邪恶帝国演讲，里根总统

邪恶帝国演讲，罗纳德·里根总统

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evil_Empire_speech

“邪恶帝国”演讲是美国总统罗纳德·里根于 1983 年 3 月 8 日在冷战和苏联-阿富汗战争高峰期向全国福音派协会发表的演讲。在那次演讲中，里根将苏联称为“邪恶帝国”和“现代世界邪恶的焦点”。里根明确拒绝了美国和苏联对冷战和两国之间正在进行的核军备竞赛负有同等责任的观点；相反，他断言这场冲突是一场善与恶之间的战斗。

背景
里根当时的首席演讲撰稿人安东尼·R·多兰为里根创造了“邪恶帝国”一词。[1]多兰在 1982 年 6 月里根在伦敦英国下议院发表的演讲稿中也使用了类似的语言，但审阅者指出并删除了这些措辞。[2] 多兰在里根在全国福音派协会第 41 届年会上的演讲稿中也使用了“邪恶帝国”一词。[3] 看过演讲稿的白宫工作人员，包括大卫·格根 (David Gergen)，一再删除“邪恶帝国”部分；演讲稿最终送到里根手中，其中包含了“邪恶帝国”部分，工作人员批评者认为这次活动微不足道，不太可能引起注意。[4]

当里根亲自审阅和编辑草稿时，他扩展了有关国内事务的材料。[4] 多兰在演讲稿中提到“按需堕胎”是“巨大的道德邪恶”；里根插话并补充说：“除非能够证明未出生的孩子不是一个生命体”，否则其“生命权、自由权和追求幸福的权利必须受到保护”。[5] 里根保留了“邪恶帝国”一词，并没有实质性地改变草案中强烈的反共基调。[6]

演讲
1983 年 3 月 8 日，里根在佛罗里达州奥兰多喜来登双子塔酒店的 Citrus Crown 宴会厅举行的全国福音派协会第 41 届年会上发表了讲话。[7] 这次演讲是他第一次使用“邪恶帝国”一词来指代苏联，被称为“邪恶帝国”演讲。在那次演讲中，里根说：[8][9]

是的，让我们为所有生活在极权主义黑暗中的人的救赎祈祷——祈祷他们能发现认识上帝的喜悦。但在此之前，我们要意识到，尽管他们宣扬国家至高无上，宣称国家对个人无所不能，并预言国家最终将统治地球上的所有民族，但他们却是现代世界邪恶的焦点……因此，在你们讨论核冻结提案时，我敦促你们警惕骄傲的诱惑——轻率地宣称自己高于一切，并给双方贴上同样的错误标签，无视历史事实和邪恶帝国的侵略冲动，简单地称军备竞赛是一个巨大的误解，从而将自己从正确与错误、善与恶的斗争中抽身而出。

观众对里根的演讲鼓掌。[10] 一支乐队用歌曲《前进吧，基督士兵》为他伴奏。[11]

反响
同时期的媒体批评这次演讲具有煽动性，批评者担心这次演讲对与苏联的军备谈判产生负面影响。[12] 《基督教科学箴言报》认为，里根的言论会鼓励军备竞赛，并且“从逻辑上讲，终有一天会走向战争”。[13] 在 1984 年的总统辩论中，里根重申了他对苏联的评价，称他“认为他们所做的许多事情在我们的任何道德观念中都是邪恶的”，同时强调实用主义，并补充说：“我也认识到，作为世界上两个超级大国，我们必须相互共存”。[14]

苏联则指责美国是一个试图主宰整个世界的帝国主义超级大国，苏联正在“以人类的名义”与之作战。在莫斯科，苏联国家通讯社塔斯社表示，“邪恶帝国”一词表明里根政府“只会从对抗和好战、疯狂的反共产主义的角度思考问题”。[15]

1988 年 5 月至 6 月，在他第二任期内，也就是使用“邪恶帝国”一词五年多之后，里根在莫斯科拜访了当时的苏联总书记、改革派米哈伊尔·戈尔巴乔夫。当记者问他是否仍然认为苏联是一个邪恶帝国时，里根回答说他不再这么认为了，当他使用这个词时，已经是“另一个时代，另一个时代”了。[16] 戈尔巴乔夫在一次演讲中谈到里根的声明时说，苏联“注意到了这一点”；记者卢·坎农总结说，戈尔巴乔夫“认真听取了里根带到莫斯科的和平信息”。[17]

解释
G. 托马斯·古德奈特将“邪恶帝国”描述为

里根的“帝国”演讲，以及“零选择”和“星球大战”演讲，都是冷战修辞方面的一部分，重塑了公众对核战争的看法。[18] 在前者中，里根将核战争描述为“古老的善恶斗争”的延伸。[19] 通过将苏联描述为一个“邪恶帝国”，因此不合理且不值得信任，里根的演讲为反对和平提议提供了理由。[20] 历史学家约翰·刘易斯·加迪斯称这次演讲是“一次修辞攻势的完成，旨在揭露里根认为的缓和政策的核心错误：苏联已经赢得了地缘政治、意识形态、经济和道德合法性”，并认为这次演讲“最能激发当时苏联领导层的焦虑”。[21] 据文学教授李罗姆·梅多沃伊 (Leerom Medovoi) 称，里根除了反对苏联联盟的“邪恶帝国”演讲将福音派听众的注意力引向国内政策，并将美国自由主义者描述为文化战争中的额外敌人，里根称其为“对道德意志和信仰的考验”。[22]

文本

罗纳德·里根，“邪恶帝国演讲”（1983 年 3 月 8 日）

[1] 里根总统：谢谢……[掌声]……非常感谢……非常感谢……[掌声平息]……非常感谢……各位牧师、霍金斯参议员、佛罗里达州国会代表团的杰出成员以及你们所有人：

[2] 我无法告诉你们，你们的欢迎让我多么温暖。我很高兴今天能来到这里。

[3] 全国福音派协会的各位以精神和人道主义工作而闻名。如果我现在不表达一份个人恩情，那将特别失职。感谢你们的祈祷。南希和我多次以多种方式感受到你们的存在。相信我，对我们来说，你们的祈祷改变了一切。

