Something to chew on.

"America today is stronger than ever before. Our adversaries have not abandoned their ambitions–our dangers have not diminished–our vigilance cannot be relaxed. But now we have the military, the scientific and the economic strength to do whatever must be done for the preservation and promotion of freedom.

"That strength will never be used in pursuit of aggressive ambitions–it will always be used in pursuit of peace. It will never be used to promote provocations–it will always be used to promote the peaceful settlement of disputes.

“We in this country, in this generation are–by destiny rather than choice–the watchmen on the walls of world freedom. We ask, therefore, that we may be worthy of our power and responsibility–that we may exercise our strength with wisdom and restraint–and that we may achieve in our time and for all time the ancient vision of peace on earth, good will towards men. That must always be our goal–and the righteousness of our cause must always underlie our strength. For as was written long ago: “Except the Lord keep the city, the watchmen waketh but in vain.””

That’s the speech JFK would have given in Dallas on November 22, 1963. Reading it over, I was struck by how ambiguous it is. “That could just as easily be said of America in 2K2,” I thought.

But why shouldn’t it?

Of course it looks contemporary.

That’s because it’s straight out of How to impress the masses when you’re the chosen leader of a World Power in times of turmoil, Part I. JFK’s era was one that called for nationalistic pride and dogma: the US today is in a similar situation.

On many levels, I wish it weren’t so. But it’s true.

Well, that’s kind of what I was getting at, Coldfire. When has America not been in a situation that called for nationalistic pride?

Right after WWII, the US was probably the most respected nation in the world.