The Use of Presidential Power by Johnson and Nixon essays

The Use of Presidential Power by Johnson and Nixon essays The Use of Presidential Power by Johnson and Nixon Presidents Lyndon Baines Johnson (1963-1968) and Richard Milhous Nixon (1968-1974) will be remembered for the different ideals, goals, and failures within their administrations. Johnson was immediately appointed President following the assassination of John F. Kennedy and earned the trust and respect of the American people by implementing various Kennedy domestic policies such as the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Voting Rights Act of 1965, Medicare and Medicaid. Unfortunately, Johnson was overwhelmed by the growing problems in the international community that ultimately doomed his presidency and opened the door for new presidential candidates. Richard Nixon succeeded Johnson and redeemed himself following a failed 1960 election to Johnsons predecessor, John F. Kennedy. It was a different agenda under Nixon for the first time in eight years. Nixon was aware of the nations concern with the escalating Vietnam War and was able to spend his first term in office trying to compensate for years of American involvement in Vietnam. In their use of presidential power, Nixons legacy was his accomplishments of opening relations with China and ending the Vietnam War while Johnson is remembered for high casualties in Vietnam and poor maintenance of Great Society programs. The burden of resolving many problems fell on Lyndon Johnson...who was suddenly elevated to the presidency. Johnsons use of power extended solely to domestic issues but ended with the failure to control both the Vietnam War and the lack of maintenance to his Great Society programs. Johnson rode the crest of a wave of earnest popular demands to bring an end to racial discrimination, provide equal opportunity to all people, eliminate poverty, and provide all Americans with adequate healthcare. Yet the scale of this undertaking was so vast that disappointments we...

If You Want Peace, Prepare for War

If You Want Peace, Prepare for War The original Latin of the expression if you want peace, prepare for war comes from the book Epitoma Rei Militaris,  by the Roman general Vegetius (whose full name was Publius Flavius Vegetius Renatus). The Latin is, Igitur qui desiderat pacem, praeparet bellum. Before the fall of the Roman Empire, the quality of its army had begun to deteriorate, according to Vegetius, and the decay of the army came from within itself. His theory was that the army grew weak from being idle during a long time of peace and stopped wearing its protective armor. This made them vulnerable to enemy weapons and to the temptation to flee from battle. Vegetius quote has been interpreted to mean that the time to prepare for war is not when war is imminent but rather when times are peaceful. Likewise, a strong peacetime army could signal to would-be invaders or attackers that the battle may not be worth it.   Vegetius Role in Military Strategy Because it was written by a Roman military expert, Vegetius Epitoma Rei Militaris is considered by many  to be the foremost military treatise in Western civilization.  Despite having little military experience of his own, Vegetius writings were highly influential on European military tactics, particularly after the Middle Ages. Vegetius was what was known as a patrician in Roman society, meaning he was an aristocrat. Also known as the  Rei Militaris Instituta,  Vegetius book was written sometime between 384 and 389. He sought a return to the Roman military system of legion formation, which was highly organized and depended on a disciplined infantry. His writings had little influence on the military leaders of his own day, but there was a particular interest in Vegetius work later, in Europe. According to Encyclopedia Britannica, because he was the first Christian Roman to write about military affairs, Vegetius work was, for centuries, considered the military bible of Europe. Its said that George Washington had a copy of this treatise.   Peace Through Strength Many military thinkers have modified Vegetius ideas for a different time, such as to the shorter expression of peace through strength. Roman Emperor Hadrian (76–138) was probably the first to use that expression. He has been quoted as saying peace through strength or, failing that, peace through threat. In the United States, Theodore Roosevelt coined the phrase Speak softly and carry a big stick. Later, Bernard Baruch, who advised Franklin D. Roosevelt during World War II, wrote a book titled Peace Through Strength about a defense plan. The phrase was publicized widely during the 1964 Republican presidential campaign and was used again during the 1970s to support the construction of the MX missile. The adage justified the Cold War buildup of nuclear missiles as a deterrent to war. Ronald Reagan brought peace through strength back into the limelight in 1980, accusing President Jimmy Carter of weakness on the international stage. Said Reagan: We know that peace is the condition under which mankind was meant to flourish. Yet peace does not exist of its own will. It depends on us, on our courage to build it and guard it and pass it on to future generations.