[4] 前几天在白宫东厅的一次会议上，有人问我是否知道外面有那么多人在为总统祈祷。我不得不说：“是的，我知道。我感受到了。我相信代祷。”但在提问者问完这个问题后，我忍不住要说——或者至少要告诉他们，如果他有时在祈祷时听到忙音，那只是我先在那儿。[笑声] 我想我理解亚伯拉罕·林肯的感受，他说：“我多次被一种压倒性的信念逼得跪倒在地，我无处可去。”

[5] 带着这次会议的喜悦和美好感觉，我去参加了一个政治招待会。现在，[笑声] 我不知道为什么，但那一点安排让我想起了一个故事——[笑声]——我会与你们分享：

[6] 一天，一位福音派牧师和一位政客一起来到天堂之门。圣彼得在办完所有必要的手续后，带他们去告诉他们他们的住处在哪里。他把他们带到一间小单人间，里面有一张床、一把椅子和一张桌子，并说这是给牧师的。这位政客有点担心自己会遇到什么。当圣彼得停在一座美丽的豪宅前，那里有很多仆人，告诉他这些将是他的住处时，他简直不敢相信。

[7] 他忍不住问道：“但是等等，怎么——有什么问题——我怎么才能得到这座豪宅，而那位善良圣洁的人只能得到一间单人间？”圣彼得说：“你必须了解这里的情况。我们有成千上万的神职人员。你是第一位成功的政治家。”[笑声和掌声]

[8] 但我不想助长刻板印象。[笑声] 所以我告诉你们，在公共生活中，包括在座的各位，有许多敬畏上帝、献身于社会、高尚的男女。是的，我们需要你们的帮助，让我们永远铭记最初将我们带入公共领域的理念和原则。这些理想和原则的基础是……对自由和个人自由的承诺，而这种承诺本身又植根于更深刻的认识，即只有在热切（发错音并纠正自己）寻求和谦卑地接受上帝的祝福的地方，自由才会繁荣。

[9] 美国的民主实验建立在这一洞察力之上。它的发现是我们开国元勋们的伟大胜利，威廉·佩恩曾这样表达：“如果我们不接受上帝的统治，我们就必须接受暴君的统治。”杰斐逊在解释人类不可剥夺的权利时说：“上帝给了我们生命，同时也给了我们自由。”乔治·华盛顿也说过：“在所有导致政治繁荣的性格和习惯中，宗教和道德是不可或缺的支撑。”

[10] 最后，美国民主最敏锐的观察家亚历克西斯·德·托克维尔在探索美国伟大和天才的秘密之后雄辩地说道——他

他说：“直到我走进美国的教堂，听到她的讲台上充满正义的火焰，我才明白美国的伟大和天才。美国是好的。如果美国不再好，美国就不再伟大。”[掌声]

[11] 好吧，我……[掌声] ..好吧，我很高兴今天能和你们在一起，你们通过保持美国的善良来保持美国的伟大。只有通过你们和其他数百万人的工作和祈祷，我们才有希望度过这个危险的世纪，让自由的实验继续下去，这是人类最后、最好的希望。

[12] 我想让你们知道，本届政府的政治哲学是这样的：在你们、她的人民、你们的家庭、教堂、社区、社区中，看到了美国的伟大——这些机构培养和滋养了关心他人和尊重上帝统治下的法治等价值观。

[13] 现在，我不用说，这让我们与许多人的主流态度对立，至少是与他们格格不入。他们转向了现代世俗主义，抛弃了我们文明所基于的久经考验的价值观。无论他们的意图多么好，他们的价值体系都与大多数美国人的价值体系截然不同。虽然他们宣称要把我们从过去的迷信中解放出来，但他们却承担起了通过政府规则和法规来监督我们的工作。有时他们的声音比我们的声音大，但他们还不是多数。[掌声]

[14] 这种声音优越性的一个例子是华盛顿目前正在进行的一场争论。由于我参与其中，我一直在等待美国年轻人的父母们的意见。他们愿意在多大程度上将他们作为父母的特权交给政府？

[15] 让我尽可能简短而简单地陈述一下。一个由公民组成的组织，出于真诚的动机，深切关注未达到法定年龄的女孩非法生育和堕胎的增加，不久前建立了一个全国性的诊所网络，为这些女孩提供帮助，并希望缓解这种情况。现在，让我再说一遍，我并不指责他们的意图。然而，在他们善意的努力中，这些诊所决定在父母不知情的情况下向未成年女孩提供建议和避孕药物和设备。

[16] 多年来，联邦政府一直提供资金资助这些诊所。为此，国会下令尽一切努力最大限度地让父母参与进来。然而，这些药物和设备是在没有征得父母同意的情况下开出的，也没有在父母同意后通知他们。被称为“性活跃”的女孩——这个词已经取代了“滥交”这个词——得到这种帮助是为了防止非法生育（很快纠正了自己）或堕胎。

[17] 好吧，我们已经命令接受联邦资金的诊所通知父母已经获得了此类帮助。[掌声] 一家全国领先的报纸在社论中对我们这样做提出了“告密规则”一词，我们因侵犯年轻人的隐私而受到批评。一位法官最近批准了一项禁令，禁止执行我们的规则。我看过电视小组节目讨论这个问题，看到专栏作家对我们的错误发表高谈阔论，但似乎没有人提到道德在性问题上发挥的作用。[掌声]

[18] 所有的犹太-基督教传统都是错误的吗？我们是否应该相信如此神圣的东西可以被视为纯粹的物理事物，不会造成情感和心理伤害？难道父母没有权利提供咨询和建议，以防止他们的孩子犯下可能影响他们一生的错误吗？ [声音和强调声略有增强——长时间的掌声]

[19] 我们政府中的许多人都想知道父母对政府侵入家庭的看法。我们将在法庭上抗争。父母的权利和家庭的权利优先于华盛顿的官僚和社会工程师的权利。[掌声]

