• U.S.

National Affairs: THE CHALLENGE TO US

3 minute read
TIME

From President Truman’s State of the Union speech:

“Today, by the grace of God, we stand a free and prosperous nation with greater possibilities for the future than any people have ever had before in the history of the world . . .

“Our aim for a peaceful, democratic world of free peoples will be achieved in the long run, not by force of arms, but by an appeal to the minds and hearts of men . . .

“In the world today, we are confronted with the danger that the rising demand of people everywhere for freedom and the better life may be corrupted and betrayed by the false promises of Communism. In its ruthless struggle for power, Communism seizes upon our imperfections, and takes advantage of the delays and setbacks which the democratic nations experience in their effort to secure a better life for their citizens.

“This challenge to us is more than a military challenge. It is a challenge to the honesty of our profession of the democratic faith; it is a challenge to the efficiency and stability of our economic system; it is a challenge to our willingness to work with other peoples for world peace and world prosperity. For my part, I welcome the challenge . . .

“As we move forward into the second half of the Twentieth Century, we must always bear in mind the central purpose of our national life. We do not seek material prosperity for ourselves because we love luxury; we do not aid other nations because we wish to increase our power. We have not devised programs for the security and well-being of our people because we are afraid or unwilling to take risks. This is not the meaning of our past history or our present course.

“We work for a better life for all, so that all men may put to good use the great gifts with which they have been endowed by their Creator. We seek to establish those material conditions of life in which, without exception, men may live in dignity, perform useful work, serve their communities, and worship God as they see fit.

“These may seem simple goals, but they are not little ones. They are worth a great deal more than all the empires and conquests of history. They are not to be achieved by military aggression or political fanaticism. They are to be achieved by humbler means—by hard work, by a spirit of self-restraint in our dealings with one another, and by a deep devotion to the principles of justice and equality.”

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