Bleeding Edge

On the evening of September 2nd of 1943 when Franklin Roosevelt was hosting Winston Churchill who was traveling to Washington to address the joint houses of Congress in a most memorable speech — the cracks of the great alliance between the two men were already becoming visible.

The conversation between the two wartime leaders, over dinner on September 2, with Churchill coming back from the Quebec Conference, was about the future of Europe in the midst of a Russian onslaught, and about the post-war Soviet occupation prospects for Eastern and central Europe, especially Poland, Hungary, Czechoslovakia, Austria, Germany, and the Baltics.

Famously during their conversations, president Roosevelt had expressed a cavalier and peculiar desire to accommodate the Russian designs on a post war Europe, by saying “There is no point to oppose these desires of Stalin, because he has the power to get them anyhow. So better give them gracefully.”

Upon hearing this, Churchill had understandably become livid. Indeed Winston Churchill had expressed to the President, a clear opposition to the idea of accommodating the Soviet leader’s demands and designs that he described as naked appeasement of the Russian bear. In short, Winston was vehemently opposed towards what Roosevelt had so cavalierly said about Stalin’s ruthless designs.

Yet Roosevelt, went even further by admitting to knowing the outcome of this defeatist policy he espoused saying that: “It might be wishful thinking that the Russian intervention in Europe might not be too harsh.” Sadly, thereafter, and despite Winston’s vehement objection to this pessimism, and appeasement — the American foreign policy towards Stalin was to feed him all of Europe that he wished to consume, in order to satiate his hunger for domination and control.

And that is why from then on, Winston Churchill’s embrace of Roosevelt became tepid. Mainly because of this pessimistic attitude of the president of the United States about the most important goal of the War, the deflection of the incoming Soviet domination of Europe. Indeed this episode strained his friendship with Roosevelt greatly, and forced Winston Churchill to revise his strategies and from then on to strive for liberating at least some of the important parts of Central and SE Europe on his own accord.

And also because at this point in time, the pessimism of the US president, caused Winston to feel betrayed seeing as Roosevelt, weakened by disease and infirmity, was giving up most of Europe to be devoured by Stalin, and thus allowing the Iron Curtain to imprison more than half of the Europeans under the totalitarian yoke of the dictatorship of the proletariat, and it’s Communist ideology that Winston was fighting against most of his life.

And what was even worse, was that Roosevelt was willing to give-up all of that to Stalin, as an accommodation, without a fight.

This is why Winston Churchill chose not to attend the funeral of his former comrade-in-arms Roosevelt, not only because he felt betrayed, but because he was “sold down the river” along with the millions of Europeans who were soon to be imprisoned behind the Iron Curtain. And that is also why Winston Churchill offered the melancholy message that was to be read in the funeral of the US president a few months later — and did little to obscure his rather conspicuous absence at the funeral of the US president. It was simply too grave an offense. Churchill could not in good conscience abide by this, because he felt that his war-time ally and erstwhile friend, had capitulated unilaterally, and this made the betrayal even worse, since he was convinced that Roosevelt did this knowing that it was neither warrior conduct, nor the Christian thing to do.

In the aftermath of this giant betrayal, Churchill always used to say that: “It is always those that are closest to us that betray us, in love and war. Go ask the Poles about it…”

Yet back in early September of 1943, Churchill had a few major points to make, and that he did rather eloquently on his speech in front of the joint US Congress and Senate body of American leaders.

This is what he went on to say in this enthusiastic and fiery speech that you can see and hear right from the Youtube video bellow: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8MEv_54n6mI

“It is the duty of those who are charged with the direction of the war to overcome at the earliest moment the military, geographical and political difficulties and begin the process so necessary and desirable of laying the cities and other munition centres of Japan in ashes, for in ashes they must surely lie before peace comes back to the world.

And here let me say: Let no one suggest that we British have not at least as great an interest as the United States in the unflinching and relentless waging of war against Japan. But I am here to tell you that we will wage that war side by side with you, in accordance with the best strategic employment of our forces while there is breath in our bodies and while blood flows in our veins.

The African war is over. Mussolini’s African Empire and Corporal Hitler’s strategy are alike exploded. One continent at least has been cleansed and purged for ever from Fascist and Nazi tyranny.

The proud German army has by its sudden collapse, sudden crumbling and breaking up, unexpected to all of us, the proud German army has once again proves the truth of the saying “The Hun is always either at your throat or at your feet”.

I do not intend to be responsible for any suggestion that the war is won or that it will soon be over. That it will be won by us I am sure. But how and when cannot be foreseen, still less foretold.

By singleness of purpose, by steadfastness of conduct, by tenacity and endurance, such as we have so far displayed, by these, and only by these, can we discharge our duty to the future of the world and to the destiny of man”.

