Home  >  The War on Terror  >  Cheney's Speech at West Point

Cheney's Speech at West Point

Added: June 14, 2007

Vice President's Remarks at the United States Military Academy Commencement West Point, New York

May 26, 2007

9:17 A.M. EDT

THE VICE PRESIDENT:
Thank you very much. General Hagenbeck; members of Congress; Military Academy faculty and staff; distinguished guests; officers, cadets, members of the Class of 2007:

Thank you all for the welcome to West Point. I'm delighted to be here again, and to join in today's ceremony, and to stand before the newest graduates of the greatest military academy in the world.

(Applause)

Today the Class of 2007 leaves behind its leadership duties to the Corps of Cadets, and takes up leadership duty to the United States of America. As a class they've brought honor to Cadet Gray. As commissioned officers they'll bring the same honor to Army Blue. Graduates, this is a proud moment in your life, and in the life of our country. I count it a privilege to be in your company, and I bring warmest congratulations from our Commander-in-Chief, President George W. Bush.

(Big Applause)

Unfortunately, these are troubled times, and I cannot in good conscience give you an optimistic picture of what lies ahead for you as you serve our nation. We are locked in combat with an enemy as savage as it is well equipped. Upon your graduation, many of you will join our fighting forces in Iraq, and many of you will die there. IED attacks, mortar fire, snipers, angry mobs - all of these things plague the blind alleys and narrow streets of Baghdad unchecked. Death and insanity await you there, but I tell you here today that your lives will not be given in vain!

You will be part of the historic transformation of our nation away from decades of humiliation and failure on the world stage. We have taken decisive steps to reverse this long decline, but there is a long road ahead of us. It began decades ago, in the waning days of WWII when our leaders lacked the wisdom and the courage to press the advantage and take America to its rightful place of leadership in the world. We have been suffering the consequences of this failure ever since.

At the end of WWII both Germany and Japan lay bleeding at our feet - their industry and armies destroyed, their economies ruined, their people defeated. After the fire bombings of Germany and the nuclear attacks on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, we held the undivided attention of the entire world. It was an opportunity on a scale that few nations have ever seen, and we squandered it.

Instead of showing courage, we showed cowardice. We coddled our sworn enemy, rebuilding their cities and extending loans and assistance. Just a few short years after the treachery of Pearl Harbor and the horrors of Dachau we unconscionably rebuilt the economies of these treacherous nations back to nearly twice their pre-war size.

The world watched in horror and disbelief as we undertook this shameful plan, and our long decline into historical irrelevance began.

In Korea, it was the same story. Eisenhower - who was very effective at masking his weak moral fiber while commanding the largest amphibious landing in human history - was unwilling to use all the tools at his command to attain victory. My predecessors presented him with clear and decisive options, utilizing the God given gift of nuclear fission - the secrets of which He had chosen to give us and not the enemy - but "Ike" would have none of it.

Instead of continuing a glorious land war in Asia that was taking the lives of nearly 1,000 Americans per week, Eisenhower embarked on the dishonorable course of subterfuge, pulling out our troops and endorsing a plan of "economic aid" to South Korea, which transformed it into the most successful and prosperous democracy on the continent.

As South Korea grew into a global economic force under our guidance and North Korea suffered widespread shortages, famine and chaos under communism, the world once again snickered behind our backs at our incompetence.

During the 60's and 70's we presided over two decades of the most vigorous economic growth in the history of the western world - but that only served to deepen our shame.

Neil Armstrong's walk on the moon and the rest of the Apollo missions will surely be relegated to a footnote of history, and I can't imagine how any of our enemies could have suppressed a chuckle at the irrelevance of this achievement.

The social transformation of America, which extended our great wealth to a broader range of our citizens - in line with our basic ideals as a nation - will certainly be forgotten. As will the huge reduction in illiteracy and infant mortality, the huge increase in life expectancy, and the huge increase in those able to receive a college education during those two decades.

The humiliation of Vietnam will most certainly overshadow all of these massive social and technological achievements. Once again America emerged as the richest and most successful nation in the world - and our reputation suffered horribly for it.

