"While we are sleeping, two-thirds of the world is plotting to do us in"

Dean Rusk's statement that "While we are sleeping, two-thirds of the world is plotting to do us in" is rooted in the anxiety and global tension of the Cold War era. He articulates a sense of perpetual vulnerability and suspicion felt by the United States in a time when geopolitical alliances were sharply divided. The metaphorical night, a period of rest and vulnerability, underscores a feeling that threats accumulate and conspire precisely during moments when vigilance is lowered.

The phrase "two-thirds of the world" reflects not just numerical superiority but also the isolation perceived by the United States and its allies. During the Cold War, Western nations were a minority against the larger populations of communist and non-aligned countries. This conveys a siege mentality, the belief that external forces vastly outnumber and outmaneuver the defender, who must therefore remain ever watchful.

Rusk's words encapsulate a mindset where trust is a liability and security demands constant alertness. Imagining that "plots" are constantly hatched implies that the threat is not only omnipresent but also coordinated and deliberate. This can foster both unity and paranoia; unity, because societies tend to pull together when threatened, but also paranoia, as suspicion can undermine both domestic harmony and international diplomacy.

Beyond the immediate context, the quote addresses a universal dilemma of power: the fear that prosperity and comfort make a nation complacent, a tempting target for adversaries. Rusk, as a diplomat, likely understood both the necessity of readiness and the psychological cost of perpetual suspicion. The statement’s hyperbolic edge may serve as a call to vigilance rather than a literal accusation, warning against complacency in a complex and often hostile world. Ultimately, such sentiments can shape policy, justifying vigilance and military readiness, but they can also risk alienating potential partners or undermining the very values a nation seeks to protect.