Democracy for the Middle East
July 29, 2003Surprise Me
A dangerous foreign dictator on the loose, an influential broadcaster determined to keep his nation out of what he believed to be an unnecessary war, a charming politician trying to rally his countrymen in the face of overwhelming anti-war sentiment. Sound like a synopsis of the Tony Blair-Gavyn Davies face off about Iraq? Actually, it's a description of the battle royale that took place back in the 30's between Winston Churchill and then BBC head, John Reith.
Since admiration for Hitler was Reith's blind spot, he was contemptuous of Churchill's early rallying cry urging Britain to prepare itself to meet the coming assault by the Nazis on free countries. His diaries express his approval of Germany. He was positive the Nazis "would clean things up." It is not surprising that he went on to extend his admiration to include Mussolini. Chamberlain had taken office as Prime Minister in 1937 and Reith eagerly obeyed him by denying Churchill adequate opportunity to rouse the British by speaking to them over the radio as they sat in the threatened security of their peaceful homes.
So the BBC was on the wrong side of history?
President Bush has ordered U.S. flags lowered in honor of Bob Hope, the legendary entertainer who died Sunday in California of pneumonia. Hope was 100 and had celebrated his birthday just two months earlier...Asked by his wife where he wanted to be buried, Hope answered, "surprise me."
Home . Posted by Editor at July 29, 2003 05:20 PM . DFME's new internet address is www.dfme.org