In 1990, when I was secretary of defense, there was concern that some of the governments in the Middle East lacked a clear understanding of the capabilities and will of the United States. When Saddam Hussein invaded Kuwait, we quickly assembled a gigantic land army thousands of miles from our homeland and completely annihilated the third largest army in the world within a matter of days. Once again, however, we turned success into embarrassment by failing to invade Iraq, kill Saddam Hussein and take the country for ourselves.

All our enemies in the region must have felt an enormous surge of confidence and encouragement as our forces strafed Saddam's army as it ran away, bombed Baghdad with impunity, buried them alive and systematically slaughtered his army by the hundreds of thousands while suffering only a few hundred casualties ourselves.

What an setback that was!

Though we may have a conventional military that can project power anywhere on the globe within hours, and a nuclear arsenal capable of laying waste to the entire surface of the Earth several times over, and an economic output comparable to the entire rest of the world combined, deep down everyone in the world knows that we are just plain weak. Though they appear to be intimidated, it is all a clever act in the hopes that we will let our guard down.

This shameful history of equivocating and moral pensiveness led directly to the attacks of Sept. 11.

Though Al-Qaeda might appear to just be a bunch of medieval sore-losers hiding out in the Mts. of Pakistan without a pot to piss in, in reality they are a massive international organization of super-terrorists, with full access to nuclear, biological and chemical weapons. Don't let appearances fool you. This is as dire an enemy as we have ever faced, on the scale of Nazi Germany and the old Soviet Union. Worse perhaps.

The goal of this institution is to create outstanding, well rounded leaders who can face America's challenges with energy, confidence and wisdom. Military affairs take place in a complex world, and we have given you everything you need to find success within this complexity.

In the war on terrorism, however, I must ask you to set all of this aside.

We must fear the enemy as we fear the rustlings of a wild animal when we are naked in the woods. We must fear the enemy with a blindness and savagery that cannot be contained. When battle is engaged, we must become wild men, tearing and scratching at the enemy's flanks with every ounce of our strength and every fiber of our being. We must overwhelm the enemy as would creatures from hell, howling and screeching with hatred and madness, only stopping when all of them lie dead and mutilated at our feet.

History tells us that this is the only way to our true destiny. Without savagery, what are we? Without murder and fear what else is left of us as a people? Think back to your upbringing and you know this to be true. Think about the beatings you received at the hands of those more powerful. Think about the murders you arranged, think about what your parents taught you about taking the upper hand, about the obligation of the strong to dominate the weak, about the sweet taste of revenge, and finally, the importance of abandoning your principals in a time of crisis!

This the bedrock that this country is founded upon - and this is what will lead us to victory against all who dare oppose us.

(Nervous applause)

Time and time again, the great leaders of the 20th century were disappointed by the failure of their citizens to follow through on the ideals they so painstakingly articulated. One of the great leaders and politicians of the last century famously said "It is not the ideology that is imperfect, it is the failure of individuals to execute it to its fullest".

I look out at your faces today, so full of optimism and resolve, and I cannot help but think that you will be the first generation in history to prevail in this regard. You will not be deterred, you will not let international conspiracy and internal sabotage keep you from achieving your destiny and you will not weaken in your resolve until the job is finished!

(Applause)

But there will be naysayers. Though the prevailing sentiment in this crowd is optimism and commitment, I also see shadows of doubt and the scowls of confusion. Some of you cheer - but some of you cheer a bit slower than others. Some of you clap without the vigor that befits an officer, and I say to you today, that among your ranks are those who would see this mission fail.

Unfortunately, it is impossible to tell who they might be. You have all been taught history, you have all been taught diplomacy, you have all been taught the complexity of international relations.

All of these things merely cloud the mind and allow one who is treacherous to pass as one who is loyal. These things are the enemy of our the new era we are in, and will only serve to cause hesitation at the crucial moment, when hesitation could cost us the battle or even the war.

It is for this reason, that all of you must die.

Today.

