别了，乔·拜登！
2025年1月20日，拜登政府顺利过渡到特朗普政府。图片来源：公共领域
美国的传统是现任总统出席新总统的就职典礼，以展示和平权力交接的象征。尽管他的前任在他宣誓为美国总统时，不顾礼仪离去，但是拜登总统仍然保有政治家的风度，在白宫接待了继任总统，并目睹继任宣誓就职。
在拜登任期的最后一天，宣布对继任可能实施打击报复的一些对象给予预防性豁免，人员包括前共和党籍联邦众议员利兹·钱尼（Liz Cheney）、前美军参谋长联席会议主席马克·米利（Mark Milley）、以及前白宫首席医学顾问安东尼·福奇（Antony Fauci）。
拜登的继任自从去年11月赢得美国大选以来，就一再呼吁要起诉这些被他视为敌人的政治人物。拜登宣布豁免令时，赞扬这些公众人物是“民主的生命线”，“这些公务员对国家的服务既光荣又杰出，不应成为不正当和出于政治动机的起诉目标。”
其中的福奇医生作为美国首屈一指的传染病专家，曾在新冠疫情肆虐期间常常发表与时任总统不同的言论，因此一直遭到时任总统支持者的谩骂与攻击。一个曾经与福奇医生共事的科学家悲愤地说："罪犯可以二进宫，拯救无数生命的好人却要寻求预防性豁免，我真的看不懂这世界。"
拜登在任期的最后时刻预防性赦免了五名家庭成员，他在一份声明中表示，他这样做不是因为他们做错了什么，而是因为他担心他的继任会对他们进行政治攻击。
“我的家人遭受了无情的攻击和威胁，他们唯一的动机就是想伤害我——这是最糟糕的党派政治，”他在担任总统的最后声明中说道。“不幸的是，我没有理由相信这些攻击会结束。”
拜登预防性赦免了他的弟弟詹姆斯·B·拜登、詹姆斯的妻子萨拉·琼斯·拜登、拜登的妹妹瓦莱丽·拜登·欧文斯、欧文斯女士的丈夫约翰·T·欧文斯和拜登的另一个弟弗朗西斯·W·拜登。
白宫宣布赦免时，距离拜登总统任期结束仅剩不到 20 分钟，这时，他已经走进国会大厦圆形大厅去见证继任的宣誓就职，然后最后一次以总统身份离开国会大厦。
赦免家人，竟然成为一位为美国公共事业奉献了50年的长者最后的作为，这对继任者是何等的不信任啊！这真是美国的悲哀。
几天前，拜登的告别演讲也让人称奇。他没有简单地总结自己的任期，而是利用这个机会对未来表达了自己的担忧，并呼吁对国家的基本文件进行深刻改革。
这是他 50 多年政治生涯中最后一次重要演讲，这位即将离任的总统向美国人民发出了一系列警告，就像艾森豪威尔在 1961 年的告别演讲中表达了对“军事工业综合体”的担忧一样。可惜的是，没有多少人理会，大家都蜂拥着去拥抱新的行政人员。
拜登表示，“寡头政治正在美国形成”，因为权力和金钱越来越集中在少数人手中。我们不是要仇富，而是要让富人们按照规矩和法律行事，让富人们受到控制。他批评了“科技产业综合体”和社交媒体，称“真相被为了权力和利益而编造的谎言所扼杀”。他敦促美国继续应对气候变化，并表示“我们不能被迫牺牲未来。”
下面是节选译文：
“权力集中在极少数超级富豪手中，如果他们滥用权力，后果将非常严重。今天，一个拥有极端财富、权力和影响力的寡头政治正在美国形成，这实际上威胁着我们的整个民主、我们的基本权利和自由，以及每个人获得成功的公平机会。我们看到了整个美国所遭受的后果。我们以前也见过。
一个多世纪前，美国人民站起来反抗当时的强盗大亨，摧毁了托拉斯。他们没有惩罚富人。他们只是让富人按照规矩和法律行事。工人希望有权获得他们应得的份额。你知道，他们被卷入了交易，这帮助我们走上了建立全世界最庞大的中产阶级、世界上任何一个国家都从未见过的最繁荣的世纪的道路。我们必须再次这样做。
你知道，艾森豪威尔总统在他的告别演讲中谈到了军工联合体的危险。他警告我们，我引用他的话，'权力错位的灾难性崛起的可能性'。六十年后，我同样担心科技工业联合体的潜在崛起，这也可能对我们的国家构成真正的危险。
美国人正被大量错误信息和虚假信息所淹没，导致权力滥用。新闻自由正在崩溃。编辑正在消失。社交媒体正在放弃事实核查。真相被为了权力和利润而编造的谎言所掩盖。我们必须让社交平台承担责任，保护我们的孩子、我们的家庭和我们的民主免受权力滥用。与此同时，人工智能是我们这个时代，甚至可能是有史以来最重要的技术。
没有什么能比人工智能给我们的经济、安全、社会，以及人类带来更深刻的可能性和风险。人工智能甚至有可能帮助我们响应我的号召，终结癌症。但除非有保障措施，否则人工智能可能会对我们的权利、生活方式、隐私、工作方式以及保护国家的方式产生新的威胁。我们必须确保人工智能安全可靠，对全人类都有好处。”
对于一位一向以乐观著称的政治家而言，这无疑是一份严峻的评估。而从继任者的宣誓就职典礼上，那些大亨们站在内阁大臣之前的场景中，似乎可以印证拜登总统所警示的“寡头政治”正在美国悄然成形，并非空穴来风。。
2025 年 1 月 20 日，华盛顿，第 60 届总统就职典礼在美国国会大厦圆形大厅举行，左起分别是：马克·扎克伯格、劳伦·桑切斯（Lauren Sanchez）、杰夫·贝索斯（Jeff Bezos）和桑达尔·皮查伊（Sundar Pichai）。图片来源：公共领域
“但见新人笑，那闻旧人哭。”在欢庆的喧嚣中，在对美国黄金时代来到的憧憬中，不妨静下心来，翻阅拜登的告别演说，冷静思考：如何平衡内政需求与全球责任？如何在多元文化中实现真正的团结？又如何为未来世代构建一个更加包容、公正与稳定的社会？
别了，乔·拜登！愿上帝保佑美国！
拜登总统告别演讲原文：
President Biden delivered a 17-minute farewell address to the United States on Wednesday. Below is a full transcript of his speech.
