OBAMA: My fellow citizens:

I stand here today humbled by the task before us, grateful for the trust you have bestowed, mindful of the sacrifices borne by our ancestors. I thank President Bush for his service to our nation, as well as the generosity and cooperation he has shown throughout this transition.

Forty-four Americans have now taken the presidential oath. The words have been spoken during rising tides of prosperity and the still waters of peace. Yet, every so often the oath is taken amidst gathering clouds and raging storms. At these moments, America has carried on not simply because of the skill or vision of those in high office, but because we the people have remained faithful to the ideals of our forebears, and true to our founding documents.

So it has been. So it must be with this generation of Americans.

That we are in the midst of crisis is now well understood. Our nation is at war, against a far-reaching network of violence and hatred. Our economy is badly weakened, a consequence of greed and irresponsibility on the part of some, but also our collective failure to make hard choices and prepare the nation for a new age. Homes have been lost; jobs shed; businesses shuttered. Our health care is too costly; our schools fail too many; and each day brings further evidence that the ways we use energy strengthen our adversaries and threaten our planet.

These are the indicators of crisis, subject to data and statistics. Less measurable but no less profound is a sapping of confidence across our land — a nagging fear that America's decline is inevitable, and that the next generation must lower its sights.

Today I say to you that the challenges we face are real. They are serious and they are many. They will not be met easily or in a short span of time. But know this, America — they will be met.

On this day, we gather because we have chosen hope over fear, unity of purpose over conflict and discord.

On this day, we come to proclaim an end to the petty grievances and false promises, the recriminations and worn out dogmas, that for far too long have strangled our politics.

We remain a young nation, but in the words of Scripture, the time has come to set aside childish things. The time has come to reaffirm our enduring spirit; to choose our better history; to carry forward that precious gift, that noble idea, passed on from generation to generation: the God-given promise that all are equal, all are free and all deserve a chance to pursue their full measure of happiness.

In reaffirming the greatness of our nation, we understand that greatness is never a given. It must be earned. Our journey has never been one of shortcuts or settling for less. It has not been the path for the faint-hearted — for those who prefer leisure over work, or seek only the pleasures of riches and fame. Rather, it has been the risk-takers, the doers, the makers of things — some celebrated but more often men and women obscure in their labor, who have carried us up the long, rugged path towards prosperity and freedom.

For us, they packed up their few worldly possessions and traveled across oceans in search of a new life.

For us, they toiled in sweatshops and settled the West; endured the lash of the whip and plowed the hard earth.

For us, they fought and died, in places like Concord and Gettysburg; Normandy and Khe Sanh.

Time and again these men and women struggled and sacrificed and worked till their hands were raw so that we might live a better life. They saw America as bigger than the sum of our individual ambitions; greater than all the differences of birth or wealth or faction.

This is the journey we continue today. We remain the most prosperous, powerful nation on Earth. Our workers are no less productive than when this crisis began. Our minds are no less inventive, our goods and services no less needed than they were last week or last month or last year. Our capacity remains undiminished. But our time of standing pat, of protecting narrow interests and putting off unpleasant decisions — that time has surely passed. Starting today, we must pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and begin again the work of remaking America.

For everywhere we look, there is work to be done. The state of the economy calls for action, bold and swift, and we will act — not only to create new jobs, but to lay a new foundation for growth. We will build the roads and bridges, the electric grids and digital lines that feed our commerce and bind us together. We will restore science to its rightful place, and wield technology's wonders to raise health care's quality and lower its cost. We will harness the sun and the winds and the soil to fuel our cars and run our factories. And we will transform our schools and colleges and universities to meet the demands of a new age. All this we can do. All this we will do.

Now, there are some who question the scale of our ambitions — who suggest that our system cannot tolerate too many big plans. Their memories are short. For they have forgotten what this country has already done; what free men and women can achieve when imagination is joined to common purpose, and necessity to courage.

