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When the German Army mounted its Western Offensive in 1940, it had 2.5 million men and 2,500 tanks. Whereas the French Army had the ability to mobilize 5 million men, the German army supported by motorized infantry units and aircraft easily secured victory.
Germany's subjugation of France took just six weeks, and on June 14, 1940 German troops marched into Paris. The shocking and ignoble surrender was made official when the French formally signed the infamous Second Compiegne Armistice on June 22, 1940. Under the terms of the armistice the Germans were to continue to occupy Northern France, while the southern unoccupied third of France was ostensibly left free to be governed by the French. A collaborationist Government was formed under the aged WWI War hero, Marshal Phillipe Petain, and its new capitol was to be in the small town of Vichy, in central France, a name forever to be associated with her dishonor.
Pétain and the Vichy regime willfully collaborated with the German occupation to a high degree. The French police and the state Milice (militia) organized raids to capture Jews and others considered "undesirables" by the Germans in both the northern and southern zones.
How could this have happened? How could a once strong, proud nation, a nation with a long and glorious military tradition, a nation with one of the most powerful armies in the world, totally cave in and capitulate in a matter of mere weeks?
In 1940 the world had witnessed the tragic results when an entire nation lost its nerve and resigned itself to failure. Dumbfounded, we watched a much larger army defeated by a much smaller army with a much larger will to win. Resignation, accommodation, capitulation. One inevitably following the other, until that final, unequivocal and inescapable humiliation.
Sorry France, we tried. Sorry Poland, we tried. Sorry Czechoslovakia, we tried. Sorry all you poor doomed Jews, we tried.
On September 23, 2008, a defiant Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad spoke to the United Nations General Assembly. Ever the showman, obviously enjoying the world's undivided attention, and obviously undeterred by those virtually toothless sanctions, the Evil Dwarf spewed out his usual defiant harangue of unrelenting hate and vicious lies. Iran, he promised, or warned, would continue on her steady course to fulfill her sacred destiny, whether we in the West liked it or not. Iran would neither be intimidated nor deterred by the machinations of the imperialistic Zionist powers.
The invincible righteous armies of God and Iran are fully prepared for this coming battle, this glorious Armageddon, and no amount of futile Western sanctions or threats would interfere with their noble mission.
Later that evening, on Fox News Live, in one of the most disturbing and disheartening summations I have ever had the misfortune to experience, the events of this fateful day were summed up by famed political commentator, Charles Krauthammer. It was to be, he proclaimed, complete and utter resignation. Unqualified, humiliating resignation. All the useless diplomatic initiatives had failed, the sanctions had had little or no effect. Neither the meaningless condemnations of the meaningless United Nations nor the pitiful attempts of an impotent IAEA to somehow monitor or discourage the steady escalation of the Iranian's nuclear program would have any effect. The present administration would not attack Iran. And most likely, he continued, no new administration would sanction such an attack, either. Israel probably doesn't possess the necessary military wherewithal to pull off a successful attack on Iran and avoid the certain devastating consequences.So Iran would get the bomb. And what will be will be. Sorry world, we tried.
So that's it? That's all there is? Sorry world. Sorry poor little Israel. Sorry all you hapless future generations of Americans. Sorry, but we tried.
At seven o'clock I turned off the TV and tried not to think about the future.
Update: From Naomi Ragen "In 1940, we knew who we were, we knew who the enemy was, we knew thedangers and the issues.. It is different today. We don't know who we are. Wedon't know the issues, and we still do not understand the nature of theenemy." Bernard Lewis
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Hope is the last to die ;)
ReplyDeleteNotreDame
Well said, Notre Dame. Well said.
ReplyDeleteIt is not yet over Roger. Although the world is caving in to Iran's demands, there is still the hope that they can be stopped.
ReplyDeleteA strong leader in both Israel and the US can do it. I know the Israelis will do everything they can to stop Iran, even attacking their nuclear program (alone if need be). It would be national suicide not to try.
And I know that under John McCain, Iran will have a strong opponent to face. One who has been to war, seen the horrors of war, and isn't afraid to use force if necessary.
Iran is mostly bluster and boasting. I wonder if they realize that an attack upon the US (in any form but God forbid in a nuclear one) would lead to the utter destruction of their nation? Such a war on the nuclear level would only take a couple of hours to do. And if they think that Russia and China or the rest of the useless, Dhimmified West would come to their aid, they are sorely mistaken. For Russia and China will not risk all out nuclear war against the US (MAD) and the Dhimmified West in Europe hasn't the balls to do anything but complain.
There is hope, hope for a stronger leader, hope for the future.
Let's just hope and pray that God sends it to us in a miracle called President John McCain.
Very good points Findalis. I haven't given up hope yet. But some days are harder than others.
ReplyDeletePerhaps I'm just out of touch, but I don't see Iran as much of a threat at all. Israel will absolutely not allow Iran to get the bomb, and -- and I think this is where I differ from most -- I still feel like we'd aid Israel in whatever form necessary should she be placed at risk, whether we've got Obama at the helm or McCain.
ReplyDeleteI think this because, if nothing else, Obama is a master of pandering. He knows what his audience wants to hear, and he's got no qualms with smearing his own beliefs to make them happy. I am just crossing my fingers in the hope that that trait will play to our advantage in Iran. He will be under tremendous national pressure to aid Israel if she is in danger, and if he doesn't answer the call, it will likely end his career.
Notre Dame's hope one-liner is good, but I've always heard it a different way: "Hope is the last refuge of a fool." Let's hope this last shred of hope isn't the foolish one.
The best argument I've heard so far to vote for Sarah Palin.
ReplyDeleteOne thing about being a Christian is hope never dies, even when those with hope do die. God has a plan, and if he did not cut the proposed time short, all would perish.
ReplyDeleteSince I now know, and probably most of America, what the 'Bush Doctrine' is, I'm thinking Bush should set an example and do a dance over Iran to show Iran's leaders who is boss. President Amanutjob can threaten all he likes, but he knows he doesn't have anything until he possesses nuclear weapons. He is just biding his time and spewing trash in order to secure those weapons. If President Amanutjob believes the destruction of Israel will mean the return of that 'mystery guy' he speaks of, then he is going to do everything in his power to make sure that happens on his watch. Amanutjob is a classic sociopath just like all of his mentors that went before him.
The UN is such a spineless entity and President Amanutjob knows it; he is given the floor at the UN to mock everyone, including the American people.
We have to maintain hope even in the darkest of days!
ReplyDeleteHope, schmope! This isn't about "hoping" that a U.S. President or an Israeli Prime Minister will see the light and rid the world of Iranian nuclear weapons. This is about action. There is NOTHING in this world that the people at boot level cannot accomplish.
ReplyDeleteIf the leaders have decided to down the cyanide, then fine but I have a Congressman and two Senators who answer to me and my brothers and sisters. I have a vote that empowers me. If the American people, the Israelis strap on their boots, and will it done, it will be done.
It will be done if me and a few others have to sneak down an Iranian alley and dismantle the d*mn things with our fingernails.
Right on Holger!
ReplyDeleteholger - well here's to hoping your fingernails don't break.
ReplyDeleteYes, Roger. Some days are harder than others. Today was hard. As a child I used to think about fairness and justice. And- here we are - in an upside down world. Oh, by the way, thank you for Liberty Street. I was there with you. It brings all the memories back.
ReplyDeleteThanks again all.
ReplyDeleteAnd thank you and welcome to Jewel.
Glad you enjoyed Liberty Street.
rg