Changes

The leader of a nation traveled to a distant land, and planned to deliver a speech there.  This leader was not known for having great intelligence, and in fact was often ridiculed within his own country.  He wondered what he should say in the foreign country while he was there.

The leader of a nation traveled to a distant land, and planned to deliver a speech there.  This leader was not known for having great intelligence, and in fact was often ridiculed within his own country.  He wondered what he should say in the foreign country while he was there.

For decades, there had been a massive wall in this foreign land which denied its inhabitants the freedom to travel and visit relatives, or simply move to places having greater opportunity.  Inhabitants who tried to surmount the wall were shot and killed.  Inside the wall the system of communism was imposed; outside the wall capitalism and freedom existed.

For decades, there had been a massive wall in this foreign land which denied its inhabitants the freedom to travel and visit relatives, or simply move to places having greater opportunity.  Inhabitants who tried to surmount the wall were shot and killed.  The region enclosed by the wall was subjected to communism; outside the wall capitalism and freedom existed.

The leader began to focus on the wall in connection with his planned speech, and  proposed uttering the bold command, "tear down this wall."

The leader began to focus on the wall in connection with his planned speech, and  proposed uttering the bold command, "tear down this wall."

But his top advisers, who were very experienced in politics and foreign policy, were adamantly against such a bold statement.  They insisted on removing it from the speech.  As each draft circulated these experts took the phrase out, but each time the leader inserted this phrase back in.  The experts felt the phrase made the leader look foolish and hopelessly naive, and could not possibly have the intended effect.  The experts were sure it would subject their leader to even more ridicule than he already endured.

But his top advisers, who were very experienced in politics and foreign policy, were adamantly against such a bold statement.  They insisted on removing it from the speech.  As each draft circulated these experts took the phrase out, but each time the leader inserted this phrase back in.  The experts felt the phrase made the leader look foolish and hopelessly naive, and could not possibly have a positive effect.  The experts were sure it would subject their leader to even more ridicule than he already endured.

But the leader did not care about the potential for ridicule, and he wanted to say what he felt was best for his audience.  He ignored his experts and delivered the bold command as part of his speech.

But the leader did not care about the potential for ridicule, and he wanted to say what he felt was best for his audience.  He ignored his experts and delivered the bold command as part of his speech.