What the cynics fail to understand is that the ground has shifted beneath them — that the stale political arguments that have consumed us for so long no longer apply. The question we ask today is not whether our government is too big or too small, but whether it works — whether it helps families find jobs at a decent wage, care they can afford, a retirement that is dignified. Where the answer is yes, we intend to move forward. Where the answer is no, programs will end. Those of us who manage the public's dollars will be held to account — to spend wisely, reform bad habits, and do our business in the light of day — because only then can we restore the vital trust between a people and their government.

Nor is the question before us whether the market is a force for good or ill. Its power to generate wealth and expand freedom is unmatched, but this crisis has reminded us that without a watchful eye, the market can spin out of control — and that a nation cannot prosper long when it favors only the prosperous. The success of our economy has always depended not just on the size of our gross domestic product, but on the reach of our prosperity; on our ability to extend opportunity to every willing heart — not out of charity, but because it is the surest route to our common good.

As for our common defense, we reject as false the choice between our safety and our ideals. Our founding fathers ... our found fathers, faced with perils we can scarcely imagine, drafted a charter to assure the rule of law and the rights of man, a charter expanded by the blood of generations. Those ideals still light the world, and we will not give them up for expedience's sake. And so to all the other peoples and governments who are watching today, from the grandest capitals to the small village where my father was born: know that America is a friend of each nation and every man, woman, and child who seeks a future of peace and dignity, and that we are ready to lead once more.

Recall that earlier generations faced down fascism and communism not just with missiles and tanks, but with sturdy alliances and enduring convictions. They understood that our power alone cannot protect us, nor does it entitle us to do as we please. Instead, they knew that our power grows through its prudent use; our security emanates from the justness of our cause, the force of our example, the tempering qualities of humility and restraint.

We are the keepers of this legacy. Guided by these principles once more, we can meet those new threats that demand even greater effort — even greater cooperation and understanding between nations. We will begin to responsibly leave Iraq to its people, and forge a hard-earned peace in Afghanistan. With old friends and former foes, we will work tirelessly to lessen the nuclear threat, and roll back the specter of a warming planet. We will not apologize for our way of life, nor will we waver in its defense, and for those who seek to advance their aims by inducing terror and slaughtering innocents, we say to you now that our spirit is stronger and cannot be broken; you cannot outlast us, and we will defeat you.

For we know that our patchwork heritage is a strength, not a weakness. We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus — and non-believers. We are shaped by every language and culture, drawn from every end of this Earth; and because we have tasted the bitter swill of civil war and segregation, and emerged from that dark chapter stronger and more united, we cannot help but believe that the old hatreds shall someday pass; that the lines of tribe shall soon dissolve; that as the world grows smaller, our common humanity shall reveal itself; and that America must play its role in ushering in a new era of peace.

To the Muslim world, we seek a new way forward, based on mutual interest and mutual respect. To those leaders around the globe who seek to sow conflict, or blame their society's ills on the West — know that your people will judge you on what you can build, not what you destroy. To those who cling to power through corruption and deceit and the silencing of dissent, know that you are on the wrong side of history; but that we will extend a hand if you are willing to unclench your fist.

To the people of poor nations, we pledge to work alongside you to make your farms flourish and let clean waters flow; to nourish starved bodies and feed hungry minds. And to those nations like ours that enjoy relative plenty, we say we can no longer afford indifference to the suffering outside our borders; nor can we consume the world's resources without regard to effect. For the world has changed, and we must change with it.

As we consider the road that unfolds before us, we remember with humble gratitude those brave Americans who, at this very hour, patrol far-off deserts and distant mountains. They have something to tell us, just as the fallen heroes who lie in Arlington whisper through the ages. We honor them not only because they are guardians of our liberty, but because they embody the spirit of service; a willingness to find meaning in something greater than themselves. And yet, at this moment — a moment that will define a generation — it is precisely this spirit that must inhabit us all.

