UK: Half of young people do not recognise Winston Churchill... & will be 'forgotten' in 80 yrs

The Daily Mail (U.K.) ^ | May 13, 2010

[Stoat]

(edit)

As part of the survey, carried out to mark this week's 70th anniversary of Churchill taking over as prime minister, more than 1,136 people were asked to identify three prominent 20th century PMs including Churchill, Margaret Thatcher and Tony Blair.

One in five (19 per cent) adults failed to name Churchill, with the figure rising to 32 per cent of 25 to 34-year-olds and 44 per cent of those aged 16 to 24.

Following the pattern, researchers projected the rough date when the leaders would no longer be recognised, with Churchill's demise predicted in 80 years' time.

They said the vast majority of those questioned could identify both Mr Blair (97 per cent) and Baroness Thatcher (98 per cent).

But recognition dropped significantly in the 16 to 24-year-old range - 16 per cent failed to identify Baroness Thatcher and more than a quarter (27 per cent) were unable to recognise Mr Blair.

(edit)

Kevin Clancy, head of Historical Services at the Royal Mint, added: 'It's shocking that one of our greatest statesmen runs the risk of potentially being forgotten.

'Churchill remains an historical colossus and is arguably one of the nation's greatest Britons.

'It's fundamentally important that we commemorate our heritage for future generations to celebrate, and to mark the 70 years that have passed since he was Prime Minister we're immensely proud to have designed a new £5 coin featuring an iconic Churchillian image, to help his memory live on.'

 

[Stoat]

My apologies for the severe editing of this article....please click on the main article link to see the full story.

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The Royal Mint survey asked more than 1,136 people to identify prominent 20th century Prime Ministers, including Winston Churchill, Margaret Thatcher and Tony Blair

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This article naturally begs the question of how many 16 year olds here in the USA can identify Ronald Reagan.  Seeing a similar poll done here in the USA would certainly be interesting, although I'm guessing that the teachers' unions would go into hysterics and fullscale damage control mode if such questions were asked.

Some older Free Republic threads which may be of interest:

Churchill dropped from England's history syllabus (- pandering to a P.C. agenda-)


General Gordon does a Churchill (Winston's enraged grandson- 'you aren't fit to lick his boots')


Great Britain- Fury at Churchill statue (Former PM and beloved hero is in a straightjacket)


Losing the Enlightenment- Remarks at the Claremont Institute's annual Churchill Dinner (VDH)


Rumsfeld Remarks at Churchill Dinner(PATH TO VICTORY- Refashioning Institutions for 21st Century)

[GoCards]

My children will know!

[muawiyah]

In 80 years most of those 16 year olds will no longer be recognized by anyone but their special care nurses ~ bringing them new drool cups (if they last that long).

[kabar]

Instead of comparing Churchill to Reagan, it would be more apt to compare him to Lincoln or perhaps Washington. It is hared to believe that someone who steered Britain thru WWII at a time when its very survival was at stake is no longer recognized by half of the young people.

I guess the UK education system is run by liberals, like ours, so Churchill is a non-entity because of his political stance. Also, the UK is being overrun with immigrants who do not share the same history and culture of Britain.

[LibLieSlayer]

My family will make certain that American and Southern History survives... and they will pass it on forever.

LLS

[Argus]

That’s about the same as the percentage of Americans who know who their own congressman is.

[bunkerhill7]

US: Half of young people do not recognize Braky Obummer as a Communist...(the other half, love is blind)- & he will be deported and forgotten in less than 30 months

[Dallas59]

If he’s naked, drinking, smoking weed, cursing, having sex with his girlfriend for the week or shooting someone they will.

[Astronaut]

Public education in Britain and the US has produced several generations of idiots. Government schools are a disaster and a national disgrace.

[q_an_a]

Hardly 1 in 100 Italians can tell you who was Cicero - it is a fate of the Bible, some saints are remembered and others are not...a 2 thousand year story.

[kabar]

Cicero is part of ancient history. Winston Churchill died on January 24, 1965 or 45 years ago.

[Oztrich Boy]

Churchill, Margaret Thatcher and Tony Blair

One of these three is not like the others

[DontTreadOnMe2009]

Winston Churchill is, without doubt, the greatest person of the 20th century, for his life long, fearless battle against tyranny and oppression.

Without WInston Churchill, we’d ALL be speaking German and Russian.

We may still get a chance.

[Retain Mike]

Churchill in his history of WW II commented on his demise from public view in 1945 as follows:

“Thus, then, on the night of the tenth of May (1940), at the outset of this mighty battle, I acquired the chief power of the State, which henceforth I wielded in ever growing measure for five years and three months of world war, at the end of which time, all our enemies having surrendered unconditionally or being about to do so, I was immediately dismissed by the British electorate from all further conduct of their affairs.”

The attraction of voters for small and tedious people remains, thankfully I think, unappreciated by me.

[kabar]

Churchill did return to public office after WWII and served as PM from October 1951 to April 1955.

[kabar]

"Being a strong proponent of Britain as an international power, Churchill would often meet such moments with direct action. One example was his dispatch of British troops to Kenya to deal with the Mau Mau rebellion. Trying to retain what he could of the Empire, he once stated that, "I will not preside over a dismemberment."

Could this be the reason Obama returned the bust of Churchill?

[muawiyah]

We inherited a vast resource of information from our Sa'ami ancestors ~ two words ~ no more, no less. Then there was the Ramsey who came to America in a sailing vessel hidding inside a feather bed. We don't even know where he came from!

What I do know is that Churchill's father suffered from a lifelong illness presumed by some to be syphilis ~ but which had all the symptoms of wheat gluten intolerance. Churchill visited Lapland for several months at one stage of his life. Why did he do that? Maybe to experience a wheat free dining experience.

We'll hand that knowledge down so that someday when technology has caught up to the question someone can figure out if Churchill was a cousin of sorts and which one was his tribe.

If the English don't bother to remember the man I think America's exiles can do so.

[buzzer]

“If you’re not a liberal when you’re 25, you have no heart.
If you’re not a conservative by the time you’re 35, you have no brain.”
- Sir Winston Churchill

[LibLieSlayer]

Amen.

LLS

[Cincinnatus.45-70]

In 80 years, the UK will not exist as an English-speaking nation, and the nation itself will be unlikely to be remembered by any of the then-current inhabitants.

Silly to worry about remembering Churchill, when England is in peril of disappearing. But France and most of the rest of Europe will suffer the same fate. Worrying about this is like worrying about whether the pigs enjoyed the half-ounce truffle that was in the five gallons of slop poured into their trough.

Ironically, the only hope I see for survival of English-speaking people in Britain is utter economic collapse, followed by the 50 years of cold weather and crop failure that is rapidly approaching. If this motivates less immigration, and even prompts some reverse migration, there is perhaps some chance for England to survive.