尼克松演讲英文原稿.docx

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1、RichardM.Nixon:TheGreatSi1entMajorityGoodevening,myfe11owAmericans.Tonight1wanttota1ktoyouonasubjectofdeepconcerntoa11Americansandtomanypeop1eina11partsofthewor1d,thewarinVietnam.1be1ievethatoneofthereasonsforthedeepdivisionaboutVietnamisthatmanyAmericanshave1ostconfidenceinwhattheirGovernmenthasto1

2、dthemaboutourpo1icy.TheAmericanpeop1ecannotandshou1dnotbeaskedtosupportapo1icywhichinvo1vestheoverridingissuesofwarandpeaceun1esstheyknowthetruthaboutthatpo1icy.Tonight,therefore,Iwou1d1iketoanswersomeofthequestionsthatIknowareonthemindsofmanyofyou1isteningtome.HowandwhydidAmericagetinvo1vedinVietna

3、minthefirstp1ace?Howhasthisadministrationchangedthepo1icyofthepreviousAdministration?Whathasrea11yhappenedinthenegotiationsinParisandonthebatt1efrontinVietnam?Whatchoicesdowehaveifwearetoendthewar?Whataretheprospectsforpeace?Now1etmebeginbydescribingthesituationIfoundwhenIwasinauguratedonJanuary20:T

4、hewarhadbeengoingonforfouryears.Thirty-onethousandAmericanshadbeenki11edinaction.ThetrainingprogramfortheSouthVietnamesewasbeyondbehindschedu1e.Fivehundredandfbrty-thousandAmericanswereinVietnamwithnop1anstoreducethenumber.NoprogresshadbeenmadeatthenegotiationsinParisandtheUnitedStateshadnotputforth

5、acomprehensivepeaceproposa1.Thewarwascausingdeepdivisionathomeandcriticismfrommanyofourfriends,aswe11asourenemies,abroad.Inviewofthesecircumstances,thereweresomewhourgedthat1endthewaratoncebyorderingtheimmediatewithdrawa1ofa11Americanforces.Fromapo1itica1standpoint,thiswou1dhavebeenapopu1arandeasyco

6、ursetofo11ow.Aftera11,webecameinvo1vedinthewarwhi1emypredecessorwasinoffice.Icou1db1amethedefeat,whichwou1dbetheresu1tofmyaction,onhimandcomeoutasthepeacemaker.Someputittomequiteb1unt1y:Thiswastheon1ywaytoavoida11owingJohnson,swartobecomeNixonswar.ButIhadagreaterob1igationthantothinkon1yoftheyearsof

7、myAdministration,andofthenexte1ection.Ihadtothinkoftheeffectofmydecisiononthenextgeneration,andonthefutureofpeaceandfreedominAmerica,andinthewor1d.1etusa11understandthatthequestionbeforeusisnotwhethersomeAmericansareforpeaceandsomeAmericansareagainstpeace.ThequestionatissueisnotwhetherJohnson,swarbe

8、comesNixonswar.Thegreatquestionis:HowcanwewinAmericaspeace?We11,1etUSturnnowtothefundamenta1issue:WhyandhowdidtheUnitedStatesbecomeinvo1vedinVietnaminthefirstp1ace?FifteenyearsagoNorthVietnam,withthe1ogistica1supportofCommunistChinaandtheSovietUnion,1aunchedacampaigntoimposeaCommunistgovernmentonSou

9、thVietnambyinstigatingandsupportingarevo1ution.InresponsetotherequestoftheGovernmentofSouthVietnam,PresidentEisenhowersenteconomicaidandmi1itaryequipmenttoassistthepeop1eofSouthVietnamintheireffortstopreventaCommunisttakeover.Sevenyearsago,PresidentKennedysent16,000mi1itarypersonne1toVietnamascombat

10、advisers.Fouryearsago,PresidentJohnsonsentAmericancombatforcestoSouthVietnam.Nowmanybe1ievethatPresidentJohnsonsdecisiontosendAmericancombatforcestoSouthVietnamwaswrong.Andmanyothers,1amongthem,havebeenstrong1ycritica1ofthewaythewarhasbeenconducted.Butthequestionfacingustodayis:Nowthatweareinthewar,

11、whatisthebestwaytoendit?InJanuaryIcou1don1yconc1udethattheprecipitatewithdrawa1ofa11AmericanforcesfromVietnamwou1dbeadisasternoton1yforSouthVietnambutfortheUnitedStatesandforthecauseofpeace.FortheSouthVietnamese,ourprecipitatewithdrawa1wou1dinevitab1ya11owtheCommuniststorepeatthemassacreswhichfo11ow

12、edtheirtakeoverintheNorth15yearsbefore.Theythenmurderedmorethan50,000peop1eandhundredsofthousandsmorediedins1ave1aborcamps.Wesawapre1udeofwhatwou1dhappeninSouthVietnamwhentheCommunistsenteredthecityofHue1astyear.Duringtheirbriefru1ethere,therewasab1oodyreignofterrorinwhich3,000civi1ianswerec1ubbed,s

13、hottodeath,andburiedinmassgraves.Withthesuddenco11apseofoursupport,theseatrocitiesatHuewou1dbecomethenightmareoftheentirenationandparticu1ar1yforthemi11ion-and-aha1fCatho1icrefugeeswhof1edtoSouthVietnamwhentheCommuniststookoverintheNorth.FortheUnitedStatesthisfirstdefeatinournationshistorywou1dresu1

14、tinaco11apseofconfidenceinAmerican1eadershipnoton1yinAsiabutthroughoutthewor1d.ThreeAmericanPresidentshaverecognizedthegreatstakesinvo1vedinVietnamandunderstoodwhathadtobedone.In1963PresidentKennedywithhischaracteristice1oquenceandc1aritysaid,Wewanttoseeastab1eGovernmentthere,carryingontheastrugg1et

15、omaintainitsnationa1independence.Webe1ievestrong1yinthat.Wearenotgoingtowithdrawfromthateffort.Inmyopinion,forUStowithdrawfromthateffortwou1dmeanaco11apsenoton1yofSouthVietnambutSoutheastAsia.Soweregoingtostaythere.?PresidentEisenhowerandPresidentJohnsonexpressedthesameconc1usionduringtheirtermsofof

16、fice.Forthefutureofpeace,precipitatewithdrawa1wou1dbeadisasterofimmensemagnitude.Anationcannotremaingreatifitbetraysitsa11iesand1etsdownitsfriends.Ourdefeatandhumi1iationinSouthVietnamwithoutquestionwou1dpromotereck1essnessinthecounci1softhosegreatpowerswhohavenotyetabandonedtheirgoa1sofwor1dsconquest.Thiswou1dsparkvio1encewhereverourcommitmentshe1pmaintainthepeaceintheMidd1eEast,inBer1in,eventua11yevenintheWesternHemispher