Posted on 07/06/2002 8:59:49 AM PDT by ginle
Why bother going to the expense of traveling to The UK for such a conversation? A trip to Berkley would yield the same result.
In WWI, you say the Brits could have won with reinforcements from the Empire. You had three years to do that before we got there. What were you going to do? Ship a million Africans and Indians to fight in Northern France--with what weapons and by what transport? The Germans didn't need the population--your British generals were responsible for the senseless slaughter of millions of good,brave men in those three years. The truth is, you were down for the count in early 1917. And WW1 was really an interfamily spat, was it not?
In WW2, you were effectively out of the war in the Far East after December 1941, except for India. What naval assault did you mount to unseat the Japanese Empire? Or land invasion, for that matter? And how were you, by your lonesome, going to attack Fortress Europe? How were you going to get over the Channel? In rowboats?
Look, David, no one is taking away from the unparalled bravery of your countrymen in the Battle for Britain, the Blitz, Dunkirk, El-Aleman, D-Day, Operation Market Garden, etc. But your theories on how the war MIGHT have been won are beginning to sound like the two knights in the Monty Python movie about the Holy Grail.
If you can't admit that without the US you would be speaking German or Russian, fine. But please don't re-write history to make your point.
Take a look at Mark Steyn's most recent column. It was just posted.
But seriously the idea that the USA beat the NAZIs single handed is ludicrous. You'd think they would have the decency not to bring it up, after the way they deliberately stayed out of the war as long as possible and bankrupted us to get payment for arms and supplies.
As is said earlier we would have had to abandon the far East theatre of war, which would have weakened the USA's war effort.
And how were you, by your lonesome, going to attack Fortress Europe? How were you going to get over the Channel? In rowboats?
I never said we would have been able to liberate continental Europe. The Soviets would have eventually done that, hence the reason why it was in the USA's best interests to help us out.
Look, David, no one is taking away from the unparalled bravery of your countrymen in the Battle for Britain, the Blitz, Dunkirk, El-Aleman, D-Day, Operation Market Garden, etc.
Well that's the way it sounds.
This article does not actually prove a thing, except perhaps, the easiest job in the world is to be a critic. And nobody ever built a statue of a critic.
That was the Autumn of 1918, by November the Armistice had been signed.
As for your account on WW2, well a lot of that is in the “what if’ vein. Britain wasn’t actually at war with Japan until after the Pearl Harbour attack.
If you want to know who put in the greatest effort or had the best soldiers or who won the war I can tell you. They ALL did or had.
You should HEAR the stories he has about how his own people ABUSE their own military! He thinks that our military are revered almost as gods compared to the crap the British people pile on the men and women charged with keeping them safe in an unsafe world. The Brits have been edging ever closer to world socialism/communism since the IRON LADY (Maggie Thatcher) was deposed....and especially since the reign of Tony Blair.
I guess we really shouldn't be too surprised at this attitude. Like New York liberals, French socialists and the British leftists....they are what they are. Why should we act all surprised and hurt when they are merely staying in character?
The Fatuous Morons who comprised a large Portion of the "Guest List" conveniently forgot that they would be speaking German (or, more likely, Russian) if America hadn't "intervened" in WWII!
More than that, it takes a "near-Genius IQ" to "Strap on" an F-102 (1940's-50's Technology) and survive a flight (let alone SEVERAL flights!)
"W" was regarded as a "Good Stick" by his Pilot Evaluators--in an F-102, he HAD to be intelligent & courageous!!
The "above" leads me to believe that "W" is a VERY intelligent man!
The last "Leader" the 'Brit's had of ANY "Moral Character" was Maggie Thatcher!
As long as "Blair" is their elected leader, they have NO BASIS to criticise us!!
The next time one of your pathetic Brit acquaintances complains about us, ask him/her why they have the gall to speak to you in English (NOT German or Russian!)
Nothing I said about WW2 is in a "what if" vein. At the end of December, 1941, it was over for Britain in the Far East, and New Zealand and Australia were in danger.
You make my point. It wasn't America that won WW1, it was a bacteria. In WW2, it was "what if", not the fact that without America, no nation on earth was going to dislodge the Japanese Empire from their perch.You can say, "thank you", it won't kill you.
"From the day it broke away from the British Empire the United States has been living in large measure under the protection of that Empire, and in particular of the British Fleet"
President Harry S Truman - 20 March 1947
And I never said British soldiers weren't brave nor did I make it "sound" that way. But your point that American military power was an option in the fight against totalitarianism is not credible in the light of historical fact. American power was the key to victory, and the only way that victory was going to occur in the 1940s.
Simply remind them that they would all now be slaves of the Third Reich were it not for the blood of many, many Americans.
Fifty years ago, before the bombs started dropping in London, many "civilized" Europeans (and some Americans, to their shame) were saying:
"You know, basically Hitler is right."
Whatever America's flaws may be, Europe's Marxist minds are virtually incapable of comprehending Freedom; therefore they hate its perilous implications.
They much prefer the peaceful, subsidized tranquility of a socialist welfare state, a state which is made possible due to the military might of the USA; through two World Wars, they have been either unable or unwilling to defend themselves. Just remind them of that and they should pipe down. And remind them that socialist governments killed more people in the 20th century than all other causes combined.
Winston Churchill was the last of his kind in England, I fear. All that is left now are socialist appeasers who wish to propagandize their people into the EU nanny state.
OK, I'm done ranting about Eurosocialist ingrates whose asses we saved twice, for now...
Why would the Brits rather have Gore?
The short, paraphrased answer would have to be: "Because he's more socialist."
President Truman was a nice man, and I don't know the context in which he made this quote. But he was no history professor.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.