JFK Inaugural quote help please?
using jfk's quote: "ask not what your country can do for you but what you can do for your country"
i need some arguements i can make for the side of agreeing with the quote and also one arguement for the side disagreeing with the quote
Thanx in advance
Comments
We were a very prosperous society at the time those words were uttered.
I think he was trying to bring a breath of fresh air into our government.
So many people were looking for hand outs and JFK was pointing out
that our position was superior to most everyone in the world.
He wanted to engage us in helping the other nations to rise to
higher standards. The peace corp was started during his
administration.
I am giving below two quotes found in
http://theeternalwanderer.wordpress.com/2006/03/11...
Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country!
March 11, 2006 in Memorable Quotes & Inspirational Stories, Public Infrastructure Woes & Blessings
The title of this entry refers to the famous quote made by the late US president John F. Kennedy back in the early 1960’s. Looking at the situation in this country today, I feel that it is appropriate for me to mention this quote once more as it cannot be more true now than ever.
Instead of being angry and protesting against the 30 sen fuel increase, shouldn’t we be more reasonable and try to understand why the increase had to be done? The government’s not doing this on purpose.It is also happening everywhere else globally. With the shortage of oil and fuel, the prices for these raw materials has shot up, creating a ripple effect throughout the globe.
So, its not just us who are feeling the pinch but also people all over the world. Now, instead of protesting and crying foul over the increase, we should try to find away to get around this problem. The media has been doing a good job in trying to come up with ways to help people save, can’t we try some of the ways out?
True, it is the government’s duty to serve the people and to help its people but shouldn’t we as citizens also do something to help the government lessen its burden? I think it is safe to say that it would be very unpatriotic to always insist on the government to help us through with everything.
It’s about time Malaysians unite and ask Pak Lah what WE can do for the country, not what Pak Lah should do for us. Time to stop being selfish citizens!
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2 Replies
Christopher Kordiak
March 30, 2006 at 10:30 am
Government should exist for one purpose, and one purpose only, for the benefit of the people that they rule over. The people do not exist to help the government. I will admit that trying to conserve is a good, idea but that does not mean that the government should not do every thing within its power to assist citizens.
Government only exists because people chose to give some of there power to it. It is in no way selfish or unpatriotic to ask the government to use that power to help those people. The government is in debt to the people, and by asking for the government’s assistance, the people are only asking for what is rightfully theirs.
Reply
theeternalwanderer
March 30, 2006 at 4:00 pm
Government is indeed there to serve the people, but how can they serve them well if our government cannot afford to do so? Shouldn’t we as loyal citizens chip in a little to help? RM4 billion is a HUGE amount of money saved by increasing petrol prices to decrease subsidies. Imagine what the government could do for other sectors and services with the RM4 billion.
However, it’s not that our government has given up on helping the people. I still see that the fuel price increase is only a short term solution to the problem. I predict that the world market price for fuel will continue to shoot up, and in the long run, we will have to find other ways to meet our fuel consumption needs.
Thanks for voicing your opinion, Christopher. I appreciate the viewpoints you expressed and will take it into account. Thanks again!
I think this refers to Malaysia-- but then the problems are universal!
Also check out
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=200807...
Agreeing with the quote invokes patriotism and unselfish service to the country.It is a collectivist notion, that the collective is more important than the individual.
Opposition to the quote would emphasize individualism versus collectivism, especially the idea that a country is an association of individuals for the benefit of the individuals comprising it. Under this argument, if you contribute more to your country than it contributes to you, it is a bad deal for you.