" And my existence, while grotesque and incomprehensible to you, saves lives. You don't want the truth because deep down in places you don't talk about at parties, you want me on that wall, you need me on that wall. We use words like honor, code, loyalty. We use these words as the backbone of a life spent defending something. You use them as a punchline. I have neither the time nor the inclination to explain myself to a man who rises and sleeps under the blanket of the very freedom that I provide, and then questions the manner in which I provide it. I would rather you just said thank you, and went on your way."
The part that always bugged me about this speech is that Jessup seems to feel that he is personally responsible for America's freedom. There's too many assumptions here.
Strictly speaking, it's the Constitution and Bill of Rights which provide and guarantee our freedom, along with a government ostensibly committed to following its own laws (more or less) and a staunchly freedom-loving populace who support their freedom and fiercely defend their rights when needed.
One could just as easily argue that it was the civil rights and anti-war protesters of the 60s who did more to "provide" our freedom, since they stood up against the establishment and the government. The corruption, megalomania, and paranoia behind the national security state were bigger threats to American freedom than anything any external enemy could have caused.
By the same token (regarding your point about 9/11), Jessup was subtly defending American interventionism and our alliance system, which (among other things) advanced the belief that people from countries deemed "friendly" to the U.S. could and should be considered trustworthy and given entry and free access throughout the country. It was this misguided perception which allowed the 9/11 bombers to carry out their despicable acts.
Besides all that, from a logistical and geopolitical standpoint, one might question how commanding a base in Cuba actually "provides" freedom for Americans living on American soil. It doesn't even really defend American territory.
When was the last time America's territory was ever seriously threatened with invasion? The War of 1812? Even that didn't work out too well for the invaders. The Civil War might count, although that was American vs. American - an internal struggle for freedom, not a struggle against an enemy from without. Then there was that tiff with Pancho Villa, although that wasn't much in the grand scheme of things. Even the Germans and Japanese during WW2 were not in any position to launch any serious invasion of America's mainland.
During the Cold War, the gravest threat faced by America was from Soviet nuclear missiles, which was more a matter of technology, science, and engineering. In that sense, scrawny but brainy nerds who worked for defense contractors did more to defend and "provide" American freedom than anything Jessup could have claimed. (Notice how Jessup scorned Lt. Weinberg, who was kind of a nerdy geek type himself, not a chest-pounding super jock like Jessup or Kendrick.)
Moreover, Jessup's implication is that he and others like him are indispensable while suggesting that ordinary civilian types are somehow incapable and helpless without them. That's also a load of crap which shouldn't be believed one iota.
reply
share