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Winston Churchill would never survive in today’s PC world

By Brian Zinchuk

            Winston Spencer Churchill, Britain’s greatest prime minister, would have never had a chance in the 21st century.

            In my continuing love affair with audiobooks, I have embarked on my most ambitious read, or listen, yet – a three volume unabridged biography of Churchill. The Last Lion: William Spencer Churchill, was so deeply researched that the author William Manchester died before finishing the third volume. Paul Reid completed it for him, based on Manchester’s notes.

            The total length is 131 hours, 17 minutes. I’m about half way through, at the point a week before Hitler invades Poland and the Second World War begins in earnest.

            While I’m sure the war portion will be enlightening, I am truly in awe about the first half of the series – all the things that led to Churchill being the right leader, at the right time, when all about him seemed to not have a clue as to what to do about Hitler.

            Getting there was a very long row to hoe. Son of a former Chancellor of the Exchequer (finance minister) who could have been prime minister in his own right, Churchill did more in his first 65 years, before becoming wartime prime minister, than most people could fathom in several lifetimes.

            As a young cavalry officer, he spent more time as a war correspondent, doing his own thing, than actually following orders. At the lowliest officer rank, he had no qualms about taking on a field marshal (a rank higher than the highest general) in the press. He found his way into wars in Cuba, Afghanistan, Sudan and South Africa before settling down to becoming a prominent member of parliament.

            He switched parties, twice, and served in the cabinets of each. He started old age pension and was a key figure in the eventual independence of Ireland.

            As First Lord of the Admiralty prior to and during the Great War (later known as the First World War), Churchill ensured a major buildup and modernization of the British fleet. When war came, the Royal Navy was ready.

            Churchill also took the fall for a disastrous campaign in Turkey at Gallipoli. While that was going on, he played a key role in the invention of the army tank.

            During all this time he was one of the most prolific and well-paid writers in the world, writing books by the dozen. His newspaper pieces were in such demand that a series of stories would earn him more than his year-long salary had been as an army officer. This might have had to do with the fact he pulled a lot of strings from his overly sexed mother’s numerous affairs, including the Prince of Wales, the man who became King Edward VII.

            Churchill spent the 1930s in the political wilderness, and repeatedly sounded the clarion call for action against Nazism.

            That’s just a short, short list of his accomplishments to that point.

            But in getting there, he also had many character flaws, any one of which, today, would be totally beyond the pale.

            He was a racist, through and through, and didn’t have much respect for those with coloured skin.

            Churchill was an imperialist, and truly felt England should rule a large chunk of the world (see above on racism). The man had issues with Ghandi. Yes, that Ghandi! To Churchill, allowing India to gain independence was a horrible sin.

            He was an elitist who apparently, not once in his life, drew his own bath (and he liked to have two a day if he could). He had always had servants, as many as seven at a time as a junior officer.

            He grew up and lived as what we would call today as a “one percenter,” even though he was usually just one step ahead of his creditors. He lived high off the hog, but often couldn’t afford the hog. The reason he wrote so much was so he could keep up with his enormous bills.

            Churchill was a chauvinist and sexist. Any one of his cracks made to or about women today would sink him as soon as it hit Twitter.

            By today’s standards, he was deeply flawed, politically incorrect to the extreme. One social media search would sink his chances of ever getting elected again. There is not forgiveness for a flaw of any type in today’s society.

            Well, unless your name is Donald Trump. Then all bets are off.