Q. What’s an example of irony?
A. Bruce Springsteen is scheduled to sing “Born in the USA” at Barack Obama’s inauguration.
http://barackobamajokes.googlepages.com/inauguration_jokes
A. Bruce Springsteen is scheduled to sing “Born in the USA” at Barack Obama’s inauguration.
Ironic, yes, but in more ways than one. The last line of the first verse couldn't be more apt: "... you spend half your life just covering up". Hmm...
On a more serious point: That song tells the tale of a young man pulled off the streets, trained for soldiering, sent to fight a war in a foreign land, in the name of defending freedom, and who discovers after his return that America has washed its hands of him.
Reagan came to the conclusion it was a "message of hope" (his words). We can only assume he never read the lyrics.
You have to ask, what does the choice of this song mean?