Barack Obama - The 44th President

[Daniel Silk]

An historic day today ;D

You can watch the latest on BBC News 24 - news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7459669.stm

[Prescription Art]

Shaka's tribute to the inauguration:

[Deleted]

Jan 20, 2009 15:12:50 GMT 1 @plurker said:

why do the yanks put their date like this 01/20/2009 and not the correct way like us brits 20/01/2009

[klyde]

Jan 20, 2009 14:31:39 GMT 1 Prescription Art said:

Shaka's tribute to the inauguration:

Is that OJ between Barrack and Malcolm X?

If so thats just sick!

[neale]

a great day indeed, the first black president AND they got rid of that last bozo..double plus!

[Daniel Silk]

Jan 20, 2009 14:30:53 GMT 1 Daniel Silk said:

An historic day today ;D

You can watch the latest on BBC News 24 - news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7459669.stm

Its the sort of day when you just have to sit back and watch it all ;D People in years to come will ask what were you doing and where did you watch this historic event ;D

[silvermyn]

Jan 20, 2009 17:02:00 GMT 1 Daniel Silk said:

Jan 20, 2009 14:30:53 GMT 1 Daniel Silk said:

An historic day today ;D

You can watch the latest on BBC News 24 - news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7459669.stm

Its the sort of day when you just have to sit back and watch it all ;D People in years to come will ask what were you doing and where did you watch this historic event ;D

I'll be watching Man Utd spank Derby in the Carling Cup semi tonight. However, I do appreaciate this is a historic date and I wish the best of luck for the new President of the United States of America.

[Macdeee]

From here...

www.fusshop.co.uk/blog.html

Amazing day for the US and the whole world.

[kennas]

Jan 20, 2009 17:13:21 GMT 1 Macdeee said:

From here...

www.fusshop.co.uk/blog.html

Amazing day for the US and the whole world.

Love that pic! All the best to BO today!!!

[rosstierney]

that rick warren sounded awful

[Guy Denning]

I know it's good to see the other election-thieving, war-mongering dufus gone, but... in all this post-Obama euphoria - remember the inane grins on the British faces when we got rid of the Tories? We thought Blair would be someone to remember; we weren't wrong.
I hope he does achieve his health-care reforms, upturn the fuckedup economic situation and pull the forces back behind his own national borders. But there's a big machine behind government - driven by multi-national industry and finance. All the good intentions in the world won't change a bloody thing.
If I'm wrong in four/eight years time please get in an orderly queue to tell me the world told me so.
I really would dearly love to be a less cynical b@stard.

[Sliding on the Walls]

uk.youtube.com/watch?v=y39vdTFQLos

[veralynn]

He's very popular tho isn't he?

[arcam]

Go Obama.......I think he's going to be a great President.

[Daniel Silk]

Sorry, gotta say it America just cant seem to do events like this as well as we can in the UK Saying that, I dont think a change of PM over here would get that sort of turnout on the streets ;D

[Gentle Mental]

ah.

don't see no shep poster this time...

[spirit]

Jan 20, 2009 17:56:40 GMT 1 Guy Denning said:

I know it's good to see the other election-thieving, war-mongering dufus gone, but... in all this post-Obama euphoria - remember the inane grins on the British faces when we got rid of the Tories? We thought Blair would be someone to remember; we weren't wrong.
I hope he does achieve his health-care reforms, upturn the f**kedup economic situation and pull the forces back behind his own national borders. But there's a big machine behind government - driven by multi-national industry and finance. All the good intentions in the world won't change a bloody thing.
If I'm wrong in four/eight years time please get in an orderly queue to tell me the world told me so.
I really would dearly love to be a less cynical b@stard.

Completely agree with you - Great to see the back of George "I believe human beings and fish can coexist peacefully" Bush.

But I think BO has very little/no chance of living up to people's expectations. Although it will at least be somewhat refreshing to have a president who can string a sentence together.

[spirit]

Jan 20, 2009 19:05:22 GMT 1 Daniel Silk said:

Sorry, gotta say it America just cant seem to do events like this as well as we can in the UK ;D

Wait till the Olympics Silky - you might reconsider.

[neale]

Very moving footage on the news tonight, amazed how much hope americans of all race seem to have in him... and to get rid of the last warmongering feckwit must be a great relief to them ,us and anyone who has any oil

[dodge]

Jan 20, 2009 19:15:55 GMT 1 Gentle Mental said:

ah.

don't see no shep poster this time...

;D

[graeme501]

Jan 20, 2009 17:13:21 GMT 1 Macdeee said:

From here...

www.fusshop.co.uk/blog.html

Amazing day for the US and the whole world.

that would make an amazing tshirt

[junkieart]

Guy, I agree with most of your post , but I'm not really sure that Blair can be blamed for what (The wicked witch) Thatcher has left any of us!! SHE sold fucking every fucking thing as quick as she could? Privatisation (is that a word now?) was everything sell short, and short profit. Ring any bells? I agree Labour have done crap, but what the hell can they do if there's nothing to trade/sell?
Although I'd blame everything on Thatcher (3 million plus on the dole, Selling Nucs, Selling Arms (Or was that her son?), Slavery, the fucking end of the world), I'm sure in a way her or her family have caused most of these. As I'm sure you know I'm loving the Thach!!!

