The Spirit Of Liberty Speech Summary

Despite a history of not commenting on America’s current political climate and global relations, Former President George H. W. Bush recently gave a speech in which he did exactly the opposite. In his speech entitled “The Spirit of Liberty: At Home, In the World,” the former President expressed his concern for the state of our nation and others around the globe; He did this not by blaming specific individuals or nations, but by stating his desire to improve the institutions of democracy and global markets. In expressing his views and specifically emphasizing a desire to spread liberty, strengthen democracy, and implement other Western values abroad, Bush’s speech reflected an identity perspective. By emphasizing the importance of free trade …show more content…
Those who prescribe to the liberal perspective also support democracy because it also for easier establishment of institutions, which then facilitate trade and increase diplomacy. Not only does democracy make it easier to establish such intuitions, but it also increases participation. Around two-thirds of the world’s nations can be classified as democracies, and many of those nations are members of institutions like the United Nations, Europe Union, and World Bank. However, there are fundamental differences that separate the liberal perspective from the identity perspective, like a focus on the ideology of government that pushes them to assist citizens versus directly improving economic conditions; Bush’s discussion of free markets reflects the latter, which is part of the liberal perspective. Free markets and trade promote strong diplomatic relationships. Bush also expressed that he is anti-non-free markets, also known as isolationism, which he believes causes conflict, instability, and poverty. Additionally, because the liberal perspective supports NGOs and humanitarian organizations, Bush’s description of America as a place of hope for refugees and the oppressed as reflect this