In 1940, the Wall Street Journal asserted that "our job today is not to stop Hitler," the dictator whom the editorial claimed had "already determined the broad lines of our national life at least for another generation." Note that the Journal, then as now the flagship of "respectable" conservatism, not only consigned Europe to Hitler's domination, but America as well, and for the following 30 years. The title of the editorial, "A Plea for Realism," is a reminder that in some quarters, "realism" means abandoning democracy and submitting to force.
Interesting. So taking all implications to the most extreme,
ReplyDeleteHitler is an example of extreme right and Stalin extreme left.
Look at the year - 1940.
ReplyDeleteAt that time, the Holocaust hadn't begun in earnest and what was happening to Jews behind enemy lines was unknown to most Americans. The US, while assisting the UK, was not at war with Germany. The US did not want to go to war in Europe and frankly, a strong Germany willing to do proper international trade with them was not something they were frightened of.
And if you're criticizing the WSJ, note that for many years before, the NYT was consigning everyone in the Soviet Union to hell there.