If only he were alive today. A 20th-century U.K. prime minister, Winston Churchill was one of the world’s greatest statesmen. He was just what the Free World needed as World War II erupted, leading it, along with President Franklin D. Roosevelt, to victory. A soldier, orator, politician and diplomat, Churchill’s insightfulness on a myriad of issues – particularly when reflected upon today – was amazing. It tells us Churchill was truly a man born before his time – although, fortunately for 20th-century democracy, he was born when he was.
It would be interesting to know how many members of Generation X (those born between 1965-1980), the Millennials (born between 1981-1996) and Generation Z (1997-2012) even know who Churchill was. It is doubtful members of Generation Alpha (2013 to the present) will hear about the man since education today has taken a detour so far off course from what should be taught.
A few of Churchill’s more profound quotes before passing at age 90 in 1965 appear below for they contain timely lessons for all the aforementioned generations.
- “Many forms of Government have been tried, and will be tried in this world of sin and woe. No one pretends that democracy is perfect or all-wise. Indeed it has been said that democracy is the worst form of Government except for all those other forms that have been tried from time to time. …‘
The lesson here should be heeded by activists promoting all that is wrong with America, even criticizing our Independence Day as representative of historical injustices. They fail to grasp that America, like all democracies, is a work in progress. We were not perfect when we were established as an independent nation over two centuries ago, and we still remain imperfect today. However, during those centuries we have striven, as set forth in our Constitution, to “establish a more perfect Union” as stated in the Preamble of that document.
- “The main vice of capitalism is the uneven distribution of prosperity. The main vice of socialism is the even distribution of misery.”
As activists promote the belief that capitalism is evil, they fail to understand the reality of alternatives, especially socialism. What fed communism in the early 20th century was the belief its leaders could establish a socialist utopia where life was equal for all. That strategy has failed time and time again and will never work. In the one sentence above, Churchill cleverly conveyed this thought.
- “Everyone is in favor of free speech. Hardly a day passes without its being extolled, but some people’s idea of it is that they are free to say what they like, but if anyone says anything back, that is an outrage.”
With the evolution of social media, this lesson has come back to haunt us. Those debating one side of an issue refuse to consider the other side, launching into attacks geared to silence any rational discussion. We are told that subjects like climate change are not open to discussion since the scientific community has settled the issue. This is incorrect as a large segment of that community several months ago released a statement that it remains unresolved. Meanwhile, we embark on dangerous policies that will leave Americans at great risk in the future as we fail to encourage debate today.
- “A nation that forgets its past has no future.”
It is too late for Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., to learn this lesson as she railroaded the country into removing a magnificent memorial statue at Arlington National Cemetery, the construction of which was coordinated by Union veterans of our Civil War as an act of reconciliation with their Southern brothers. The memorial depicted dozens of scenes of life in the South and was surrounded by the graves of those who had fought for the Confederacy, returning to the Union after their defeat. Additionally, a commission was established to rename any current bases or other facilities that in any way bestowed recognition on the Confederacy.
- “The best argument against democracy is a five-minute conversation with the average voter.”
This observation is reinforced in spades for those who listen to on-the-street interviews with average members of the public. It reflects a mindset that has not learned the basics or the values that have made America great due to an education system devoid of such lessons. The absence of a meaningful education in America today brings to mind another famous quote by Churchill. In 1940, based on the Royal Air Force’s victory over the German Luftwaffe in the Battle of Britain, the prime minister said of these pilots, “Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few.” Taking editorial license with the quote to apply it to a non-performing educational system in America today, it is appropriate to suggest, “Never in the field of learning has so little been owed by so many to so few.” History and values not taught in our schools leave America without a patriotic soul.
- “How dreadful are the curses which Mohammedanism lays on its votaries! Besides the fanatical frenzy, which is as dangerous in a man as hydrophobia in a dog, there is this fearful fatalistic apathy. … A degraded sensualism deprives this life of its grace and refinement; the next of its dignity and sanctity. The fact that in Mohammedan law every woman must belong to some man as his absolute property – either as a child, a wife, or a concubine – must delay the final extinction of slavery until the faith of Islam has ceased to be a great power among men. … the influence of the religion paralyses the social development of those who follow it. No stronger retrograde force exists in the world. Far from being moribund, Mohammedanism is a militant and proselytizing faith. …“
Churchill, in his late 20s, had fought Muslims in the Sudan. He recognized over a century ago how contrary the religion was to Christianity and the dangers posed to it by a religion teaching world domination. In the late 1800s, as most societies were committed to improving life for its citizenry, Muslims promoted a backward inclination that sought to live life as did the Prophet Muhammad in the seventh century.
We ignore Churchill’s wisdom today at our own peril.
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