罗斯福总统演讲The Four Freedoms.docx

罗斯福总统演讲The Four Freedoms.docx

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罗斯福总统演讲TheFourFreedoms

罗斯福总统演讲TheFourFreedoms

mr.president,mr.speaker,membersofthe77thcongress:

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