(At that moment, several squads of dark clad special forces types enter through each of the doors to the auditorium - weapons up. They are dressed in black fatigues, black face masks, black goggles, and black knee pads. After they enter, the doors slam shut behind them and loudly lock shut. Students and faculty gasp involuntarily. There is tension in the room)

Cheney
(Detecting the joke has been taken the wrong way) Sorry, so sorry (chuckling) its just a joke...just a joke kids...so sorry. (rubbing his forehead) My staff told me not to pull the special forces lock down stunt, but I said "aww, those kids can take a little ribbing...they're soldiers for crying out loud!" (looking offstage and flashing the thumbs up) Jerry, you were right my friend, I'll never doubt you again! (back to the audience) Let that be a lesson to you all, never doubt your speech writers kids!

(Scattered chuckles through the audience - the tension begins to fade)

Cheney
What I am really excited about is that I get to introduce you to something new today, something nobody else but a handful of high ranking people within the Pentagon, the President and myself have ever seen - a new weapon in the war on terror.

This is not a missile, or a sophisticated aircraft or a new type of tank, this is nothing less than a NEW KIND OF SOLDIER.

(A closeup of one of the masked special forces troops standing at one of the doorways flashes up on the gigantic projection screen behind Cheney)

After 9/11, we knew that we would be fighting a new kind of war and for this war we would need not only new weapons and tactics, but also a new kind of soldier. We began training and recruiting in secret, knowing that it might be difficult to communicate the true usefulness of this new weapon to Congress and the public.

(scattered applause)

These new troops have special training in many areas that the service academies and even elite units like the Rangers lack. As you work together with them, you will find that they are some of the most clear-thinking, disciplined and loyal troops on the planet today. I present to you - the first new branch of the armed forces in over 200 years - The Patriot Corps!

(Applause as 12 black-clad special forces type soldiers fastrope down from the rafters of the auditorium, landing at equal intervals across the stage behind Cheney. After landing, they salute smartly, their silenced Mp5's slung on their backs. They are dressed exactly like the troops guarding the doors - black fatigues, black face masks, black knee pads and black goggles).

Cheney
Very good boys, very good! (to the audience) How do they do that? (scattered laughter) Okay boys, you can go back to your positions, thank you very much for that demonstration.

(Like cats, the soldiers execute the near physical impossibility of climbing back up the 40ft. fast-ropes back into the rafters and out of sight. There are a few murmurs of appreciation among the crowd as they watch).

Cheney
(Hesitating just a moment or two for effect) For those of you waiting for me to climb up that rope, I can't today, I was told by the unit commander not to embarrass the boys by out climbing them...

(He pats his belly on the last word - this big round of laughter and then applause)

Cheney
Let's have a big round of applause for our newfound friends in black!

(confused applause)

Cheney
Okay, now there are a few achievements of the class of 2007 that I would like to bring special attention to...(looking at the front row of students) is Lindsey Anderson out there somewhere?

(After a short pause a young graduate from the front row stands up nervously)

Cheney
Yes, yes, I knew you were out there somewhere...can you come up here with me and help me out for a moment Ms. Anderson?

(The girl walks around to the stairs on the side of the stage and walks to the podium where Cheney is standing. He reaches out and shakes her hand and motions her to the microphone. She is obviously excited by being on stage with the Veep.)

Cheney
Thank you dear, now can you tell us your name one more time?

Lindsey
Lindsey Anderson sir

Cheney
Is your family here Lindsey?

Lindsey
(halting slightly) Yes, ummm, they drove up from Virginia, they said they were going to try and be in the first couple of rows.

Cheney
(looking out into the crowd) Can Ms. Anderson's parents stand up please?

(There is a brief pause, and an older couple in the second row stands up.)

Cheney
There we go...hello there Mr. and Mrs. Anderson!

(Lindsey waves at her parents as they receive a big round of applause from the crowd)

Cheney
(The applause takes a moment or two to die down) What are their names my dear?

Lindsey
John and Jeanne

Cheney
Well John and Jeanne, you should be very proud of your daughter, she is graduating today from the finest military academy in the finest country in the world!

(This is perfectly timed and triggers a gigantic round of applause from the audience)

Cheney
Now in her four years her at West Point there were many highlights for Lindsey, she was a very energetic and hardworking student who excelled in almost everything she participated in (applause and a couple of "Yeahs!" from her close friends). However, one thing that came to my attention was her vocal participation in General Finnegan's military ethics class - that was one of your favorite classes last term wasn't it Lindsey?

