It sounds super cliché, but at a basic level, people totally viewed the issues between the U.S. and the Soviet Union as the age-old battle between good and evil. The Soviets didn't believe in freedom of the press, or freedom of speech, or freedom of religion—any of those things sound familiar?
Think about all we had to do to get those basic human rights, and it makes sense why Americans wanted to go all Avada Kedavra on the type of government that had the cojones to oppress their people. President Reagan, as a devout Catholic and the leader of the free world, felt he wouldn't be doing his job if he chose not to stand up and speak out against the evil happening in the Evil Empire—er, Soviet Union.
Questions About Good vs. Evil
- Do you believe Reagan's argument applies to current conflicts overseas, that American principles will be the key to solving problems? Why or why not?
- How does Reagan justify the U.S. as "good guys" with all the bad things happening the country? Do you see any comparisons between those issues, and the things we're still talking about today?
- In line 120, Reagan talks about how the western nations had access to nuclear weapons, and chose not to use them. How does his argument contribute to the U.S. as the good guys, and the Soviets as the bad guys?
- Reagan doesn't believe true triumph over evil ever really takes place on the battlefield. Do you agree with him? Why or why not?
Chew on This
Reagan's Evil Empire speech was motivated not so much by his duty as president of the United States as by his personal and spiritual motivations.
One of the duties of the president of the United States is to model and encourage what is understood to be "good" behavior.