Throughout the years, I have expressed my opinion about the individual who was selected as the GREATEST EVER BRITON in 2002. Given the rise of the #BlackLivesMatter movement and the reevaluation of Britain’s past and its teaching, I see this as a prime occasion for me to express my thoughts. I welcome any responses and am open to engaging in constructive discourse.
Sir Winston is a character that tends to divide opinion. Some question whether his greatness is truly deserved or if it is simply a result of the jingoistic fervor that pervades our society. Those who support him argue that he was the driving force behind the defeat of Hitler and the ultimate victory in the war. However, it is worth noting that the sacrifices made by the 20 million Russian soldiers who lost their lives fighting on the front lines cannot be ignored. It is also important to recognise that Hitler’s fixation on Stalin played a significant role in his downfall, and the contributions of both the Russian army and the Americans are often overlooked by those who seek to whitewash history in order to promote a patriotic narrative.
The logic of a moron suggests that my dislike for Winston implies that I must like Adolf. This is absolutely untrue. I hold contempt for Stephen Yaxley-Lennon and his followers as well as grooming gangs (although I fail to see how Yaxley-Lennon is associated with grooming gangs since he has not exposed any wrongdoing but instead illegally reported on them to fuel his own hateful agenda and solicited more funds from his simple-minded supporters). Nevertheless, I digress. It is acceptable to dislike both Winston and Adolf. I am grateful that Hitler’s fascist regime was eradicated, but unlike many of you, I cannot support someone whose criminal record is as repugnant as his enemy’s.
While I don’t claim to be an expert in world history or politics, I have read enough to form an opinion and the evidence against him seems strong. The question of whether he was a racist can be answered by examining his past statements, some of which are easily verifiable through a quick Google search. For example, in 1937, he testified to the Palestine Royal Commission, stating that he did not believe that the displacement of Indigenous Americans or Indigenous Australians by a supposedly superior race was a wrong.
Churchill held beliefs in racial hierarchies and eugenics, as noted in John Charmley’s biography, Churchill: The End of Glory. According to Charmley, Churchill believed that white protestant Christians were superior to white Catholics, while Indians ranked higher than Africans. Charmley also notes that Churchill viewed himself and Britain as winners in a social Darwinian hierarchy. Despite attempts by some to defend Churchill’s beliefs by claiming they were acceptable for the time, they remain troubling.
Churchill’s character was further tainted by the Bengal famine of 1943, during which 1.2 to 4 million people perished under his leadership. Despite British rule over Bengal, Churchill’s disdain for Indians was evident in his statement, “I hate Indians. They are a beastly people with a beastly religion.” When the starving populace sought aid, Churchill refused to provide them with food, instead ordering the continued export of rice and the accumulation of wheat reserves for the post-liberation feeding of European civilians, as directed by his War Cabinet.
There’s a certain amount of irony in the fact that working class heroes are traveling to London to protect Winston’s statue, considering he held a disdain for the working class. In 1910/11, during the TONYPANDY riots, he ordered the military to use force against striking miners and famously said, “If the Welsh are striking over hunger, then we must fill their bellies with lead.” The photo on the right is from 2007, which begs the question: why did it take so long for people to feel the need to defend his honor?
#BlackLivesMatter perchance?
A few other damning quotes:-
Whilst not directly a Churchill quote it was written by Harold McMillan in his diary dated 20th January 1955:- Cabinet meeting “The PM thinks ‘Keep England White’ a good campaign slogan!”
“I hate Indians. They are a beastly people with a beastly religion.” – In conversation with Leo Amery, Britain’s Secretary of State for India, 1942.
From his speech at the University of Michigan, 1902 – “The Aryan stock is bound to triumph.”
A statement he made in 1919 when he was president of the Air Council (government body managing the Royal Air Force “I am strongly in favour of using poisoned gas against uncivilised tribes.”
So there you have it. A few words on why I dislike Sir Winston Churchill.