For as much as government can do and must do, it is ultimately the faith and determination of the American people upon which this nation relies. It is the kindness to take in a stranger when the levees break, the selflessness of workers who would rather cut their hours than see a friend lose their job which sees us through our darkest hours. It is the firefighter's courage to storm a stairway filled with smoke, but also a parent's willingness to nurture a child, that finally decides our fate.

Our challenges may be new. The instruments with which we meet them may be new. But those values upon which our success depends — hard work and honesty, courage and fair play, tolerance and curiosity, loyalty and patriotism — these things are old. These things are true. They have been the quiet force of progress throughout our history. What is demanded then is a return to these truths. What is required of us now is a new era of responsibility — a recognition, on the part of every American, that we have duties to ourselves, our nation, and the world, duties that we do not grudgingly accept but rather seize gladly, firm in the knowledge that there is nothing so satisfying to the spirit, so defining of our character, than giving our all to a difficult task.

This is the price and the promise of citizenship.

This is the source of our confidence — the knowledge that God calls on us to shape an uncertain destiny.

This is the meaning of our liberty and our creed — why men and women and children of every race and every faith can join in celebration across this magnificent Mall, and why a man whose father less than sixty years ago might not have been served at a local restaurant can now stand before you to take a most sacred oath.

So let us mark this day with remembrance, of who we are and how far we have traveled. In the year of America's birth, in the coldest of months, a small band of patriots huddled by dying campfires on the shores of an icy river. The capital was abandoned. The enemy was advancing. The snow was stained with blood. At a moment when the outcome of our revolution was most in doubt, the father of our nation ordered these words be read to the people:

"Let it be told to the future world ... that in the depth of winter, when nothing but hope and virtue could survive...that the city and the country, alarmed at one common danger, came forth to meet (it)."

America, in the face of our common dangers, in this winter of our hardship, let us remember these timeless words. With hope and virtue, let us brave once more the icy currents, and endure what storms may come. Let it be said by our children's children that when we were tested we refused to let this journey end, that we did not turn back nor did we falter; and with eyes fixed on the horizon and God's grace upon us, we carried forth that great gift of freedom and delivered it safely to future generations.

Thank you. God bless you. And God bless the United States of America.

    今天，迎来了中国共产党建党87年之际。似乎要写的东西很多很多。首先我以一个关注中国发展的党外人士来提出我的看法。中国没有共产党，也就没有现在蓬勃发展的中国。现在我们有必要回顾中国共产党为中国所作出的历史贡献。

    自从中国共产党成立起，中国共产党（以下简称：中共）就是代表最广大人民群众的根本利益，中共基本来之无产阶级，最有战斗力，能在成立之处抵御国民党的反围剿就说明问题。抗战时与国民党第二次合作战胜日本，说明中共是为了中华民族的生存独立发展而战斗的。与国民党的内战则是不得已而为之，中共以弱胜强战胜了国民党也说明国民党的确失去了民意。这阶段是中共建立政权的时期，改朝换代成功只能说国民党太无能，人民期待中共能带领人民走上富强幸福之路。

    接下来是中华人民共和国的成立到1978年之间，这段时间是激情、恐惧、崛起、封闭的时代。激情来之新中国的成立，建设新中国的满腔真挚热情。人民有理想，有追求，是人定胜天的时代。恐惧来之文革引起的内乱，来之经济的萧条，来之温饱不能解决引起的饥饿，人民的生活质量一直得不到提高，还有些退步。这些也导致了后来的稳定压倒一切，发展才是硬道理。崛起主要是中国的军事上的，第三次援助朝鲜直接与美军直接PK，（朝鲜历来是中国保护国。这次基本是中国出人，苏联出枪炮）最后平手的结局让老美认识到中国再也不是之1840年中英鸦片战争以来从来没有战胜过外敌的中国，这也奠定了中国在世界上的军事地位。接着是两弹一星核潜艇洲际导弹的问世，我们要感谢毛，是他的留给了我们至今乃至将来很长一段时间都能发挥作用的看家之宝。封闭，再次落后，经济文化军事再次拉开与世界的距离。我觉得这段时间中国犹如一头刚睡醒的雄狮，虽然醒来，但是走起来还很踉跄，但是毕竟醒来了。

