Maintianing World Leadership 1952

[Ryan_Miller]

I read this in an article from 1952. It is a quotation of General Matthew B. Ridgway (U.S. Army) on the Korean Conflict.

This thread is not a political statement, but meant to be a historical perspective for you the reader to ponder.

Maintaining World Leadership

General Matthew B. Ridgway has made a very interesting observation about the impatience of the American people to get a quick decision and get out of Korea. He points out that America now has world leadership- no matter how we got it- wheither it devolved upon us or we actively sought it- and if we are to maintain it we must take an entirely different viewpoint. He said that the fall of Japan to the Communists would be a major calamity to this country, and the attitude of business and labor in America toward markets from Japanese industry may have a very important bearing on what happens there.
If we close our markets to the Japanese and make it too difficult for them to make a living, we possibly could drive them right into the arms of the Communists. General Ridgway is convinced that there is no easy or quick solution to the whole world problem, and that it is going to take a long time, with readjustments and realignments continuing indefinitely in the future. He says if the United States is going to meet its responsibility, it must grow up and be more mature in its attitude, and not expect a finite solution in one, two or five years, but for a continuing long term stand against the forces of Communism.

[whydahdvr]

Kind of pertinent today with our current global political and local economic situations. We've always liked quick fixes, regardless of their merits.