It's good to be prepared.
You never know for sure how a big decision will turn out, so you need to be ready for
anything.
This is especially true if you have to announce a victory or a tragedy to the world; you want
to have a speech ready so you don't resort to freestyle rapping your way through a declaration
of war.
Fate dictated that these speeches not be given, but they would have been well-remembered if
they had.
10.
Wamsutta James Ruins Plymouth's Anniversary Party
Native American activist Wamsutta James was a descendant of the Wampanoags, a tribe that
was living in New England when European maps were still labeling America with "Here be
Dragons."
When he was asked to give a speech at a 1970 event commemorating the anniversary of the
arrival of settlers at Plymouth, he saw a chance to rip apart historical myths that
glossed over how natives were treated by settlers.
Instead of telling the school kids and Pilgrim descendants present what they were expecting
to hear — cute fictions about how buddy-buddy the Pilgrims and Natives were — he would
have spent his entire speech destroying those myths, taking his audience to task for their
ignorance and highlighting the many atrocities his people suffered, after which he presumably
would have dropped the mic and strutted offstage.
"Peace out, you white bitches."
Event organizers didn't like his proposed text and he didn't like their requests for
a rewrite, so James never spoke.
While not as historically significant as the speeches coming up on this list, James'
speech is worth mentioning because it highlights an area of American history that is woefully
overlooked.
It's fittingly ironic that a speech meant to discuss an oft-suppressed historical truth
was prevented from being given.
Also, we have to admire the giant balls it takes to accept an invitation to speak at
an event, and then spend your whole time trashing it.
Excerpt
"We forfeited our country.
Our lands have fallen into the hands of the aggressor.
We have allowed the white man to keep us on our knees.
What has happened cannot be changed, but today we must work towards a more humane America,
a more Indian America, where men and nature once again are important; where the Indian
values of honor, truth, and brotherhood prevail."
9.
Sarah Palin Wins Near the end of the 2008 Presidential election,
tensions between the McCain and Palin camps were so high that McCain's people insisted
that, win or lose, Sarah Palin would not give a speech on Election Night.
Given that Palin had turned into the laughingstock of the campaign, that was probably a wise
decision.
"Was it something I said?"
Palin was a divisive figure both during and after the election, with some voters loving
her and others cringing at the thought of her being a heartbeat away from the Presidency.
When the text of Palin's proposed victory speech was revealed, it was a look into what
could have been (but thankfully wasn't).
As a speech it's decent enough, your typical gracious victory celebration.
But it's the idea behind it that's really interesting — the 2008 election was one
of the closest and most contentious in recent history, and the years that followed it would
have looked awfully different had the result swung the other way.
Regardless of your political beliefs, it's a hell of a thought experiment to take a minute
and wonder what America would have looked like with Sarah Palin in the White House,
and her speech lets you know how that news would have been broken to you.
Excerpt
"It's been just 68 days since that afternoon in Dayton, Ohio, when Senator McCain introduced
me as his running mate.
He is truly the maverick.
He took a chance on me.
I will always be grateful for that.
It will be the honor of a lifetime to work him as vice president of the United States.
And I pledge to govern with integrity, and goodwill, and clear conviction, and a servant's
heart.
My fellow Americans, tens of millions of you shared our convictions and gave us your votes.
And I thank you for your confidence.
We were facing tough odds and formidable opponents."
8.
Albert Lutuli Lectures the Court Albert Lutuli was a key member of the African
National Congress and their struggle against South Africa's apartheid government.
He was arrested in 1960 for burning his pass (an internal passport that all black South
Africans were required to carry and produce on demand), shortly after 69 people were killed
in a protest against the pass system.
"The only thing I hate more than racism is wearing my pants at a reasonable level."
Lutuli was found guilty, fined and given a suspended jail sentence.
He had planned on giving a speech before the sentence was decided, but ultimately refrained
for health reasons.
While today the trial is little more than a footnote in the long story of the anti-apartheid
movement, his proposed speech is an excellent piece of rhetoric that aptly highlights the
many grievances blacks had with the system.
If Lutuli had been able to give it, it may have well been remembered alongside other
famous protest speeches of the era.
Excerpt
"There comes a time, sir, when a leader must give as practical a demonstration of
his convictions and willingness to live up to the demands of the cause, as he expects
of his people.
I felt that was the hour in our history, and in my life, for this demonstration.
