The current disagreement between Trump and Biden reminds me of a true story told by Dr. Larry Arne, President of Hillsdale College in Michigan and a Churchill scholar. He says this story is true an I believe him.
Brief background: After WW II Churchill had been deposed as Prime Minister and replaced by Clement Atlee an avowed socialist. They were friends, but they were also mortal enemies when it came to politics. Atlee wanted the stat to own everything, but Sir Winston favored freedom and capitalism.
One day, Sir Winston went to the Men’s Room at the House of Commons. The only other person in the Men’s Room was Clement Atlee, standing in front of one of the 12-15 urinals lined up against the wall.
Sir Winston (who was a friend of Atlee) went right past him to the FURTHEST urinal away from Atlee and began his “business.”
Atlee (at the urinal): “I say, Winston — are we feeling a bit stand-offish today?”
Churchill: “Not at all, dear Clement. Its just that when you see anything BIG you want to NATIONALIZE it!”
True story. (Per Dr. Arne)
3 replies on “Trump/Churchill vs. Biden/Atlee”
That’s a riot. Funny, how in the years after WW2 the anglosphere at large took a lunge leftward… I read this post and was reminded of talk Victor Davis Hanson gave at Hillsdale…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=opDuw4OZ3QI
At 39:35 he discusses some of the impetus for as to why Britain started nationalizing her industries. Such a shame, since many of our ideals of freedom and individualism are steeped in the Magna Carta and British Common Law… Such a strong people were slowly turned away from liberty, after years of disorder and a desperate need for Nanny State assistance.
I believe that something similar is happening here as well–call me a conspiracy theorist, but it is undeniable that many in our republic have been socialized to tout nationalized industry as a boon rather than the terrible bane that it is (especially in the wake of this pandemic!). There are great forces on the move in the world, for better or worse.
But hope isn’t lost for us–our system is very robust, and I think it’s survival over the last 100+ years of infringement is a testament to that! We need more Churchills!
Pithy enough to be “Churhillian”. He was known for such ripostes. The world could use a few like him at present.
Never heard this one before! — Great story that gave me a laugh. Thanks, Dan!