By coincidence George W Bush was born in July1946 just a few months before the sculpture. By looking at relevant dates around the time of the birth of both George Bush and the Churchill Bust we get an amazing insight into the contemporary situation.
Following the horror of war, the countries that made up the continent of Europe were on the one hand determined to create a better more peaceful world. And on the other preparing for a further war with Russia.
In the United States discussions were underway to set up a Cabinet-level Department of Health and Education. In Britain the Welfare State was born. The National Health Service Act was passed in an effort to provide free health care for all. But there was a monster breathing down the neck of Europe in the form of Stalin’s Russia. A deep mistrust ensued and European and US, ‘hawks and doves’ were unsure of the approach to take in their suspicions of Stalin’s ambition.
On March 5th 1946 whilst baby George W Bush was still in the womb, Churchill was invited to speak at the unveiling of a statue in his honour by President Trueman at Westminster College, Fulton, USA. The speech did not only address Fulton, it sounded a warning that was heard around the world.
“From Stettin in the Baltic to Trieste in the Adriatic, an iron curtain has descended across the continent…” Winston Churchill
Prophecies against Hitler had previously gone unheeded but this time the whole world listened. On that very day Churchill and Trueman drew a line in the sand as to how far they would tolerate Stalin’s aspiration. The tough stand and tough talking was the origin of the ‘Cold War’ – and the “iron curtain” metaphor predicted the Berlin Wall, which was constructed in 1961 and remained for 28 years.
Post 9-11 George Bush and Tony Blair regarded themselves in the role of Churchill by predicting the danger of Saddam Hussein and his weapons of mass destruction that could be unleashed within 45 minutes. The fools in modern France, Germany and Russia although having access to the same intelligence failed to see the threat. The failure to see the threat turns out to be because there never was a threat in the first place. But that doesn’t matter anyhow according to Bush and Blair, because if Saddam had access to such weapons he would have used them, like he did against the Kurds.
At a recent Labour Party conference a refugee Shanaz Rashid living in England for the past 20 years heaped praise on Tony Blair,
“Some of you may feel you can attack your leader over Iraq, but it is Mr Blair who has stood up to Saddam and freed my people, who for the past 35 years have suffered destruction, humiliation, chemical weapons attacks, poverty, torture and rape”
The conference fell silent at the horror of the account, but forgetful of the fact that at the time of these atrocities Saddam Hussein was actually backed by the British and Americans. Anti Saddam sentiment is a recent phenomenon.