On politics

While you'd be hard-pressed to find someone in the US unfamiliar with the quote, "ask not what your country can do for you - ask what you can do for your country", the context underlying this saying is less commonly known. It's a quote that has always chafed at me, somewhat; the nagging, paternalistic tone, encouraging us as citizens to be less self-centered, bigger than ourselves, and ready to throw ourselves into our country's desires headfirst. The quote even encourages an element of blind patriotism; that Americans need to forget their own needs and instead focus on the good of the country. It's a little Orwellian, one might note.

Here's the entire closing of John F. Kennedy's January 20th, 1961 speech:

And so, my fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for you - ask what you can do for your country.

My fellow citizens of the world: ask not what America will do for you, but what together we can do for the freedom of man.

Finally, whether you are citizens of America or citizens of the world, ask of us the same high standards of strength and sacrifice which we ask of you. With a good conscience our only sure reward, with history the final judge of our deeds, let us go forth to lead the land we love, asking His blessing and His help, but knowing that here on earth God's work must truly be our own.

Taken out of context, JFK's quote encourages our blind loyalty and fervor in supporting whatever the present administration determines American goals to be. Taken in context, he proposes an alignment between Americans and the rest of our world in creating a better existence for everyone--and does so in such a way that eliminates any sense of American superiority, while maintaining American pride.