The Past is Not Past - Part 1

I'm reading a book by one of my favorite historians, Lynne Olson. It is "Troublesome Young Men: The Rebels Who Brought Churchill to Power and Helped Save England." It was written in 2007 but could have been written last week. It is a highly impressive work of research and writing.

I'm only part way through the book, but had to stop to share with you some relevant items. The situation, simply, is Chamberlain is Prime Minster of England, a small number of Members of Parliament oppose him, Hitler is overrunning Europe, and Chamberlain has returned from Munich and told the British people there will be no war, that there is "peace with honor" - because he gave Czechoslovakia to Hitler without a shot being fired.

Here are some excerpts. 

"At a time when British newspapers were enjoying a golden age, when more papers were reaching more people than ever before, the British people were starved of real news about the growing international crisis. They were told little or nothing about the deplorable state of British rearmament or the divisions within the government over Chamberlain's appeasement policy. ... 'When it came to news coverage, the real power rests with the government,' said Chamberlain's ambassador to Washington in 1939. 'We decide what to do, and then send for the newspapers and tell them to sell it to the public.'"

"(James Margach, a veteran political correspondent for The Sundays Times) 'From the moment Chamberlain entered No. 10 in 1937, he sought to manipulate the press into supporting his policy of appeasing the dictators...In order to cling to power, Chamberlain was prepared to abuse truth itself. He made the most misleading and inaccurate statements, which he was determined to see published so as to make his policies appear credible and successful. Quite simply, he told lies.'"

"The government did not directly censor the press... What Chamberlain and his government could, and did, do was prod the press to censor itself. During a meeting with Joseph Goebbels in 1937, Lord Halifax agreed with the Nazi head of propaganda about the need to keep 'the press in either country from making mischief.'"

"Hypersensitive to any criticism, Chamberlain deeply resented questions from journalists that he regarded as implying criticism of himself or his policies. Sometimes, after being asked such a question at a briefing, he would pause and, in an icy tone, ask the offending journalist which newspaper he represented. Everyone present recognized the query for the intimidation it was meant to be."

And finally:
"Chamberlain was particularly incensed by allegations that he was becoming authoritarian. Once, trembling and pale with fury, he summoned Margach and a few other top political reporters to Downing Street to complain about some such attack. 'I tell you that I'm not dictatorial, I'm not intolerant, I'm not overpowering!' the prime minster shouted as he repeatedly pounded the table. 'You're all wrong, wrong, wrong, I tell you! I'm the most relaxed and understanding of people! None of you, I insist, must ever say I'm dictatorial again!"

I invite you to make your own comparisons and draw your own conclusions.
More to come at a later date.
Thanks to Lynne Olson for granting me permission to quote from her book.

"Troublesome Young Men" by Lynne Olson