I am not sorry nor ashamed of what I did.
I could not have done less than I did and still live with my conscience.
I would rightly lose the confidence of my people, and earn the disrespect of right-thinking
people in my country and in the world, and the disdain of posterity.
In all humility, I say that I acted as was my duty in response to the highest moral law
in the best interest of the people of South Africa, because I am convinced that the urgent
need of our country, for the maintenance of peace and harmony amongst the various races,
black and white, is the immediate and wholesale abolition of the pass.
It is my firm belief that it is the duty of all right-thinking people, black and white,
who have the true interest of our country at heart, to strive for this without flinching."
7.
JFK's Dallas Speech As you are hopefully aware, President Kennedy
was assassinated in Dallas in 1963.
If you weren't aware, you're probably wondering what the magic box you're reading
this list on is.
What you may not know was that Kennedy was on his way to the Dallas Trade Mart, where
he was scheduled to give a speech.
His speech touches on the Cold War, America's role in the world, and the general uneasiness
of the times.
Ironically, parts of the speech attack speaking itself — Kennedy argues that America needs
to act against Communism instead of merely criticizing it.
Some of his words are ominous — promoting financial support for the Vietnam War and
the oppressive Iranian Shah does not look wise in retrospect, and bragging about how
the US has been able to vastly expand its nuclear arsenal is flat-out scary.
"Also, I'm scoring with more celebrities than ever before.
Good night, and God bless America."
Nevertheless, it's a stirring piece of rhetoric that would have done well in the hands of
a skilled orator like Kennedy, and certainly would have been remembered as a snapshot of
the times in which he governed had he lived to deliver it.
Excerpt
"We in this country, in this generation, are — by destiny rather than choice — the
watchmen on the walls of world freedom.
We ask, therefore, that we may be worthy of our power and responsibility, that we may
exercise our strength with wisdom and restraint, and that we may achieve in our time and for
all time the ancient vision of "peace on earth, good will toward men."
That must always be our goal, and the righteousness of our cause must always underlie our strength.
For as was written long ago, "except the Lord keep the city, the watchman waketh but
in vain.""
6.
A Regular FDR Speech Would Have Been An Unofficial Goodbye
Speaking of Presidents and dying, FDR had a speech ready to go for Jefferson Day 1945,
before a massive cerebral hemorrhage changed his plans.
Had he lived to give it, it would probably be remembered as a decent but generic speech,
the sort of remarks the President needs to make when there's a war going on.
"The best part about giving speeches over the radio is that I don't have to wear pants."
But with FDR kicking the bucket and World War II ending not long after his death, his
unspoken words serve as an unintentional goodbye to the American people and the world.
They have a poignancy that would be lacking had he lived to speak them, and they make
a fitting eulogy for the end of both the longest Presidency in American history and a historical
era of depression and war.
There's an optimism to the speech, as it looks forward to the time of peace everyone
knows is slowly but surely coming, that is somehow stronger for being given from beyond
the grave (not literally; a zombie FDR giving a speech would be terrifying).
Excerpt
"Today, as we move against the terrible scourge of war—as we go forward toward the
greatest contribution that any generation of human beings can make in this world- the
contribution of lasting peace, I ask you to keep up your faith.
I measure the sound, solid achievement that can be made at this time by the straight edge
of your own confidence and your resolve.
And to you, and to all Americans who dedicate themselves with us to the making of an abiding
peace, I say: The only limit to our realization of tomorrow will be our doubts of today.
Let us move forward with strong and active faith."
5.
The Cold War Goes Hot The Cuban Missile Crisis ended about as well
as anything called a "missile crisis" could be expected to — the US publicly won
a game of nuclear chicken, the Soviet Union privately achieved a strategic goal by having
US missiles removed from Turkey, and nobody got blown up.
It's the sort of feel good ending that was tailor-made for Hollywood.
Most alternative "solutions" to the Crisis would have ended with shots being fired, and
JFK had a speech ready to go in case he felt it necessary for American boots to hit the
ground in Cuba.
We can't even begin to speculate what the fallout of a military invasion of Cuba would
have been.
At best, American-Soviet relations would have hit an all-time low, and at worst we'd all
be living in Fallout instead of dicking around on the Internet.
On the plus side, it would be a lot cheaper to take vacations to Cuba.
"I'm calling it Operation Bay of Pigs Two: Nuclear Boogaloo."