And indeed Churchill was not to be ranked among the quiet ones. He wanted to be rather clear about it all, and he avowed: “I am not a pillar of the church. I am more of a flying buttress — I support it from the outside.” And from then on, he worked quietly and earnestly to undo the damage that Roosevelt’s appeasement had caused in Europe, because his instincts were impatient with the fallacy of the US policy of appeasement towards the Soviet gulag masters, and although he had a soft spot in his heart for Peace — he was also a principled warrior. A fighter, who could not let the heathens of the anti-christian brigades of communists, to be given license to deprive more than half of Europe, of their culture and religion, without caring deeply and without wanting to save them, even if he had to fight Stalin all alone, same as he had fought Hitler for the first two years of the Second World War.

Indeed Winston cared for his fellow European Christians, beyond the just strategic interests of Great Britain, and since he was a seriously faithful person. Winston, had a Godly core at his heart, and he always consulted the Bible at sundown, and he could be moved to tears when listening to the good hymns. And when in church, he loved the Eucharist and the organ music, along with the choir signing the best of hymns, as we see in his careful instructions about the specific prayers & the well chosen hymns, that he wanted for his own funeral. His faith in Jesus, prescribed his loyalty to the Christian church, as both a matter of faith, and a natural patriotic impulse. Yet, his truly observant nature, allowed Winston to see enough corruption hidden behind the veil of religious dogma and fake priestly sham, to avow that “If he had become a clergyman, he would have enjoyed unsettling the bishops, by preaching sermons highly orthodox in character.”

In other words, or as C.S. Lewis gave this account: “We make men without chests, and expect from them virtue and enterprise. We laugh at honor and are shocked to find traitors in our midst.”

An example of this is that we know, earlier in 1942, Churchill wanted to have Cardinal Hinsley appointed Archbishop of Canterbury because of his bravery and fighting spirit. That expression of Winston Churchill, was not insignificant, because he saw in Hinsley’s strong voice during the blitz, and during the darkest years of war, a manly and indeed a prophetic courage that mirrored his own resolute nature, that resonated in ways that could save whole nations, as well as whole Peoples, and souls.

Here is the counsel of Luke 12: 8-9: “Also I say unto you, Whosoever shall confess me before men, him shall the Son of man also confess before the angels of God.”

In these matters, Winston was wise beyond the measure of other man, not only because he consulted the Bible frequently, but because he always carried the heavy lessons learned from his many calamitous failures deep in his heart. He always remembered his defeats, such as Gallipoli in 1915, Dieppe in 1943, the Bengal famine in 1943, and even his tardiness about the war preparations for the Normandy invasion. But out of all that wreckage, he became the singular fighter the “Winston” that we all know, and even the Winston we don’t know. The Winston that George Orwell memorialized in his books as the one “Alone” leading the good fight against the “Machine” as in his book “Animal Farm” or in his shattering book against totalitarianism “1984” or as the fighter inside the arena. Because indeed Winston Churchill could also perfectly fit Roosevelt’s 1910 description of the “Man-In-The-Arena” as described in his lecture at the Sorbonne University, when he said that: “The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.”

These observations provoke an anxious solicitude for the present state of the World, for it would be hard to find even a handful of leaders, comfortable to be the fighter, as “The single Man in the arena.” Except Donald Trump who alone fights the forces of darkness, undiminished by the zealots and the haters, all around him. And as all the world’s leaders today exhibit the common instinct for jocularity rather than true Christianity — they resembles Churchill’s Home Secretary, Herbert Morrison, whom the prime minster called “A curious mixture of geniality and venom.” Churchill said this because he saw that although Morrison was anointed to high office, he seemed reticent about enlisting Christ’s church to help the people in their hour of need, in what was no less than a spiritual warfare against Evil, as represented by Hitler. And that was certainly a fight that could not have been won by appeasement, as anyone who fights evil knows rather well.

This failure of appeasement, is similar to the experience of how the Christian leaders of the church where bamboozled, when the US bishops were assured by President Obama that there would be no imposition of civil regulations on the Church’s moral standards, specifically in matters of health care, if they agreed to his policy of encouragement of the Muslim faith coming to America. The sad part is that when the bishops left the meeting in the White House — they boasted that they had been given a good deal. Yet, we now know that this was their “Munich Appeasement Moment” as indeed they had signed up to be traitors to Christ. This indeed was a moment in time, that conjured up, the ghost of Neville Chamberlain stepping off the airplane in London, on his return from Munich, as seen waving his piece of paper with Hitler’s signature on it, that was supposed to be securing “Peace for our Time.”

Still, in a gracious & gentlemanly way, when Chamberlain died, Winston Churchill delivered a eulogy, refused to humiliate his memory, and instead out of his own “Bon-hommie” paid Neville’s corpse, an eloquent tribute in the House of Parliament. Winston spoke eloquently about his predecessor’s virtue, but did not make any effort to hide the naiveté that paved the steps leading the way down to the near total destruction of Europe, England, and the British Empire, that Neville Chamberlain brought about, through his ignorant and unwise policy of appeasement towards the voracious Fuhrer of Germany, the beastly Adolf Hitler.