My fellow Americans, I’m speaking to you tonight from the Oval Office. Before I begin, let me speak to important news from earlier today. After eight months of nonstop negotiation, my administration — by my administration — a cease-fire and a hostage deal has been reached by Israel and Hamas, the elements of which I laid out in great detail in May of this year.
This plan was developed and negotiated by my team, and it will be largely implemented by the incoming administration. That’s why I told my team to keep the incoming administration fully informed. Because that’s how it should be: Working together as Americans. This will be my final address to you, the American people, from the Oval Office, from this desk, as president. And I’ve been thinking a lot about who we are and, maybe more importantly, who we should be.
Long ago, in New York Harbor, an ironworker installed beam after beam, day after day. He was joined by steel workers, stonemasons, engineers. They built not just a single structure, but a beacon of freedom. The very idea of America was so big, we felt the entire world needed to see the Statue of Liberty, a gift from France after our Civil War. Like the very idea of America, it was built not by one person but by many people, from every background, and from around the world.
Like America, the Statue of Liberty is not standing still. Her foot literally steps forward atop a broken chain of human bondage. She’s on the march. And she literally moves. She was built to sway back and forth to withstand the fury of stormy weather, to stand the test of time because storms are always coming. She sways a few inches, but she never falls into the current below. An engineering marvel.
The Statue of Liberty is also an enduring symbol of the soul of our nation, a soul shaped by forces that bring us together and by forces that pull us apart. And yet, through good times and tough times, we have withstood it all. A nation of pioneers and explorers, of dreamers and doers, of ancestors native to this land, of ancestors who came by force. A nation of immigrants who came to build a better life. A nation holding the torch of the most powerful idea ever in the history of the world: that all of us, all of us are created equal. That all of us deserve to be treated with dignity, justice and fairness. That democracy must defend, and be defined, and be imposed, moved in every way possible: Our rights, our freedoms, our dreams. But we know the idea of America, our institution, our people, our values that uphold it, are constantly being tested.