[20] 但反对通知父母的斗争实际上只是许多试图淡化传统价值观甚至废除美国民主原有条款的尝试中的一个例子。当宗教充满活力并且承认上帝下的法治时，自由就会繁荣。[掌声] 当我们的开国元勋通过《第一修正案》时，他们试图保护教会免受政府干涉。他们从未打算在政府和宗教信仰本身之间筑起一道敌对之墙。[低声同意，掌声]

[21] 这方面的证据渗透在我们的历史和政府中。《独立宣言》至少四次提到了至高无上的存在。 “我们信仰上帝”刻在我们的硬币上。最高法院以宗教祈祷开始其程序。国会议员

以祈祷开始他们的课程。我只是恰好相信美国的学生有权享有与最高法院法官和国会议员相同的权利。[掌声中继续]。

[22] 去年，我向国会提交了一份宪法修正案，要求恢复公立学校的祈祷。在本届会议上，两党对修正案的支持日益增多，我呼吁国会迅速采取行动通过该修正案，允许我们的孩子祈祷。[掌声]

[23] 也许你们中的一些人最近读到了拉伯克学校的案件，其中一名法官实际上裁定，学区对宗教和非宗教学生团体给予平等待遇是违宪的，即使团体会议是在学生自己的时间举行的。第一修正案从未打算要求政府歧视宗教言论。[掌声]

[24] 参议员丹顿和哈特菲尔德已向国会提出立法，禁止歧视宗教形式的学生言论。这样的立法将在很大程度上恢复公立学校学生的宗教言论自由。我希望国会能尽快审议这些法案。在你们的帮助下，我认为我们今年也有可能让国会通过宪法修正案。[掌声]

[25] 十多年前，最高法院的一项裁决彻底抹去了五十个州保护未出生婴儿权利的法规。现在，堕胎每年夺走多达一百五十万未出生婴儿的生命。结束这场悲剧的人类生命立法总有一天会在国会获得通过，你我都必须永不停歇，直到它通过。[掌声] 除非能够证明未出生的婴儿不是生命体，否则其生命、自由和追求幸福的权利必须得到保护。 [掌声]

[26] 你们……你们可能还记得，当堕胎法案开始实施时，许多人，我相信你们中的许多人，都警告说，这种做法会导致对人类生命的尊重下降，用来为堕胎法案辩护的哲学前提最终会被用来为其他对人类生命神圣性的攻击——杀婴或安乐死——辩护。可悲的是，这些警告被证明是完全正确的。就在去年，一家法院允许将一名残疾婴儿饿死。

[27] 我已指示卫生与公众服务部向美国的每一家医疗机构明确表示，1973 年的《康复法案》保护所有残疾人，包括婴儿，免受基于残疾的歧视。 [掌声] 我们已采取进一步措施，要求每一位接受联邦资金并为婴儿提供医疗保健服务的机构必须在显眼的地方张贴并持续张贴一份通知，说明“联邦法律禁止在本机构歧视性地不喂养和照顾残疾婴儿”。 它还列出了一个 24 小时免费电话号码，以便护士和其他人可以及时报告违规行为，以挽救婴儿的生命。[掌声]

[28] 此外，伊利诺伊州众议员亨利·海德在国会提出的最新立法不仅增加了对公共资助堕胎的限制，还解决了整个杀婴问题。 我敦促国会开始听证会并通过立法，保护所有儿童的生命权，包括残疾人或残障儿童。

[29] 现在，我相信你有时一定会感到沮丧，但在这方面你做得可能比你知道的要好。美国正在经历一场伟大的精神觉醒，[掌声]……传统价值观的复兴是美国善良和伟大的基石。

[30] 华盛顿一家研究委员会最近进行的一项调查得出的结论是，美国人比其他国家的人更加虔诚；95% 的受访者表示相信上帝，绝大多数人认为《十诫》对他们的生活具有真正的意义，另一项研究发现，绝大多数美国人反对通奸、青少年性行为、色情、堕胎和硬性毒品，而这项研究也表明，美国人对家庭关系和宗教信仰的重要性深表敬意。

[31] 我[掌声]……我认为我们今天在这里讨论的问题必须是国家政治议程的关键部分。国会首次公开、严肃地辩论和处理祈祷和堕胎问题——这是巨大的进步。我再说一遍：美国正处于精神觉醒和道德复兴之中。今天，我要用你们的圣经主题演讲说：“是的，让正义像河流一样流淌，让正义像永不枯竭的溪流一样流淌。”

[32] 现在，[掌声]……显然，我谈到的这种新的政治和社会共识大部分是基于对美国历史的积极看法，这种看法为我们国家取得的成就感到自豪。

但我们永远不能忘记，没有任何政府计划能够使人完美。我们知道，生活在这个世界上意味着要处理哲学家所说的邪恶现象学，或者神学家所说的罪恶教义。

[33] 世界上有罪恶和邪恶，圣经和主耶稣要求我们全力反对它。我们的国家也必须处理邪恶的遗产。这片土地的荣耀在于它能够超越我们过去的道德邪恶。例如，少数族裔公民为争取平等权利而进行的长期斗争，曾经是分裂和内战的根源，现在已成为所有美国人的骄傲。我们绝不能走回头路。这个国家没有种族主义、反犹太主义或其他形式的民族和种族仇恨的空间。 [长时间掌声]

[34] 我知道你们和我一样，对一些宣扬偏执和偏见的仇恨团体的死灰复燃感到震惊。利用你们讲台上的强大声音和你们教堂的强大地位，谴责和孤立我们中间的这些仇恨团体。上帝赐予我们的诫命清晰而简单：“你要爱邻如己。”[掌声]

[35] 但无论我们的过去有什么悲惨的事件，任何客观的观察者都必须对美国历史持积极态度，这是一部希望实现、梦想成真的历史。尤其是在本世纪，美国一直点燃着自由的火炬，但这不仅仅是为了我们自己，也是为了全世界数百万人。

[36] 这就引出了我今天的最后一点。在我担任总统后的第一次新闻发布会上，我回答了一个直接的问题，指出，作为优秀的马克思列宁主义者，苏联领导人公开宣布，他们承认的唯一道德是能够促进他们的事业，即世界革命的道德。我想我应该指出，我只是引用了他们的指导精神列宁的话，他在 1920 年说，他们拒绝一切源于超自然思想（这是他们对宗教的称呼）或阶级观念之外的思想的道德。道德完全服从于阶级战争的利益。一切对于消灭旧的剥削社会秩序和团结无产阶级所必需的都是道德的。

