Guest Editorial: Channeling Neville Chamberlain

British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain’s mindset and methods are still alive, and are apparently setting the stage for a repeating of history.

In 1938, Chamberlain sought to appease a madman named Hitler who was determined on dominance of the world and the annihilation of race. Those appeasement efforts resulted in Hitler’s taking of Poland and the “Munich Pact,” which gave Hitler large segments of Czechoslovakia.

Chamberlain and Europe’s appeasement follies, that major European Countries and the United States were slow and late to recognize, set the stage for a major bloody six-plus years of war. Had they recognized and immediately responded to physically contain Germany at its onset of aggression, perhaps that war would have been much shorter with fewer lives lost and a race and culture not nearly annihilated.

But here we are again at another of history’s ignored lessons as “our Chamberlain,” a.k.a. President Biden, and his feckless advisers seek to appease the current madman, Putin, who is determined on the hostile taking of another country; and doing so with only slaps on the wrist. Once again, most of Europe is willing to sit on their hands hoping that Putin will be satisfied with just getting Ukraine. 

Sanctions are good tools when expeditiously, fully and forcefully used to their best advantages. But when dealing with a bully, a little slap on the wrist here and there has little effect on them. They smile, and say, “Is that all you got,” and continue with their bullying.

I read and listen to people being amazed that Germany reluctantly agrees to any resisting action against Russia, and “I am amazed” as to why the pundits are amazed. Major portions of Germany’s populous, whose, as noted by my name, DNA in my genetics, has been at the forefront of two major world wars. Add to that that when the Berlin Wall came down and Germany was rightly reunified; it brought into play people from the former Soviet Union’s power and mindsets. The current Chancellor of Germany, Olaf Scholz, is a member of the Socialist Democratic Party. Russia was the core country of the former USSR (Union of Soviet Socialist Republics), so to me it is no surprise that the German government may be soft in terms of Russia.

One would think that unified Germany, being the wealthiest country in the European Union, and having enjoyed the freedoms and abilities to succeed at one’s endeavors would be at the vanguard of halting Russia’s aggression. They are the biggest purchaser of Russian fuel supplies, so they have enormous leverage, but they do so only under pressure, with reluctance, and not out of concern for another sovereign country being invaded.

Europe as a whole seems to be content with letting the U.S. be the lead agent of resistance to Russia’s hostile invasion of the Ukraine. While that may be the proper place for such leadership to reside, I have concerns that our modern-day Chamberlain with his feckless advisers and Europe will again be late in recognizing and stopping the desires of this current madman, Putin.

While I recognize the value of proper and effective sanctions, I found myself saying from day one, “The world has surrendered Ukraine as an appeasement, but it will not appease.” 

Then I wondered, if Ukraine is to be surrendered, then why hasn’t NATO sent a strong troop presence into the NATO countries bordering Ukraine with the clear understanding that “Ukraine is as far as you go.” My preference would be that we would have learned that such aggression by any country to take another sovereign country by hostile actions can’t be permitted, whether or not that country is part of a specific grouping. By allowing Ukraine to fall, I believe we have placed our collective selves in a more precarious position.

At this point it appears that Putin is on the verge of holding the world hostage. Ukraine is in desperate need of our prayers and support, and we all should pay attention to the socialist mindset invading our country.

(Note: a number of governments have considered action, and some have taken action since the time this letter was submitted for publication. In that time Germany (and others) have stepped forward to more actively support the sanctions that are being (and have been) put into place. We, the world, collectively have the power to stop such actions. However, consider if Ukraine falls, then Russia has a new and even more sensitive boundary to contest.)