    中共的瓶颈期是从1978年到2002年胡主席上台期间，这是中共的关键期。中国历史上很多朝代没有能平稳的度过瓶颈、或者是流血来度过的。邓小平的功绩在于让中国打开国门，与世界融合在一起，并带来思想上的解放，让中国人走上富强之路。这是邓小平在他那个历史时期的功绩。

    现在，我们生活在胡景涛时代。现在的时代赋予中共及胡主席什么样的历史责任呢？

    现在是一个金钱至上的时代，是一个没有信仰的时代，是一个欺骗的时代，是一个利益团体的时代。金钱是驱使人的唯一理由，金钱成了评价一个人成功与否的唯一标志；我们现在还有信仰吗？信仰共产主义？耶稣？佛主？不知道。乡长骗县长，县长骗市长，市长骗省长，省长骗中央。我们该相信谁？百姓总该有一个信任的渠道。二十年前群众的眼睛是雪亮的，现在为何都成了不明真相的人？官官相护必将引起腐败，腐败必将引起百姓反抗，引起社会的不稳定。改朝换代应该不是中共中央想看到的。所以强力建议中央强硬治理腐败，治理官官相护。至少现在百姓还相信中央。我想胡主席的历史责任应该在与中共本身的建设：党内民主、官员财产公开、简化机构、接受百姓监督真正实现人民是最高权力拥有者。不然历史上的世袭又将出现，中共将会腐化老去，被压抑的百姓必然欢迎新的力量。百姓只想过些好日子，不把百姓逼到用死亡来反抗的地步，谁愿意惹不必要的麻烦。希望胡主席在接下来的几年能做些更实际的事情，给自己留下应有的历史地位。

    无数的历史经验说明：善待人民、励精图治、开放透明的政府能够长治久安，千万别出现像明朝那样下三烂的王朝。大清至少给华人带来了西藏，新疆，青海，内蒙，台湾，东北，带来了中国的第三次盛世。不要连满清都不如。好了，87年的中国共产党应该好好解决自己的问题了。解决好，中国的复兴才有希望。

 

下面是由报道最近贵州瓮安事件的新闻想到的：

“少数不法分子”“趁机”“煽动”“不明真相的群众”，而后“不明真相的群众”就会一哄而上，造成所谓群体性事件。　　　　
　　倘若留心，就会发现它的应用相当广泛。或许是司空见惯，便很少有人来考虑这些词汇的合法性、合理性。——当然这个“很少有人”是没什么数据支持的判断，但如果要这样深究，则前面的“少数”“不法”也缺乏数据支持。　　　　
　　这就是问题所在。首先，由谁来确定“不法”？空口无凭，即使是司法机关，现在也不能仅仅凭着一张嘴来断人过恶。常识告诉我们，对于尚未经法定程序定罪的，要说犯罪嫌疑人，而不是犯人。那么，在没有任何审判的情况下，张嘴就说“不法分子”，是否违宪？不法，不了哪一条法？分子，分的什么子？证据也好，解释也好，哪里有？要知道“分子”们到目前为也还是中国公民，只要有公民权，就应受宪法保护，而不是如现在这般未经审判，就随意被喉舌定成“不法”。　　　　
　　其次，怎样来判定“少数”？对于十三亿人来说，百人、千人、万人都是少数，推而广之，南湖船上那十二不但可说是少数，更可以说“一小撮”了。但少数并不代表就是谬误，更不能因为其所谓“少数”便断言“不法”，进而剥夺他们要求公正、被法律保护的权利。何况网络发达的今日，有照片，有视频，有民意，有是非黑白，则少数之说到底真假，一看便知。　　　　
　　第三，什么叫做“不明真相”？真相为何，有关部门有无调查过？以事发的突然、结论下的匆促，哪里来调查真相的时间？既然如此，为何就能一口咬定群众们是“不明真相”？退一步说，确实记者兵贵神速，第一时间掌握了事情的真相，那为何不向“不明真相的群众”解说？所谓真金不怕火炼，既然是真相，没什么不可见人。
　　以上三点，纯属咬文嚼字，与具体事件无涉，只是单纯地惊讶，文革至今已数十年，改革开放也有数十年，我们的词汇水平何以仍然贫瘠如斯。我自己也属于不明真相的群众，是以亟盼有大人老爷解惑，不胜感激。