[37] 嗯，我认为许多有影响力的人拒绝接受苏联学说的这一基本事实，表明了历史上人们不愿看到极权主义政权的真面目。我们在 20 世纪 30 年代就看到了这种现象。我们今天经常看到这种现象。

[38] 这并不意味着我们应该自我孤立，拒绝与他们寻求谅解。我打算尽我所能说服他们我们的和平意图，提醒他们，正是西方在 20 世纪 40 年代和 50 年代拒绝利用其核垄断来获取领土利益，而现在却提出削减 50% 的战略弹道导弹并消除一整类陆基中程核导弹。[掌声]

[39] 但与此同时，必须让他们明白：我们永远不会妥协我们的原则和标准。我们永远不会放弃我们的自由。我们永远不会放弃对上帝的信仰。[长时间的掌声] 我们永远不会停止寻求真正的和平，但我们可以保证，通过一些人提出的所谓核冻结解决方案，美国所代表的这些都不是事实。

[40] 事实是，现在冻结将是一个非常危险的骗局，因为那只是和平的假象。现实是，我们必须通过实力来寻求和平。 [掌声]

[41] 我会……[掌声继续]……如果我们能冻结苏联的全球欲望，我会同意冻结。[笑声，掌声] 冻结目前的武器水平将消除苏联在日内瓦进行认真谈判的任何动机，并几乎终结我们实现我们所提议的大规模裁军的机会。相反，他们会通过冻结来实现他们的目标。

[42] 冻结将奖励苏联庞大而无??与伦比的军事集结。它将阻止美国和盟国防御系统进行必要的、早就应该进行的现代化，并将使我们老化的军队越来越脆弱。而诚实的冻结将需要事先就限制的系统和数量以及确保有效核查和遵守的措施进行广泛的谈判。而所建议的那种冻结几乎不可能得到核实。如此巨大的努力将使我们完全偏离目前关于实现大幅削减的谈判。 [掌声]

[43] 几年前，我听到一位年轻的父亲，一位娱乐界非常杰出的年轻人，在加利福尼亚的一个大型集会上发表演讲。当时正值冷战时期，人们非常关注共产主义和我们自己的生活方式。他谈到了这个话题。但突然间，我

听到他说：“我爱我的小女儿胜过一切——”我对自己说：“哦，不，不要。你不能——不要这么说。”但我低估了他。他接着说：“我宁愿看到我的小女儿现在死去，仍然相信上帝，也不愿让她们在共产主义下长大，有一天死去时不再相信上帝。”[掌声]

[44] 现场有成千上万的年轻人。他们欢呼雀跃地站起来。他们立刻意识到他所说的话中深刻的真理，关于身体和灵魂，以及真正重要的东西。

[45] 是的，让我们为所有生活在极权主义黑暗中的人的救赎祈祷——祈祷他们能发现认识上帝的喜悦。但在此之前，我们要意识到，尽管他们宣扬国家至高无上，宣称国家对个人无所不能，并预言国家最终将统治地球上的所有民族，但他们却是现代世界邪恶的焦点。

[46] C.S. 刘易斯在他令人难忘的《魔鬼家书》中写道：“现在最大的邪恶不是在……狄更斯喜欢描绘的那些肮脏的‘犯罪窝点’里。它……甚至不是在集中营和劳改营里。在这些地方，我们看到了它的最终结果，但它是在干净、铺着地毯、温暖、光线充足的办公室里构思和安排的；推动、支持、进行和记录的，是那些穿着白领、指甲修剪整齐、脸颊刮得很光滑的安静的人，他们不需要提高声音。”

[47] 好吧，因为这些“沉默寡言的人”不会“大声说话”，因为他们有时会用兄弟情谊和和平的抚慰语气说话，因为他们像之前的其他独裁者一样，总是提出“最后的领土要求”，有些人会让我们相信他们的话，并适应他们的侵略冲动。但如果历史能教会我们什么的话，那就是对我们的对手的简单绥靖或一厢情愿的想法是愚蠢的。这意味着背叛我们的过去，浪费我们的自由。

[48] 所以，我敦促你们站出来反对那些让美国处于军事和道德劣势的人。你知道，我一直相信老 Screwtape 会为你们教会的人尽最大努力。因此，在讨论核冻结提案时，我敦促你们谨防骄傲的诱惑——轻率地……呃……宣称自己高人一等，给双方贴上同样的错误标签，无视历史事实和邪恶帝国的侵略冲动，简单地称军备竞赛是一个巨大的误解，从而将自己排除在正确与错误、善与恶的斗争之外。

[49] 我请你们抵制那些企图让你们不支持我们、本届政府为保持美国强大和自由所做的努力的人的企图，而我们正在谈判——真正和可核实地削减世界核武库，并有朝一日在上帝的帮助下彻底消除核武库。[掌声]

[50] 虽然美国的军事实力很重要，但让我在这里补充一点，我始终认为，现在为世界而进行的斗争永远不会由炸弹或火箭、军队或军事力量来决定。我们今天面临的真正危机是精神危机；从根本上说，这是对道德意志和信仰的考验。

[51] 惠特克·钱伯斯（Whittaker Chambers）的宗教皈依使他见证了我们这个时代最可怕的创伤之一，即希斯-钱伯斯案。他写道，西方世界的危机存在于西方对上帝的漠不关心的程度，存在于西方与共产主义合作试图使人类脱离上帝而独立存在的程度。然后他说，马克思列宁主义实际上是第二古老的信仰，最早在伊甸园用诱惑的话语宣告：“你们将如神一样。”

[52] 他写道，西方世界可以应对这一挑战，“但前提是它对上帝的信仰和他所要求的自由与共产主义对人的信仰一样伟大。”

