From Ronald Reagan's "A Time for Choosing" speech, given October 27, 1964 ...
Alexander Hamilton said, "A nation which can prefer disgrace to danger is prepared for a master, and deserves one." Now let's set the record straight. There's no argument over the choice between peace and war, but there's only one guaranteed way you can have peace -- and you can have it in the next second -- surrender.
Admittedly, there's a risk in any course we follow other than this, but every lesson of history tells us that the greater risk lies in appeasement, and this is the specter our well-meaning liberal friends refuse to face -- that their policy of accommodation is appeasement, and it gives no choice between peace and war, only between fight or surrender. If we continue to accommodate, continue to back and retreat, eventually we have to face the final demand -- the ultimatum.
The time for choosing, indeed. But what choice? The political landscape has been devoid of true leadership for nearly a generation, leaving the dilemma of choosing the leaper with the most fingers.
... and our stomach-turning, symbolism-over-substance "softness" in meeting the challenge ...
Solution? Learn, teach, act, and never settle.
Thank you, Kurt.
Alexander Hamilton said, "A nation which can prefer disgrace to danger is prepared for a master, and deserves one." Now let's set the record straight. There's no argument over the choice between peace and war, but there's only one guaranteed way you can have peace -- and you can have it in the next second -- surrender.
Admittedly, there's a risk in any course we follow other than this, but every lesson of history tells us that the greater risk lies in appeasement, and this is the specter our well-meaning liberal friends refuse to face -- that their policy of accommodation is appeasement, and it gives no choice between peace and war, only between fight or surrender. If we continue to accommodate, continue to back and retreat, eventually we have to face the final demand -- the ultimatum.
The time for choosing, indeed. But what choice? The political landscape has been devoid of true leadership for nearly a generation, leaving the dilemma of choosing the leaper with the most fingers.
Leadership is a potent combination of strategy and character. But if you must be without one, be without the strategy.
Norman SchwarzkopfDavid McCullough reminds us of our responsibility to the plan for "The Glorious Cause of America" ...
... and our stomach-turning, symbolism-over-substance "softness" in meeting the challenge ...
Solution? Learn, teach, act, and never settle.
Thank you, Kurt.
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