There They Go Again

Attacks on Churchill Left and Right

By DAVID FREEMAN

Winston Churchill proudly regarded himself as the godfather of anti-Communism and anti-Nazism. The ideological heirs of Lenin and Hitler have not forgotten this fact—or forgiven Churchill for it. For as long as the International Churchill Society (ICS) has existed, our members have contended with attacks on Churchill’s reputation by people on the political extremities. Just two years ago, left-wing activist Tariq Ali had a go with Winston Churchill: His Times, His Crimes. Determined not to be forgotten, the far right weighed in (again) last month when internet host Tucker Carlson gave air time to pseudo-historian Daryl Cooper, who claimed that Churchill “was the chief villain of World War II.” To paraphrase Ronald Reagan, “There they go again.”

Cooper’s rantings, which carried a heavy undertone of anti-Semitism, sounded eerily similar to the broadcasts made by William Joyce (“Lord Haw-Haw”) during the Second World War. To his shame, Carlson challenged none of the bizarre claims made by his guest, whom he identified as a leading historian without providing any evidence to substantiate the claim. Carlson has said that as a boy he regarded Churchill as one of his heroes. Perhaps he never learned that Churchill described anti-Semitism as “a good starter but a bad finisher.” Tellingly, Churchill’s philo-Semitism is one of the points that draws together the far left and right in their attacks on the great defender of democracy.

But where does this leave ICS and the millions of people around the world who still admire Churchill? The answer is exactly where sensible people should be: in the center. In responding to the meretricious Carlson program, Sir Niall Ferguson made the observation that “If you are not being attacked by the far left and the far right, you are probably doing something wrong.” (To watch the interview with Sir Niall in its entirety, please CLICK HERE.) Given the list of our detractors over the years, at ICS we must be doing something right.

ICS Trustee Andrew Roberts (now Lord Roberts of Belgravia) has also responded to the Carlson program (to watch, please CLICK HERE), which he describes as “classic conspiracy theory.” One of the great things about these periodic episodes is that they encourage people to take the time to find out the truth for themselves by listening to and reading responsible historians like Roberts and Ferguson. They also drive more internet traffic and media inquiries to ICS.

While the attacks from the extreme right and left may be motivated in part by long-standing enmity, they also reflect Churchill’s enduring popularity. If you want to gain attention by engaging in iconoclasm, you will want to attack the biggest icon possible. Churchill obviously fits the bill, which tells us that for many people in this world, Sir Winston is still the gold standard for exemplary leadership and inspiration. And we can take heart from that.

David Freeman is editor of the Churchill Bulletin.

Bulletin #197 Oct — 2024