A band of brothers, challenged again

Washington Times ^ | Wesley Pruden

[kattracks]

Maybe it's the brisk, fresh air, or the rain, but more likely it's the phantoms that hover always close in London, the ghost of Churchill bucking up his country's courage when all he had to offer was blood, sweat and tears; the apparitions of the happy few, that band of brothers, of "gentlemen in England now abed [who] shall think themselves accursed they were not here, and hold their manhood's cheap whiles any speaks that fought with us upon Saint Crispin's day."

[Socratic]

Saint Crispin's Day Speech
from Henry V by William Shakespeare

---

This day is called the feast of Crispian:
He that outlives this day, and comes safe home,
Will stand a tip-toe when the day is named,
And rouse him at the name of Crispian.
He that shall live this day, and see old age,
Will yearly on the vigil feast his neighbours,
And say 'To-morrow is Saint Crispian:'
Then will he strip his sleeve and show his scars.
And say 'These wounds I had on Crispin's day.'
Old men forget: yet all shall be forgot,
But he'll remember with advantages
What feats he did that day: then shall our names.
Familiar in his mouth as household words
Harry the king, Bedford and Exeter,
Warwick and Talbot, Salisbury and Gloucester,
Be in their flowing cups freshly remember'd.
This story shall the good man teach his son;
And Crispin Crispian shall ne'er go by,
From this day to the ending of the world,
But we in it shall be remember'd;
We few, we happy few, we band of brothers;
For he to-day that sheds his blood with me
Shall be my brother; be he ne'er so vile,
This day shall gentle his condition:
And gentlemen in England now a-bed
Shall think themselves accursed they were not here,
And hold their manhoods cheap whiles any speaks
That fought with us upon Saint Crispin's day.

[I_dmc]

hmm, think its time to watch Braveheart again. Wallace = Anglo-Saxon, Scottish nobles = Old Europe.

[Democratshavenobrains]

Old Europe is always easily frightened, always eager to buy a few more minutes of freedom at the price of a despot's brutality.

Best summary of France and Germany that I've ever heard.

[Stultis]

Excellent op-ed, but...

Old Europe is always easily frightened

It would be a serious error to mistake perfidy for fear, as many do, and have done for six decades or more, in the case of FRANCE.