老兵不死麦克阿瑟的告别演讲Word文档格式.docx
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道格拉斯·
麦克阿瑟(DouglasMacArthur),美国陆军五星上将。
出生于阿肯色州小石城的军人世家。
1899年中学毕业后考入西点军校,1903年以名列第一的优异成绩毕业,到工程兵部队任职,并赴菲律宾执勤。
麦克阿瑟有过50年的军事实践经验,被美国国民称之为“一代老兵”,而其自身的又曾是“美国最年轻的准将、西点军校最年轻的校长、美国陆军历史上最年轻的陆军参谋长”,凭借精妙的军事谋略和敢战敢胜的胆略,麦克阿瑟堪称美国战争史上的奇才。
提起这句话:
“老兵永远不死,只会慢慢凋零”(Oldsoldiersneverdie,theyjust
fadeaway),就不由得想起那个叼着玉米棒子烟斗的麦克阿瑟,和他在1951
年4月19日被解职后在国会大厦发表的题为《老兵不死》的著名演讲。
演讲全文如下:
Oldsoldiersneverdie,theyjustfadeaway
Mr.President,Mr.Speaker,andDistinguishedMembersoftheCongress:
Istandonthisrostrumwithasenseofdeephumilityandgreatpride--humilityintheweightofthosegreatAmericanarchitectsofourhistorywhohavestoodherebeforeme;
prideinthereflectionthatthishomeoflegislativedebaterepresentshumanlibertyinthepurestformyetdevised.Herearecenteredthehopesandaspirationsandfaithoftheentirehumanrace.Idonotstandhereasadvocateforanypartisancause,fortheissuesarefundamentalandreachquitebeyondtherealmofpartisanconsideration.Theymustberesolvedonthehighestplaneofnationalinterestifourcourseistoprovesoundandourfutureprotected.Itrust,therefore,thatyouwilldomethejusticeofreceivingthatwhichIhavetosayassolelyexpressingtheconsideredviewpointofafellowAmerican.
Iaddressyouwithneitherrancornorbitternessinthefadingtwilightoflife,withbutonepurposeinmind:
toservemycountry.Theissuesareglobalandsointerlockedthattoconsidertheproblemsofonesector,oblivioustothoseofanother,isbuttocourtdisasterforthewhole.WhileAsiaiscommonlyreferredtoastheGatewaytoEurope,itisnolesstruethatEuropeistheGatewaytoAsia,andthebroadinfluenceoftheonecannotfailtohaveitsimpactupontheother.Therearethosewhoclaimourstrengthisinadequatetoprotectonbothfronts,thatwecannotdivideoureffort.Icanthinkofnogreaterexpressionofdefeatism.Ifapotentialenemycandividehisstrengthontwofronts,itisforustocounterhiseffort.TheCommunistthreatisaglobalone.Itssuccessfuladvanceinonesectorthreatensthedestructionofeveryothersector.Youcan
notappeaseorotherwisesurrendertocommunisminAsiawithout
simultaneouslyunderminingoureffortstohaltitsadvanceinEurope.
Beyondpointingoutthesegeneraltruisms,IshallconfinemydiscussiontothegeneralareasofAsia.Beforeonemayobjectivelyassessthesituationnowexistingthere,hemustcomprehendsomethingofAsia'
spastandtherevolutionarychangeswhichhavemarkedhercourseuptothepresent.Longexploitedbytheso-calledcolonialpowers,withlittleopportunitytoachieveanydegreeofsocialjustice,individualdignity,orahigherstandardoflifesuchasguidedourownnobleadministrationinthePhilippines,thepeoplesofAsiafoundtheiropportunityinthewarjustpasttothrowofftheshacklesofcolonialismandnowseethedawnofnewopportunity,aheretoforeunfeltdignity,andtheself-respectofpoliticalfreedom.
Musteringhalfoftheearth'
spopulation,and60percentofitsnaturalresourcesthesepeoplesarerapidlyconsolidatinganewforce,bothmoralandmaterial,withwhichtoraisethelivingstandardanderectadaptationsofthedesignofmodernprogresstotheirowndistinctculturalenvironments.Whetheroneadherestotheconceptofcolonizationornot,thisisthedirectionofAsianprogressanditmaynotbestopped.Itisacorollarytotheshiftoftheworldeconomicfrontiersasthewholeepicenterofworldaffairsrotatesbacktowardtheareawhenceitstarted.
Inthissituation,itbecomesvitalthatourowncountryorientitspoliciesinconsonancewiththisbasicevolutionaryconditionratherthanpursueacourseblindtotherealitythatthecolonialeraisnowpastandtheAsianpeoplescovettherighttoshapetheirownfreedestiny.Whattheyseeknowisfriendlyguidance,understanding,andsupport--notimperiousdirection--thedignityofequalityandnottheshameofsubjugation.Theirpre-warstandardoflife,pitifullylow,isinfinitelylowernowinthedevastationleftinwar'
swake.WorldideologiesplaylittlepartinAsianthinkingandarelittleunderstood.Whatthepeoplesstriveforistheopportunityforalittlemorefoodintheirstomachs,alittlebetterclothingontheirbacks,alittlefirmerroofovertheirheads,andtherealizationofthenormalnationalisturgeforpoliticalfreedom.Thesepolitical-socialconditionshavebutanindirectbearinguponourownnationalsecurity,butdoformabackdroptocontemporaryplanningwhichmustbethoughtfullyconsideredifwearetoavoidthepitfallsofunrealism.
