will be invited to attend, electronically, and express opinions in the numerous discussions that will ensue.
Much of the hostility towards America will vanish with better understanding of who we are and of the humanitarianism and compassion that are, and always will be, important parts of American foreign policy.
First Lady Michelle Obama -- whose assistance in this electoral effort I can never repay -- will be active in this important project of the Obama Administration.
Education is a spiritual and material need in an increasingly complex world shown by science to be more fascinating and rich than we dreamed possible.
We must continue to believe in our universal ideals of freedom and community. We must strive to build that community of nations calling our friends and neighbors to service in the cause of humanity.
We invite you -- all of the nations of the world -- to join us in the struggle for peace and expression, for the right to worship and to learn with us, to live as free and equal dignified human beings, regardless of color or creed, gender or sexual-orientation.
We must recognize, finally, our common humanity and mutuality of need. We can no longer see this globalized economy and burgeoning culture of shared imagery as exclusive of anyone who is willing to set aside violence in order to work for peace.
Violence against helpless civilians is never acceptable or permissible. Cruelty is always un-American.
We invite you to define yourselves through a peaceful conversation with us. Peace is a debt we owe to the fallen. Peace in the Holy Land is within our grasp. America's fundamental commitment to Israel's flourishing is compatible with concern for the self-determination of the Palestinian people. Israeli security can be a cause for all peace-loving peoples of the Middle East and the basis for lasting peace with dignity for Palestine.
The most important principle to recognize is that, as long as we are talking to one another, children will not die. Let us speak to one another, candidly and with forbearance as well as understanding, in order to make the peace that we all want real as well as permanent.
Reconciliation between the United States of America and "old enemies" -- transformed into new friends -- is finally possible. We look forward to a new era of peace where no conflict will divide the countries of the "new" world and where the Pan-American alliance will finally include every nation that wishes to join the effort to end poverty in our region and elsewhere in the world.
This participation, I hope, should include Cuba.
Science is teaching us what our religions have said to those who truly "live" those religions. We belong to one another. We depend on one another. America's strength -- economic and military strength -- will increase under an Obama Administration.
We will never be feared by the freedom-loving and prosperous peoples of the world.
Terrorists and criminals will indeed fear us, for we will bring justice to those who seek domination through intimidation or indiscriminate violence.
The aspirations of all nations for independence and self-determination must be respected, even by the most powerful countries. We join the people of Iran in their struggle for democracy and liberty. The destiny of the people of Afghanistan, as indicated, must be left to their genuinely self-chosen leaders. The nations of Eastern Europe must choose their own fate without domination from East or West.
We will lead by example on this issue of respect for the independence of all nations, including Cuba.
Historians will someday say of this powerful country that could have built a military empire over our borders and elsewhere in the world: "Americans chose not to oppress others, abandoned violence, invited partnerships for progress and prosperity with equals, avoided tortures and death penalties."
Guantanamo prison must be closed. America's experiment with torture and killing outside the boundaries of law must be ended. The drone murders of innocent civilians must be terminated. No American's life, liberty, or property can be taken without due process of law even in wartime.
Our commitment to humanism and the rule of law, our efforts for peace, may always be mistaken by dictators and terrorists for weakness -- as Adolf Hitler misunderstood the resolve of the British people -- when these virtues are, in fact, our greatest strength.
America's Constitution has proved to be indestructible and is still a beacon to the world. It is the source of our values and unity as a people. We will never abandon our Constitutional principles.This requires that we respect privacy by refraining from surveillance of our people without good cause, even as we also respect the privacy of others in the world, and the safety of children everywhere.
Education, science and technology will receive new support under this administration in order that we may make the "future our friend and not our enemy" -- in the words of our former President Bill Clinton.
America's strength must be renewed after the costly conflict in Iraq, even if this renewal involves sacrifice. Torture will never again be a policy of this government. Those responsible for torture and corruption, censorship and intimidation will be prosecuted with all of the resources of the U.S. federal government.
