Our Finest Hour
Rusty
In 1940, when the people of Great Britain stood alone against the invincible Nazi conquerors of Europe, hope itself seemed dead. Tyranny reigned supreme throughout Europe and most of Asia. The power of hate seemed unstoppable. Propaganda had poisoned the minds of half the human race and the truth was a lonely refugee, struggling to survive in a world gone mad.
In this darkest of times, words of defiance rang out across this endangered island of democracy: “Even though large tracts of Europe and many old and famous States have fallen or may fall into the grip of the Gestapo and all the odious apparatus of Nazi rule, we shall not flag or fail. We shall go on to the end, we shall fight in France, we shall fight on the seas and oceans, we shall fight with growing confidence and growing strength in the air, we shall defend our Island, whatever the cost may be, we shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills; we shall never surrender.”
Winston Churchill knew how to fight. So does Howard Dean. So do progressive bloggers. The Netroots stood alone against the invincible Republican conquerors of America. Hope itself seemed dead. Tyranny reigned supreme throughout the federal government. The power of hate seemed unstoppable. Propaganda had poisoned the minds of half the country, and the truth was a lonely refugee, struggling to survive in a country gone mad.
We knew we what we had to do. We fought through the Valley of Alito, we fought on the seas and oceans of Rovian lies, we fought with growing confidence and growing strength in the red states, we defended our Island whatever the cost, we fought on the beaches of Jeb Bush’s Florida, we fought on the landing grounds of Connecticut, we fought in the fields of Montana and in the streets of Virginia, we fought in the hills of Tennessee, and like Harold Ford, Jr., we will never surrender.
Today, as we pause to reflect on what we have accomplished, the tribute Winston Churchill paid to the RAF after the Battle of Britain applies to us as well, for never in the field of electoral conflict, has so much been owed by so many to so few. The whole fury and might of our corrupted government, the Republican Party, and the corporate media was turned on us. Bush knew that he had to break us or lose his power.
We knew if we could stand up to him, all of America could be free once again, and the life of the world could move forward into broad, sunlit uplands of hope. We knew if we failed, then the whole world, including all that we have known and cared for, would sink into the abyss of a new Dark Age made more sinister by the awful power of endless deceit and warmongering. So we braced ourselves to our duties, and fought so nobly and so well, that should American democracy last for a thousand years, our distant descendents would still remember our courage, and say, “This was their finest hour.”
Comment # 1 ~ Alma ~ 10/20/2006 23:23 GMT Nice piece Reed.
Comment # 2 ~ keenekarl ~ 10/21/2006 00:13 GMT I, too, want to see Bush & Co. pay for their crimes! I fully expect to see investigations once the DEMS are in control of Congress. If not, my energies will be devoted to finding DEM candidates to replace the spineless, or to the support of a new party that will do the job!
Comment # 3 ~ tahoebasha1 ~ 10/21/2006 01:10 GMT Excellent, Reed -- a little "POA" postured? Doesn't matter. You have said it in the way that it needs to be said. "If you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen." Well, it is tantamount to that. And, I think we have the power to see them out of the kitchen -- what in the hell have we been paying these people for -- to crap on us, to crap on the Constitution, to crap on Democracy, to crap on all that is American and Americans, to crap on our worldly obligations? No, POA was never really wrong and I don't think people thought that -- it was just his "way."
Comment # 4 ~ Rusty ~ 10/22/2006 00:25 GMT Did unspun actually write this? If not, great article, Reed!
Comment # 5 ~ unspun ~ 10/22/2006 01:34 GMT Good Post Reed. Re Comment #4: Rusty, I wish I could write as well--I have trouble posting a coherent comment.
Comment # 6 ~ Alma ~ 10/22/2006 02:18 GMT I think you post great comments Unspun.
Comment # 7 ~ Rusty ~ 10/22/2006 02:36 GMT So do I.
Register. After registration, there's no need to login to post here.
|
