His Speech Reminded Me of . . .

Much discussion in the media this week of  the president's inaugural address and just which well-respected historical figure he was channeling. Chris Matthews heard Abraham Lincoln's Gettysburg Address (of course), and there were others who mentioned Lincoln. Another commentator called the president "a liberal Reagan," and one blogger even noted a strange echoing of Neville Chamberlain with the use of the phrase "peace in our time."

I've read the speech and marvel at the brazenness. I've been reading 10 Books That Screwed Up the World by Benjamin Wiker (I recommend it, by the way), and so when I read the president's speech, this is what came to mind. The emphases are mine.


Barack Obama:

"But we have always understood that when times change, so must we; that fidelity to our founding principles requires new responses to new challenges; that preserving our individual freedoms ultimately requires collective action. For the American people can no more meet the demands of today’s world by acting alone than American soldiers could have met the forces of fascism or communism with muskets and militias. No single person can train all the math and science teachers we’ll need to equip our children for the future, or build the roads and networks and research labs that will bring new jobs and businesses to our shores. Now, more than ever, we must do these things together, as one nation, and one people."

Karl Marx:

“Society does not consist of individuals, but expresses the sum of interrelations, the relations within which these individuals stand.” 

Barack Obama:

"For our journey is not complete until our wives, our mothers, and daughters can earn a living equal to their efforts."

Karl Marx:

“Anyone who knows anything of history knows that great social changes are impossible without feminine upheaval. Social progress can be measured exactly by the social position of the fair sex, the ugly ones included.”

“Social progress can be measured by the social position of the female sex.”

Barack Obama:

"For we, the people, understand that our country cannot succeed when a shrinking few do very well and a growing many barely make it. We believe that America’s prosperity must rest upon the broad shoulders of a rising middle class." 

Karl Marx:

“The history of all hitherto existing society is the history of class struggles.”

“The world will be for the common people, and the sounds of Happiness will reach even the deepest springs.” 

Barack Obama:

"We understand that outworn programs are inadequate to the needs of our time. We must harness new ideas and technology to remake our government, revamp our tax code, reform our schools, and empower our citizens with the skills they need to work harder, learn more, and reach higher."

Karl Marx:

“Philosophers have tried to describe the world--the point is to change it.” 

Just interesting.