尼克松演讲英文原稿.docx

RichardM.Nixon:TheGreatSi1entMajorityGoodevening,myfe11owAmericans.Tonight1wanttota1ktoyouonasubjectofdeepconcerntoa11Americansandtomanypeop1eina11partsofthewor1d,thewarinVietnam.1be1ievethatoneofthereasonsforthedeepdivisionaboutVietnamisthatmanyAmericanshave1ostconfidenceinwhattheirGovernmenthasto1dthemaboutourpo1icy.TheAmericanpeop1ecannotandshou1dnotbeaskedtosupportapo1icywhichinvo1vestheoverridingissuesofwarandpeaceun1esstheyknowthetruthaboutthatpo1icy.Tonight,therefore,Iwou1d1iketoanswersomeofthequestionsthatIknowareonthemindsofmanyofyou1isteningtome.HowandwhydidAmericagetinvo1vedinVietnaminthefirstp1ace?Howhasthisadministrationchangedthepo1icyofthepreviousAdministration?Whathasrea11yhappenedinthenegotiationsinParisandonthebatt1efrontinVietnam?Whatchoicesdowehaveifwearetoendthewar?Whataretheprospectsforpeace?Now1etmebeginbydescribingthesituationIfoundwhenIwasinauguratedonJanuary20:Thewarhadbeengoingonforfouryears.Thirty-onethousandAmericanshadbeenki11edinaction.ThetrainingprogramfortheSouthVietnamesewasbeyondbehindschedu1e.Fivehundredandfbrty-thousandAmericanswereinVietnamwithnop1anstoreducethenumber.NoprogresshadbeenmadeatthenegotiationsinParisandtheUnitedStateshadnotputforthacomprehensivepeaceproposa1.Thewarwascausingdeepdivisionathomeandcriticismfrommanyofourfriends,aswe11asourenemies,abroad.Inviewofthesecircumstances,thereweresomewhourgedthat1endthewaratoncebyorderingtheimmediatewithdrawa1ofa11Americanforces.Fromapo1itica1standpoint,thiswou1dhavebeenapopu1arandeasycoursetofo11ow.Aftera11,webecameinvo1vedinthewarwhi1emypredecessorwasinoffice.Icou1db1amethedefeat,whichwou1dbetheresu1tofmyaction,onhimandcomeoutasthepeacemaker.Someputittomequiteb1unt1y:Thiswastheon1ywaytoavoida11owingJohnson,swartobecomeNixon'swar.ButIhadagreaterob1igationthantothinkon1yoftheyearsofmyAdministration,andofthenexte1ection.Ihadtothinkoftheeffectofmydecisiononthenextgeneration,andonthefutureofpeaceandfreedominAmerica,andinthewor1d.1etusa11understandthatthequestionbeforeusisnotwhethersomeAmericansareforpeaceandsomeAmericansareagainstpeace.ThequestionatissueisnotwhetherJohnson,swarbecomesNixon'swar.Thegreatquestionis:HowcanwewinAmerica'speace?We11,1etUSturnnowtothefundamenta1issue:WhyandhowdidtheUnitedStatesbecomeinvo1vedinVietnaminthefirstp1ace?FifteenyearsagoNorthVietnam,withthe1ogistica1supportofCommunistChinaandtheSovietUnion,1aunchedacampaigntoimposeaCommunistgovernmentonSouthVietnambyinstigatingandsupportingarevo1ution.InresponsetotherequestoftheGovernmentofSouthVietnam,PresidentEisenhowersenteconomicaidandmi1itaryequipmenttoassistthepeop1eofSouthVietnamintheireffortstopreventaCommunisttakeover.Sevenyearsago,PresidentKennedysent16,000mi1itarypersonne1toVietnamascombatadvisers.Fouryearsago,PresidentJohnsonsentAmericancombatforcestoSouthVietnam.Nowmanybe1ievethatPresidentJohnson'sdecisiontosendAmericancombatforcestoSouthVietnamwaswrong.Andmanyothers,1amongthem,havebeenstrong1ycritica1ofthewaythewarhasbeenconducted.Butthequestionfacingustodayis:Nowthatweareinthewar,whatisthebestwaytoendit?InJanuaryIcou1don1yconc1udethattheprecipitatewithdrawa1ofa11AmericanforcesfromVietnamwou1dbeadisasternoton1yforSouthVietnambutfortheUnitedStatesandforthecauseofpeace.FortheSouthVietnamese,ourprecipitatewithdrawa1wou1dinevitab1ya11owtheCommuniststorepeatthemassacreswhichfo11owedtheirtakeoverintheNorth15yearsbefore.Theythenmurderedmorethan50,000peop1eandhundredsofthousandsmorediedins1ave1aborcamps.Wesawapre1udeofwhatwou1dhappeninSouthVietnamwhentheCommunistsenteredthecityofHue1astyear.Duringtheirbriefru1ethere,therewasab1oodyreignofterrorinwhich3,000civi1ianswerec1ubbed,shottodeath,andburiedinmassgraves.Withthesuddenco11apseofoursupport,theseatrocitiesatHuewou1dbecomethenightmareoftheentirenationandparticu1ar1yforthemi11ion-and-aha1fCatho1icrefugeeswhof1edtoSouthVietnamwhentheCommuniststookoverintheNorth.FortheUnitedStatesthisfirstdefeatinournation'shistorywou1dresu1tinaco11apseofconfidenceinAmerican1eadershipnoton1yinAsiabutthroughoutthewor1d.ThreeAmericanPresidentshaverecognizedthegreatstakesinvo1vedinVietnamandunderstoodwhathadtobedone.In1963PresidentKennedywithhischaracteristice1oquenceandc1aritysaid,Wewanttoseeastab1eGovernmentthere,"carryingontheastrugg1etomaintainitsnationa1independence."Webe1ievestrong1yinthat.Wearenotgoingtowithdrawfromthateffort.Inmyopinion,forUStowithdrawfromthateffortwou1dmeanaco11apsenoton1yofSouthVietnambutSoutheastAsia.Sowe'regoingtostaythere."?PresidentEisenhowerandPresidentJohnsonexpressedthesameconc1usionduringtheirtermsofoffice.Forthefutureofpeace,precipitatewithdrawa1wou1dbeadisasterofimmensemagnitude.Anationcannotremaingreatifitbetraysitsa11iesand1etsdownitsfriends.Ourdefeatandhumi1iationinSouthVietnamwithoutquestionwou1dpromotereck1essnessinthecounci1softhosegreatpowerswhohavenotyetabandonedtheirgoa1sofwor1dsconquest.Thiswou1dsparkvio1encewhereverourcommitmentshe1pmaintainthepeaceintheMidd1eEast,inBer1in,eventua11yevenintheWesternHemispher