Wednesday, December 19, 2007

The President, the Pope and the Prime Minister

Paul Johnson at Imprimus/Hillsdale on the three:

It is worth noting that one of the greatest victories of the 20th century, the defeat of the Soviet Union in the Cold War at the end of the 1980s, was achieved by three eminently civilian heroes: Pope John Paul II, Ronald Reagan and Margaret Thatcher. The popes always wear white, the symbol of peace. Mr. Reagan, quite capable of acting heroic roles on screen, never succumbed to the temptation of wearing uniform in office. Margaret Thatcher was a war leader as well as a great leader in peace. She showed considerable courage during the Falklands War, a hazardous business for Britain with its limited military resources, but she never once stepped outside her strictly civilian role, even sartorially—though, as I often noted, she could snap her handbag with a military ring.

What a great writer/orator. Wish I coulda heard this speech.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Saw on TV last night that Reagan invaded Grenada without telling Maggie and she was pissed...

Scooter said...

She was very pissed by all accounts but the relationship endured. It was a huge embarrassment for her.