Tonight is debate night in Miami. Ominously, it's also the 65th anniversary of Neville Chamberlain's infamous appeasement of Adolph Hitler and the hollow declaration of "peace in our time," as reported in 1939 by the BBC:
The British Prime Minister has been hailed as bringing "peace to Europe" after signing a non-aggression pact with Germany.PM Neville Chamberlain arrived back in the UK today, holding an agreement signed by Adolf Hitler which stated the German leader's desire never to go to war with Britain again.
The two men met at the Munich conference between Britain, Germany, Italy and France yesterday, convened to decide the future of Czechoslovakia's Sudetenland.
Mr Chamberlain declared the accord with the Germans signalled "peace for our time", after he had read it to a jubilant crowd gathered at Heston airport in west London.
After greeting members of the public at the airport, Mr Chamberlain appeared in front of another rejoicing throng on the balcony of Buckingham Palace with the King and Queen, and again later outside 10 Downing Street.
The British Prime Minister was forced to mobilise the Royal Navy four days ago when Germany announced it was building massive fortifications in Rhineland.
But the Conservative leader has always expressed his desire to find a peaceful solution to the Fuehrer's wish to create a new - and enlarged - German homeland in Europe.
Note the cheering throngs in a frightened Britain. Then millions died in the aftermath of that surrender to totalitarianism, all because the leaders of the democratic West chose the illusion of peace instead of the difficult and expensive reality of fighting back.
The American people should keep that painful anniversary, and the lessons of history, in mind tonight as they weigh their important choice. Unfortunately, there is no sign that John Kerry and his allies will do the same.
Posted by Alan at September 30, 2004 05:11 PM