     为何没有从大地震的开明与周老虎的昧味有所长进呢？

四分之一决赛[五]
8月15日 G组第1vsE或F组第3(Q3) 18:00 上海体育场

 

半决赛[一]
8月18日 Q2vsQ4(S2)   18:00 上海体育场

中华民国第12任总统马英九伉俪及副总统萧万长伉俪昨天上午(5月20日)参加在台北小巨蛋举行的就职庆祝大会，总统并以“人民奋起，台湾新生”为题，发表就职演说，演说全文为：
　　各位友邦元首、各位贵宾、各位侨胞、各位乡亲父老、各位电视机前与网路上的朋友，大家早安，大家好！
　　一、二次政党轮替的历史意义
　　今年三月二十二日中华民国总统选举，台湾人民投下了改变台湾未来的一票。今天，我们在这里不是庆祝政党或个人的胜利，而是一起见证，台湾的民主已经跨越了一个历史性的里程碑。
　　我们的民主走过了一段颠簸的道路，现在终于有机会迈向成熟的坦途。在过去这一段波折的岁月里，人民对政府的信赖跌到谷底，政治操作扭曲了社会的核心价值，人民失去了经济安全感，台湾的国际支持也受到空前的折损。值得庆幸的是，跟很多年轻的民主国家相比，我们民主成长的阵痛期并不算长，台湾人民却能展现日趋成熟的民主风范，在关键时刻，作出明确的抉择：人民选择政治清廉、经济开放、族群和谐、两岸和平与迎向未来。
　　尤其重要的是，台湾人民一同找回了善良、正直、勤奋、诚信、包容、进取这一些传统的核心价值。这一段不平凡的民主成长经验，让我们获得了“台湾是亚洲和世界民主的灯塔”的赞誉，值得所有台湾人引以为傲。显然，中华民国已经成为一个受国际社会尊敬的民主国家。
　　不过，我们不会以此自满。我们要进一步追求民主品质的提升与民主内涵的充实，让台湾大步迈向“优质的民主”：在宪政主义的原则下，人权获得保障、法治得到贯彻、司法独立而公正、公民社会得以蓬勃发展。台湾的民主将不会再有非法监听、选择性办案、以及政治干预媒体或选务机关的现象。这是我们共同的愿景，也是我们下一阶段民主改革的目标。
　　在开票当天，全球有数亿的华人透过电视与网路的直播，密切关注选举的结果。因为台湾是全球唯一在中华文化土壤中，顺利完成二次政党轮替的民主范例，是全球华人寄以厚望的政治实验。如果这个政治实验能够成功，我们将为全球华人的民主发展作出史无前例的贡献，这是我们无法推卸的历史责任。
　　二、新时代的任务
　　未来新政府最紧迫的任务，就是带领台湾勇敢地迎接全球化带来的挑战。当前全球经济正处于巨变之中，新兴国家迅速崛起，我们必须快速提升台湾的国际竞争力，挽回过去流失的机会。当前全球经济环境的不稳定，将是我们振兴经济必须克服的困难。但是，我们深信，只要我们的战略正确、决心坚定，我们一定能达成我们的预定目标。
　　台湾是一个海岛，开放则兴盛、闭锁则衰败，这是历史的铁律。所以我们要坚持开放、大幅松绑、释放民间的活力、发挥台湾的优势；我们要引导企业立足台湾、联结亚太、布局全球；我们要协助劳工适应快速的科技变迁与产业调整；我们还要用心培育我们的下一代，让他们具有健全人格、公民素养、国际视野与终身学习的能力，同时要排除各种意识形态对教育的不当干扰。我们在回应全球化挑战的同时，一定要维护弱势群体的基本保障与发展的机会，也一定要兼顾台湾与全球生态环境的永续经营。
