"Did Anyone Want To Give In?"
NO!
“My dear friends, this is your hour. This is not a victory of a party or of a class. It’s a victory of the great British nation as a whole. We were the first, in this ancient island, to draw the sword against tyranny. After a while we were left alone against the most tremendous military power that has been seen. We were all alone for a whole year.”
“There we stood, alone. Did anyone want to give in?”
“No,” shouted the crowd.
“Were we downhearted?”
“NO!”
--Winston Churchill; speaking to a crowd of thousands gathered in May of 1945 on the day of Nazi Germany’s unconditional surrender, ending the Second World War in Europe.
This week commemorates the 79th anniversary of the end of the Second World War in Europe. Churchill and the British nation stood alone against tyranny then and we owe a great debt to those who stood the test.
In this hour of great peril, when an ally of the United States is in need of our support, it is our responsibility to help. The withholding of vital munitions from Israel is to “give in” to the evil done on October 7.
Israel’s survival depends on strength. Any perception of weakness is provocative, especially in the Arab world. Perceived strength is vital in securing the good will and normal relations of the moderate Arab states in the region. Their fight is our fight. Our future depends to a degree on the outcome of this conflict. If we shrink from helping, soon the conflict will be at our doorstep. Do we leave them to fend for themselves? Do we “give in” to the chants of “death to America” at home and abroad?Or do we muster the will to defend our way of life?
The sooner they defeat Hamas the sooner the “Palestinians” will be safe and secure and have hope for a better future. And the sooner the Arab world can come together to push back against the danger that is the Islamist regime in Iran.
Our increasingly dangerous world is a direct consequence of the feckless and foolish foreign policy of the current administration. In every scene on the world stage it has demonstrated weakness and vacillation. From Afghanistan, to Russia in Ukraine, China threatening the western Pacific, and Hamas and Iran executing their ideology of hate, our weakness has emboldened those countries to take action in pursuit of our demise.
For this very reason it is necessary to take the time and reflect on those past events and the people who shaped them. The study of the Second World War serves as a grim reminder of the evil that men can do. And with that evil we learn of the great compassion and courage shown, and needed, in achieving good. Our individual search for meaning must somehow be translated into a common meaning valued by all in our civilization.
The folly of those who devised the policy of appeasement in the 1930’s is on display today. Sadly, some have misdirected their understanding of history with anger at the wrong protagonists. Wisdom is a scarce commodity. The lack of it in the “West” is dangerous. It is a result of deficient moral grounding and the inability to defend what is right. Civilization truly depends on a fidelity to our Judeo-Christian values and today we are once again put to the test. Hopefully we will not be found wanting. Supporting Israel is a positive step in defending our culture.
Evil surely must be so difficult to comprehend for some. I suppose it’s because the left denies evil exists at all. That makes the struggle between good and evil that much harder. Should we continue the struggle? You bet.
At times it takes the “Blood, Sweat, Toil and Tears” of a giant like Sir Winston Churchill to show us the way. But we all know that he only provided the roar for a Lion nation of common every day God fearing people willing to stand up to the tyranny of evil.
References:
“The Gathering Storm:” If you haven’t yet, the first volume of Winston Churchill’s six volume memoir of the Second World War is a must read for an understanding of the dangers of not standing up to tyranny.
“The Last Lion:” A three volume biography of Winston Churchill written by William Manchester and completed by Paul Reid.
Three excellent episodes of the Hillsdale Dialogues with Hugh Hewitt and Hillsdale College president Dr. Larry Arnn are:
“Churchill in Crisis” in three episodes:
https://podcast.hillsdale.edu/churchill-in-crisis-part-1/
https://podcast.hillsdale.edu/churchill-in-crisis-part-2/
https://podcast.hillsdale.edu/churchill-in-crisis-part-3/
Winston Churchill’s VE Day Remarks:
https://winstonchurchill.org/resources/speeches/1941-1945-war-leader/to-v-e-crowds/
Joe Biden withholding munitions from Israel:
https://substack.com/home/post/p-144483813
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