[53] 我相信我们会迎接挑战。我认为共产主义是人类历史上又一个悲伤、怪异的篇章，它的最后一页现在还在书写中。我之所以相信这一点，是因为我们寻求人类自由的力量源泉不是物质的，而是精神的。而且因为它没有限制，它必须吓倒那些奴役同胞的人，并最终战胜他们。正如以赛亚所说：“疲乏的，他赐能力；无力的，他加力量。但那等候耶和华的，必从新得力。他们必如鹰展翅上腾；他们奔跑却不疲倦。”[掌声]

[54] 是的，改变你的世界。我们的开国元勋之一托马斯·潘恩说过：“我们有能力重新开始这个世界。”我们可以做到，一起做任何教会都无法独自完成的事情。

[55] 上帝保佑你们，非常感谢你们。 [长时间鼓掌]

Evil Empire speech, President Ronald Reagan

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evil_Empire_speech

The "Evil Empire" speech was a speech delivered by US President Ronald Reagan to the National Association of Evangelicals on March 8, 1983, at the height of the Cold War and the Soviet–Afghan War. In that speech, Reagan referred to the Soviet Union as an "evil empire" and as "the focus of evil in the modern world". Reagan explicitly rejected the notion that the United States and the Soviet Union were equally responsible for the Cold War and the ongoing nuclear arms race between the two nations; rather, he asserted that the conflict was a battle between good and evil.

Background
Reagan's chief speechwriter at the time, Anthony R. Dolan, coined the phrase "evil empire" for Reagan's use.[1] Dolan included similar language in a draft for Reagan's June 1982 speech before the British House of Commons in London, but reviewers flagged and struck the phrasing.[2] Dolan included the phrase "evil empire" in drafts for Reagan's speech at the National Association of Evangelicals' 41st annual convention.[3] White House staffers who saw drafts of the speech, including David Gergen, repeatedly struck the "evil empire" portion; the speech eventually reached Reagan with the "evil empire" portion included, staffer critics concluding the event would be minor and unlikely to attract attention.[4]

When Reagan reviewed and edited the draft himself, he extended the material on domestic matters.[4] Dolan had included a reference to "abortion on demand" as a "great moral evil"; Reagan cut the line and added a remark asserting that "until it can be proven that the unborn child is not a living entity" its "right to life, liberty & the pursuit of happiness must be protected".[5] Reagan left the "evil empire" phrase and did not substantially alter the draft's strongly anti-communist tone.[6]

Speech
Reagan spoke at the 41st annual convention of the National Association of Evangelicals on March 8, 1983, in the Citrus Crown Ballroom of the Sheraton Twin Towers Hotel in Orlando, Florida.[7] The speech, marking his first recorded use of the phrase "evil empire" to refer to the Soviet Union, has become known as the "Evil Empire" speech. In that speech, Reagan said:[8][9]

Yes, let us pray for the salvation of all of those who live in that totalitarian darkness—pray they will discover the joy of knowing God. But until they do, let us be aware that while they preach the supremacy of the State, declare its omnipotence over individual man, and predict its eventual domination of all peoples on the earth, they are the focus of evil in the modern world .... So, in your discussions of the nuclear freeze proposals, I urge you to beware the temptation of pride—the temptation of blithely declaring yourselves above it all and label both sides equally at fault, to ignore the facts of history and the aggressive impulses of an evil empire, to simply call the arms race a giant misunderstanding and thereby remove yourself from the struggle between right and wrong and good and evil.

The audience applauded Reagan's speech.[10] A band played him off with the song "Onward, Christian Soldiers".[11]

Reception
Contemporaneous press criticized the speech as inflammatory, and critics worried the speech portended negatively for arms negotiations with the Soviet Union.[12] The Christian Science Monitor argued that Reagan's rhetoric would encourage an arms race and "would some day, in logic, point toward war".[13] During a 1984 presidential debate, Reagan reiterated his assessment of the Soviet Union, saying he "believe[d] that many of the things that they have done are evil in any concept of morality that we have", while also emphasizing pragmatism, adding, "I also recognize that as the two great superpowers in the world, we have to live with each other".[14]

The Soviet Union, for its part, alleged that the United States was an imperialist superpower seeking to dominate the entire world, and that the Soviet Union was fighting against it "in the name of humanity". In Moscow, the Soviet state-run press agency TASS said the "evil empire" words demonstrated that the Reagan administration "can think only in terms of confrontation and bellicose, lunatic anti-communism".[15]

During his second term in office, in May–June 1988, more than five years after using the term "evil empire", Reagan visited Mikhail Gorbachev, at the time General Secretary of the Soviet Union and a reformist, in Moscow. When asked by a reporter whether he still thought the Soviet Union was an evil empire, Reagan responded that he no longer did, and that when he used the term it was "another time, another era".[16] In a speech, Gorbachev said of Reagan's statement that the Soviet Union "t[ook] note of that"; journalist Lou Cannon concluded that Gorbachev "listened carefully to the message of peace that Reagan had brought with him to Moscow".[17]

Interpretation
G. Thomas Goodnight characterized the "evil empire" speech, along with the "Zero Option" and "Star Wars" speeches, as part of the rhetorical side of the Cold War and reshaped public perceptions of nuclear warfare.[18] In the former, Reagan depicted nuclear warfare as an extension of an "age old struggle between good and evil".[19] By characterizing the Soviet Union as an "evil empire" and therefore irrational and untrustworthy, the speech justified demurrals on peace proposals.[20] Historian John Lewis Gaddis called the speech the "complet[ion of] a rhetorical offensive designed to expose what Reagan saw as the central error of détente: the idea that the Soviet Union had earned geopolitical, ideological, economic, and moral legitimacy" and argued that it "could not have been better calculated to feed the anxieties" afflicting Soviet leadership at the time.[21] According to literature professor Leerom Medovoi, on top of opposing the Soviet Union, the "Evil Empire" speech directed the Evangelical audience's attention to domestic policy and characterized American liberals as being additional enemies in a culture war that Reagan called "a test of moral will and faith".[22]

Text  

RONALD REAGAN, “EVIL EMPIRE SPEECH” (8 MARCH 1983)
[1] President Reagan: Thank you…[Applause]…Thank you very much…Thank you very much…[Applause subsides]…Thank you very much…and, Reverend Clergy all, and Senator Hawkins, distinguished members of the Florida congressional delegation, and all of you:

[2] I can’t tell you how you have warmed my heart with your welcome. I’m delighted to be here today.

