John F. Kennedy on the containment of Communism
Autograph Manuscript, August 12, 1952; The Gilder Lehrman Collection, https://www.gilderlehrman.org/sites/default/files/inline-pdfs/t-02313.pdf
John F. Kennedy was running as a Democratic Senator in 1952, having been serving as a House Representative since 1947. This is his speech to congress on Communism that he delivered in 1952. He says that right after World War II, the world was full of optimism for a future without conflict, but that optimism was quickly “turned to ashes” due to the new enemy of the West: Communism. JFK does not beat around the bush, he says that this enemy is one who “seeks to dominate the world by subversion and conspiracy and when all else fails to military force.” He makes a point that all the problems the West faces are small in comparison to this menace. John would go on to win his Senate race, showing that the American public would support a candidate whose platform is mainly based on fighting communism.
