We were lucky - largely down to geography
Absolutely
I just think that using hindsight to condenm a decision is just a bit too previous
Not sure, but I think that might be a paradox ...
where were the Yanks until 41
3000 miles further away from the action than us, either way. And they had a government that realised the seriousness of the situation, and which actively tried to get them into the war (because they realised that they /were/ involved anyway, by default)
Any one of which would have sold us out if it suited their cause
Sold us out to who? Do you really seriously believe that the allies would or could have done a Poland to us and left us in the grasp of the axis? If so, I suggest a geography lesson from Yellowjacket.
Why should we have trown our lot in with colonial and totalitarian states?
God, I don't know. Let me see. Oh yeah, Germany perhaps? Y'know, fascism, 6 million dead Jews, invading France, Belgium, Norway, Holland, Denmark, Poland, the Czech Republic, Russia? That good enough reason?
We were just lucky that things went the way they did, and the war happened around us. Had things gone even slightly differently, the Emergency would've turned into the war pdq, and all Dev's cowering would have achieved was to leave us unprotected and without allies. Nice one.
And that isn't just an arcane or academic point, it has damn important resonances for future defense policy too.
Absolutely
I just think that using hindsight to condenm a decision is just a bit too previous
Not sure, but I think that might be a paradox ...
where were the Yanks until 41
3000 miles further away from the action than us, either way. And they had a government that realised the seriousness of the situation, and which actively tried to get them into the war (because they realised that they /were/ involved anyway, by default)
Any one of which would have sold us out if it suited their cause
Sold us out to who? Do you really seriously believe that the allies would or could have done a Poland to us and left us in the grasp of the axis? If so, I suggest a geography lesson from Yellowjacket.
Why should we have trown our lot in with colonial and totalitarian states?
God, I don't know. Let me see. Oh yeah, Germany perhaps? Y'know, fascism, 6 million dead Jews, invading France, Belgium, Norway, Holland, Denmark, Poland, the Czech Republic, Russia? That good enough reason?
We were just lucky that things went the way they did, and the war happened around us. Had things gone even slightly differently, the Emergency would've turned into the war pdq, and all Dev's cowering would have achieved was to leave us unprotected and without allies. Nice one.
And that isn't just an arcane or academic point, it has damn important resonances for future defense policy too.
Comment