[3] Those of you in the National Association of Evangelicals are known for your spiritual and humanitarian work. And I would be especially remiss if I didn’t discharge right now one personal debt of gratitude. Thank you for your prayers. Nancy and I have felt their presence many times in many ways. And believe me, for us they’ve made all the difference.

[4] The other day in the East Room of the White House at a meeting there, someone asked me whether I was aware of all the people out there who were praying for the President. And I, had to say, “Yes, I am. I’ve felt it. I believe in intercessionary prayer.” But I couldn’t help but say to that questioner after he’d asked the question that–or at least say to them that if sometimes when he was praying he got a busy signal, it was just me in there ahead of him. [Laughter] I think I understand how Abraham Lincoln felt when he said, “I have been driven many times to my knees by the overwhelming conviction that I had nowhere else to go.”

[5] From the joy and the good feeling of this conference, I go to a political reception. Now, [Laughter] I don’t know why, but that bit of scheduling reminds me of a story–[Laughter]–which I’ll share with you:

[6] An evangelical minister and a politician arrived at Heaven’s gate one day together. And St. Peter, after doing all the necessary formalities, took them in hand to show them where their quarters would be. And he took them to a small, single room with a bed, a chair, and a table and said this was for the clergyman. And the politician was a little worried about what might be in store for him. And he couldn’t believe it then when St. Peter stopped in front of a beautiful mansion with lovely grounds… many servants, and told him that these would be his quarters.

[7] And he couldn’t help but ask, he said, “But wait, how–there’s something wrong–how do I get this mansion while that good and holy man only gets a single room?” And St. Peter said, “You have to understand how things are up here. We’ve got thousands and thousands of clergy. You’re the first politician who ever made it.” [Laughter and Applause]

[8] But I don’t want to contribute to a stereotype. [Laughter] So I tell you there are a great many God-fearing, dedicated, noble men and women in public life, present company included. And yes, we need your help to keep us ever mindful of the ideas and the principles that brought us into the public arena in the first place. The basis of those ideals and principles is… a commitment to freedom and personal liberty that, itself is grounded in the much deeper realization that freedom prospers only where the blessings of God are avidly (mispronounces and corrects himself) sought and humbly accepted.

[9] The American experiment in democracy rests on this insight. Its discovery was the great triumph of our Founding Fathers, voiced by William Penn when he said: “If we will not be governed by God, we must be governed by tyrants.” Explaining the inalienable rights of men, Jefferson said, “The God who gave us life, gave us liberty at the same time.” And it was George Washington who said that “of all the dispositions and habits which lead to political prosperity, religion and morality are indispensable supports.”

[10] And finally, that shrewdest of all observers of American democracy, Alexis de Tocqueville, put it eloquently, after he had gone on a search for the secret of America’s greatness and genius–and he said: “Not until I went into the churches of America and heard her pulpits aflame with righteousness did I understand the greatness and the genius of America. America is good. And if America ever ceases to be good, America will cease to be great.” [Applause]

[11] Well, I’m… [Applause] ..Well, I’m pleased to be here today with you who are keeping America great by keeping her good. Only through your work and prayers and those of millions of others can we hope to survive this perilous century and keep alive this experiment in liberty, this last, best hope of man.

[12] I want you to know that this administration is motivated by a political philosophy that sees the greatness of America in you, her people, and in your families, churches, neighborhoods, communities–the institutions that foster and nourish values like concern for others and respect for the rule of law under God.

[13] Now, I don’t have to tell you that this puts us in opposition to, or at least out of step with, a–a prevailing attitude of many who have turned to a modern-day secularism, discarding the tried and time-tested values upon which our very civilization is based. No matter how well intentioned, their value system is radically different from that of most Americans. And while they proclaim that they’re freeing us from superstitions of the past, they’ve taken upon themselves the job of superintending us by government rule and regulation. Sometimes their voices are louder than ours, but they are not yet a majority. [Applause]

[14] An example of that vocal superiority is evident in a controversy now going on in Washington. And since I’m involved, I’ve been waiting to hear from the parents of young America. How far are they willing to go in giving to government their prerogatives as parents?

[15] Let me state the case as briefly and simply as I can. An organization of citizens, sincerely motivated, deeply concerned about the increase in illegitimate births and abortions involving girls well below the age of consent, some time ago established a nationwide network of clinics to offer help to these girls and, hopefully, alleviate this situation. Now, again, let me say, I do not fault their intent. However, in their well-intentioned effort, these clinics decided to provide advice and birth control drugs and devices to underage girls without the knowledge of their parents.

[16] For some years now, the federal government has helped with funds to subsidize these clinics. In providing for this, the Congress decreed that every effort would be made to maximize parental participation. Nevertheless, the drugs and devices are prescribed without getting parental consent or giving notification after they’ve done so. Girls termed “sexually active”–and that has replaced the word “promiscuous”–are given this help in order to prevent illegitimate worth/birth (quickly corrects himself) eh or abortion.

[17] Well, we have ordered clinics receiving federal funds to notify the parents such help has been given. [Applause] One of the nation’s leading newspapers has created the term “squeal rule” in editorializing against us for doing this, and we’re being criticized for violating the privacy of young people. A judge has recently granted an injunction against an enforcement of our rule. I’ve watched TV panel shows discuss this issue, seen columnists pontificating on our error, but no one seems to mention morality as playing a part in the subject of sex. [Applause]

[18] Is all of Judeo-Christian tradition wrong? Are we to believe that something so sacred can be looked upon as a purely physical thing with no potential for emotional and psychological harm? And isn’t it the parents’ right to give counsel and advice to keep their children from making mistakes that may affect their entire lives? [Slight crescendo of voice and emphasis–Long Applause]

[19] Many of us in government would like to know what parents think about this intrusion in their family by government. We’re going to fight in the courts. The right of parents and the rights of family take precedence over those of Washington-based bureaucrats and social engineers. [Applause]

[20] But the fight against parental notification is really only one example of many attempts to water down traditional values and even abrogate the original terms of American democracy. Freedom prospers when religion is vibrant and the rule of law under God is acknowledged. [Applause] When our founding fathers passed the First Amendment, they sought to protect churches from government interference. They never intended to construct a wall of hostility between government and the concept of religious belief itself. [Murmurs of agreement, Applause]

[21] The evidence of this permeates our history and our government. The Declaration of Independence mentions the Supreme Being no less than four times. “In God We Trust” is engraved on our coinage. The Supreme Court opens its proceedings with a religious invocation. And the members of Congress open their sessions with a prayer. I just happen to believe the schoolchildren of the United States are entitled to the same privileges as [Continues over applause] Supreme Court Justices and Congressmen.

