October 16 is not only the date of the second debate between President Obama and Mitt Romney, but it also marks the 50th anniversary of the start of the Cuban Missile Crisis. The crisis stretched from October 16-28, 1962.
At a time when foreign-policy issues include the threat of an Iranian government trying to obtain a nuclear weapon and an unstable Middle East, it is fitting for Americans to reflect on the anniversary of the 13-day conflict that saw the nation on the brink of a nuclear war.
In the video below, President John F. Kennedy describes the threat that Cuba and the Soviet Union pose to the security of the United States and U.S. efforts to nullify that threat.
Below is video of Fidel Castro amassing troops under threat of a U.S invasion.
Below is a slideshow featuring a video of U.N. Ambassador Adlai Stevenson speaking on the dangers posed by Cuba, and two educational videos from the 1960s. One focuses on a hypothetical America that has been conquered by Communism and the other deals with the perceived threats from Communism to the American way of life.
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