Although the term itself appears just once in the text, a concern with “communists” haunts the speech in its historical context. Communism—an ideology opposed to private property and to the social injustices allegedly resulting from the creation of economic classes—was the main ideological threat facing America for most of the 20th century. As exemplified by the Soviet Union, communism represented to Kennedy a fundamental challenge to the values of freedom and democracy. The central section of his address (Paragraphs 5-20) may be seen as a response to Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev’s speech on January 6, 1961, which presented communism as the solution to the problems of the developing world.

Kennedy uses the term “freedom” as a synonym or umbrella concept for the values for which America stands. He emphasizes the importance of spreading these values to other countries. Kennedy argues that freedom is not just a right but also a responsibility of America to help other nations achieve. In addition, he links the idea of freedom with the need for peace and security, emphasizing that the two are intertwined and that America’s commitment to freedom is a key part of its role as a global leader.