[22] Last year, I sent the Congress a constitutional amendment to restore prayer to public schools. Already this session, there’s growing bipartisan support for the amendment, and I am calling on the Congress to act speedily to pass it and to let our children pray. [Applause]

[23] Perhaps some of you, read recently about the Lubbock school case, where a judge actually ruled that it was unconstitutional for a school district to give equal treatment to religious and nonreligious student groups, even when the group meetings were being held during the students’ own time. The First Amendment never intended to require government to discriminate against religious speech. [Applause]

[24] Senators Denton and Hatfield have proposed legislation in the Congress on the whole question of prohibiting discrimination against religious forms of student speech. Such legislation could go far to restore freedom of religious speech for public school students. And I hope the Congress considers these bills quickly. And with your help, I think it’s possible we could also get the constitutional amendment through the Congress this year. [Applause]

[25] More than a decade ago, a Supreme Court decision literally wiped off the books of fifty states, statutes protecting the rights of unborn children. Abortion on demand now takes the lives of up to one and a half million unborn children a year. Human life legislation ending this tragedy will someday pass the Congress, and you and I must never rest until it does. [Applause] Unless and until it can be proven that the unborn child is not a living entity, then its right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness must be protected. [Applause]

[26] You…You may remember that when abortion on demand began, many, and indeed, I’m sure many of you, warned that the practice would lead to a decline in respect for human life, that the philosophical premises used to justify abortion on demand would ultimately be used to justify other attacks on the sacredness of human life–infanticide or mercy killing. Tragically enough, those warnings proved all too true. Only last year a court permitted the death by starvation of a handicapped infant.

[27] I have directed the Health and Human Services Department to make clear to every health care facility in the United States that the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 protects all handicapped persons against discrimination based on handicaps, including infants. [Applause] And we have taken the further step of requiring that each and every recipient of federal funds who provides health care… services to infants must post and keep posted in a conspicuous place a notice stating that “discriminatory failure to feed and care for handicapped infants in this facility is prohibited by federal law.” It also lists a twenty-four-hour; toll-free number so that nurses and others may report violations in time to save the infant’s life. [Applause]

[28] In addition, recent legislation introduced by–in the Congress–by Representative Henry Hyde of Illinois not only increases restrictions on publicly financed abortions, it also addresses this whole problem of infanticide. I urge the Congress to begin hearings and to adopt legislation that will protect the right of life to all children, including the disabled or handicapped.

[29] Now, I’m sure that you must get discouraged at times, but there you’ve done better than you know, perhaps. There’s a great spiritual awakening in America, a [Applause]…a renewal of the traditional values that have been the bedrock of America’s goodness and greatness.

[30] One recent survey by a Washington-based research council concluded that Americans were far more religious than the people of other nations; 95 percent of those surveyed expressed a belief in God and a huge majority believed the Ten Commandments had real meaning in their lives, and another study has found that an overwhelming majority of Americans disapprove of adultery, teenage sex, pornography, abortion, and hard drugs, and this same study showed a deep reverence for the importance of family ties and religious belief.

[31] I [Applause]…I think the items that we’ve discussed here today must be a key part of the nation’s political agenda. For the first time the Congress is openly and seriously debating and dealing with the prayer and abortion issues–and that’s enormous progress right there. I repeat: America is in the midst of a spiritual awakening and a moral renewal. And with your biblical keynote, I say today, “Yes, let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream.”

[32] Now, [Applause]…obviously, much of this new political and social consensus I’ve talked about is based on a positive view of American history, one that takes pride in our country’s accomplishments and record. But we must never forget that no government schemes are going to perfect man. We know that living in this world means dealing with what philosophers would call the phenomenology of evil or, as theologians would put it, the doctrine of sin.

[33] There is sin and evil in the world, and we’re enjoined by Scripture and the Lord Jesus to oppose it with all our might. Our nation, too, has a legacy of evil with which it must deal. The glory of this land has been its capacity for transcending the moral evils of our past. For example, the long struggle of minority citizens…for equal rights, once a source of disunity and civil war is now a point of pride for all Americans. We must never go back. There is no room for racism, anti-Semitism, or other forms of ethnic and racial hatred in this country. [Long Applause]

[34] I know that you’ve been horrified, as have I, by the resurgence of some hate groups preaching bigotry and prejudice. Use the mighty voice of your pulpits and the powerful standing of your churches to denounce and isolate these hate groups in our midst. The commandment given us is clear and simple: “Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.” [Applause]

[35] But whatever sad episodes exist in our past, any objective observer must hold a positive view of American history, a history that has been the story of hopes fulfilled and dreams made into reality. Especially in this century, America has kept alight the torch of freedom, but not just for ourselves, but for millions of others around the world.

[36] And this brings me to my final point today. During my first press conference as president, in answer to a direct question, I pointed out that, as good Marxist-Leninists, the Soviet leaders have openly and publicly declared that the only morality they recognize is that which will further their cause, which is world revolution. I think I should point out I was only quoting Lenin, their guiding spirit, who said in 1920 that they repudiate all morality that proceeds from supernatural ideas–that’s their name for religion–or ideas that are outside class conceptions. Morality is entirely subordinate to the interests of class war. And everything is moral that is necessary for the annihilation of the old exploiting social order and for uniting the proletariat.

