From: Technotranscendence (neptune@mars.superlink.net)
Date: Tue Aug 27 2002 - 05:18:51 MDT
FROM A HERO'S LIFE
by Kevin Michael Grace
Mary Lamont's defence (June 10) of Winston Churchill rather misses the
point. This column argued, "It is easy enough to argue that, for all his
wartime failings, Churchill did what had to be done. But this hardly
explains his enduring reputation as an 'anti-Communist' or
'conservative.'" Mrs. Lamont's assertion that "Churchill was speaking
and acting for us" ignores the fact that Churchill's actions were
controversial even at the time. Her assertion, "When Mr. Grace calls
Churchill a war criminal, he slanders us all," slanders those who
believed that war is not synonymous with terrorism.
Mrs. Lamont implies that Churchill was a hero. Shouldn't a hero take
responsibility for his actions, however cruel? Ralph Raico writes
(www.lewrockwell.com/orig/raico-churchill5.html) of Dresden:
"[Churchill] was shaken by the outcry that followed. While in Georgetown
and Hollywood, few had ever heard of Dresden, the city meant something
in Stockholm, Zurich, and the Vatican, and even in London. What did our
hero do? He sent a memorandum to the Chiefs of Staff: 'It seems to me
that the moment has come when the question of bombing of German cities
simply for the sake of increasing the terror, though under other
pretexts, should be reviewed. Otherwise, we shall come into control of
an utterly ruined land...The destruction of Dresden remains a serious
query against the conduct of Allied bombing...I feel the need for more
precise concentration upon military objectives...rather than on mere
acts of terror and wanton destruction, however impressive.' The military
chiefs saw through Churchill's contemptible ploy: realizing that they
were being set up, they refused to accept the memorandum. After the war,
Churchill casually disclaimed any knowledge of the Dresden bombing,
saying: 'I thought the Americans did it.'"
For the rest of this article, see
http://report.ca/archive/report/20020624/p38i020624f.html
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