罗斯福总统演讲The Four FreedomsWord格式.docx
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iaddressyou,themembersofthisnewcongress,atamomentunprecedentedinthehistoryoftheunion.iusetheword“unprecedented”becauseatnoprevioustimehasamericansecuritybeenasseriouslythreatenedfromwithoutasitistoday.
sincethepermanentformationofourgovernmentundertheconstitutionin1789,mostoftheperiodsofcrisisinourhistoryhaverelatedtoourdomesticaffairs.and,fortunately,onlyoneofthese--thefour-yearwarbetweenthestates--everthreatenedournationalunity.today,thankgod,130,000,000americansin48stateshaveforgottenpointsofthecompassinournationalunity.
itistruethatpriorto1914theunitedstatesoftenhasbeendisturbedbyeventsinothercontinents.wehaveevenengagedintwowarswitheuropeannationsandinanumberofundeclaredwarsinthewestindies,inthemediterraneanandinthepacific,forthemaintenanceofamericanrightsandfortheprinciplesofpeacefulcommerce.butinnocasehadaseriousthreatbeenraisedagainstournationalsafetyorourcontinuedindependence.
whatiseektoconveyisthehistorictruththattheunitedstatesasanationhasatalltimesmaintainedopposition--clear,definiteopposition--toanyattempttolockusinbehindanancientchinesewallwhiletheprocessionofcivilizationwentpast.today,thinkingofourchildrenandoftheirchildren,weopposeenforcedisolationforourselvesorforanyotherpartoftheamericas.
thatdeterminationofours,extendingoveralltheseyears,wasproved,forexample,intheearlydaysduringthequartercenturyofwarsfollowingthefrenchrevolution.whilethenapoleonicstrugglesdidthreateninterestsoftheunitedstatesbecauseofthefrenchfootholdinthewestindiesandinlouisiana,andwhileweengagedinthewarof1812tovindicateourrighttopeacefultrade,itisneverthelessclearthatneitherfrancenorgreatbritainnoranyothernationwasaimingatdominationofthewholeworld.
andinlikefashion,from1815to1914--ninety-nineyears--nosinglewarineuropeorinasiaconstitutedarealthreatagainstourfutureoragainstthefutureofanyotheramericannation.
exceptinthemaximilianinterludeinmexico,noforeignpowersoughttoestablishitselfinthishemisphere.andthestrengthofthebritishfleetintheatlantichasbeenafriendlystrength;
itisstillafriendlystrength.
evenwhentheworldwarbrokeoutin1914,itseemedtocontainonlysmallthreatofdangertoourownamericanfuture.butastimewenton,asweremember,theamericanpeoplebegantovisualizewhatthedownfallofdemocraticnationsmightmeantoourowndemocracy.
weneednotoveremphasizeimperfectionsinthepeaceofversailles.weneednotharponfailureofthedemocraciestodealwithproblemsofworldreconstruction.weshouldrememberthatthepeaceof1919wasfarlessunjustthanthekindofpacificationwhichbeganevenbeforemunich,andwhichisbeingcarriedonundertheneworderoftyrannythatseekstospreadovereverycontinenttoday.theamericanpeoplehaveunalterablysettheirfacesagainstthattyranny.
isupposethateveryrealistknowsthatthedemocraticwayoflifeisatthismomentbeingdirectlyassailedineverypartoftheworld--assailedeitherbyarmsorbysecretspreadingofpoisonouspropagandabythosewhoseektodestroyunityandpromotediscordinnationsthatarestillatpeace.during16longmonthsthisassaulthasblottedoutthewholepatternofdemocraticlifeinanappallingnumberofindependentnations,greatandsmall.andtheassailantsarestillonthemarch,threateningothernations,greatandsmall.
therefore,asyourpresident,performingmyconstitutionaldutyto“givetothecongressinformationofthestateoftheunion,”ifinditunhappilynecessarytoreportthatthefutureandthesafetyofourcountryandofourdemocracyareoverwhelminglyinvolvedineventsfarbeyondourborders.
armeddefenseofdemocraticexistenceisnowbeinggallantlywagedinfourcontinents.ifthatdefensefails,allthepopulationandalltheresourcesofeuropeandasia,andafricaandaustral-asiawillbedominatedbyconquerors.andletusrememberthatthetotalofthosepopulationsinthosefourcontinents,thetotalofthosepopulationsandtheirresourcesgreatlyexceedthesumtotalofthepopulationandtheresourcesofthewholeofthewesternhemisphere--yes,manytimesover.
intimesliketheseitisimmature--and,incidentally,untrue--foranybodytobragthatanunpreparedamerica,single-handedandwithonehandtiedbehinditsback,canholdoffthewholeworld.
norealisticamericancanexpectfromadictator’speaceinternationalgenerosity,orreturnoftrueindependence,orworlddisarmament,orfreedomofexpression,orfreedomofreligion--orevengoodbusiness.suchapeacewouldbringnosecurityforusorforourneighbors.thosewhowouldgiveupessentiallibertytopurchasealittletemporarysafetydeserveneitherlibertynorsafety.