[37] Well, I think the refusal of many influential people to accept this elementary fact of Soviet doctrine illustrates an historical reluctance to see totalitarian powers for what they are. We saw this phenomenon in the 1930s. We see it too often today.

[38] This doesn’t mean we should isolate ourselves and refuse to seek an understanding with them. I intend to do everything I can to persuade them of our peaceful intent, to remind them that it was the West that refused to use its nuclear monopoly in the forties and fifties for territorial gain and which now pr-proposes 50 percent cut in strategic ballistic missiles and the elimination of an entire class of land-based, intermediate-range nuclear missiles. [Applause]

[39] At the same time, however, they must be made to understand: we will never compromise our principles and standards. We will never give away our freedom. We will never abandon our belief in God. [Long Applause] And we will never stop searching for a genuine peace, but we can assure none of these things America stands for through the so-called nuclear freeze solutions proposed by some.

[40] The truth is that a freeze now would be a very dangerous fraud, for that is merely the illusion of peace. The reality is that we must find peace through strength. [Applause]

[41] I would a-[Applause continuing]…I would agree to a freeze if only we could freeze the Soviets’ global desires. [Laughter, Applause] A freeze at current levels of weapons would remove any incentive for the Soviets to negotiate seriously in Geneva and virtually end our chances to achieve the major arms reductions which we have proposed. Instead, they would achieve their objectives through the freeze.

[42] A freeze would reward the Soviet Union for its enormous and unparalleled military buildup. It would prevent the essential and long overdue modernization of United States and allied defenses and would leave our aging forces increasingly vulnerable. And an honest freeze would require extensive prior negotiations on the systems and numbers to be limited and on the measures to ensure effective verification and compliance. And the kind of a freeze that has been suggested would be virtually impossible to verify. Such a major effort would divert us completely from our current negotiations on achieving substantial reductions. [Applause]

[43] I, a number of years ago, I heard a young father, a very prominent young man in the entertainment world, addressing a tremendous gathering in California. It was during the time of the cold war, and communism and our own way of life were very much on people’s minds. And he was speaking to that subject. And suddenly, though, I heard him saying, “I love my little girls more than anything–” And I said to myself, “Oh, no, don’t. You can’t — don’t say that.” But I had underestimated him. He went on: “I would rather see my little girls die now; still believing in God, than have them grow up under communism and one day die no longer believing in God.” [Applause]

[44] There were…There were thousands of young people in that audience. They came to their feet with shouts of joy. They had instantly recognized the profound truth in what he had said, with regard to the physical and the soul and what was truly important.

[45] Yes, let us pray for the salvation of all of those who live in that totalitarian darkness–pray they will discover the joy of knowing God. But until they do, let us be aware that while they preach the supremacy of the State, declare its omnipotence over individual man, and predict its eventual domination of all peoples on the earth, they are the focus of evil in the modern world.

[46] It was C.S. Lewis who, in his unforgettable “Screwtape Letters,” wrote: “The greatest evil is not done now…in those sordid ‘dens of crime’ that Dickens loved to paint. It is…not even done in concentration camps and labor camps. In those we see its final result, but it is conceived and ordered; moved, seconded, carried and minuted in clear, carpeted, warmed, and well-lighted offices, by quiet men with white collars and cut fingernails and smooth-shaven cheeks who do not need to raise their voice.”

[47] Well, because these “quiet men” do not “raise their voices,” because they sometimes speak in soothing tones of brotherhood and peace, because, like other dictators before them, they’re always making “their final territorial demand,” some would have us accept them at their word and accommodate ourselves to their aggressive impulses. But if history teaches anything, it teaches that simpleminded appeasement or wishful thinking about our adversaries is folly. It means the betrayal of our past, the squandering of our freedom.

[48] So, I urge you to speak out against those who would place the United States in a position of military and moral inferiority. You know, I’ve always believed that old Screwtape reserved his best efforts for those of you in the Church. So, in your discussions of the nuclear freeze proposals, I urge you to beware the temptation of pride–the temptation of blithely..uh..declaring yourselves above it all and label both sides equally at fault, to ignore the facts of history and the aggressive impulses of an evil empire, to simply call the arms race a giant misunderstanding and thereby remove yourself from the struggle between right and wrong and good and evil.

[49] I ask you to resist the attempts of those who would have you withhold your support for our efforts, this administration’s efforts, to keep America strong and free, while we negotiate–real and verifiable reductions in the world’s nuclear arsenals and one day, with God’s help, their total elimination. [Applause]

[50] While America’s military strength is important, let me add here that I’ve always maintained that the struggle now going on for the world will never be decided by bombs or rockets, by armies or military might. The real crisis we face today is a spiritual one; at root, it is a test of moral will and faith.

[51] Whittaker Chambers, the man whose own religious conversion made him a witness to one of the terrible traumas of our time, the Hiss-Chambers case, wrote that the crisis of the Western world exists to the degree in which the West is indifferent to God, the degree to which it collaborates in communism’s attempt to make man stand alone without God. And then he said, for Marxism-Leninism is actually the second-oldest faith, first proclaimed in the Garden of Eden with the words of temptation, “Ye shall be as gods.”

[52] The Western world can answer this challenge, he wrote, “but only provided that its faith in God and the freedom He enjoins is as great as communism’s faith in Man.”

[53] I believe we shall rise to the challenge. I believe that communism is another sad, bizarre chapter in human history whose last–last pages even now are being written. I believe this because the source of our strength in the quest for human freedom is not material, but spiritual. And because it knows no limitation, it must terrify and ultimately triumph over those who would enslave their fellow man. For in the words of Isaiah: “He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no…might He increased strength. But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary.” [Applause]

[54] Yes, change your world. One of our founding fathers, Thomas Paine, said, “We have it within our power to begin the world over again.” We can do it, doing together what no one church could do by itself.

[55] God bless you, and thank you very much. [Long Applause]

CONTACT INFORMATION
Voices of Democracy: The U.S. Oratory Project
Shawn J. Parry-Giles
Department of Communication
2130 Skinner Building
University of Maryland
College Park, MD 20742-7635

301-405-6527
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