"The very word "secrecy" is repugnant in a free and open society; and we are as a people inherently and historically opposed to secret societies, to secret oaths and to secret proceedings. [] For we are opposed around the world by

a monolithic and ruthless conspiracy that relies primarily on covert means for expanding its sphere of influence--on infiltration instead of invasion, on subversion instead of elections, on intimidation instead of free choice, on guerrillas by night instead of armies by day. It is a system which has conscripted vast human and material resources into the building of a tightly knit, highly efficient machine that combines military, diplomatic, intelligence, economic, scientific and political operations.

​

Its preparations are concealed, not published. Its mistakes are buried, not headlined. Its dissenters are silenced, not praised. No expenditure is questioned, no rumor is printed, no secret is revealed. It conducts the Cold War, in short, with a war-time discipline no democracy would ever hope or wish to match."

​

Note: Since the publication of this page I have received emails from several readers who told me that JFK would have been talking about his Cold War adversaries in this speech.

 

My response: This is only an excerpt from a very long speech in which he urges the press to do their jobs properly. Why would he bring up "secret societies and secret oaths" within the context of such a call to duty for journalists? Also, given that he had no qualms about speaking of Communism, the Soviets, or Cuba in the strongest language elsewhere why does he not mention these entities by name even once in this long speech? And yes, in the final sentence here he does talk about the Cold War - however he uses a very specific term as he does so: He says "conduct". Not "fights, "participates in", "engages in", "is a part of", or "is our adversary " or anything like that, but instead he picks the term "conduct" - like the conductor of an orchestra.