Nikita Khrushchev's "Secret Speech" - 50 year anniversary

When the topic of famous speakers and speeches comes up, a familiar littany of names surface: Abraham Lincoln, John F. Kennedy, Martin Luther King, Ronald Reagan. Our U.S.-centric (not to mention male-centric) knowledge of political communication suggests that our country invented and exclusively practices successful and important rhetoric. A fascinating story on National Public Radio this morning reminds us how far that is from the truth:

"Saturday marks the 50th anniversary of Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev's "secret speech" to the Communist Party's Congress. It was the first major denunciation of Joseph Stalin and proved a watershed in Soviet history."

The NPR report discusses in more detail the context and unexpected consequences of Khrushchev's speech. The report also concentrates on a surprising wave of "growing appreciation" of the brutal Stalin among many of today's Russians. Listen to this interesting piece to learn more about an example of compelling non-American political communication and a disturbing shift in Russian collective memory.

Bush's State of the Union Speech and Cindy Sheehan Arrest

President Bush's State of the Union speech last night was particularly noteworthy for its reaching out to Democrats a bit more than usual (even sharing credit with them) and for his ideas about alternative energy.

His opening passage about the passing of Coretta Scott King was also appropriate and well-articulated: "Today our nation lost a beloved, graceful, courageous woman who called America to its founding ideals and carried on a noble dream. Tonight we are comforted by the hope of a glad reunion with the husband who was taken from her so long ago, and we are grateful for the good life of Coretta Scott King."

However, the President's fine sentiment toward King was preceded by the arrest of Cindy Sheehan for wearing, and refusing to cover, a T-shirt with an anti-war message. Sheehan, invited to attend the speech by a California congresswoman, was removed from the hall in handcuffs. It's interesting that, as the President honored the wife of a civil rights leader who achieved great advances through the use of civil disobedience, a political protestor was arrested for exercising free speech. Despite the President's welcome words, the intolerance of dissent remains a disturbing issue in our political dialogue.