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奧巴馬的就職演說聽來像牧師「傳教」。他傳的教是美國立國的神話。

三十多年前，尼克遜當選連任美國總統，Paul Simon 寫了一首名叫 The American Tune 的歌來表達他的迷惘。看報道說有奧巴馬的組織拍了個競選廣告便是以這首歌作背景。

但 Paul Simon 的用意真的在批評共和黨或尼克遜嗎？

我看不是。他是對美國的立國神話發出了最大的疑問。

最諷刺的是牢騷發過以後，他在結尾時唱道﹕

Still, tomorrow’s going to be another working day
And I’m trying to get some rest
That’s all I’m trying to get some rest

明天又要上班去

還是早點休息

我只好這樣做了！

 

這是最無奈的千古之嘆！平民百姓像你與我又能做什麼？

 

Paul Simon 的這首歌，可以在 youtube 上聽到﹕

 

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AE3kKUEY5WU&feature=related

 

歌詞﹕

The American Tune

Many’s the time I’ve been mistaken
And many times confused
Yes, and I’ve often felt forsaken
And certainly misused
Oh, but I’m alright, I’m alright
I’m just weary to my bones
Still, you don’t expect to be
Bright and bon vivant
So far a-way from home, so far away from home

And I don’t know a soul who’s not been battered
I don’t have a friend who feels at ease
I don’t know a dream that’s not been shattered
or driven to its knees
but it’s alright, it’s alright
for we lived so well so long
Still, when I think of the
road we’re traveling on
I wonder what’s gone wrong
I can’t help it, I wonder what has gone wrong

And I dreamed I was dying
I dreamed that my soul rose unexpectedly
And looking back down at me
Smiled reassuringly
And I dreamed I was flying
And high up above my eyes could clearly see
The Statue of Liberty
Sailing away to sea
And I dreamed I was flying

We come on the ship they call the Mayflower
We come on the ship that sailed the moon
We come in the a-ge’s most uncertain hours
and sing an American tune
Oh, and it’s alright, it’s alright, it’s alright
You can’t be forever blessed
Still, tomorrow’s going to be another working day
And I’m trying to get some rest
That’s all I’m trying to get some rest

 

今年七月，當奧巴馬尚未穩操勝券時，我在美國與一位編輯討論美國選舉時曾這樣說:

（網誌見﹕New York！New York!）

 

To me, the U.S. needs a President who accepts that the U.S. is in irreversible decline and who can lead the nation to realize and come to terms with this new status.  Find your right place in the world, not the rightful place.  Ronald Reagan gave the last lion roar.  George W. Bush unconsciously imitated him and acted as if the U.S. had the same might as the days of JFK and Reagan.  It didn’t work.

China faces a similar problem but from the opposite direction.  We are certainly on the rise (大國崛起), but we are still unsure of our place in the world, and we are only too painfully aware that the world is equally unsure of us.  How to navigate ourselves over the perilous waters?

That is why the U.S. and China need to work together.  If these two countries can each deal with their new status and with each other in a sane and responsible fashion, we would have solved more than half of the entire world’s problems, political or environmental.

But I don’t see this happening yet. 

 

 

 

聽過奧巴馬的就職演說，我的想法更堅定。

他告訴國民﹕我們先輩艱辛立國，我們要效法他們．．．

我也是這樣教導我的姪女、外甥的。

但這種說教行得通嗎？

像Paul Simon 所言﹕我們離家太遠了，太遠了！

So far a-way from home, so far away from home！