Special to USAfrica magazine (Houston) and USAfricaonline.com, the first Africa-owned, US-based newspaper published on the Internet.
By Chido Nwangwu. Follow on X (Twitter) @Chido247
On Wednesday, January 15, 2025, U.S President Joe Biden gave his last Oval Office address to his politically divided country.
Regardless of the partisan bickering and some other ideological differences, the transition to the new, certified elected President (Donald Trump) continues.
On Monday, this Monday January 20, 2925, former President Trump’s return to the White House will begin.
The presidential inauguration day is also Martin Luther King Jr. Day, a federal holiday.
Amidst and beyond his own share of successes and criticisms, as he leaves the White House, I think Biden’s assessments remain reasonable and realistic when he said a few hours ago that:
“A new challenge will certainly emerge in the months and years ahead.”
No matter the circumstances of contention and disputations, the transition has started, and they will continue.
Millions of Americans and people around the world are watching and wondering: what next?
Four years ago, Americans witnessed instances of domestic disturbances, unlawful incidents and insurrection
Biden’s farewell address to the nation warned of a developing “oligarchy” in the United States of America:
“I want to warn the country of some things that give me great concern. And this is a dangerous concern. And that’s the dangerous concentration of power in the hands of a very few ultra-wealthy people.”
The man who has been in public service for more than half a century noted:
“I want to warn the country of some things that give me great concern. And this is a dangerous concern. And that’s the dangerous concentration of power in the hands of a very few ultra-wealthy people…. Today, an oligarchy is taking shape in America of extreme wealth, power and influence that literally threatens our entire democracy, our basic rights and freedoms, and a fair shot for everyone to get ahead.”
Mr. Biden who is 82 years recalled that
“They didn’t punish the wealthy. They just made the wealthy play by the rules everybody else had to. Workers wanted rights to earn their fair share. They were dealt into the deal, and it helped put us on a path to building the largest middle class and the most prosperous century any nation in the world has ever seen. We’ve got to do that again.”
He cautioned: “I’m equally concerned about the potential rise of a tech industrial complex that could pose real dangers for our country, as well.”
The 46th U.S. President
argued that “Americans are being buried under an avalanche of misinformation and disinformation, enabling the abuse of power. The free press is crumbling, editors are disappearing…. Social media is giving up on fact checking. The truth is smothered by lies told for power and for profit. We must hold the social platforms accountable to protect our children, our families and our very democracy from the abuse of power.”
In projecting some aspects of his legacy, he said that:
“It will take time to feel the full impact of what we’ve done together. But the seeds are planted, and they’ll grow and they’ll bloom for decades to come.”
In a letter to Americans which he released a few days earlier, Biden reminded the country:
“I ran for president because I believed that the soul of America was at stake. The very nature of who we are was at stake. And, that’s still the case.”
Soon, time will tell.
•Dr. Chido Nwangwu, author of the forthcoming book, MLK, Mandela & Achebe: Power, Leadership and Identity., is the Founder of the first African-owned, U.S-based newspaper on the internet, USAfricaonline.com, and established USAfrica in 1992 in Houston. He has appeared as an analyst on CNN, ALJazeera, SKYnews, and served as an adviser on Africa business to Houston’s former Mayor Lee Brown. Follow on X (Twitter) @Chido247