(She nods with only the slightest hesitation)

Cheney
For her term paper she wrote an extensive argument against the mistreatment of prisoners in American custody, which cited many great Americans from history and concluded with a very memorable quote that I will try my best not to paraphrase:

"The rules governing the treatment of Prisoners of War under the Geneva Conventions were a direct product of the horrors of World War II. Using a legal loophole to circumvent one of the most fundamental rules of warfare not only goes against the spirit of Geneva, but it goes against our very essence as Americans."

(1/3 of the crowd stays silent, 1/3 of the crowd cheers (reflexively, upon hearing the word "American") and one third of the crowd boos at the conclusion of Cheney's quote)

Cheney
Did you write that Lindsey?

Lindsey
Yes.

Cheney
Do you believe it?

Lindsey
Yes...with all my heart.

Cheney
Well, I will tell you Lindsey, that though I may disagree with what you might say, I will fight to the death for your right to say it!

(The audience finally understands what this is all about, and lets loose with a roaring cheer. As the applause continues, Lindsey continues to stand at the podium wondering exactly what she is supposed to do next. After a moment or two, Cheney steps back a few feet from the podium and makes a motion with his hand to someone high in the rafters "Shoot her".

The shot snaps open the back of Lindsey's head and she slumps forward on the podium before rolling off to the left side of the stage. Two black clad soldiers come on the stage and drag off her twitching body. There is a commotion down in the crowd as her parents are grabbed by a small strike team and wrestled to the ground. They are quickly hustled off in plastic handcuffs and bags on their heads).

(There is dead silence in the auditorium, Cheney slowly walks back to the podium)

(The closeup of Lindsey silently getting shot in the head plays over and over on the gigantic video screen behind Cheney as he begins to speak again)

Cheney
(Once at the microphone, he pauses one last time before saying a single word:

Fear.

(the word "fear" echoes through the PA system - nobody makes a sound, or even moves)

What a thing it is eh?

(the words echo through the room - there is still not a sound)

I can feel it coming off you in waves - its palpable - from where I stand, its almost stifling.

(Silence as Cheney closes his eyes and inhales through his nose)

What would power be without fear?

(Pause)

You have seen that I have the power - some would say the ultimate power - to kill any of you without suffering any repercussions - amazing isn't it?

(Pause)

Do you see what I am trying to say here?

(Pause)

It is an exchange - I demonstrate power, and you demonstrate fear - the perfect reciprocal relationship. Neither would mean anything without the other.

They are a perfect pair.

(silence)

(He traverses the stage and begins pointing at random students as he talks - if he says "not you" nothing happens, if he says simply "you" they are shot in the head)

I can kill you (bang!)

but not you...

and then you (bang!)...

but not you...

and you (bang!)...and you (bang!)...and you (bang!)...

but not you...or you...or you.

Do you see what I am getting at here?

(black troops quickly clear the bodies from the shocked crowd as they drop)

Power.

That is my message to you here today.

Power in its purest form, power as the unequivocal.

Power as the ultimate.

(Pause - Cheney inhales deeply one last time with his eyes closed)

Its as clear as day, to those who have the courage to see it.

But unfortunately, it is too late...too late, for you it is too late.

There are those who argued for restraint, they argued that the material was salvageable and should be saved. But I saw differently, I saw the truth, and I had to persuade them otherwise. Once a tree has grown beyond a certain size in the wrong direction, there is no answer but to harvest and replant.

Harvest and replant - if you were in my position I'm sure that you would agree - it is a difficult decision but it must be done.

(Silence)

Since my solution won the day, I was the one chosen to deliver the message, and so I am here today to deliver one final message to you:

This institution and all that it represents is of no more use to the nation.

(One last pause - the 200 or so black troops rack the bolts on their automatic rifles)

By sunset today, every building will be leveled, every instructor will be executed, and all of you will be shot.

Starting.

Now.

(Cheney turns and walks off the stage as the firing begins.)


The War on Terror Index

Home  >  The War on Terror  >  Cheney's Speech at West Point