　　新政府另外一项重要任务就是导正政治风气，恢复人民对政府的信赖。我们将共同努力创造一个尊重人性、崇尚理性、保障多元、和解共生的环境。我们将促进族群以及新旧移民间的和谐，倡导政党良性竞争，并充分尊重媒体的监督与新闻自由。
　　新政府将树立廉能政治的新典范，严格要求官员的清廉与效能，并重建政商互动规范，防范金权政治的污染。我希望每一位行使公权力的公仆，都要牢牢记住“权力使人腐化，绝对的权力使人绝对的腐化”这一句著名的警语。我们将身体力行诚信政治，实践国民党“完全执政、完全负责”的政见。新政府所有的施政都要从全民福祉的高度出发，超越党派利益，贯彻行政中立。我们要让政府不再是拖累社会进步的绊脚石，而是领导台湾进步的发动机。
　　我坚信，中华民国总统最神圣的职责就是守护宪法。在一个年轻的民主国家，遵宪与行宪比修宪更重要。身为总统，我的首要任务就是树立宪法的权威与彰显守宪的价值。我一定会以身作则，严守宪政分际，真正落实权责相符的宪政体制。我们一定要做到：政府全面依法行政，行政院依法对立法院负责，司法机关落实法治人权，考试院健全文官体制，监察院纠弹违法失职。现在是我们建立优良宪政传统的最好机会，我们一定要牢牢把握。
　　我们要让台湾成为国际社会中受人敬重的成员。我们将以“尊严、自主、务实、灵活”作为处理对外关系与争取国际空间的指导原则。中华民国将善尽她国际公民的责任，在维护自由经济秩序、禁止核子扩散、防制全球暖化、遏阻恐怖活动、以及加强人道援助等全球议题上，承担我们应负的责任。我们要积极参与亚太区域合作，进一步加强与主要贸易伙伴的经贸关系，全面融入东亚经济整合，并对东亚的和平与繁荣作出积极贡献。
　　我们要强化与美国这一位安全盟友及贸易伙伴的合作关系；我们也要珍惜邦交国的情谊，信守相互的承诺；我们更要与所有理念相通的国家和衷共济，扩大合作。我们有防卫台湾安全的决心，将编列合理的国防预算，并采购必要的防卫性武器，以打造一支坚实的国防劲旅。追求两岸和平与维持区域稳定，是我们不变的目标。台湾未来一定要成为和平的缔造者，让国际社会刮目相看。
　　英九由衷的盼望，海峡两岸能抓住当前难得的历史机遇，从今天开始，共同开启和平共荣的历史新页。我们将以最符合台湾主流民意的“不统、不独、不武”的理念，在中华民国宪法架构下，维持台湾海峡的现状。一九九二年，两岸曾经达成“一中各表”的共识，随后并完成多次协商，促成两岸关系顺利的发展。英九在此重申，我们今后将继续在“九二共识”的基础上，尽早恢复协商，并秉持四月十二日在博鳌论坛中提出的“正视现实，开创未来；搁置争议，追求双赢”，寻求共同利益的平衡点。两岸走向双赢的起点，是经贸往来与文化交流的全面正常化，我们已经做好协商的准备。希望七月即将开始的周末包机直航与大陆观光客来台，能让两岸关系跨入一个崭新的时代。
