In 1962, the tension between the United States and the Soviet Union was high. The threat of nuclear missile usage was immanent unless something could be done to diffuse the situation. Luckily, the United States had a leader, President John. F. Kennedy, who could think past the here and now, who knew the consequences of making rash decisions, and who knew the need for peaceful resolution. Now, more than fifty years later, there are many lessons which have been learned and many more awaiting.
The first source I will discuss is the speech President John F. Kennedy delivered to the public in 1961 about the Cuban Missile Crisis. Up until this day, April 20, 1961, many Americans were not aware of the depth of the crisis. By giving this speech, the …show more content…
The article is an accurate and factual account of the Cuban Missile Crisis as allowed by the government. Of course, I suspect there are numerous facts about this time in American history, as well as others, that the American people will never know. Also, having fifty years to ponder the situation is a luxury that those who were involved did not …show more content…
However, there are a few that stick out in my mind after reading these articles. First, the need for accurate information; not people assuming things or misinterpreting events. For example, Kornbluh (2012) talks about “Black Saturday” as a day of “a series of unexpected events that significantly increased the threat of war on October 27. This whole day seems like a bunch of misunderstandings because of people assuming things. Secondly, the need for a country’s leaders to “save face” in the eyes of their people and allies. Many believe it is better to have a country cower in fear from the threat of war rather than dissipate a situation peacefully. Another lesson one can learn from this crisis is the need to have leaders who are smart enough and brave enough to find a peaceful, politically correct solution to a volatile situation while at the same time be ready to make the tough decisions if necessary. One can see this trait repeatedly in President Kennedy as he tries to negotiate, secretly when necessary, a peaceful resolution to the crisis. It is sad that President Kennedy’s ability to use his brain was overshadowed by the need to portray him as a “balls of steel legend” (Kornbluh 2012). Even when top military advisors are trying to persuade him that a preemptive strike is the only resolution. The art of peaceful diplomatic negotiation is another lesson one can
The first source I will discuss is the speech President John F. Kennedy delivered to the public in 1961 about the Cuban Missile Crisis. Up until this day, April 20, 1961, many Americans were not aware of the depth of the crisis. By giving this speech, the …show more content…
The article is an accurate and factual account of the Cuban Missile Crisis as allowed by the government. Of course, I suspect there are numerous facts about this time in American history, as well as others, that the American people will never know. Also, having fifty years to ponder the situation is a luxury that those who were involved did not …show more content…
However, there are a few that stick out in my mind after reading these articles. First, the need for accurate information; not people assuming things or misinterpreting events. For example, Kornbluh (2012) talks about “Black Saturday” as a day of “a series of unexpected events that significantly increased the threat of war on October 27. This whole day seems like a bunch of misunderstandings because of people assuming things. Secondly, the need for a country’s leaders to “save face” in the eyes of their people and allies. Many believe it is better to have a country cower in fear from the threat of war rather than dissipate a situation peacefully. Another lesson one can learn from this crisis is the need to have leaders who are smart enough and brave enough to find a peaceful, politically correct solution to a volatile situation while at the same time be ready to make the tough decisions if necessary. One can see this trait repeatedly in President Kennedy as he tries to negotiate, secretly when necessary, a peaceful resolution to the crisis. It is sad that President Kennedy’s ability to use his brain was overshadowed by the need to portray him as a “balls of steel legend” (Kornbluh 2012). Even when top military advisors are trying to persuade him that a preemptive strike is the only resolution. The art of peaceful diplomatic negotiation is another lesson one can