“ only when our arms are sufficient beyond doubt can we be certain beyond doubt that they will never be employed. ”
John F. Kennedy, Inaugural Address (20 January 1961). copy citation
| Author | John F. Kennedy |
|---|---|
| Source | Inaugural Address |
| Topic | weapons peace deterrence |
| Date | 20 January 1961 |
| Language | English |
| Reference | |
| Note | |
| Weblink | http://www.gutenberg.org/files/3/3-h/3-h.htm |
Context
“Finally, to those nations who would make themselves our adversaries, we offer not a pledge but a request: that both sides begin anew the quest for peace; before the dark powers of destruction unleashed by science engulf all humanity in planned or accidental self-destruction. We dare not tempt them with weakness. For only when our arms are sufficient beyond doubt can we be certain beyond doubt that they will never be employed. But neither can two great and powerful groups of nations take comfort from our present course. . .both sides overburdened by the cost of modern weapons, both rightly alarmed by the steady spread of the deadly atom, yet both racing to alter that uncertain balance of terror that stays the hand of Mankind's final war.”
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Meaning and analysis
