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December 02, 2009

Past Presidential Speeches to West Point

 

 

Last night, President Barack Obama gave his first address to the cadets at the United States Military Academy; cadets whom MSNBC anchor Chris Matthews referred to as the "enemy camp”. (One surely wonders who Matthew’s friends are.) At any rate, in President Ronald Reagan’s 1981 address to the academy one can find Matthew’s rebuttal, if not rebuke: “Those shrill voices that would have us believe the defenders of our nation are somehow the enemies of peace are as false as they are shrill.”  

 

 

George W. Bush, 2008

 

 

 

George H.W. Bush, 1993

 

 

 

Full audio and text may be found here.

 

 

Ronald Reagan, 1981

 

 

 

"Those shrill voices that would have us believe the defenders of our nation are somehow the enemies of peace are as false as they are shrill. A Chinese philosopher, Sun Tzu, 2,500 years ago, said, 'Winning a hundred victories in a hundred battles is not the acme of skill. To subdue the enemy without fighting is the acme of skill.' A truly successful army is one that because of its strength and ability and dedication will not be called upon to fight, for no one will dare to provoke it."

 

 

 

 

 

Full transcript can be found here. 

 

 

Posted by Martin at December 2, 2009 01:38 AM

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