I would like to introduce a new award: The Neville Chamberlin Award for stupidity in foreign relations.
My nominees are all those in Congress who are blocking aid to Ukraine. Apparently, they believe allowing Russia to win will have no long-term impact on the United States or its European allies. That it won’t encourage Russia to try to reclaim more of the Soviet Empire. That it won’t encourage China in its aggressive stand toward Tawain and in Southeast Asia. That it won’t give encouragement to North Korea or Iran, as well as our other opponents.
If you remember, or don’t, Neville Chamberlin was prime minister of Britain from 1938 to 1930. Nazi Germany had already violated the peace treaty that ended World War I by re-militarizing the Rhine Land and by rearming. In 1938, Germany absorbed Austria, another treaty violation, with no consequence.
Then Hitler demanded that the Sudetenland, a part of Czechoslovakia that bordered the former Austria. The area had a large ethnic German population that the Nazis claimed the Czechs were oppressing. Hitler demanded the area be turned over to Germany.
Britain and France through the Czechs under the bus, agreeing with that demand. Without their support, the Czechs could not oppose the Germans. The result was the Czechs lost their best defensive terrain for invasion from the west.
After signing the agreement, Chamberlin flew back to Britain. Waving the agreement after he got off the plane, he declared “peace in our time” because Hitler said that was his last territorial claim.
What followed was the start of World War II in Europe with the invasion of Poland on September 1, 1939.
For those opposing aid to Ukraine, please remember history. Ask yourself: Do you really want to go down that road?
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