:25:01
The great fight in 1962 is
the same fight we waged in 1960,
:25:05
and must be waged in this decade.
:25:08
And that is to provide
employment for our people,
:25:11
education for our children,
:25:12
and security for our older people.
:25:21
But an air strike in and of itself
:25:23
will not eliminate the threat in Cuba,
:25:25
Mr. Acheson, it would have to be followed
by an invasion
:25:27
to destroy any of those missile bases
we missed there.
:25:29
And that would involve widespread
fighting and bombing,
:25:32
and a horrendous toll to Cuban lives.
:25:34
And that, Bobby,
regretfully is the nature of war,
:25:37
even a defensive war.
:25:38
Yes, and what will the Russians do?
:25:40
Even if they pull away from the brake,
:25:42
what will the civilized world think
of the United States
:25:44
crushing a small country
in a brutal surprise attack.
:25:47
Whatever the military outcome,
assaulting Cuba, in my view,
:25:50
will do us irreparable diplomatic
and psychological harm.
:25:54
No, gentlemen, we are not gonna have a
Pearl Harbor in reverse here.
:25:56
My brother is not gonna be the Tojo
of the 1960s.
:25:59
Mr. Attorney General,
:26:00
your analogy with Pearl Harbor
is false and pejorative.
:26:03
At Pearl Harbor, the Japanese
without provocation or warning
:26:06
attacked our fleet thousands of miles
from Japanese shores.
:26:10
In this situation,
the Soviet Union installed
:26:12
lethal weapons 19 miles from our coast,
:26:15
and they have done this 140 years
:26:17
after the Proclamation of
the Monroe Doctrine.
:26:19
I don't, dispute that, Mr. Acheson.
:26:21
Moreover, within the last five months,
the Congress,
:26:23
and even more recently
the President himself,
:26:26
has reiterated our opposition
to the establishment
:26:28
of offensive weapons in Cuba.
:26:30
Now, how much warning must we give
:26:33
to avoid the stigma
of Pearl Harbor in reverse?
:26:38
I have come here to Yale,
to this center of learning,
:26:43
and I've enjoyed your warm reception.
:26:47
But you will learn,
as this country has learned,
:26:51
that the Democratic Party is
best for you,
:26:53
as it is best for the country.