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147 Into the Future AS PRESIDENT FRANKLIN Roosevelt said in his undelivered speech of April 13, 1945, the United States has long been established as “a vital factor in international affairs.” This is in large part because we represent and defend the four essential freedoms enumerated by President Roosevelt—freedom of worship, freedom from fear, freedom of speech, and freedom from want. President Roosevelt did not live to see the end of the world war he successfully prosecuted, but in the postwar decades our political, diplomatic, and military strengths have indeed kept America at the forefront of the world’s major issues while protecting our essential freedoms. I mentioned President Bill Clinton declaring the United States to be the truly “indispensable nation,” a phrase I quite liked. I believe it is up to each generation to make sure that our country remains honorably indispensable. This doesn’t just happen automatically or by sheer coincidence. Not long before Dr. Stephen Ambrose passed away in 2002, I hosted a small breakfast for him in my office to visit with several members of Congress. The noted historian, biographer of Dwight Eisenhower, was a neighbor to our good mutual friend from Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, Congressman Gene Taylor. Dr. Ambrose talked about his book, Undaunted Courage, the saga of the Lewis and Clark expedition, which had such bearing on Missouri’s history and the nation’s. As he was preparing to leave after his fascinating and vivid presentation, I asked him, “Dr. Ambrose, what is it that makes America so unique and so great?” I noted that some believed it was a combination of the sturdy immigrants who brought so much to America, the pioneers who led our bold westward expansion, and our abundant natural resources. Without hesitation, Dr. Ambrose replied, “Look at Russia—Russia has a hardy workforce, Russia has more natural resources than all of North America. But Russia never had a George Washington, a John Adams, a Thomas Jefferson, or a James Madison and the values that they established.” He was absolutely correct—our values set us apart, and we must be worthy of the founders who established them. If we confront the challenges of this century with courage and clear vision, I believe we will be. I n t o t h e F u t u r e 148 How do we get there? It starts with leadership of solid character. A prime example—not that it will surprise you to hear me say it—is that of President Harry Truman. He made bold decisions, some of which were unpopular at the time, that have been borne out by history as the correct decisions. Truman biographer David McCullough writes of his “inner iron, his bedrock faith in the democratic process, his trust in the American people, and his belief that history was the final, all-important judge of performance.” McCullough goes on to quote columnist Mary McGrory’s declaration that Truman was “unexpectedly wise when it counted,” and he provides commentator Eric Sevareid’s tribute that remembering Truman “reminds people what a man in that office ought to be like. It’s character, just character. He stands like a rock in memory now.” I had the privilege of knowing President Truman, and his strength of character came through loud and clear. Along with values, America must also have leadership with vision. Our leaders must have the ability to map our trail into the future, past the obstacles and dangers that cause other countries to falter and often collapse. This leadership must include persuasive powers to bring together opposing views and shape constructive compromise. Some presidents have been great persuaders in their own times, such as John Kennedy, Ronald Reagan, and Bill Clinton. They led us to compromise and progress, and it usually happened after much vigorous debate. Historian Barbara Tuchman’s remarkable book, The March of Folly, lays out four examples of historic societal blunders that were committed by misguided majorities which could not be dissuaded and therefore marginalized those who disagreed. The first example she notes is the Trojan horse, which as history teaches was presented as a generous gift of tribute, but in actuality was concealing Greek soldiers who decimated Troy once they were inside its walls. One of Tuchman’s stipulations for inclusion in her book’s catalogue of societal follies was active disregard of vocal contemporary opposition to the impending disaster. For the Trojans, this was Laocoon, who warned, “A deadly fraud is this!” And...

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