The Right Side of History
No one wants to be on the wrong side of history, but people and nations have a penchant for doing that during moments of crisis. There is an inclination toward inaction when action is necessary. To President Biden’s credit, he stepped up and supported Israel when Hamas attacked them. He favored action over inaction, and I believe history will treat him well for that decision. Now, can Congress find the right compromise to continue funding the war while reducing our overall spending? There is equal weight on both halves of that sentence. “The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.” Edmund Burke History Always Repeats Itself Even when our government sees evil affecting our allies, our leadership has not always stepped up to the plate. I am reminded of the 1939 incident when a shipload of Jews fleeing Nazi Germany approached our eastern shore only to be turned away by FDR. This incident was one of his profound mistakes in the war. By finally recognizing the evil that had consumed Germany and threatened the world, we decisively entered the war to subdue and eliminate the Nazis. Others in America were on the wrong side of history, especially the corporate side. Many companies found a way to do business with Nazi Germany before we entered the war, and a few even continued into the war years. We can no longer afford to police the world, but we can identify our enemies and come to the aid of our allies when attacked. Here in the United States in the late-1930s, there were many Nazi sympathizers and supporters. In 1939, before our entrance into the war, large rallies in favor of the Nazis and Hitler “spontaneously “appeared. The largest was organized at Madison Square Gardens by the German-American Bund (German-American Federation). It was attended by more than 20,000 Nazi sympathizers who sought to build a favorable image of Germany in America. They also sought to pressure our government through public rallies, parades, and other apparent displays of German support. Nazi flags, Hitler salutes, posters, banners,