Anytime you can make a decision where one possible result is "nuclear holocaust,"
you better have a darn good speech up your sleeve, and JFK's remarks are appropriately
somber.
Considering the next words out of his mouth could have been "better duck and cover,
kids!" they damn well should have been.
Excerpt
"My fellow Americans, with a heavy heart, and in necessary fulfillment of my oath of
office, I have ordered – and the United States Air Force has now carried out – military
operations with conventional weapons only, to remove a major nuclear weapons build-up
from the soil of Cuba."
4.
Nixon Doesn't Resign Political super-villain Richard Nixon is famous
for being the only President in American history to resign, but that was actually "Option
B." Had things gone according to plan he would have clung to power, and his Presidency
would have begun to resemble the Nixon Administration from Watchmen.
Or, in a best-case scenario, Futurama.
Nixon's "I'm Sticking Around, Suckers" speech is defiant, although in retrospect
it's also ignorant of the state of affairs, and a little megalomaniacal to boot.
Nixon resigned after realizing the political winds were against him, so it's hard not
to imagine this speech being given from a throne of skulls with lighting and thunder
crackling in the background.
Had Nixon decided to fight public opinion and cling to power, the politics of the day
would have become even uglier in a hurry.
Excerpt
"I firmly believe that I have not committed any act of commission or omission that justifies
removing a duly elected President from office.
If I did believe that I had committed such an act, I would have resigned long ago."
3.
D-Day Goes Downhill As any video gamer can tell you, D-Day was
a tough battle.
History classes tend to gloss over the many ways Operation Overlord could have gone wrong
— anything from a smarter German reaction to lousy weather would have made Saving Private
Ryan a lot more depressing.
General Eisenhower, well aware of the risk he was taking, took a moment on the evening
before the battle to jot down a speech to be read in case of failure.
The speech — actually little more than a brief statement — is chilling in how it
describes what would have been a catastrophic loss of life with clinical detachment.
Damn, Ike's handwriting was terrible.
For all we know this was his grocery list.
How would World War II have turned out if D-Day failed?
Well, by 1944, it was just a matter of time until the Nazis were defeated, but with the
American and British advance in tatters, the Red Army would have had to pick up the slack,
pushing further into Europe than they did in reality.
The end result would have been a much larger Soviet Union and a very different Cold War,
changes that would have reverberated through history up until today.
So jeez, Eisenhower, maybe you should have offered more than 10 seconds of commentary
on the matter.
Excerpt
"Our landings in the Cherbourg-Havre area have failed to gain a satisfactory foothold
and I have withdrawn the troops.
My decision to attack at this time and place was based on the best information available.
The troops, the air, and the Navy did all that bravery and devotion to duty could do.
If any blame or fault attaches to the attempt it is mine alone."
2.
Apollo 11 Doesn't Come Home Getting men to the Moon was such a complicated
endeavor that it's easy to forget that we had to get them home, too.
If something broke they couldn't exactly call AAA for help, and considering we're
talking about travelling 384,400 km through the vacuum of space in a little ball of metal
powered by rocket fuel and slide ruler calculations, it's actually remarkable that something
didn't break.
The joy and wonder felt around the world at the sight of Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin
walking on the Moon would have been a bit dampened had it then been announced that their
adventure had unexpectedly become a one-way trip.
At least Michael Collins would have had a lot more legroom on the ride back.
Presidential speechwriter William Safire knew the White House had to be ready for anything,
so he prepared a short speech entitled "In the Event of Moon Disaster."
Thankfully it never had to be given, but it's a beautiful piece of prose that would have
served as a fitting tribute to the men lying their lives down for the cause of exploration,
dampened only slightly by the fact that it would have been read by Richard Nixon.
Excerpt
"For every human being who looks up at the moon in the nights to come will know that
there is some corner of another world that is forever mankind."
1.
Hitler Gets Blown Up As that Tom Cruise movie (and maybe history
class) taught you, in 1944 there was a failed attempt by members of the German Resistance
to assassinate Hitler.
Had the attempt succeeded, Carl Friedrich Goerdeler, one of the conspirators and the
proposed Chancellor of post-Hitler Germany, would have given a fiery radio address denouncing
Hitler and his policies.
Unfortunately, Hitler survived the assassination attempt with everything but his trousers intact,
and Goerdeler and his fellow conspirators were quickly rounded up.
