January 6, 2016 will be the 75th anniversary of FDR's Four Freedoms speech. Do you know the Four Freedoms? If not, you need to Google it. It is as close to a reasonable mission statement for the United States as you are likely to find.
With the inevitability of US involvement in WWII looming over him, FDR started drafting a State of the Union address in January 1941. During that process he dictated, in one stream of thought, what is perhaps the best articulation of our goals as a nation.
"In the future days, which we seek to make secure, we look forward to a world founded upon four essential human freedoms.
The first is freedom of speech and expression—everywhere in the world.
The second is freedom of every person to worship God in his own way—everywhere in the world.
The third is freedom from want—which, translated into world terms, means economic understandings which will secure to every nation a healthy peacetime life for its inhabitants—everywhere in the world.
The fourth is freedom from fear—which, translated into world terms, means a world-wide reduction of armaments to such a point and in such a thorough fashion that no nation will be in a position to commit an act of physical aggression against any neighbor—anywhere in the world."
It is easy to spot that in 1941 the US fell far short of these ideals and still does. History also tells us that no other country has ever offered such aspirations. The Four Freedoms are a concept to strive for, applied to everyone, not just Americans.
The speech was, of course, part propaganda. It also contained more than a grain of truth.
January 6 , 2016. Save the date. It's a Wednesday.
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