I read a biography of Churchill, and there was a section in there about the time after WWI.
France was a superpower - best standing army in Europe. Germany was forbidden from having an Army.
Almost immediately they violated the armistice and nobody really did anything about. Before long, Germany invaded France, and the Brits expected the French to jump up and defend their homeland.
They didn’t. They chose not to. All that war shattered them, and on an individual basis they just decided it wasn’t that important anymore.
That led to Dunkirk, of course, but what stunned Churchill was that the French had been shattered.
I spend a lot of time with high schoolers, and there is a feeling of capitulation that reminded me of Churchill’s impression of France.
What institution is telling them the truth anymore? They go to school, and school tells them to roll up $250K of debt, even though college grads are on the street. I’d rather they got mad, and decided - en masse - not to go to school, and tell them why.
They aren’t. Truancy, however, IS through the roof. Teachers have given up, period. You can get a stone F on a test, take the retake, and get an A. It’s not even a good show any more.
Until someone shows up assuming the role of Washington or Paine, all there is, is talk. Nothing.but.talk