《老兵不死》麦克阿瑟的告别演讲.docx

《老兵不死》麦克阿瑟的告别演讲.docx

《《老兵不死》麦克阿瑟的告别演讲.docx》由会员分享，可在线阅读，更多相关《《老兵不死》麦克阿瑟的告别演讲.docx（13页珍藏版）》请在冰豆网上搜索。

《老兵不死》麦克阿瑟的告别演讲

麦克阿瑟简介:

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.YoucannotappeaseorotherwisesurrendertocommunisminAsiawithoutsimultaneouslyunderminingoureffortstohaltitsadvanceinEurope.

Beyondpointingoutthesegeneraltruisms,Ishallconfinemydiscussiontothe

generalareasofAsia.Beforeonemayobjectivelyassessthesituationnow

existingthere,hemustcomprehendsomethingofAsia'spastandthe

revolutionarychangeswhichhavemarkedhercourseuptothepresent.Long

exploitedbytheso-calledcolonialpowers,withlittleopportunitytoachieveany

degreeofsocialjustice,individualdignity,orahigherstandardoflifesuchas

guidedourownnobleadministrationinthePhilippines,thepeoplesofAsia

foundtheiropportunityinthewarjustpasttothrowofftheshacklesof

colonialismandnowseethedawnofnewopportunity,aheretoforeunfelt

dignity,andtheself-respectofpoliticalfreedom.

Musteringhalfoftheearth'spopulation,and60percentofitsnaturalresourcesthesepeoplesarerapidlyconsolidatinganewforce,bothmoralandmaterial,withwhichtoraisethelivingstandardanderectadaptationsofthedesignofmodernprogresstotheirowndistinctculturalenvironments.Whetheroneadherestotheconceptofcolonizationornot,thisisthedirectionofAsianprogressanditmaynotbestopped.Itisacorollarytotheshiftoftheworldeconomicfrontiersasthewholeepicenterofworldaffairsrotatesbacktowardtheareawhenceitstarted.

Inthissituation,itbecomesvitalthatourowncountryorientitspoliciesin

consonancewiththisbasicevolutionaryconditionratherthanpursueacourse

blindtotherealitythatthecolonialeraisnowpastandtheAsianpeoplescovet

therighttoshapetheirownfreedestiny.Whattheyseeknowisfriendly

guidance,understanding,andsupport--notimperiousdirection--thedignity

ofequalityandnottheshameofsubjugation.Theirpre-warstandardoflife,

pitifullylow,isinfinitelylowernowinthedevastationleftinwar'swake.World

ideologiesplaylittlepartinAsianthinkingandarelittleunderstood.Whatthe

peoplesstriveforistheopportunityforalittlemorefoodintheirstomachs,a

littlebetterclothingontheirbacks,alittlefirmerroofovertheirheads,andthe

realizationofthenormalnationalisturgeforpoliticalfreedom.These

political-socialconditionshavebutanindirectbearinguponourownnational

security,butdoformabackdroptocontemporaryplanningwhichmustbe

thoughtfullyconsideredifwearetoavoidthepitfallsofunrealism.

OfmoredirectandimmediatelybearinguponournationalsecurityarethechangeswroughtinthestrategicpotentialofthePacificOceaninthecourseofthepastwar.PriortheretothewesternstrategicfrontieroftheUnitedStateslayontheliterallineoftheAmericas,withanexposedislandsalientextendingoutthroughHawaii,Midway,andGuamtothePhilippines.Thatsalientprovednotanoutpostofstrengthbutanavenueofweaknessalongwhichtheenemycouldanddidattack.

ThePacificwasapotentialareaofadvanceforanypredatoryforceintentuponstrikingattheborderinglandareas.AllthiswaschangedbyourPacificvictory.

OurstrategicfrontierthenshiftedtoembracetheentirePacificOcean,whichbecameavastmoattoprotectusaslongasweheldit.Indeed,itactsasaprotectiveshieldforalloftheAmericasandallfreelandsofthePacificOceanarea.WecontrolittotheshoresofAsiabyachainofislandsextendinginanarcfromtheAleutianstotheMariannasheldbyusandourfreeallies.FromthisislandchainwecandominatewithseaandairpowereveryAsiaticportfromVladivostoktoSingapore--withseaandairpowereveryport,asIsaid,fromVladivostoktoSingapore--andpreventanyhostilemovementintothePacific.

