I'm analyzing JFK's speech for concession and counter argument. In this paragraph, I'm confused which is the counter and which is the concession.

1 "Some say that it is useless to speak of world peace or world law or world disarmament-and that it will be useless until the leaders of the Soviet Union adopt a more enlightened attitude. I hope they do."
Would the first be concession?
2 "I believe we can help them do it. But I also believe that we must reexamine our own attitude--as individuals and as a Nation--for our attitude is as essential as theirs…"

Would the first be concession?

Yes on 1, no on 2.

Well, "But I also believe..." is a counter-argument to the first statement in #1 above. It can also be seen as a concession that the Soviets needed a more enlightened attitude. You decide.

In the paragraph you provided, there are both a concession and a counter-argument. Let's break it down:

1. "Some say that it is useless to speak of world peace or world law or world disarmament—and that it will be useless until the leaders of the Soviet Union adopt a more enlightened attitude. I hope they do."

The statement "Some say that it is useless to speak of world peace or world law or world disarmament" represents the counter-argument. It presents the viewpoint that speaking about world peace, law, or disarmament is useless.

The concession can be found in the following sentence: "I hope they do." JFK is conceding to the possibility that the leaders of the Soviet Union may need to adopt a more enlightened attitude for progress to be made.

2. "I believe we can help them do it. But I also believe that we must reexamine our own attitude—as individuals and as a Nation—for our attitude is as essential as theirs…"

The statement "I believe we can help them do it" again represents the counter-argument. JFK is arguing against the notion that it is useless to speak about world peace, law, and disarmament.

The concession can be found in the second part of the sentence: "But I also believe that we must reexamine our own attitude—as individuals and as a Nation." Here, JFK is conceding that there is a need to reconsider the attitude of both individuals and the Nation itself in order to achieve the goals mentioned earlier.

To summarize:
- The counter-argument in the first paragraph is the idea that speaking about world peace, law, and disarmament is useless.
- The concession is the hope that Soviet Union leaders adopt a more enlightened attitude.
- The counter-argument in the second paragraph is the belief that we can help bring about change.
- The concession is the acknowledgement that reexamining our own attitude is crucial.