One day she'll be brought to justice!!
Peace JA

[Guy Denning]

I'm not blaming Blair for Thatcher's policies - I hold the grinning mad bastard responsible for taking UK soldiers into a war that was illegal and executed in our name. Who knew that was coming when he came to power? And he topped that by becoming Middle Easy Peace Envoy. He's a screaming fecking hypocrite.

[Daniel Silk]

Jan 21, 2009 0:41:52 GMT 1 Guy Denning said:

I'm not blaming Blair for Thatcher's policies - I hold the grinning mad bastard responsible for taking UK soldiers into a war that was illegal and executed in our name. Who knew that was coming when he came to power? And he topped that by becoming Middle Easy Peace Envoy. He's a screaming fecking hypocrite.

I knew! It was clear right from the start the way people held Blair up as some sort of Saviour

I hope the Obama story dunt end up just the same

[goffy]

We did rejoice when Blair got in but to be honest, except for dragging us into an unjust war, Labour did achieve a lot under Blair. As someone who works in the NHS I have seen great improvements since Labour got in. The Labour government was never going to be everything to everyone but cresit were credit is due. He did fuk up with war though.

And Neale, I think that is Dr King and not O.J.

[etched]

Jan 21, 2009 0:49:39 GMT 1 goffy said:

We did rejoice when Blair got in but to be honest, except for dragging us into an unjust war, Labour did achieve a lot under Blair. As someone who works in the NHS I have seen great improvements since Labour got in. The Labour government was never going to be everything to everyone but cresit were credit is due. He did fuk up with war though.

And Neale, I think that is Dr King and not O.J.

check out obama's hair now - its gonna go grey in the future

[Daniel Silk]

Jan 21, 2009 1:02:05 GMT 1 etched said:

check out obama's hair now - its gonna go grey in the future

Yeah, he's looking older by the second You could see the stress on his face today

[hellomum]

I agree with Guy's point; "Things were meant to get better" with the election of young hip Labour PM Tony Blair. (Unfortunately in Lady Thatchers own words Tony Blair and New Labour were her "greatest achievements... We forced our opponents to change their minds")

May 1997 four weeks after coming to power a speech from the great Peacemaker that is Tony:

“Mine is the first generation able to contemplate the possibility that we may live our entire lives without going to war or sending our children to war. That is a prize beyond value and this agreement is a great contribution to it.”

Link to full transcript: www.number10.gov.uk/Page1022

All I suppose I and Guy are saying, is be cautious, actions speak louder than words.

I fear Obama's job is not to bring about any real CHANGE, but reinvent American Capitalism's image (so tainted by the naked emperor Cheney ala Bush) not necessarily change its roles.

Although He does have a mandate to evoke real change and people will listen and follow if he chooses to be radical in policy. Fingers crossed, but lets not pin all our hopes on one man, (surrounded by appointed people who unfortunately represent much of the same). The good news is; it was people's thirst for CHANGE that made this possible, without such people or thirst there would be no Obama.

Of course he will be different and better than the neo-maniacs but we will have to see if he can live up to those iconic cliches HOPE, PROGRESS AND CHANGE.

Actions will speak louder than any words.

In HOPE.

[manchestermike]

Jan 21, 2009 0:26:02 GMT 1 @junkieart said:

Guy, I agree with most of your post , but I'm not really sure that Blair can be blamed for what (The wicked witch) Thatcher has left any of us!! SHE sold f**king every f**king thing as quick as she could? Privatisation (is that a word now?) was everything sell short, and short profit. Ring any bells? I agree Labour have done crap, but what the hell can they do if there's nothing to trade/sell?
Although I'd blame everything on Thatcher (3 million plus on the dole, Selling Nucs, Selling Arms (Or was that her son?), Slavery, the f**king end of the world), I'm sure in a way her or her family have caused most of these. As I'm sure you know I'm loving the Thach!!!

One day she'll be brought to justice!!
Peace JA

The thing that people tend to forget was that when Thatcher took over Britain was in a state due a great deal to, but not entirely to, the previous government. She took over in a period of global recession and had to pull it round. This was impossible to do immediately and because there was no immediate changed she was lambasted from many quarters for it. All of a sudden she was the one held responsible for all the economy's ills of the previous 20 or so years.

People need to differentiate between opinion/heresay and facts. Just looking at the economy she took over when it was at the bottom and revitalised it, doing what was necessary to pull Britain out of the recession that we were in. Yes she upset people in the process, but a great leader is one who can put the county first and their popularity last. Yes there was high unemployment in her time, but things don't change overnight, what she did was pave the way for the country to become an economic power again, for example her stance with the trade unions, while a major factor in her unpopularity was 100% needed.

She took the country and fixed it, getting no thanks for it... Mr Blair and Mr Brown have managed to take it back to almost where we were in 1979 again, so maybe it's time for another strong leader to come in and sort us out, they won't be liked, but someone has to do it. Of course she makes mistakes, everyone does, you can't rule for the amount of time she did without them, but her legacy is a distinctly positive one.

Mr Obama and whoever takes over here next needs to realise that if you put your country before your popularity then things can be fixed... good luck to him

[LEVI C]

great post Mike! (bloody hell can you get any more stars?)