AnypredatoryattackfromAsiamustbeanamphibiouseffort.*Noamphibious

forcecanbesuccessfulwithoutcontrolofthesealanesandtheairoverthose

lanesinitsavenueofadvance.Withnavalandairsupremacyandmodest

groundelementstodefendbases,anymajorattackfromcontinentalAsia

towardusorourfriendsinthePacificwouldbedoomedtofailure.

Undersuchconditions,thePacificnolongerrepresentsmenacingavenuesofapproachforaprospectiveinvader.Itassumes,instead,thefriendlyaspectofapeacefullake.Ourlineofdefenseisanaturaloneandcanbemaintainedwithaminimumofmilitaryeffortandexpense.Itenvisionsnoattackagainstanyone,nordoesitprovidethebastionsessentialforoffensiveoperations,butproperlymaintained,wouldbeaninvincibledefenseagainstaggression.TheholdingofthisliteraldefenselineinthewesternPacificisentirelydependentuponholdingallsegmentsthereof;foranymajorbreachofthatlinebyanunfriendlypowerwouldrendervulnerabletodeterminedattackeveryothermajorsegment.

ThisisamilitaryestimateastowhichIhaveyettofindamilitaryleaderwhowilltakeexception.Forthatreason,Ihavestronglyrecommendedinthepast,asamatterofmilitaryurgency,thatundernocircumstancesmustFormosafallunderCommunistcontrol.SuchaneventualitywouldatoncethreatenthefreedomofthePhilippinesandthelossofJapanandmightwellforceourwesternfrontierbacktothecoastofCalifornia,OregonandWashington.

TounderstandthechangeswhichnowappearupontheChinesemainland,onemustunderstandthechangesinChinesecharacterandcultureoverthepast50years.China,upto50yearsago,wascompletelynon-homogenous,beingcompartmentedintogroupsdividedagainsteachother.Thewar-makingtendencywasalmostnon-existent,astheystillfollowedthetenetsoftheConfucianidealofpacifistculture.Attheturnofthecentury,undertheregimeofChangTsoLin,effortstowardgreaterhomogeneityproducedthestartofanationalisturge.ThiswasfurtherandmoresuccessfullydevelopedundertheleadershipofChiangKai-Shek,buthasbeenbroughttoitsgreatestfruitionunderthepresentregimetothepointthatithasnowtakenonthecharacterof

aunitednationalismofincreasinglydominant,aggressivetendencies.

Throughthesepast50yearstheChinesepeoplehavethusbecomemilitarized

intheirconceptsandintheirideals.Theynowconstituteexcellentsoldiers,

withcompetentstaffsandcommanders.Thishasproducedanewand

dominantpowerinAsia,which,foritsownpurposes,isalliedwithSoviet

Russiabutwhichinitsownconceptsandmethodshasbecomeaggressively

imperialistic,withalustforexpansionandincreasedpowernormaltothistype

ofimperialism.

Thereislittleoftheideologicalconcepteitheronewayoranotherinthe

Chinesemake-up.Thestandardoflivingissolowandthecapital

accumulationhasbeensothoroughlydissipatedbywarthatthemassesare

desperateandeagertofollowanyleadershipwhichseemstopromisethe

alleviationoflocalstringencies.

IhavefromthebeginningbelievedthattheChineseCommunists'supportoftheNorthKoreanswasthedominantone.Theirinterestsare,atpresent,parallelwiththoseoftheSoviet.ButIbelievethattheaggressivenessrecentlydisplayednotonlyinKoreabutalsoinIndo-ChinaandTibetandpointingpotentiallytowardtheSouthreflectspredominantlythesamelustfortheexpansionofpowerwhichhasanimatedeverywould-beconquerorsincethebeginningoftime.

TheJapanesepeople,sincethewar,haveundergonethegreatestreformation

recordedinmodernhistory.Withacommendablewill,eagernesstolearn,and

markedcapacitytounderstand,theyhave,fromtheashesleftinwar'swake,

erectedinJapananedificededicatedto