Although I can clearly recognise the malevolent agendas of the far left, I also frequently feel obliged to respond to letters in my local newspapers from those who are often sincere and well-meaning, but also incredibly naive. A number propose that we do not arm ourselves in the face of the threats presented by our enemies, but instead rely upon diplomacy to rein them, which shows absolutely no understanding of human nature, and in particular that of the mindset of the dictators.
If we had adopted such a policy in the late 1930s, then Hitler would have laughed, before destroying us. Even if, by kneeling before him, had we been allowed to survive, it would have been at the cost of watching all our Jewish compatriots murdered, When Stalin was seeking to extend the Soviet Empire across the world, he would have welcomed such a pusillanimous response, and indeed this was what the appeasers, and fellow travellers, of organisations such as CND supported. Stalin would have then occupied the rest of Europe, and continued his murderous career without any effective opposition… Today, Putin would not believe his luck as he seeks to extend the Russian Empire, and President Xi would be extremely pleased to be given the chance to occupy Taiwan without the need to fight.
On a Rhine cruise some years ago, my wife and I visited the beautiful town of Heidelberg and, while touring the castle, were informed of an interesting historical fact that contains a lesson for today's so-called liberals and progressives. In the seventeenth century, one of the Electors anticipated war and built strong fortifications. No one attacked. His successor discounted the possibility of war, weakened the defences and, unsurprisingly, saw the castle overwhelmed. The adage "Si vis pacem, para bellum" or "If you want peace, prepare for war", is the motto of the Royal Navy, the Norwegian Military Academy, part of the US Marine Corps, and numerous other military organisations throughout the world. This is not because of any bellicose desire to fight wars, but because military men are well aware that the best way to avoid conflict is to be prepared in the event it should come, and to be able to counter, and deter aggressive moves by one's enemy before these escalate to the level of actual warfare. In 1942 an American patriotic song by Frank Loesser, entitled 'praise the Lord and pass the ammunition' sums up the truth that fine words butter no parsnips. Action, not words are sometimes required.
This vital life lesson appears to have entirely passed the current government by, and indeed most of its predecessors as well. The utter failure of the political class to make defence of the realm a number one priority now looks set to encompass our destruction. The constant references to a peace dividend following the West's victory in the Second World War have become risible, as the establishment has spent any such many times over.
Veterans who risked their lives for this country are rewarded by being pursued through the courts by so-called human rights lawyers, while there are now proposals being considered which the Army says will undermine our special forces, such as the SAS. The Navy lacks ships, the RAF lacks planes, and the Army is struggling to recruit enough soldiers. to fulfil its obligations. The insanity of net-zero is destroying our war making capability. We learned recently that the Greens in Belgium are blocking the export to the UK of materials necessary to maintain our nuclear deterrent. Why on Earth is such a vital matter reliant on foreign supplies? If a nasty little dictatorship such as that of the Kims in North Korea can create armed forces powerful enough to frighten nations such as Japan, then we, still possessing one of the most significant economies in the world, could easily make our Armed Forces a force once more to be reckoned with, even by nations such as Russia and China, and certainly pipsqueaks such as Iran.
I used to believe that the political class of the late 1930s, with the honourable exception of Churchill, and his allies, was the worst ever inflicted on these islands, but I am afraid that those with whom we are now burdened exceed even the former for incompetence, selfishness, and ineptitude. They are incapable of giving a straight answer to a straight question. If one asked during a downpour "Is it raining?" they would require to consult their spin doctors before replying, and they are trained never to answer "No", or "Yes" to anything. The vast majority are only interested in advancing their own careers, and only seem animated when attacking their supposed political opponents, too many of whom actually share the same attitudes. Many are still trying to reverse Brexit, ignoring the democratically expressed will of the people, so that they may have opportunities to obtain obscenely well paid sinecures in Brussels.
The government seems unwilling to take any sort of effective action: against the spoilt brats of Extinction Rebellion, as they block our roads; against the large number of illegal immigrants invading Kent, pressurising an already crumbling infrastructure; or against the lunatics of woke as the latter indoctrinate our younger generations at schools and universities. They wring their hands over the absurdities of the 'trans' lobby, but do nothing to stop the drugging, and mutilation, of children in the name of a specious equality for a tiny minority.
Promises are made, and then deferred, or cancelled altogether, while policies announced, which will not be actual acted upon until years into the future. Given the need to secure our own domestic supplies of energy why are we not ignoring the nonsense of net-zero, refilling the gas storage areas, introducing fracking, reopening the coal mines, and going all out for tidal and nuclear power, rather than leaving our people to shiver during power cuts, and our Armed Forces withering on the vine? The absurd virtue signalling by these parliamentary pygmies is nauseating, as they fail the people time and time again. On the 2nd September 1939 the patriotic, and anti-appeasement MP, Leo Amery, demanded that Arthur Greenwood, speaking for Labour, should "Speak for England" against the vacillating Chamberlain. Where now is someone of that calibre to shame the politicians into putting the country and its people first?
Perhaps it is too much to hope that any individual can reverse the tide. The greatest condemnation of a similarly contemptible set of politicians was uttered by Cromwell in April 1653, when he dismissed the Rump. It is too long to quote in full, but even parts make clear the appropriateness for our current age:
"Ye are a factious crew, and enemies to all good government. Which of you have not bartered your conscience for bribes? Is there a man amongst you that has the least care for the good of the Commonwealth? Ye are grown intolerably odious to the whole nation. You were deputed here by the people to get grievances redressed, are yourselves become the greatest grievance. Go, get you out! Make haste! Ye venal slaves be gone! In the name of God, go!".
If we do not look to our defences, then the future of this county will be determined by Putin, not the government in Westminster.