In the days before the U.S. entered World War Two, we were not ignorant of the plight of the rest of the world, but were debating what actions we should take, if any at all, in relation to the ongoing war.



Eventually Pearl Harbor would force our hand but earlier in 1941, this debate was very much the focus of a speech by then U.S. Attorney General Robert Jackson. He gave this speech to the nation over the radio that Independence Day, and he drew inspiration from the Founding Fathers, and the Declaration of Independence.



I find some interesting parallels to the present debate on America’s role in the world. Not so much in the if, and how to confront dictatorships today. But it sternly holds the moral superiority of our system of government, with its roots in the courage and determination of the Founding Fathers.



Here is that speech, at IsThatLegal?, as referred to by The Volokh Conspiracy