Transcript
Larry Arne (0:04)
Every week, Hillsdale College President Larry Arne joins Hugh Hewitt to discuss great books, great men and great ideas. This is Hillsdale Dialogues, part of the Hillsdale College Podcast Network. More episodes at podcast Hillsdale. Edu or wherever you find your audio.
Hugh Hewitt (0:31)
Morning Glory and Evening Grace America. I'm Hugh Hewitt. You're listening to Hillsdale Dialogue, all things Hillsdale at hillsdale.edu. Dr. Lest I fall way out of whack, I have to turn to the tragedy of Munich. And the tragedy of Munich is its own thing. And I wanted to. I pointed out when I sent you my notes that you might want to read parts of page 287 to 288.
Dr. Arne (0:57)
Give me a few words in the passage.
Hugh Hewitt (0:59)
You mean it begins, it may well. It may be well here to set down some principles and morals of action which may be a guide to the future. It's at the end of the tragedy of Munich.
Dr. Arne (1:10)
Okay, I got it. Yeah. This is classic Churchill right here. It may be well here to set down some principles of morals and action which might may be a guide in the future. No case of this kind can be judged apart from the circumstances. The facts may be unknown at the time, and estimates of them must be largely guesswork, colored by the general feeling and aims of whoever is trying to pronounce. Those who are prone by temperament and character to seek sharp and clear cut solutions of difficult and obscure problems, who are ready to fight whenever some challenge comes from a foreign power, have not always been right. On the other hand, those whose inclination is to bow their heads, to seek patiently and faithfully for peaceful compromise, are not always wrong. On the contrary, in the majority of instances they may be right, not only morally, but from a practical standpoint. How many wars have been averted by patience and persisting goodwill? Religion and virtue alike lend their sanction to meekness and humility, not only between men, but between nations. How many wars have been precipitated by firebrands? How many misunderstandings which led to wars could have been removed by temporizing? How often have countries fought cruel wars, and then, after a few years of peace, found themselves not only friends, but allies? This is good. This is not the only place. Churchill writes the following sentence. The Sermon on the Mount is the last word in Christian ethics. Everyone respects the Quakers. Still, it is not on those terms that ministers assume their responsibilities of guiding states. Their duty is first so to deal with other nations as to avoid strife and war, and to eschew aggression in all its forms, whether for nationalistic or ideological objects. But the safety of the state, the lives and freedom of their own countrymen. To whom they owe their position. Make it right and imperative. In the last resort. Or when a final and definite conviction has been reached. That the use of force should not be excluded. If the circumstances are such as to warrant it, force may be used. And if this be so, it should be used under the conditions which are most favorable. There is no merit in putting off a war for a year. If, when it comes, it is a worse war or one much harder to win. These are the tormenting dilemmas upon which mankind has, throughout its history, been so frequently impaled. Final judgment upon them can only be recorded by history. In relation to. To the facts of the case. Is known to the parties at the time. And is also subsequently proved. That's a basic point.
