WSPP00120 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

2025 In this crucial competition with communism, it behooves us particularly to examine our own weaknesses, for the outcome of this contest will primarily depend not on what Russia does, but on what we do. If the communists win this contest, it will not be because of their excellence, but because of our futility, our dissension, our preoccupation, our indecision, our isolationism, our political jockeying, our failure to set the outstanding example, our failure to supply the bold, enlightened leadership which the whole world craves. The human attribute most damaging to our free enterprise system, the Achilles heel which reMers us most vulnerable to propagandistic attack, is the basic trait of selfishness; selfishness on the part'ot capital when it demands more than a fair return 010 Seeks undue profit. by manipuiation; selfishness on the part of management whert it adopts shady practices or helps itilf;llf too libel'- ally at the trougli) .selHshnl!!Ss on .the. part or la-bor wheti it exerts every ei'fort to GET ~ut i~ ~hary ,about commensurate GfV~N~ . selfishne~s on the part of Govetnment when it aiverts public resources to political largesse or subordinates the public interest to politic advantage, We need more concentration on productive effort; we need broader and more tolerant vision; we need mutual respect and consideration in lieu of class hatreds; we need constructive cooperation in lieu of destructive defamation. Business management must eecome more social minded; there is still too large a sector jealous of its prerogatives of privilege and bent on financial gain without due regard to the rights of labor am of the public, Organized labor must become more cooperative, more democratic, less swayed by the lust for power, Labor leaders must recognize that concentrated power, be it in the realm of management or in the realm of labor, must bow gracefully to regulation in the public interest. They must realize that wealth can be distri- buted only when wealth is created, and wealth cannot be created by methods of re- striction and sabotage. 1>1e need more profound respect for the basic, homely virtues: dustry, thrift, We need moral Clnd spiritual resurgence and greater of religion as a source of inspiration to upright, noble living. honesty, in- recognition 1-1e think that Russia's proper course is to demonstrate in Russia the merits of communism, By the same token, we should undertake to demonstrate in America the true worth of capitalism. If we have faith in the system of free enterprise and desire to preserve it our answer to the communist challenge should be so to govern ~ behavior, so to amend our capitalism, and so to strengthen our democratic institutions that the restive-tide of communism becomes but. a riPiiie against a rock-ribbed coast of -13- -