Since Winston Churchill is so popular at the movies these days, we cats would like to draw some comparisons between Then and Now.
Then, Churchill knew that Nazi Germany had Britain's back against the wall. The best hope, he understood, was for the United States to enter the Second World War. In the meantime, he said, Britain would have to endure — until "in God's good time, the New World, with all its power and might, step[ped] forth to the rescue and the liberation of the Old."
Churchill also plotted with FDR — sometimes, from the loo — to give the UK out-of-commission US warships with which to defend itself. Franklin Roosevelt, wanting to commit to the fight but constrained by domestic politics, did what he could — until the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor, and it all became moot.
Since then, the United States and Great Britain have been in "the Special Relationship." Except, now — whoops.
Donald Trump has made all relations with foreign friends dicey, but particularly so with the UK. Now, he's canceled a visit to the sceptered isle because he knows he would face massive protests in the streets. No doubt Theresa May (whose name, we must point out, we are spelling correctly) is relieved that he did.
As usual, Trump lied about the reason for his cancellation. The American embassy move was decided by George W. Bush, not Barack Obama. But does anyone believe what Trump says? He is too much like the dictator Churchill was railing against when he declared, "We shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills, we shall never surrender."
Good words for us to take into the midterms. We cats PURR.
No comments:
Post a Comment