Ongoing debates about power and the exercise of power. About whether we lead by the example of our power or the power of our example. Whether we show the courage to stand up to the abuse of power, or we yield to it. After 50 years at the center of all of this, I know that believing in the idea of America means respecting the institutions that govern a free society — the presidency, the Congress, the courts, a free and independent press. Institutions that are rooted — not just reflect the timeless words, but they — they echo the words of the Declaration of Independence: “We hold these truths to be self-evident.” Rooted in the timeless words of the Constitution: “We the People.” Our system of separation of powers, checks and balances — it may not be perfect, but it’s maintained our democracy for nearly 250 years, longer than any other nation in history that’s ever tried such a bold experiment.
In the past four years, our democracy has held strong. And every day, I’ve kept my commitment to be president for all Americans, through one of the toughest periods in our nation’s history. I’ve had a great partner in Vice President Kamala Harris. It’s been the honor of my life to see the resilience of essential workers getting us through a once-in-a-century pandemic, the heroism of service members and first responders keeping us safe, the determination of advocates standing up for our rights and our freedoms.
Instead of losing their jobs to an economic crisis that we inherited, millions of Americans now have the dignity of work. Millions of entrepreneurs and companies, creating new businesses and industries, hiring American workers, using American products. And together, we have launched a new era of American possibilities: one of the greatest modernizations of infrastructure in our entire history, from new roads, bridges, clean water, affordable high-speed internet for every American.
We invented the semiconductor, smaller than the tip of my little finger, and now is bringing those chip factories and those jobs back to America where they belong, creating thousands of jobs. Finally giving Medicare the power to negotiate lower prescription drug prices for millions of seniors. And finally doing something to protect our children and our families by passing the most significant gun safety law in 30 years. And bringing violent crime to a 50-year low. Meeting our sacred obligation to over one million veterans so far who were exposed to toxic materials, and to their families, providing medical care and education benefits and more for their families.
You know, it will take time to feel the full impact of all we’ve done together. But the seeds are planted, and they’ll grow, and they’ll bloom for decades to come. At home, we have created nearly 17 million new jobs, more than any other single administration in a single term. More people have health care than ever before. And overseas, we have strengthened NATO. Ukraine is still free. And we’ve pulled ahead in our competition with China. And so much more. I’m so proud of how much we’ve accomplished together for the American people, and I wish the incoming administration success. Because I want America to succeed.
That’s why I’ve upheld my duty to ensure a peaceful and orderly transition of power to ensure we lead by the power of our example. I have no doubt that America is in a position to continue to succeed.
That’s why my farewell address tonight, I want to warn the country of some things that give me great concern. And this is a dangerous — and that’s the dangerous concentration of power in the hands of a very few ultrawealthy people, and the dangerous consequences if their abuse of power is left unchecked. 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. We see the consequences all across America. And we’ve seen it before.
More than a century ago, the American people stood up to the robber barons back then and busted the trusts. They didn’t punish the wealthy. They just made the wealthy play by the rules everybody else had. Workers want rights to earn their fair share. You know, they were dealt into the deal, and it helped put us on the path to building the largest middle class, the most prosperous century any nation the world has ever seen. We’ve got to do that again.
The last four years, that is exactly what we have done. People should be able to make as much as they can, but pay — play by the same rules, pay their fair share in taxes. So much is at stake. Right now, the existential threat of climate change has never been clearer. Just look across the country, from California to North Carolina. That’s why I signed the most significant climate and clean energy law ever, ever in the history of the world.
And the rest of the world is trying to model it now. It’s working, creating jobs and industries of the future. Now we have proven we don’t have to choose between protecting the environment and growing the economy. We’re doing both. But powerful forces want to wield their unchecked influence to eliminate the steps we’ve taken to tackle the climate crisis, to serve their own interests for power and profit. We must not be bullied into sacrificing the future, the future of our children and our grandchildren. We must keep pushing forward, and push faster. There is no time to waste. It is also clear that American leadership in technology is unparalleled, an unparalleled source of innovation that can transform lives. We see the same dangers in the concentration of technology, power and wealth.
