The problem with sound bite history is that it is usually one dimensional, and in the case of grievous error, has a high likelihood of being repeated. Take the case of the British appeasement of Hitler and his Nazi cronies prior to the open hostilities of WWII. Most amateur historians can recite of the then Prime Minister of England Neville Chamberlain's spineless and lackluster leadership that led to that line "we have peace in our time." They can even discuss the disgraced Chamberlain's resignation, opening the way for Winston Churchill to rise to the Prime Minister of England.

These two historical figures do deserve our study, remembrance, and even understanding of the roles they played, whether for good or bad, but there is more to the story than what is found in most history books. Neville Chamberlain did not take his appeasement position in a vacuum. He had counselors and advisors. He had political friends and supporters who had concluded that the Nationalist Socialist party that was ruling Germany was doing a good job. Today, we call that sort of position Nazi sympathizing. There were also loud voices warning against getting involved in continental Europe's problems. Among these last voices were Americans, and they were dubbed "isolationists". Roosevelt had his own political battles to fight, and the looming hostilities had Americans nervous, as well. They also raised their voices. In 1937, Roosevelt appointed Joseph P. Kennedy as the United States Ambassador to Great Britain, a highly coveted diplomatic post.

Not only was Kennedy an isolationist, he was among those who admired what Hitler had accomplished in Germany. He was also quite aware of the military build-up within the young Third Reich, and didn't want to offend, so as to incite them to attack England. As America's leading diplomat, the father of John, Robert, and Teddy Kennedy could have an audience any time he wanted with the Prime Minister, and he used his position of influence to exhort Chamberlain to embark on what history now knows as a foolish and cowardly act that resulted in the deaths of millions, not including those of the Holocaust itself.

This story of Joseph P. Kennedy, a most dispicable man, can be found as a part of the book, The Man Called Intrepid, written about William Stephenson, by William Stevenson. Written in 1972, I can't believe it has taken me this long to get around to reading it. It is well-written, highly fascinating, and completely relevant to today's political and military discussions/debates that are raging around the world today about the advancement of Islam. This book is a must read. Now when liberals, led by Ted Kennedy, use the same tired-out, proven to be false, 70 year-old slogans, I have the confidence that their solutions have already been tried, have already failed, and have already been proven by history to be catastrophically wrong.