What argument is franklin d. roosevelt making in this excerpt from his "four freedoms" speech?
i have recently pointed out how quickly the tempo of modern warfare could bring into our very midst the physical attack which we must eventually expect if the dictator nations win this war.
there is much loose talk of our immunity from immediate and direct invasion from across the seas. obviously, as long as the british navy retains its power, no such danger exists. even if there was no british navy, it is not probable that any enemy would be stupid enough to attack us by landing troops in the united states from across thousands of miles of oceans, until it had acquired startegic bases from which to operate.
but we learn much from the lessons of the past years in europe-particularly the lesson of norway, whos essential seaports were captured by treachery and surprise built up over a series of years.