Obama’s Master Narrative, As I See It…

Americans are bound together by their adherence to the values laid down by Our
founding fathers and mothers. We are banded together because together we can create a more
perfect union. If we work together , guided by our thirst for justice, seeking always the common
good , then our story is not ended, but just beginning.

We face a moment of great peril brought on by” the greed and irresponsibility of some and the
collective failure of us all to make hard choices about our future.” These are the times that try
men’s souls, that sap their confidence, but we have chosen hope over fear, unity of purpose over
conflict and discord.

“We remain a young nation, but in the words of Scripture, the time has come to set aside childish
things. The time has come to reaffirm our enduring spirit; to choose our better history; to carry
forward that precious gift, that noble idea, passed on from generation to generation: the God-
given promise that all are equal, all are free, and all deserve a chance to pursue their full measure
of happiness.”

We understand that greatness, that renewal is never a given. It must be earned. It is not the path
for the faint-hearted, for those who prefer leisure over work, or seek only the pleasures of riches
and fame. Rather, it is the risk-takers, the doers, the makers of things -- some celebrated, but more
often men and women obscure in their labor -- who have carried and will carry us up the long,
rugged path towards prosperity and freedom.

Our ancestors knew this. For us they toiled in sweatshops, and settled the West, endured the lash
of the whip and plowed the hard earth.
For us, they fought and died in places Concord and Gettysburg; Normandy and Khe Sanh.

Time and again these men and women struggled and sacrificed and worked till their hands were
raw so that we might live a better life. They saw America as bigger than the sum of our individual
ambitions; greater than all the differences of birth or wealth or faction.

Our time of standing pat, of protecting narrow interests and putting off unpleasant decisions --
that time has surely passed.
Starting today, we must pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and begin again the work of
remaking America.

As for our common defense, we reject as false the choice between our safety and our ideals.
Our founding fathers faced with perils that we can scarcely imagine, drafted a charter to assure
the rule of law and the rights of man, a charter expanded by the blood of generations.
Those ideals still light the world, and we will not give them up for expedience's sake.

Our founding fathers and mothers understood that our power alone cannot protect us, nor does it
entitle us to do as we please. Instead, they knew that our power grows through its prudent use.
Our security emanates from the justness of our cause; the force of our example; the tempering
qualities of humility and restraint.

What is demanded then is a return to these truths. What is required of us now is a new era of
responsibility -- a recognition, on the part of every American, that we have duties to ourselves,
our nation and the world, duties that we do not grudgingly accept but rather seize gladly, firm in
the knowledge that there is nothing so satisfying to the spirit, so defining of our character than
giving our all to a difficult task.

[ Note I have borrowed freely from President Obama’s Inaugural Address. See the entire
document here: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/20/us/politics/20text-
obama.html?_r=1&pagewanted=print . I believe it is a faithful rendering of the key ideas of
President Obama’s “master narrative”, but the finished product is my responsibility ]

Compare, also, the ideas expressed in this master narrative with these words form the Preamble:

We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice,
insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and
secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this
Constitution for the United States of America.

And of course the Declaration of Independence:

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by
their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of
Happiness.

Note also some of the key underlying assumptions/ideals that Obama’s master narrative assumes
and advances:

1. We are one people, but diverse in our gifts and backgrounds.

2. We are not afraid of challenge and hard work –we respect, honor and reward those who
meet challenges them with perseverance and determined effort.
3. Everyone should have an equal chance to obtain the rewards our society offers
4. Greed and selfishness have lead to our crisis – only a renewed sense of common purpose
and sacrifice can save us.
5. We must hold our government and ourselves accountable for the choices we make
individually and collectively.
6. To those who have been given much, much is expected. We must lead in efforts to help
those less fortunate.
7. There is no irreconcilable conflict between our ideals and our security.
8. Might does not make right, right makes right.