President Kennedy’s “Legacy”
Looking back suddenly, Kennedy was living in a great era. When Kennedy took office, it was the height of the Cold War, and Kennedy’s campaign slogan that year was: “A time for Greatness.”
Author: GUDORDI | 2023-07-14
When U.S. President John F. Kennedy took office at the height of the Cold War, he said during his tenure, “If we cannot overcome our differences now, let us at least make it a world where difference and diversity can be safely accepted.” (Shutterstock)
Continuing from the above: “The most important thing for a nation is to have outstanding entrepreneurs from generation to generation”
The problems of the world cannot possibly be solved by skeptics or cynics whose horizons are limited by the obvious realities. We need men who can dream of things that never were and ask ‘why not?’
But why, some say, the moon? Why choose this as our goal? ..And they may well ask why climb the highest mountain. Why, 35 years ago, fly the Atlantic? Why Rice play Texas?…We choose to go to the moon. We choose to go to the moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard.
──Former U.S. President John F. Kennedy (1917-1963)
The speech with the most profound impact on human development in modern history
The above is an excerpt from a speech delivered by former U.S. President John F. Kennedy at Rice University in Houston, Texas, in 1962. In this speech, President Kennedy clarified the U.S. government’s determination to vigorously develop the space industry. This speech is regarded by many as a turning point in the U.S. national policy on the space industry, and even in modern history, it has a profound impact on mankind. One of the speeches that has the most profound impact on the development of society.
This is a speech that I have listened to many, many times. Obviously, investing huge manpower and material resources and taking huge risks to explore space is not an easy decision to make, and how to persuade the public and other departments of the United States to accept it may be even more difficult. The objective environment at the time was that the Soviet Union was significantly ahead of the United States in its ability to explore space. Therefore, from many perspectives, the United States did have the need to catch up. However, considering the structure of American society and government, the difficulty and difficulty involved in doing so were The risks, as well as the manpower and material resources required, make it extremely difficult to implement.
It is said that if the president of the United States at the time had not been John F. Kennedy, the U.S. government might not have been able to devote itself to the space industry without hesitation. If so, human history might have changed. Musk talked about living on Mars today, and humans would become multi-planetary. There is no way to talk about living life – the development of history and social phenomena is often layered. If some prerequisites do not appear first, many other things will be impossible to talk about.
This is the great moment
Kennedy was born on May 29, 1917. He officially took office as the 35th President of the United States on January 20, 1961. He was assassinated on November 22, 1963. His term was just over 2 years and 9 months, or 1,036 days. However, even though Kennedy’s term in office was short, his impact and contribution to American society and world history were extremely profound. Many people regard Kennedy as one of the most remembered and greatest presidents in American history. .
Looking back suddenly, Kennedy was living in a great era. When Kennedy took office, it was the height of the Cold War, and Kennedy’s campaign slogan that year was: “A time for Greatness.” Judging from his words and deeds during the campaign and after taking office, it seems that the positioning Kennedy chose for the United States is to deal with relevant issues from the perspective of the overall well-being of global mankind. The sentence quoted at the beginning of this article is one example, and Kennedy once said this:
If we are not able to bridge our differences now, let us at least make it a world where difference and diversity are safely accepted. In the final analysis, what we all have in common is that we all live on a small planet called the Earth. We all breathe the same air.
And if we cannot end now our differences, at least we can help make the world safe for diversity. For, in the final analysis, our most basic common link is that we all inhabit this small planet. We all breathe the same air.
A very deep question
The above examples are all quite “generous” speeches and writings. It is said that Kennedy’s level is far beyond that of ordinary politicians, and he has the demeanor of a great politician. I believe this view has a very solid foundation, right? The things President Kennedy has to deal with are undoubtedly very difficult, but on the other hand, we seem to have to agree that they are real and their importance is so high that we cannot turn a blind eye or ignore them. Ignore them and let them develop. It depends on what you see and do. You just rely on looking at the sky and making divination, hoping that the final development will not be too bad. This attitude is undoubtedly understandable, but if we deal with and face all extremely difficult things with an attitude that seems to be a bit timid and lacks courage, it seems to be a bit regretful and embarrassing. A bit regretful, right?
This also brings up a very profound question: when it comes to things in this world, should we only choose to do things that are easy to do, or at least have a certain degree of certainty, or should we choose to do things that are easy to do, or at least have a certain degree of certainty? Do you have some persistence, regardless of success or failure, but strive to go all out, and move forward courageously with the spirit of choosing the good and being stubborn?
As for how Hong Kong can develop its international financial center and international city, should we always focus on things that are easy to do, or at least have a certain degree of certainty, or should we consider looking further ahead? a little? This is not an easy question to answer. Perhaps President Kennedy’s words and deeds throughout his life can bring some enlightenment to relevant issues. We’ll talk about that next time.
*Rice University is a private university established in Texas with a donation from William Marsh Rice. Although it is not a member of the Ivy League, it has a prestigious status and has always been regarded as one of the best universities in the United States.
“Hong Kong’s Legendary Future” Series 35
Contact the author: Gudordi@proton.me
