Паяльник wrote:70 лет назад, 20 августа 1940 года, был убит Л.Д.Троцкий. Печальная годовщина...
На самом деле, это годовщина весьма примечательна. Именно 20 августа 1940 года Черчилль произнес одну из своих лучших речей, The Few. Черчилль, как и Троцкий, обладал редким талантом вдохновлять людей посредством речей и книг. Но, в отличие от Троцкого, он всегда был реалистом, прочно стоял на земле и понимал людей и их устремления куда лучше пламенного революционного фантазера.
Churchill wrote: Hitler is now sprawled over Europe. Our offensive springs are being slowly compressed, and we must resolutely and methodically prepare ourselves for the campaigns of 1941 and 1942. Two or three years are not a long time, even in our short, precarious lives. They are nothing in the history of the nation, and when we are doing the finest thing in the world, and have the honor to be the sole champion of the liberties of all Europe, we must not grudge these years or weary as we toil and struggle through them. It does not follow that our energies in future years will be exclusively confined to defending ourselves and our possessions. Many opportunities may lie open to amphibious power, and we must be ready to take advantage of them. One of the ways to bring this war to a speedy end is to convince the enemy, not by words, but by deeds, that we have both the will and the means, not only to go on indefinitely, but to strike heavy and unexpected blows. The road to victory may not be so long as we expect. But we have no right to count upon this. Be it long or short, rough or smooth, we mean to reach our journey's end.