John K.Kennedy`s commitment to peace and disarmament before and during his presidency - Essay Example

Order 193280 John K.Kennedys commitment to peace and disarmament before and during his presidency Introduction John F.Kennedys ambition of having a free of arms and peaceful world started from far. Being a student of international relations and having been brought up in an environment of diplomacy must have purely associated himself with peace. When in college he had based his thesis on peace in the world. After completing his education, and on the eve of world war two, he decided to go to war. This clearly demonstrated that he was ever a man whose commitment was for a peaceful world. Kennedy's college life was more peace oriented and even when he in college. In 1940 while in Harvard he completed his thesis "Appeasement in Munich" about British participation in Munich agreement. He was studying in International relations then. From the on his was focussed on peace and a world free of arms. John F.Kennedys was ever committed to have a free world from weapons and also a peaceful world. When Anderson was the president, Kennedy was at the forefront using every forum he had a chance to address and ever chose to speak about peace. He talked of peace which he said "Not a Pax American enforced on the world by American weapons of war. Not peace of the grave o the security of the slave. Am not talking about genuine peace, the kind of peace that makes life on earth worth living, the kind that enables men and nations to grow and hope and to build a better life for their children-not merely peace for in time but peace for all time. J.F.Kennedy said he spoke of peace because of the new face of war. Total war which makes no sense in an age when great powers can maintain large and relatively invulnerable nuclear weapon contains almost ten times the explosive force delivered by all of the allied air forces in the Second World War. It makes no sense in an age when deadly poisons produced by a nuclear exchange would be carried by wind and water and soil and seed to the far corners of the globe and to generous yet unborn. John F.Kennedy said in the speech that he had realised that pursuit of peace wasn't as dramatic as the pursuit for war and frequently the words of the pursuer's task. He said some people that it was unless to speak of world peace or world law disarmament and that it will be useless until the leaders if the Soviet Union adopt a more enlightened. He was a committed person as then he was a senator and was addressing an audience where President Johnson was one of them. His dream of peaceful world was a forfeited one. In the address J.F Kennedy said people thought peace was impossible to achievable, it was unreal, but he said was dangerous and defeatist belief which leads to a conclusion that war is inevitable that mankind is doomed and that they are gripped by forces which we cannot control. He said this kind of view needed not to accept. J.F.Kennedy encouraged focus on more practical and attainable peace based on a sudden revolution in human nature but on a gradual evolution in human institutions on series of concrete actions and effective agreements which are in the interests of all concerned. He said that United States and its allies, and the Soviet and its allies had a mutually deep interest in a just and genuine peace and in halting the arms race. Agreements that the end was in the interest of the Soviet Union was well as the United States and even the most hostile nations could be relied upon to accept and keep those treaty obligation, which were in their interest. He encouraged perseverance in the search for peace in the hope that constructive changes within the communist bloc might bring within reach solutions which seemed beyond. He said United States to conduct its affairs in such a way that it became in the communist interest to agree on a genuine peace. Above all, while defending its own vital interests, nuclear power should avert the confrontations which could bring an adversary to a choice of either a humiliating retreat or nuclear war. To adopt the kind of course in the nuclear age would be evidence only of the bankruptcy of the United States policy or of a collective death-wish for the world. J.F.Kennedy sought for a stronger United Nations for it to help it sought its financial problems to make more effective instrument for peace, to develop it into a genuine world security system. System capable of resolving disputes on the basis of law, of insuring the security of the large and small and of creation of conditions under which arms can finally be abolished. J.F.Kennedy became the 35th president of the United States and is said to be the most popular figures of the 20th century. He was a decorated World war 11 hero. He turned to politics after the war and he was elected to represent Massachusetts district in congress. He then served as United States Senator before being elected President of the United States in 1960. In his inaugural speech on being sworn in as the President of the United States, he urged the nations of the world to work together to fight "the common enemies of man; tyranny, poverty, disease and war itself. He was a stronger supporter of the civil rights movement and government programs for the poor, sick and elderly. J.F.Kennedy created the peace the Peace Corps, signed a nuclear test ban treaty with the Soviet Union during the height of the cold war, helped awareness about the need for land and water conservation. He quoted Franklin Roosevelt speech top congress on Jan 7,1941 When he translated freedom from fear to mean "a worldwide reduction of armaments to such a point and in such a position to thorough fashion that no nation will be in a position to commit an act of physical aggression against any neighbour anywhere in the world. He said 20 years later in 1960, Franklin Roosevelt s goal had not been achieved. He said war still threatens with weapons of destructive power far beyond the inauguration of world war11.He emphasised that pursuit for peace was still the focus of their leadership, their energies, and determination. And disarmament was still the most vital on the road to a lasting peace. In one of his remarks he said "Rather the road to a world peace runs through a revitalized and growing American economy though the arduous construction of defences so powerful that the communist know that peace is their only alternative, through vast research projects to solve the complex difficulties of controlling modern arms race carefully prepared disarmament programs to be presented by skilled and experienced negotiators and through the exercise of a firm presidential leadership which will never allow either our own representative of the rest of the world to wonder our position is, to wonder indeed, if we have ant position at all or to doubt the sincerity of our desire for disarmament. Kennedy remarked that if they were to secure peace in the 1960s, if they ever hoped to negotiate an effective arms control agreement, actions at the immediate was very necessary. He cautioned that the only continuous feature of their efforts in the disarmament field had been lack of continuity in top personnel and paucity of planning and research efforts. as a result of failure, they had steadily been unprepared to disarmament. J.F.Kennedy was ever upbeat and cautious in pursuit for peace and disarmament; he remarked that though it may be impossible to reach an agreement on arms control no matter how hard they worked. He talked of the unwillingness of the Russians to give up military force as a method of achieving world dominion. He doubted the willingness of them to allow inspection and control which is vital to disarmament. He said the communist Chinese could refuse to participate in armed control negotiation even though their ultimate participation was essential to effective disarmament. Perhaps the science of inspection could be unable to keep pace with advancing weapons technology. 'No matter how difficult the problems are, how discouraging the obstacles, how uncertain the prospect for agreement, we must, Nevertheless begin a determined, large scale effort to prepare ourselves for disarmament to formulate constructive and realistic proposal which have a chance of success. For the hopes of all man kind rest on successful disarmament. And if we let the nations of Africa and Latin America fell that the United States in the real obstacle to disarmament, that we are not sincere in our desire for negotiation-then these emerging areas of the world and began to look to the communist bloc for leadership in fight for peace" J.F.Kennedy said. J.F.Kennedy ever opposed the nuclear tests which were being conducted by different nations as real threat to security and peace. Conclusion It is clear from the above that John F.Kennedy s fight for a world free of arms and peaceful is well evident. He had put his life on the line just because of his desire to have A world free of arms. His fight for America out of Vietnam can be sighted as one of the reasons that his enemies had no option other than to have him assassinated. His speeches had always indicated clearly his desire and purpose for his political ambititions.He died having partially fulfilled his dream but it lives with and it needs attention. Analysis He was the youngest American president ever and a born twentieth century but his legacy lives on. His outstanding charisma and resolve of what he thought makes the most coveted president in the United States ever ruled. He was a challenge and his enemies had no option left than having him assassinated. References 1. John F. Presidential library and museum 2. JohnF.Kennedy on Leadership, John A. Barnes 3. John F.Kennedy Jnr, Landai Elaine Read More