Richard Nixon on Foreign policy of the United States
← Back to Richard Nixon ProfileAmidst the atrocities of the Bangladesh Liberation War, Nixon justified his inaction by arguing against American intervention in other nations' political arrangements.
“It was “wrong,” Nixon said, “to assume that the US should go around telling other countries how to arrange their political affairs.””
“And now, I turn to an issue of overriding importance, not only to this election but for generations to come—the progress we have made in building a new structure of peace in the world. Peace is too important for partisanship. There have been five Presidents in my political lifetime—Franklin D. Roosevelt, Harry Truman, Dwight Eisenhower, John F. Kennedy and Lyndon Johnson. They had differences on some issues, but they were united in their belief that where the security of America or the peace of the world is involved, we are not Republicans, we are not Democrats, we are Americans first, last and always. These five Presidents were united in their total opposition to isolation for America and in their belief that the interest of the United States and the interest of world peace required that America be strong enough and intelligent enough to assume the responsibilities of leadership in the world. They were united in the conviction that the United States should have a defense second to none in the world. They were all men who hated war and were dedicated to peace. But not one of these five men and no President in our history believed that America should ask an enemy for peace on terms that would betray our allies and destroy respect for the United States all over the world. And as your President, I pledge that I shall always uphold that proud bipartisan tradition.”