You know, in his farewell address, President Eisenhower spoke of the dangers of the military-industrial complex. He warned us that about, and I quote, “The potential for the disastrous rise of misplaced power.” Six days — six decades later, I’m equally concerned about the potential rise of a tech-industrial complex that could pose real dangers for our country as well.
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. Meanwhile, artificial intelligence is the most consequential technology of our time, perhaps of all time.
Nothing offers more profound possibilities and risks for our economy, and our security, our society. For humanity. Artificial intelligence even has the potential to help us answer my call to end cancer as we know it. But unless safeguards are in place, A.I. could spawn new threats to our rights, our way of life, to our privacy, how we work, and how we protect our nation. We must make sure A.I. is safe and trustworthy and good for all humankind.
In the age of A.I., it’s more important than ever that the people must govern. And as the Land of Liberty, America — not China — must lead the world in the development of A.I.
You know, in the years ahead, it’s going to be up to the president, the presidency, the Congress, the courts, the free press, and the American people to confront these powerful forces. We must reform the tax code. Not by giving the biggest tax cuts to billionaires, but by making them begin to pay their fair share.
We need to get dark money — that’s that hidden funding behind too many campaign contributions — we need to get it out of our politics. We need to enact an 18-year time limit, term limit, time and term, for the strongest ethics — and the strongest ethics reforms for our Supreme Court. We need to ban members of Congress from trading stock while they are in the Congress. We need to amend the Constitution to make clear that no president, no president is immune from crimes that he or she commits while in office. The president’s power is not limit — it is not absolute. And it shouldn’t be.
And in a democracy, there is another danger — that the concentration of power and wealth. It erodes a sense of unity and common purpose. It causes distrust and division. Participating in our democracy becomes exhausting and even disillusioning, and people don’t feel like they have a fair shot. We have to stay engaged in the process. I know it’s frustrating. A fair shot is what makes America America. Everyone is entitled to a fair shot, not a guarantee, just a fair shot, an even playing field. Going as far as your hard work and talent can take you.
We can never lose that essential truth to remain who we are. I’ve always believed, and I told other world leaders, America will be defined by one word: possibilities. Only in America do we believe anything is possible. Like a kid with a stutter from modest beginnings in Scranton, Pennsylvania, and Claymont, Delaware, sitting behind this desk in the Oval Office as president of the United States.
That is the magic of America. It’s all around us. Upstairs in the residence of the White House, I’ve walked by a painting of a Statue of Liberty I don’t know how many times. In the painting there are several workers climbing on the outstretched arm of the statue that holds the torch. It reminds me every day I pass it of the story and soul of our nation, and the power of the American people.
There is a story of a veteran — a veteran, a son of an immigrant, whose job was to climb that torch and polish the amber panes so rays of light could reach out as far as possible. He was known as the keeper of the flame. He once said of the Statue of Liberty, “Speaks a silent, universal language, one of hope that anyone who seeks and speaks freedom can understand.”
Yes, we sway back and forth to withstand the fury of the storm, to stand the test of time, a constant struggle, constant struggle. A short distance between peril and possibility. But what I believe is the America of our dreams is always closer than we think. And it’s up to us to make our dreams come true.
Let me close by stating my gratitude to so many people. To the members of my administration, as well as public service and first responders across the country and around the world, thank you for stepping up to serve. To our service members and their families, it has been the highest honor of my life to lead you as commander in chief.
And of course, to Kamala and her incredible partner. A historic vice president. She and Doug have become like family. And to me, family is everything.
My deepest appreciation to our amazing first lady who is with me in the Oval today. For our entire family. You are the love of my life and the life of my love.
My eternal thanks to you, the American people. After 50 years of public service, I give you my word, I still believe in the idea for which this nation stands — a nation where the strength of our institutions and the character of our people matter and must endure. Now it’s your turn to stand guard. May you all be the keeper of the flame. May you keep the faith. I love America. You love it, too.
God bless you all, and may God protect our troops. Thank you for this great honor.
END 
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