The Wrong Lessons About Churchill

President Obama is no history buff. On the campaign trail he was wrong about who actually liberated Auschwitz (nope, it wasn’t a troop of African Americans or any Americans for that matter, it was the Russians). And now, in large televised press conference to discuss the “enchanting” first 100 days, Obama was wrong on Churchill.
When pushed on the interrogation techniques used during the Bush administration, Obama said that we cannot sacrifice our country’s values and morals. As a example of how a civilized nation conducts war, Obama cited Churchill as an shining example: despite nightly bombings that nearly leveled London, good old Winston would not allow the torture of captured Germans.

Firstly, Obama, despite his cool composure, he is a ideologue, and like every ideologue he’s motivated by passion and emotions. For personal reasons, Obama is no fan of Churchill. For the last 8 years, a bust of old Winston was in the Oval Office. Obama had it removed, because, as theNew York Post reported, British authorities roughly interrogated Obama's Kenyan grandfather in the Mau Mau rebellion, during Churchill's second tour as prime minister. Roughly interrogated? Sounds a tad like torture Mr. Obama.

Historically, Obama has no proof to back up his statement on Churchill. Richard Langworth, a scholar on Churchill, wrote on April 30th:
“While Churchill did express such sentiments with regard to prison inmates, he said no such thing about prisoners of war, enemy combatants or terrorists, who were in fact tortured by British interrogators during World War II. Churchill spoke frequently about torture, mostly enemy murders of civilians. His daughter once told me, “He would have done anything to win the war, and I daresay he had to do some pretty rough things—but they didn’t unman him.” But if Churchill is on record about “enhanced interrogation,” his words have yet to surface. (Obama, Churchill Torture (http://richardlangworth.com/2009/04/obama-misquotes-churchill/)”

History is more than a mere record of a series of dates and events all strung together. It is a living example and lessons can and must be drawn from the past. Getting a date wrong or even a name is not as significant as misunderstanding profound personalities character. Obama wasn’t just inaccurate in his Churchill example; he showed a total ignorance in regard to the character of Winston Churchill and who the man was as a leader, and more importantly, a war time leader.
Churchill was a confident, strong leader. He stood up against tyranny and Nazism while the rest of the world was trying to cut a deal with Hitler, even his own Prime Minister and the British. Give him what he wants as long as peace is eventually reached was the world’s sentiment at the time. Even as Hitler’s armies marched through Europe, world leaders sought diplomacy. In America, the feelings were no different. In 1939, as tanks crossed into Poland, Sen. William Borah said, “Lord, if only I could have talked to Hitler, all of this might have been avoided.” However, one world leader, one man, stood up and spoke out against Hitler. One man, at risk of losing all credibility with his colleagues, demanded that Britain prepare for war. He mocked appeasement. He brought the horrors of Hitler’s Germany to light every time he stood to speak in the House of Commons. Churchill was the lone voice of reasoning.

Churchill was a man who deeply loved his country. He had a never-ending compassion for his fellow countryman. He had a clear understanding of wrong and right. He was brutally honest. He knew Hitler was a murdering, aggressive, tyrant and no peace can be made. Churchill was tough and he was civilization’s only hope. Winston was a lion who, when faced with utter demise, reach deep inside and roared as loud as possible.

Churchill was a pillar of strength and believed with the utmost devotion that freedom and liberty will and must conquer Nazism and tyranny. Even as London was bombarded to a pile of smoldering ashes, Winston stayed the course. Even as his army was nearly pushed into the sea at Dunkirk, Winston stood the course. Even when allies surrendered, Churchill stood the course. Even as ship after ship was sunk in to the dark seas, Churchill stayed the course. Even when his pleadings to America for assistance came unanswered, Churchill stood the course. Alone he stood, on his little island of Britain and battled it out with the world’s strongest army.
He understood what the war meant, what Hitler represented, and the entire world owes Mr. Churchill their undying gratitude. For, our freedom is his gift.

Just listen to some of his word spoke in House of Commons in 1940:

“The whole of the warring nations are engaged, not only soldiers, but the entire population, men, women, and children. The fronts are everywhere. The trenches are dug in the towns and streets. Every village is fortified. Every road is barred. The front line runs through the factories. The workmen are soldiers with different weapons but the same courage. These are great and distinctive changes from what many of us saw in the struggle of a quarter of a century ago.
If it is a case of the whole nation fighting and suffering together, that ought to suit us, because we are the most united of all the nations, because we entered the war upon the national will and with our eyes open, and because we have been nurtured in freedom and individual responsibility and are the products, not of totalitarian uniformity but of tolerance and variety.
We shall not fail or falter; we shall not weaken or tire. Neither the sudden shock of battle, nor the long-drawn trials of vigilance and exertion will wear us down. Give us the tools, and we will finish the job.”

President Obama should choose more wisely what he wishes to learn from history. Instead of trying to use Churchill to demonize American policy on interrogations, which is inconclusive at best, there are far more important lessons to be learned from Churchill; lessons about integrity, character, bravery, sensibility, courage and leadership. The guts to call our enemies by their name. The insight to know when a battle is inevitable and when appeasement is useless. America is at war. It has engaged “our entire population.” If we surrender in this struggle, if we buy into false appeasement that only empowers and emboldens our enemies, we will lose everything Churchill fought to protect and everything this country stands for. So, Mr. Obama, back to the books, sir.