State of the Union Address

Excerpt: ...of increases in military and civilian pay, because of the need to proceed with new weapons systems, my budget for the coming fiscal year will provide for an increase in defense spending. Strong military defenses are not the enemy of peace; they are the guardians of peace. There could be no more misguided set of priorities than one which would tempt others by weakening America, and thereby endanger the peace of the world. In our foreign policy, we have entered a new era. The world has changed greatly in the 11 years since President John Kennedy said in his Inaugural Address, "... we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe to assure the survival and the success of liberty." Our policy has been carefully and deliberately adjusted to meet the new realities of the new world we live in. We make today only those commitments we are able and prepared to meet. Our commitment to freedom remains strong and unshakable. But others must bear their share of the burden of defending freedom around the world. And so this, then, is our policy: -We will maintain a nuclear deterrent adequate to meet any threat to the security of the United States or of our allies. -We will help other nations develop the capability of defending themselves. -We will faithfully honor all of our treaty commitments. -We will act to defend our interests, whenever and wherever they are threatened anyplace in the world. -But where our interests or our treaty commitments are not involved, our role will be limited. -We will not intervene militarily. -But we will use our influence to prevent war. -If war comes, we will use our influence to stop it. -Once it is over, we will do our share in helping to bind up the wounds of those who have participated in it. As you know, I will soon be visiting the People's Republic of China and the Soviet Union. I go there with no illusions. We have great differences with both powers. We shall...