Brothers In Arms

We ask no favours of the enemy. We seek from them no compunction. On the contrary, if tonight our people were asked to cast their vote whether a convention should be entered into to stop the bombing of cities, the overwhelming majority would cry, "No, we will mete out to them the measure, and more than the measure, that they have meted out to us." The people with one voice would say: "You have committed every crime under the sun. Where you have been the least resisted there you have been the most brutal. It was you who began the indiscriminate bombing. We will have no truce or parley with you, or the grisly gang who work your wicked will. You do your worst - and we will do our best." Perhaps it may be our turn soon; perhaps it may be our turn now.

Sir Winston Churchill, July 14, 1941

Excerpted from the Churchill Center website, which modified the speech slightly, in its words, because "In this evergreen form it serves as commentary on a day that will live in infamy, 11 September 2001."  It's not forgotten how kind, how much the British stood as brothers in arms to us on that day.  I have no doubt - indeed, I have pride in the contrary - that my people and my nation will stand as brothers in arms with the United Kingdom. 

Perhaps Mayor of London, Ken Livingstone said it best today:

"I know that you do fear you may fail in your long term objective: to destroy our free society. And I will show you why you will fail.

"In the days that follow, look at our airports, look at our seaports and look at our railways.

Nothing you do, however many of us you kill will stop that life.  Where freedom is strong and people can live in harmony, whatever you do, however many you kill, you will fail."

Comments

[Sluggo]

You certainly know that you're dealing with an extraordinary event when Churchill and Red Ken speak as one. Livingstone's remarks were about the best I heard all day, I think.

[TPB, Esq.]

There's something about being a mayor - as with Giuliani - that makes a statesman develop a wickedly powerful tongue. Hell, I could go down the list: LaGuardia, Koch, Menino, etc.

[j-a]

thanks for the support.