THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, July 26, 1995 TAG: 9507260006
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A10 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Letter
LENGTH: Short : 43 lines
The words of American philosopher George Santayana constantly return to haunt civilization - ``Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.''
Hitler's march through Europe (e.g., Austria and Czechoslovakia) was an insatiable drive for power and ``ethnic cleansing'' also. His Aryan nation was to be supreme.
Czechoslovakia had substantial military power of its own and was prepared to fight rather than submit. However, the country realized it could not hope for success without assistance from other European nations. It did not receive that assistance. Western nations were appalled and were willing to pay almost any price to settle the crisis peacefully. Britain and France met with Hitler and agreed to his demands for Czechoslovakia in return for his promise to expand no further. This is where Prime Minister Chamberlain's policy of ``appeasement'' began.
Hitler's promise, and Western appeasement, next saw Germany's drive for Poland. Two years later the fascist Vichy government was established in France.
History is once again repeating itself.
Though a ``domino'' throughout Europe is not a possibility, it is assuredly happening in Bosnia. Today's United Nations policy of appeasement cannot help but bring back images of the impotent League of Nations. Can we ever expect the United Nations to cease being ``appalled'' and assume the august stature the founders foresaw. Its members are the most powerful countries in the world - the United States without question the most powerful country in the world since the demise of the Cold War.
Is the power of these countries merely ``on paper'' and in numbers? Where is the most important ingredient of true power - the will to do what is morally right?
TERRY L. WARD
Virginia Beach, July 20, 1995 by CNB