January 20, 2005
Kampala, Uganda.

OPINION

THE BUSH INAUGURAL SPEECH THAT ADDRESSED THE WORLD MORE THAN IT FOCUSED ON DOMESTIC AMERICAN ISSUES.

Finally the deed was done. And the act was performed with pomp, dignity and lavishness that can only be found in America. Watching G W Bush's second inauguration ceremony on television thousands of miles away, one would have been easily excused for recalling the well-choreographed funeral of the late Ronald Reagan last year in his Simi Valley, California. Only that GW Bush's ceremony lacked the solemnity, the tears and a galaxy of international states men and women that graced Ronny's final moments.

One more thing, the Reagan funeral was devoid of boycotts, street protesters, anxiety and a politically loaded speech that dominated G W Bush's second inauguration.

In August 2004, when I wrote a piece on the Republican Convention and suggested that the drum beats of war had been sounded by the Republican leading lights gathered at Madison Square in New York, a few Republican friends I know thought I was being too alarmist.

This time around, President Bush himself laid it on the line for all dictators, tyrants and terrorist sympathizers to see and hear from the horse's mouth. America would go to war to any corner of the globe in the name of freedom and liberty for all mankind.

The Bush that spoke on Capitol Hill last Thursday was a different Bush of four years ago. This one was more internationally focused, less concerned with domestic issues and seemed to focus his attention on freedoms and liberties of all oppressed people around the world

The speech was tacit and devoid of humor or niceties. It seemed to specifically address nations that America considers repressive and undemocratic. One could easily detect that Bush was addressing Saudi Arabia, North Korea, Egypt, Syria, Cuba, China and a host of other nations that either support international terrorism or practice authoritarian forms of government

Back home in Africa, one could easily see Robert Mugabe and his Zimbabwe fitting the bill of dictators and tyrants Bush was talking about.

He was emphatic that the force of human freedom would defeat the intentions of pretentious tyrants who cherish mortal threats of terror.

He made it abundantly clear that he, like most honorable Americans was acutely aware that American freedom depended on freedoms and liberties of other nations around the world, a pointer to the fact that if there were tyrants in Iran, Iraq, Syria, Cuba and other kingdoms in the Middle East, they became good breeding grounds for anti-American terrorists.

In his own words, he stated that he was a strong believer in the American tradition that no man had the right to be master over the other and no individual deserved to be a slave. That individual rights, liberties and freedoms were sacrosanct as they were given by God.

He promised to seek and support the growth of democratic movements around the world. Looked at another way, Bush was in fact saying that should one country be seen to be tyrannical and suppressive to its citizens, America in future under Bush, would not hesitate to intervene materially and militarily as it has done in Afghanistan and Iraq of late.

On domestic issues, he mentioned in passing that his administration would provide higher standards of education in schools, promote home and business ownership, encourage retirement savings, free Americans from want and fear and condemned racial bigotry in America.

What did Bush not talk about?
Whereas he mentioned freedom and liberty thirty-six times in his speech, there was no single mention of Iraq or Iran. Also left out were critical domestic agenda like the sagging economy, loss of millions of jobs, illegal immigrants, gay marriages and abortion issues.

Conspicuously missing also were his thawed relationships with America's traditional allies like Germany, France and a host of other NATO allies that differed with him over the invasion of Iraq

Africa and its perennial problems were completely ignored but he made it clear that those tyrants that may grudgingly concede some form of democratic reforms would in future find no sympathetic year in Washington for the next four years.

Millions of illegal immigrants in America who expected a reprieve from Bush as he has stated in the past by formalizing their residency status in the United States also heard no word from the President on his pledge.

Other side shows that reminded us in Kenya of the booing of President Moi during the handover ceremony two years ago, was the booing of John Kerry, Bush's opponent in the last elections when he arrived, a pointer that some levels of pettiness are not unique to African societies alone.

On another note, one democratic senator was reported to have stayed home to watch The Titanic, the movie at home rather than attend the ceremony! Was this a case of sour grapes?

On a brighter note, Senator Barrack Obama, that American of Kenyan origin was there in full view of the entire audience and seemed to have attracted television cameras in more or less equal measure with Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter.

As for what Bush and Condoleezza Rice will do for Africa, we can only wait and see.

Jerry Okungu

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