America will do its share to limit the number of deaths from hunger in the world, to assist Africa's struggle against the AIDS epidemic, for development in the Third World, to promote an equitable trade policy with China and Japan, or any other rich nations, trade policies that benefit all partners fairly and appropriately.
We will extend a hand of friendship and respect to Latin America, aware of the economic and scientific-technological growth in many countries, discovery of new resources, emerging cultural achievements in which we expect to share and to which we will contribute with our own cultural efforts.
We celebrate the miracle of nascent social justice and democracy in countries overcoming painful histories. We want to help with these challenges. We will gladly do so at the request of our friends. All national liberation movements and revolutions must belong to their peoples.
If invited by our neighbors to share in a conversation concerning regional conflicts and issues of immigration reform, for example, or to examine the problem of "undocumented workers," we will gladly offer suggestions and specific proposals for these multinational problems without easy solutions.
Secretary of State Rodham-Clinton has developed creative and novel suggestions to deal with these pressing international issues in a cohesive and integrative way.
We are grateful for the service of the Secretary of State at this difficult moment in our history.
No other countries from other parts of the world are more respectful of Latin American needs and opinions, nor will others be more fair in pursuing their national interest with attention to the interests of the peoples of the Americas.
The U.S. is, and will remain, Latin America's "good neighbor." Along with the Honduran people, we hope for strengthening the rule of law in Central America, laws that may soon result in restoring the constitutional presidency of Honduras.
I have spoken of hope throughout this country. Some have delighted in cynical dismissals of the word and in trivializing Americans' enthusiastic response to the discussion. Cynicism will never win elections in America. Nihilism will never govern successfully in any land. This is fortunate.
Americans are a hopeful people. We are forward-looking, generous, fair-minded. Traditionally, we have been law-abiding and must be lawful again in the future.
We are a nation of builders. We build skyscrapers and bridges. We build scientific solutions and technological applications that save lives, increasing human comfort while alleviating suffering and misery. We create art that has shaped the past two centuries, a cinematic discourse that has become the shared language of humanity, enriched by the contributions of all countries where persons seek to tell their stories and myths in words and signs, pictures that move and stone that dances to new music.
We celebrate the art of humanity. We give our spiritual richness to the world.
No one need fear for America's future. The genius of this nation is thriving, growing, powerful and still beguilingly beautiful, promising recognition to the oppressed and silenced masses of the world, guaranteeing your dignity -- wherever you are and whoever denies it to you -- as a feature of your humanity.
You matter to America. Despite those who tell you otherwise, remember this: America's success and achievement, America's real power, is a moral force for freedom and equality.
We will not surrender or throw away that moral force in the world. We will celebrate that force and nurture it, as we protect and enshrine our founding documents and the traditions they have put in place.
Our values will not be sacrificed for the sake of expediency.
We may stumble, but we do not fall.
Thank you for your support and friendship. Thank you for joining in America's mission to make the world better, every day. Let us embark on this new journey together bearing in mind the words of one of our greatest Presidents, Thomas Jefferson at his First Inaugural Address on March 4, 1801:
"I repair, then, fellow citizens, to the post you have assigned me. With experience enough in subordinate offices to have seen the difficulties of this, the greatest of all, I have learned to expect that it will rarely fall to the lot of imperfect man to retire from this station with the reputation and the favor which bring him [or her] into it. Without pretensions to that high confidence reposed in our first and great revolutionary character, whose preeminent services had entitled him to the first place in his country's love, and destined him to the fairest page in the volume of faithful history, I ask so much confidence only as may give firmness and effect to the legal administration of your affairs. ... "
"Relying then on the patronage of your good will, I advance with obedience to the work, ready to retire from it whenever you become sensible how much better choice it is in your power to make. And may that Infinite Power which rules the destinies of the universe, lead our councils to what is best, and give them a favorable issue for your peace and prosperity."
