精彩演讲 A Time for Choosing

RonaldReagan:ATimeforChoosingdelivered27October1964,LosAngeles,CAProgramAnnouncer:Ladiesandgentlemen,wetakeprideinpresentingathoughtfuladdressbyRonaldReagan.Mr.Reagan:Reagan:Thankyou.Thankyouverymuch.Thankyouandgoodevening.Thesponsorhasbeenidentified,butunlikemosttelevisionprograms,theperformerhasn'tbeenprovidedwithascript.Asamatteroffact,Ihavebeenpermittedtochoosemyownwordsanddiscussmyownideasregardingthechoicethatwefaceinthenextfewweeks.IhavespentmostofmylifeasaDemocrat.Irecentlyhaveseenfittofollowanothercourse.Ibelievethattheissuesconfrontinguscrosspartylines.Now,onesideinthiscampaignhasbeentellingusthattheissuesofthiselectionarethemaintenanceofpeaceandprosperity.Thelinehasbeenused,We'veneverhaditsogood.ButIhaveanuncomfortablefeelingthatthisprosperityisn'tsomethingonwhichwecanbaseourhopesforthefuture.Nonationinhistoryhaseversurvivedataxburdenthatreachedathirdofitsnationalincome.Today,37centsoutofeverydollarearnedinthiscountryisthetaxcollector'sshare,andyetourgovernmentcontinuestospend17milliondollarsadaymorethanthegovernmenttakesin.Wehaven'tbalancedourbudget28outofthelast34years.We'veraisedourdebtlimitthreetimesinthelasttwelvemonths,andnowournationaldebtisoneandahalftimesbiggerthanallthecombineddebtsofallthenationsoftheworld.Wehave15billiondollarsingoldinourtreasury;wedon'townanounce.Foreigndollarclaimsare27.3billiondollars.Andwe'vejusthadannouncedthatthedollarof1939willnowpurchase45centsinitstotalvalue.Asforthepeacethatwewouldpreserve,IwonderwhoamonguswouldliketoapproachthewifeormotherwhosehusbandorsonhasdiedinSouthVietnamandaskthemiftheythinkthisisapeacethatshouldbemaintainedindefinitely.Dotheymeanpeace,ordotheymeanwejustwanttobeleftinpeace?TherecanbenorealpeacewhileoneAmericanisdyingsomeplaceintheworldfortherestofus.We'reatwarwiththemostdangerousenemythathaseverfacedmankindinhislongclimbfromtheswamptothestars,andit'sbeensaidifwelosethatwar,andinsodoinglosethiswayoffreedomofours,historywillrecordwiththegreatestastonishmentthatthosewhohadthemosttolosedidtheleasttopreventitshappening.WellIthinkit'stimeweaskourselvesifwestillknowthefreedomsthatwereintendedforusbytheFoundingFathers.Nottoolongago,twofriendsofmineweretalkingtoaCubanrefugee,abusinessmanwhohadescapedfromCastro,andinthemidstofhisstoryoneofmyfriendsturnedtotheotherandsaid,Wedon'tknowhowluckyweare.AndtheCubanstoppedandsaid,Howluckyyouare?Ihadsomeplacetoescapeto.Andinthatsentencehetoldustheentirestory.Ifwelosefreedomhere,there'snoplacetoescapeto.Thisisthelaststandonearth.Andthisideathatgovernmentisbeholdentothepeople,thatithasnoothersourceofpowerexceptthesovereignpeople,isstillthenewestandthemostuniqueideainallthelonghistoryofman'srelationtoman.Thisistheissueofthiselection:Whetherwebelieveinourcapacityforself-governmentorwhetherweabandontheAmericanrevolutionandconfessthatalittleintellectualeliteinafar-distantcapitolcanplanourlivesforusbetterthanwecanplanthemourselves.YouandIaretoldincreasinglywehavetochoosebetweenaleftorright.WellI'dliketosuggestthereisnosuchthingasaleftorright.There'sonlyanupordown--[up]man'sold--old-ageddream,theultimateinindividualfreedomconsistentwithlawandorder,ordowntotheantheapoftotalitarianism.Andregardlessoftheirsincerity,theirhumanitarianmotives,thosewhowouldtradeourfreedomforsecurityhaveembarkedonthisdownwardcourse.Inthisvote-harvestingtime,theyusetermsliketheGreatSociety,orasweweretoldafewdaysagobythePresident,wemustacceptagreatergovernmentactivityintheaffairsofthepeople.Butthey'vebeenalittlemoreexplicitinthepastandamongthemselves;andallofthethingsInowwillquotehaveappearedinprint.ThesearenotRepublicanaccusations.Forexample,theyhavevoicesthatsay,Thecoldwarwillendthroughouracceptanceofanotundemocraticsocialism.Anothervoicesays,Theprofitmotivehasbecomeoutmoded.Itmustbereplacedbytheincentivesofthewelfarestate.Or,Ourtraditionalsystemofindividualfreedomisincapableofsolvingthecomplexproblemsofthe20thcentury.SenatorFullbrighthassaidatStanfordUniversitythattheConstitutionisoutmoded.HereferredtothePresidentasourmoralteacherandourleader,andhesaysheishobbledinhistaskbytherestrictionsofpowerimposedonhimbythisantiquateddocument.Hemustbefreed,sothathecandoforuswhatheknowsisbest.AndSenatorClarkofPennsylvania,anotherarticulatespokesman,definesliberalismasmeetingthematerialneedsofthemassesthroughthefullpowerofcentralizedgovernment.Well,I,forone,resentitwhenarepresentativeofthepeoplereferstoyouandme,thefreemenandwomenofthiscountry,asthemasses.Thisisatermwehaven'tappliedtoourselvesinAmerica.Butbeyondthat,thefullpowerofcentralizedgovernment--thiswastheverythingtheFoundingFatherssoughttominimize.Theyknewthatgovernmentsdon'tcontrolthings.Agovernmentcan'tcontroltheeconomywithoutcontrollingpeople.Andtheyknowwhenagovernmentsetsouttodothat,itmustuseforceandcoerciontoachieveitspurpose.Theyalsoknew,thoseFoundingFathers,thatoutsideofitslegitimatefunctions,governmentdoesnothingaswelloraseconomicallyastheprivatesectoroftheeconomy.Now,wehavenobetterexampleofthisthangovernment'sinvolvementinthefarmeconomyoverthelast30years.Since1955,thecostofthisprogra