The Churchill Cult and Vladimir Putin

http://www.albertmohler.com/2014/03/28/the-briefing-03-28-14/

Listening to Albert Mohler incessantly attack Putin I realized that he's one of the Evangelicals that can rightly be called a Churchill Worshipper.

Dobson famously had a huge portrait of Winston hanging behind his desk and Evangelicals were particularly vexed over an incident regarding a Churchill bust when Obama came into the White House. They reported that wrong as well.

Churchill is admired because apparently he saw and recognized the evil in Hitler while others did not. They see themselves in this role, in their cultural activism and commentary. They are modern day Churchill's recognizing the Hitler of Secular Humanism and they will fight to the end...

Of course Churchill is by no means above criticism. Yes, Chamberlain looked like a fool after Munich, but it doesn't mean Churchill was always right or wise. His career track record is in fact rather dubious. He gave some stirring speeches, certainly was a titanic figure...and a wicked one.

In terms of his leadership, that can be questioned. His war policies and stratagems were largely failures... in both wars. And before World War II he can certainly be accused of causing his share of trouble.

Of course Eastern Europe has no great love for him either. He virtually handed them over to Stalin and the Red Army. The Iron Curtain he decried in his Missouri speech... he inadvertently helped to create.

Anyway, many people in their complete misunderstanding of Russian history, regional geo-politics and American aggression toward Russia over the past twenty years have recently worked themselves up over Putin. Convinced he's evil incarnate they decry the Obama administration's lack of will in terms of confrontation.

Obama is politically and now geo-politically a weak president and yet as a Christian, American prestige is hardly my concern. There's so much more going on and Mohler (and those like him) seem unaware of any of it.

Maybe that's unfair? I might think so but when I consider the totality of his commentary I think I'm probably being pretty generous toward him.

Munich has been evoked so many times it has frankly become trite. We could of course also point out that Munich wasn't all the modern day warmongers have made it out to be. The 'Peace in our time' comment was of course absurd. But ultimately at that point there was little Chamberlain or anyone else could do.

They couldn't fathom that the world was marching toward another 1914 and frankly they were unprepared. It seemed unbelievable that the madness that led to the Guns of August could so soon be reborn.

According to the adherents of the Churchill Cult, militarism and massive military expenditures are a moral requirement.

Munich bought some time, although that was traded by drawing a line in the sand over Poland. It was Hitler's invasion in 1939 that triggered the war and yet at war's end Poland was not liberated but instead handed over to Stalin.

It's interesting to think of what might have happened if the Allies had waited a bit longer and grown a bit stronger before declaring war. It's impossible to say.

Was Munich a capitulation? I think it looked bad, but I really don't think it was the capitulation it's been made out to be. These days every time the war party wants to beat the drum, Munich is evoked once more. And every leader thinks of Chamberlain and doesn't want to look the fool to future historians.

Mohler evokes 'moral logic' when referencing those who won't stand up to Putin and in his typical Anti-European fashion he decides to criticize Siemens for doing business with Putin.

It's outrageous. What kind of people would do business with an aggressive dictator? How can Siemens in good conscience do business with the treacherous Putin? Is money all that matters? His moral outrage is palpable.

When I heard this, an exclamation passed from my lips. Is he really this stupid and ill-informed? At this point Mohler's comments are so ridiculous that I think blunt words like 'stupid' are called for. It's unreal.

Is he unaware of America's track record of aggression and militarism? Is he unaware of the dozens of regime changes, thrown elections and assassinations? Is he unaware of how many dictators the United States has installed and backed? Is he ignorant of American business practices in the world and what regimes America does business with? He doesn't question the 'moral logic' of American presidents practically slobbering all over Saudi royals in great displays of affection? A Friedman lover to be sure, Mohler has no problem with Milton's chummy relationship with Chile's Pinochet?

Mohler is either the grandest hypocrite I've ever seen, or the greatest fool and ignoramus. Either way, he needs quit speaking for the Christian Church in the news media. What a shame and disgrace. This false witness and blind guide should not be praised or elevated in the Christian community. It is Albert Mohler who needs to learn morality and its logical consequences. He is unfit and disqualified.

After years of listening to him, reading him and hearing him praised by his followers, he still can amaze me at times. Wow.

This is Sacralist thinking at work, polluting epistemology and ethics. False theological commitments have blinded him and his ability to grasp the truth.