Posted by
GunnyG on Friday, February 22, 2008 8:34:23 AM
Today, we're to do a little comparison of two speeches. The test is to correctly guess WHO gave speech #1 and speech #2. BOTH of the speakers promised hope and change. The answers will at the end of the article.
Speech #1:
"This party should put forward demands which of themselves would involve a real revolutionary change in the principles and institutions of government hitherto in force. The new development which now set in, however, meant that there had to be a new orientation not merely of our ideas but also in regard to the practical policy which we had to carry out. Even today certain individuals who have fallen in the march of events refuse to adapt themselves to this change.
Seeing that we insist on the national importance of the function which our economic system fulfils, it naturally follows that the former disunion between employer and employee can no longer exist. But the new State will not and does not wish to assume the role of entrepreneur. It will regulate the working strength of the nation only in so far as such regulation is necessary for the common good. And it will supervise conditions and methods of working only in so far as this is in the interests of all those engaged in work. The economic effects that follow from every real and practical initiative benefit the people as a whole. The ____________ has laid down the directive lines along which the State must conduct the education of the people. This education does not begin at a certain year and end at another. The development of the human being makes it necessary to take the child from the control of that small cell of social life which is the family and entrust his further training to the community itself."
WHO AM I?
Speech #2:
"Over two weeks ago, we saw the people of ____ proclaim that our time for change has come. But there were those who doubted this country’s desire for something new – who said ____ was a fluke not to be repeated again. Well, tonight, the cynics who believed that what began in the snows of ____was just an illusion were told a different story by the good people of ____. After four great contests in every corner of this country, we have the most votes, the most delegates, and the most diverse coalition of _____ we’ve seen in a long, long time. They are young and old; rich and poor. They are black and white; Latino and Asian. They are ____ from ____ ____ and ____ from ____; ____ from rural ____ and young people across this country who’ve never had a reason to participate until now. And in nine days, nearly half the nation will have the chance to join us in saying that we are tired of business-as-usual in ____, we are hungry for change, and we are ready to believe again.
But if there’s anything we’ve been reminded of since ____, it’s that the kind of change we seek will not come easy. Partly because we have fine candidates in the field – fierce competitors, worthy of
respect. And as contentious as this campaign may get, we have to remember that this is a contest for the ____ nomination, and that all of us share an abiding desire to end the disastrous policies of the current administration. But there are real differences between the candidates. We are looking for more than just a change of party in the ____. We’re looking to fundamentally change the status quo in ____ – a status quo that extends beyond any particular party. And right now, that status quo is fighting back with everything it’s got; with the same old tactics that divide and distract us from solving the problems people face, whether those problems are health care they can’t afford or a mortgage they cannot pay.
We are up against the belief that it’s ok for lobbyists to dominate our government that they are just part of the system in ____. But we know that the undue influence of lobbyists is part of the problem, and this election is our chance to say that we’re not going to let them stand in our way anymore. We are up against the conventional thinking that says your ability to lead as ____ comes from longevity in ____ or proximity to the ____. But we know that real leadership is about candor, and judgment, and the ability to rally _____ from all walks of life around a common purpose – a higher purpose. We are up against decades of bitter partisanship that cause politicians to demonize their opponents instead of coming together to make college affordable or energy cleaner; it’s the kind of partisanship where you’re not even allowed to say that a ____ had an idea – even if it’s one you never agreed with. That kind of politics is bad for our party, it’s bad for our country, and this is our chance to end it once and for all.
But we are here tonight to say that this is not the ____ we believe in. I did not travel around this state over the last year and see a _________. I saw ____. I saw crumbling schools that are stealing the future of ____ children. I saw shuttered mills and homes for sale that once belonged to ____ from all walks of life, and men and women of every color and creed who serve together, and fight together, and bleed together under the same proud flag. I saw what ____ is, and I believe in what this country can be.
That is the country I see. That is the country you see. But now it is up to us to help the entire nation embrace this vision. Because in the end, we are not just up against the ingrained and destructive habits of ____, we are also struggling against our own doubts, our own fears, and our own cynicism. The change we seek has always required great struggle and sacrifice. And so this is a battle in our own hearts and minds about what kind of country we want and how hard we’re willing to work for it.
So let me remind you tonight that change will not be easy. That change will take time. There will be setbacks, and false starts, and sometimes we will make mistakes. But as hard as it may seem, we cannot lose hope. Because there are people all across this country who are counting us; who can’t afford another four years without health care or good schools or decent wages because our leaders couldn’t come together and get it done.
WHO AM I?
Speech #1: Hitler July 1932. Hitler was electioneering and spoke in fifty-three German cities. The main point that he beat the drum about was that the pervious parties were incapable of bringing the fundamental change needed, only HE could bring about Germany's salvation. In other speeches, Hitler covered the electoral successes earlier in the year, the continued struggle for power, the deficiencies of the government.
Speech #2: The Pied Piper from Illinois, Husseini Obambi, 28 Jan 2008.
Both are stunningly similar. The previous administration sucked, I can do it better, we're all in it together, collectively we can make it happen, blah, blah, blah. Change for America? Hopefully not like the German's got with Hitler or the Russians got with Lenin.