OfmoredirectandimmediatelybearinguponournationalsecurityarethechangeswroughtinthestrategicpotentialofthePacificOceaninthecourseof
thepastwar.PriortheretothewesternstrategicfrontieroftheUnitedStateslayontheliterallineoftheAmericas,withanexposedislandsalientextendingoutthroughHawaii,Midway,andGuamtothePhilippines.Thatsalientprovednotanoutpostofstrengthbutanavenueofweaknessalongwhichtheenemycouldanddidattack.
ThePacificwasapotentialareaofadvanceforanypredatoryforceintentuponstrikingattheborderinglandareas.AllthiswaschangedbyourPacificvictory.OurstrategicfrontierthenshiftedtoembracetheentirePacificOcean,whichbecameavastmoattoprotectusaslongasweheldit.Indeed,itactsasaprotectiveshieldforalloftheAmericasandallfreelandsofthePacificOceanarea.WecontrolittotheshoresofAsiabyachainofislandsextendinginanarcfromtheAleutianstotheMariannasheldbyusandourfreeallies.FromthisislandchainwecandominatewithseaandairpowereveryAsiaticportfromVladivostoktoSingapore--withseaandairpowereveryport,asIsaid,fromVladivostoktoSingapore--andpreventanyhostilemovementintothePacific.
AnypredatoryattackfromAsiamustbeanamphibiouseffort.*Noamphibiousforcecanbesuccessfulwithoutcontrolofthesealanesandtheairoverthoselanesinitsavenueofadvance.Withnavalandairsupremacyandmodestgroundelementstodefendbases,anymajorattackfromcontinentalAsiatowardusorourfriendsinthePacificwouldbedoomedtofailure.
Undersuchconditions,thePacificnolongerrepresentsmenacingavenuesofapproachforaprospectiveinvader.Itassumes,instead,thefriendlyaspectofapeacefullake.Ourlineofdefenseisanaturaloneandcanbemaintainedwithaminimumofmilitaryeffortandexpense.Itenvisionsnoattackagainstanyone,nordoesitprovidethebastionsessentialforoffensiveoperations,butproperlymaintained,wouldbeaninvincibledefenseagainstaggression.TheholdingofthisliteraldefenselineinthewesternPacificisentirelydependentuponholdingallsegmentsthereof;
foranymajorbreachofthatlinebyanunfriendlypowerwouldrendervulnerabletodeterminedattackeveryothermajorsegment.
ThisisamilitaryestimateastowhichIhaveyettofindamilitaryleaderwhowilltakeexception.Forthatreason,Ihavestronglyrecommendedinthepast,asamatterofmilitaryurgency,thatundernocircumstancesmustFormosafallunderCommunistcontrol.Suchaneventualitywouldatoncethreatenthe
freedomofthePhilippinesandthelossofJapanandmightwellforceourwesternfrontierbacktothecoastofCalifornia,OregonandWashington.
TounderstandthechangeswhichnowappearupontheChinesemainland,
onemustunderstandthechangesinChinesecharacterandcultureoverthe
past50years.China,upto50yearsago,wascompletelynon-homogenous,
beingcompartmentedintogroupsdividedagainsteachother.Thewar-making
tendencywasalmostnon-existent,astheystillfollowedthetenetsofthe
Confucianidealofpacifistculture.Attheturnofthecentury,undertheregime
ofChangTsoLin,effortstowardgreaterhomogeneityproducedthestartofa
nationalisturge.Thiswasfurtherandmoresuccessfullydevelopedunderthe
leadershipofChiangKai-Shek,buthasbeenbroughttoitsgreatestfruition
underthepresentregimetothepointthatithasnowtakenonthecharacterof
aunitednationalismofincreasinglydominant,aggressivetendencies.
Throughthesepast50yearstheChinesepeoplehavethusbecomemilitarizedintheirconceptsandintheirideals.Theynowconstituteexcellentsoldiers,withcompetentstaffsandcommanders.ThishasproducedanewanddominantpowerinAsia,which,foritsownpurposes,isalliedwithSovietRussiabutwhichinitsownconceptsandmethodshasbecomeaggressivelyimperialistic,withalustforexpansionandincreasedpowernormaltothistypeofimperialism.
Thereislittleoftheideologicalconcepteitheronewayoranotherinthe
Chinesemake-up.Thestandardoflivingissolowandthecapital
accumulationhasbeensothoroughlydissipatedbywarthatthemassesare
desperateandeagertofollowanyleadershipwhichseemstopromisethe
alleviationoflocalstringencies.
IhavefromthebeginningbelievedthattheChineseCommunists'
supportoftheNorthKoreanswasthedominantone.Theirinterestsare,atpresent,parallelwiththoseoftheSoviet.ButIbelievethattheaggressivenessrecentlydisplayednotonlyinKoreabutalsoinIndo-ChinaandTibetandpointingpotentiallytowardtheSouthreflectspredominantlythesamelustfortheexpansionofpowerwhichhasanimatedeverywould-beconquerorsincethebeginningoftime.
TheJapanesepeople,sincethewar,haveundergonethegreatestreformationrecordedinmodernhistory.Withacommendablewill,eagernesstolearn,and
markedcapacitytounderstand,theyhave,fromthea