Two speeches
Since Boomer pundits, many of whom still idolize John Kennedy, dominate national political media, we’ll hear a lot this week about the 50th anniversary today of Kennedy’s famous inaugural speech of Jan. 20, 1961 (“Ask not what you can do for your country…”). But while Kennedy gave a fine speech, and his oratory really did inspire a generation, it’s not nearly as relevant to our country today as another speech given three days earlier: the Farewell Address of outgoing president Dwight Eisenhower.
“In the councils of government, we must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the military-industrial complex. The potential for the disastrous rise of misplaced power exists and will persist. We must never let the weight of this combination endanger our liberties or democratic processes. We should take nothing for granted. Only an alert and knowledgeable citizenry can compel the proper meshing of the huge industrial and military machinery of defense with our peaceful methods and goals so that security and liberty may prosper together.”
Today, politicians left and right flee from the notion that Americans should sacrifice for, well, anything, let alone as cheesy a notion as their country. Meanwhile, the military-industrial complex Eisenhower warned about now consumes well over half of the discretionary federal budget, and the US, in a development unprecedented in its history, is fighting two major wars, skirmishes in half a dozen others (most of which the average American can’t even name), spends staggering amounts of money on dazzling kill toys that achieve nothing beyond random civilian death, and maintains military bases in most of the Earth’s watersheds, with the apparent sole purpose of spending taxpayer money while guarding an ill-defined someone against a nebulous threat generated mostly by that same imperial presence.
Kennedy was of the World War II generation, the last time the nation actually willingly sacrificed for a common cause. 16 years later, calling for such an ideal didn’t seem like much of a stretch. Today, when most Americans have zero connection to the wars being fought in our names and with our tax dollars, Kennedy’s idealism seems quaint. Eisenhower’s warning, however, is all too real. Maybe that’s why it’s not getting nearly as much attention this week.
One more depressing thought: in 1961 two American statesmen gave speeches that still resonate 50 years later. Today, Barack Obama is certainly capable of that kind of oratory. But aside from Obama, is there any American politician that’s even capable of, let alone interested in, words that will stand that siort of test of time? I sure can’t think of any.
Comments
By Hobo Cynic on January 20th, 2011 at 11:28 am
Important speech, but it was too late then and much too late now.
-Hobo Cynic
hobocynic.blogspot.com