Others were back to see Obama's inaugural speech a second time.

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Imagine a happy turn of events in Iran, a breakthrough between Israelis and Palestinians, the return of prosperity in Europe, a successful push by liberal democratic forces in the Arab uprising countries, which could create new opportunities, lowering risks around the world, easing trade, restoring confidence and improving the chances for the very agenda Obama described in his inaugural speech.

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Obama took time out of his sweeping inaugural speech to single this issue out as important.

FORBES: Dear President Obama: Want Equal Pay for Equal Work? Here's Where to Start.

But in his inaugural speech on Monday, President Obama highlighted equal pay as one of many important goals.

FORBES: Dear President Obama: Want Equal Pay for Equal Work? Here's Where to Start.

In the midst of all of this there are signals, for example in his inaugural speech, that President Barack Obama intends to continue with a policy of non-intervention.

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At a little more than 2, 100 words, Obama's speech was about 300 shorter than his first inaugural address four years earlier.

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President Barack Obama struck a conciliatory note toward Muslims around the world in his inaugural speech.

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Instead, his well-written speech -- presented as a refutation of President Barack Obama's second inaugural address -- was incomplete and dominated by many of the straw-man arguments he decried.

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While only Obama knows if he will scale back his speech from the 2, 395 words of four years ago, other inaugural staples are being reduced this time.

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