And it was echoes of that same type of appeasement that Winston Churchill saw within Roosevelt’s quiet acceptance of Stalin’s demands for the occupation of Europe through Soviet troop divisions. Roosevelt said that was inevitable, but we all know that History does not believe in inevitabilities. Indeed it was a nervous business to openly court the disaster of more war, after nearing the point of defeat for the Nazis, and their axis powers. Yet Winston knew that if he did not confront Stalin with power, one might question the wisdom of embracing the Russian bear in the first place when he was seen as a useful ally to help stop Hitler. Or when it was seen as farcical to even attempt to negotiate with the ruthless dictator, based on the morality of going to war against Hitler in the first place. Because although Stalin was a convenient ally to stop Hitler, it was the same honorless Man who had made a secret deal with Hitler, in order to carve up and destroy Poland and the Baltic states just before the Second World War.

So as Winston was ready to address the issue of a post war Europe in a dynamic way with the United States president — Roosevelt died. Yet his weak policy of appeasement outlived him, and was even maintained and augmented by his successor Harry Truman. Winston knew at the time that the American President, is not merely another head of state, and that the whole history of the economic impacts of WWII would render her the new Imperial power. And that is when he makes clear that Great Britain in his estimation, was never “stronger” than when she was at her “weakest” point during the blitz — alone yet resolute, in its state of moral and national defiance against a dark overlord seeking to upend and destroy, our civilization, and our way of Life.

Surely a man as resolved as Winston Churchill, was forced to do what is right for mankind, through his inner spiritual forces, no matter what. That is why Churchill was seen as the World Leader, when he addressed the joint session of Congress in Washington DC. And he shone because on this awkward day, his speech spoke of the two nations’ legacy and their future as the Anglo-American union, evoking his own Amglo-American parentage, and his solemn oath to preserve Western civilization that is commonly shared between the two nations…

We now know that the resources of Churchill, in the material order were scant and fading, but his moral vigor and his supernatural resources of persuasion and motivation — were beyond calculation. He said that “Where there are leaders of moral vigor, there will be an abundance of young men willing to take up the call of patriotic service, yet where the spirit is tepid and refreshes itself on the thin broth of a domesticated and politically correct Gospel, the ranks of the armies of Western Civilization, will be vacant.”

“Neither Livy, nor Tacitus, nor Terence, nor Seneca, nor Pliny, nor Quintillian, is an adequate spokesman for the Imperial City, because they write Latin, whereas Cicero is, because he writes Roman.”

Today America, and the world need a “Roman vigor” that persuades men to rise above self-consciousness, and that is why we got Donald Trump who can instill into the people the will to fight for what is right.

And that explains pretty well, why the forces of darkness and the deep state of corruption seek to diminish his powers, and usurp his republic. Because president Trump causes a riot wherever he shows up to speak, unlike his opponents. Or as a self effacing Anglican bishop once reflected: “Wherever St. Paul went, there was a riot. Wherever I go, they serve tea.”

And that is why this American Churchill sounds the clarion call of service to all: “For if the trumpet give an uncertain sound, who shall prepare himself to the battle?”

–Paul, 1 Cor. 14:8

Yours,

Dr Churchill

PS:

Today we are waging war, that is much the same as the Second World War and perhaps even more important because it is a virulent spiritual combat, where there is no teatime.

And as we see treason being plotted at women’s marches, “Anti-Fa” conferences, “Our Revolution” workshops, and costly leftist illiberal Democratic conventions at resort hotels with multiple “break-out” sessions and mellow music — we need to develop effective strategies to defeat these new forces of darkness all over again.

And by the way, we also need to be resolute to fight the boredom that is engendered by those staged marches, those conventions, & those conferences, because anyone mixing it up, with those collectors of grievances motivated by fake news, would drop to the floor out of boredom.

Thank God, we are safe from them, because these “boring-as-hell” people would strenuously object, and effectively prevent anyone with a patriotic pulse, from participating in their teatime gatherings for pussy cats.

And as time allows we need to remind you that The Darkest Hour film, is still on the big screen of theaters all around the country, and is best be seen now, because it will help you realize just how much this Man fighting on behalf of the United Kingdom, had to offer the world, and how close we came to losing it all, just a few decades ago.

In case you havn’t quite picked it up – this is a five star film – if its still on at a cinema near you then make sure you see it this week. You will not regret it.

Maybe there is something yet worth preserving here, for this is a profound and beautiful film. It reminded me that we can experience great darkness and yet the light of Christ can overcome all. It also reminded me of the need for great leadership – at all levels. I cannot help but contrast our current political leaders with Churchill, and that is enough to make anyone weep hot tears of wistfulness…

The Churchill quote at the very end of the movie, is a great motto for life, and for the Christian way of leadership: “Success is not final, failure is not fatal. It’s the courage to continue that counts.”

“The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.”
–John 1:5