Nearly 5000 people were executed in the aftermath, essentially putting an end to all organised
anti-Nazi resistance within Germany.
But at least they caused serious problems for Hitler's tailor.
It's hard to say what would have happened had the plan succeeded — internal German
politics were complicated, and many of the conspirators still held anti-Semitic views.
But regardless of the details, it's likely that signing a peace treaty would have been
a priority, World War II would have come to an early end in Europe, and there would have
been no Berlin Wall.
But then David Hasselhoff wouldn't have been able to play a concert there, so maybe
it was for the best.
Excerpt
"We would not be worthy of our fathers, we would earn the contempt of our children,
if we lacked the courage to do everything, everything conceivable, to avert the terrible
peril and to achieve self-respect once more.
Over and over, Hitler has violated the oath given to the people ten years ago.
He has done so by violating the law, human and divine.
Therefore no soldier, no official, not a single citizen is bound to him by oath any longer."
For more infomation >> Ford Transit 280M 2.2 TDCI L2H1 Economy Edition Lange uitv./ Dub.schuifdeur - Duration: 1:21. 
For more infomation >> マカラ・サンクランティ Makar Sankranti - Duration: 3:12. 
For more infomation >> Bonne année 2019 - Duration: 0:29. 
For more infomation >> 🎧 Pioneer SPH 10BT - Un autoradio BT avec support smartphone intégré ! - Duration: 0:59. 
For more infomation >> 2nd Free Toy Giveaway Winner Announcement
For more infomation >> Mercedes-Benz S-Klasse 500 Lang Full Option All in Prijs ERG MOOI Inruil Mogelijk! - Duration: 1:24. 
For more infomation >> Tesla Model S 85 LUCHTVERING/PANODAK/TECHPAKKET - Duration: 1:11. 
For more infomation >> Les nouveaux mensonges de Alexandre Benalla - Duration: 5:28. 
For more infomation >> Suzuki SX4 S-Cross - Duration: 1:05. 
For more infomation >> Chez LREM, "désormais, on dit tout haut ce qu'on pense" - Duration: 2:24. 
For more infomation >> La seule recette qui permet de bénéficier des bienfaits du Curcuma|Nouvelles24h - Duration: 5:02. 
For more infomation >> Mariana Masetto - Juntitos (Video Oficial) - Duration: 3:10. 
For more infomation >> [REACTION] Ariana Grande - 7 rings - Duration: 12:09. 
For more infomation >> Ça ne se demande pas… à des personnes de petite taille - Duration: 0:16. 
For more infomation >> Nový přírůstek k 11 pořadům: Jaromír Soukup zakládá vlastní politickou stranu! - Duration: 2:35. 
For more infomation >> Live in the D: Dine in the D- Mi.Mosa - Duration: 7:14. 
For more infomation >> Live in the D: Reel Talk -Will "Glass" shatter your expectations? - Duration: 6:20. 
For more infomation >> Live in the D: L'Renee takes center stage with her new solo project - Duration: 5:56. 
For more infomation >> Laeticia Hallyday : sa grand-mère a encore frappé... la photo très (très) gênante ! - Duration: 1:27. 
For more infomation >> Alessandra Sublet victime de « racisme anti-riche », le tacle d'un humoriste - Duration: 1:27. 
For more infomation >> Monique Lefebvre signe le Livre d'or de Montréal - Duration: 2:31. 
For more infomation >> Porsche Cayenne 3.0 D Automaat,Schuifdak,Luchtvering,Bose - Duration: 1:15. 
For more infomation >> 5 SECRETS QUE VOUS NE CONNAISSEZ PAS DANS MINECRAFT ! 😂🔥 - Duration: 18:54. 
For more infomation >> Trempez vos ongles dans ce mélange pour qu'ils continuent à pousser. Les résultats vous surprennent - Duration: 14:10. 
For more infomation >> Почему у Навального проблемы с женщинами? (Познавательное ТВ, Артём Войтенков) - Duration: 8:51. 
For more infomation >> [FREE] Gunna x Young Adz (D Block Europe) Type Beat 2019 | OVERDOSE | Rap Instrumental | UK Rap Beat - Duration: 3:26. 
For more infomation >> Julie Gayet : « ce moment sacré » avec ses enfants - Duration: 2:15. 
No comments:
Post a Comment