　　未来我们也将与大陆就台湾国际空间与两岸和平协议进行协商。台湾要安全、要繁荣、更要尊严！唯有台湾在国际上不被孤立，两岸关系才能够向前发展。我们注意到胡锦涛先生最近三次有关两岸关系的谈话，分别是三月二十六日与美国布希总统谈到“九二共识”、四月十二日在博鳌论坛提出“四个继续”、以及四月二十九日主张两岸要“建立互信、搁置争议、求同存异、共创双赢”，这些观点都与我方的理念相当的一致。因此，英九愿意在此诚恳的呼吁：两岸不论在台湾海峡或国际社会，都应该和解休兵，并在国际组织及活动中相互协助、彼此尊重。两岸人民同属中华民族，本应各尽所能，齐头并进，共同贡献国际社会，而非恶性竞争、虚耗资源。我深信，以世界之大、中华民族智慧之高，台湾与大陆一定可以找到和平共荣之道。
　　英九坚信，两岸问题最终解决的关键不在主权争议，而在生活方式与核心价值。我们真诚关心大陆十三亿同胞的福祉，由衷盼望中国大陆能继续走向自由、民主与均富的大道，为两岸关系的长远和平发展，创造双赢的历史条件。
　　最近四川发生大地震，灾情十分的惨重，台湾人民不分党派，都表达由衷的关切，并愿意提供即时的援助，希望救灾工作顺利，灾民安置与灾区重建早日完成。
　　三、台湾的传承与愿景
　　从宣誓就职的这一刻开始，英九深知个人已经肩负二千三百万人民的付托，这是我一生最光荣的职务，也是我一生最重大的责任。英九虽然不是在台湾出生，但台湾是我成长的故乡，是我亲人埋骨的所在。我尤其感念台湾社会对我这样一个战后新移民的包容之义、栽培之恩与拥抱之情。我义无反顾，别无悬念，只有勇往直前，全力以赴！
　　四百多年来，台湾这块土地一直慷慨的接纳着先来后到的移民，滋养、庇护着我们，提供我们及后代子孙安身立命的空间，并以高峻的山峰、壮阔的大海，充实、淬砺着我们的心灵。我们继承的种种历史文化，不但在这片土地上得到延续，更得到扩充与创新，进而开创出丰盛多元的人文风景。
　　中华民国也在台湾得到了新生。在我任内，我们将庆祝中华民国开国一百周年。这一个亚洲最早诞生的民主共和国，在大陆的时间只有三十八年，在台湾的岁月却将超过一甲子。在这将近六十年间，中华民国与台湾的命运已经紧紧的结合在一起，共同经历了艰难险阻与悲欢岁月，更在追求民主的曲折道路上，有了长足的进步。国父孙中山先生的民主宪政理想，当年在中国大陆没有能够实现，但今天在台湾终于生根、开花、结果。
　　面对台湾的未来，英九充满了信心。多年来我走遍台湾各个角落，在与各行各业的互动当中，让我感受最深刻的就是：地无分南北，人无分老幼，善良、正直、勤奋、诚信、包容、进取这一些传统的核心价值，不但洋溢在台湾人的生活言行，也早已深植在台湾人的本性里。这是台湾一切进步力量的泉源，也是“台湾精神”的真谛。
　　盱衡时局，环顾东亚，台湾拥有绝佳的地理位置、珍贵的文化资产、深厚的人文素养、日渐成熟的民主、活力创新的企业、多元和谐的社会、活跃海内外的民间组织、遍布全球的爱乡侨民，以及来自世界各地的新移民。只要我们秉持“台湾精神”，善用我们的优势，并坚持“以台湾为主，对人民有利”的施政原则，我们一定可以将台澎金马建设为举世称羡的乐土、我们引以为傲的美丽家园。
　　台湾的振兴不只要靠政府的努力，更要靠人民的力量；需要借重民间的智慧、需要朝野协商合作、需要所有社会成员积极的投入。各位亲爱的父老兄弟姊妹们，我们要从此刻开始，卷起袖子，立即行动，打造美丽家园，为子孙奠定百年盛世的基础。让我们心连心、手牵手，大家一起来奋斗！
　　最在，请大家跟我一起高呼：
　　台湾民主万岁！

　 21世纪经济报