asanationwemaytakeprideinthefactthatwearesoft-hearted;
butwecannotaffordtobesoft-headed.wemustalwaysbewaryofthosewhowithsoundingbrassandatinklingcymbalpreachthe“ism”ofappeasement.wemustespeciallybewareofthatsmallgroupofselfishmenwhowouldclipthewingsoftheamericaneagleinordertofeathertheirownnests.
ihaverecentlypointedouthowquicklythetempoofmodernwarfarecouldbringintoourverymidstthephysicalattackwhichwemusteventuallyexpectifthedictatornationswinthiswar.
thereismuchloosetalkofourimmunityfromimmediateanddirectinvasionfromacrosstheseas.obviously,aslongasthebritishnavyretainsitspower,nosuchdangerexists.eveniftherewerenobritishnavy,itisnotprobablethatanyenemywouldbestupidenoughtoattackusbylandingtroopsintheunitedstatesfromacrossthousandsofmilesofocean,untilithadacquiredstrategicbasesfromwhichtooperate.
butwelearnmuchfromthelessonsofthepastyearsineurope--particularlythelessonofnorway,whoseessentialseaportswerecapturedbytreacheryandsurprisebuiltupoveraseriesofyears.thefirstphaseoftheinvasionofthishemispherewouldnotbethelandingofregulartroops.thenecessarystrategicpointswouldbeoccupiedbysecretagentsandbytheirdupes--andgreatnumbersofthemarealreadyhereandinlatinamerica.aslongastheaggressornationsmaintaintheoffensivethey,notwe,willchoosethetimeandtheplaceandthemethodoftheirattack.
andthatiswhythefutureofalltheamericanrepublicsistodayinseriousdanger.thatiswhythisannualmessagetothecongressisuniqueinourhistory.thatiswhyeverymemberoftheexecutivebranchofthegovernmentandeverymemberofthecongressfacegreatresponsibility,greataccountability.theneedofthemomentisthatouractionsandourpolicyshouldbedevotedprimarily--almostexclusively--tomeetingthisforeignperil.forallourdomesticproblemsarenowapartofthegreatemergency.
justasournationalpolicyininternalaffairshasbeenbaseduponadecentrespectfortherightsandthedignityofallourfellowmenwithinourgates,soournationalpolicyinforeignaffairshasbeenbasedonadecentrespectfortherightsandthedignityofallnations,largeandsmall.andthejusticeofmoralitymustandwillwinintheend.
ournationalpolicyisthis:
first,byanimpressiveexpressionofthepublicwillandwithoutregardtopartisanship,wearecommittedtoall-inclusivenationaldefense.
secondly,byanimpressiveexpressionofthepublicwillandwithoutregardtopartisanship,wearecommittedtofullsupportofallthoseresolutepeopleeverywherewhoareresistingaggressionandaretherebykeepingwarawayfromourhemisphere.bythissupportweexpressourdeterminationthatthedemocraticcauseshallprevail,andwestrengthenthedefenseandthesecurityofourownnation.
third,byanimpressiveexpressionofthepublicwillandwithoutregardtopartisanship,wearecommittedtothepropositionthatprinciplesofmoralityandconsiderationsforourownsecuritywillneverpermitustoacquiesceinapeacedictatedbyaggressorsandsponsoredbyappeasers.weknowthatenduringpeacecannotbeboughtatthecostofotherpeople’sfreedom.
intherecentnationalelectiontherewasnosubstantialdifferencebetweenthetwogreatpartiesinrespecttothatnationalpolicy.noissuewasfoughtoutonthislinebeforetheamericanelectorate.andtodayitisabundantlyevidentthatamericancitizenseverywherearedemandingandsupportingspeedyandcompleteactioninrecognitionofobviousdanger.
therefore,theimmediateneedisaswiftanddrivingincreaseinourarmamentproduction.leadersofindustryandlaborhaverespondedtooursummons.goalsofspeedhavebeenset.insomecasesthesegoalsarebeingreachedaheadoftime.insomecasesweareonschedule;
inothercasesthereareslightbutnotseriousdelays.andinsomecases--and,iamsorrytosay,veryimportantcases--weareallconcernedbytheslownessoftheaccomplishmentofourplans.
thearmyandnavy,however,havemadesubstantialprogressduringthepastyear.actualexperienceisimprovingandspeedingupourmethodsofproductionwitheverypassingday.andtoday’sbestisnotgoodenoughfortomorrow.
iamnotsatisfiedwiththeprogressthusfarmade.themeninchargeoftheprogramrepresentthebestintraining,inability,andinpatriotism.theyarenotsatisfiedwiththeprogressthusfarmade.noneofuswillbesatisfieduntilthejobisdone.
nomatterwhethertheoriginalgoalwa