“ complacency or self-congratulation can imperil our security as much as the weapons of tyranny. A moment of pause is not a promise of peace. ”
John F. Kennedy, State of the Union Address (14 January 1963). copy citation
| Author | John F. Kennedy |
|---|---|
| Source | State of the Union Address |
| Topic | peace security complacency |
| Date | 14 January 1963 |
| Language | English |
| Reference | |
| Note | |
| Weblink | http://www.gutenberg.org/files/5041/5041-h/5041-h.htm#3 |
Context
“We have doubled our efforts in space, to assure us of being first in the future. We have undertaken the most far-reaching defense improvements in the peacetime history of this country. And we have maintained the frontiers of freedom from Viet-Nam to West Berlin.
But complacency or self-congratulation can imperil our security as much as the weapons of tyranny. A moment of pause is not a promise of peace. Dangerous problems remain from Cuba to the South China Sea. The world's prognosis prescribes, in short, not a year's vacation for us, but a year of obligation and opportunity.
Four special avenues of opportunity stand out: the Atlantic Alliance, the developing nations, the new Sino-Soviet difficulties, and the search for worldwide peace.” source
But complacency or self-congratulation can imperil our security as much as the weapons of tyranny. A moment of pause is not a promise of peace. Dangerous problems remain from Cuba to the South China Sea. The world's prognosis prescribes, in short, not a year's vacation for us, but a year of obligation and opportunity.
Four special avenues of opportunity stand out: the Atlantic Alliance, the developing nations, the new Sino-Soviet difficulties, and the search for worldwide peace.” source
Meaning and analysis
