Kennedy’s “Deal of the Century”
In Chapter 67 of the Tao Te Ching, Laozi wrote: “I dare not place myself before the world.” Throughout history, those who have proposed alternative ideas or pioneered new paths have often faced enormous resistance and risk.
Kennedy was undoubtedly aware of this reality. Yet when it came to issues of profound importance, personal reputation, political success, or failure no longer seemed to matter. What mattered most was pursuing what he believed to be right and acting in the broader interests of humanity’s future.
Author: GUDORDI | 2024-10-15
What kind of a peace do we seek? Not a Pax Americana enforced on the world by American weapons of war. Not the peace of the grave or the security of the slave. I am 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 to hope and build a better life for their children — not merely peace for Americans but peace for all men and women — not merely peace in our time but peace for all time.
──J.F. Kennedy
Kennedy’s Epoch-Defining “Strategy for Peace” Speech
The passage above is taken from Kennedy’s Strategy for Peace speech, which was discussed in the previous article. As the author noted earlier, this address was arguably the most ambitious speech delivered by an American president in the twentieth century. It also demonstrated why Kennedy was such a distinctive political leader.
What set him apart from many other politicians was his determination to pursue what he believed was right, even in the face of significant obstacles. He possessed the courage to remain committed to his principles rather than yielding to immediate difficulties or political pressures. These qualities were particularly evident in his approach toward the Soviet Union.
It is well known that following the end of World War II, the United States and the Soviet Union emerged as the leaders of two opposing blocs. Deep ideological differences divided them, creating what often appeared to be a stark “either only you or me survive or we do” confrontation.
However, the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962 led John F. Kennedy to realize that if this dynamic remained unchanged, the ultimate outcome could be a nuclear war in which both sides would lose—and humanity itself might face extinction. At the same time, the successful resolution of the crisis helped Kennedy and Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev establish a degree of mutual trust, convincing Kennedy that further progress was possible.
As a result, Kennedy hoped that his Strategy for Peace speech would gradually reshape American public perceptions of the Soviet Union. His broader objective was to create the conditions for a gradual reduction of the arms race between the two superpowers and to lay the groundwork for lowering the global risk of nuclear conflict.
The Spirit of “A Journey of a Thousand Miles Begins with a Single Step”
In Chapter 67 of the Tao Te Ching, Laozi wrote: “I dare not place myself before the world.” Throughout history, those who have introduced unconventional ideas or pioneered new paths have often faced immense resistance and risk. Kennedy was undoubtedly aware of this reality. Yet when confronting issues of great importance, personal success or failure, honor or disgrace, and even the prospect of witnessing the results within his own lifetime became secondary considerations.
For this reason, Kennedy frequently quoted the famous line from Chapter 64 of the Tao Te Ching: “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” Interestingly, Kennedy’s English rendering carries a slightly different nuance from Laozi’s original text. He expressed it as: “A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step.” It is a statement worthy of reflection and may offer an important perspective from which to assess Kennedy’s historical legacy.
In the author’s view, Kennedy left profound lessons and influences in at least five areas. The first is world peace; the second, civil rights; the third, space exploration; the fourth, the importance of poetry, art, and literature; and the fifth, the mission of universities and education within human society.
Kennedy’s contribution to space exploration is perhaps the aspect for which he is best known. However, in terms of significance, his efforts toward peace and civil rights may be no less important. His views on poetry and education receive far less attention, yet the author believes their importance is not necessarily inferior to the first three.
Most importantly, when Kennedy’s ideas in these five areas are considered together, they form a remarkably coherent vision for the future of both the United States and humanity as a whole—one that remains worthy of careful reflection today.
A “Realistic Idealist’s” Deal of the Century
Of course, some argue that the real-life Kennedy did not always fully embody the Kennedy portrayed in speeches and writings. Nevertheless, his thinking across these five areas was remarkably consistent, and the fact that he was able to articulate such a coherent vision was an achievement in itself. More importantly, Kennedy genuinely attempted to put these ideas into practice, describing himself as “an idealist without illusions.”
From this perspective, Kennedy’s 1963 Strategy for Peace speech can be seen as an attempt to bring about a “deal of the century”—a grand deal of historic significance. The intended audience may have included Khrushchev, the American people, and both contemporary and future policymakers and citizens.
It is worth noting that any successful deal requires the voluntary participation of both parties and must be built upon a certain degree of mutual trust. Upon reflection, is this not also the essence of free-market exchange? Viewed in this light, could Kennedy’s proposed bargain be understood as a form of normal market behavior within the “free commercial society” envisioned by Adam Smith?
If the answer is yes, what implications might this have for our understanding of the true nature of the free market? The author will explore this question further in the next article.