The famous quote, "Tyranny, like Hell, is not easily conquered," comes from Thomas Paine's The Crisis, written during the American Revolutionary War. The saying was galvanizing to those who sacrificed in the great cause of independence. Later generations would take comfort in those same words, coming to realize what we have been discussing on this blog for a while now, namely that "Freedom isn't free."
In an Australian news article from summer of 2004, the 60th anniversary of D-Day during World War II, I found it interesting that Australian Prime Minister John Howard echoed the words written by Thomas Paine more than two centuries previously and a world away. Here is a brief excerpt from that article (taken from the Sydney Morning Herald, June 7, 2004):
Australians were willing to fight in wartime because they knew their freedom could not be delivered by others, the Prime Minister, John Howard, said in a speech commemorating the 60th anniversary of the D-Day landings yesterday. In a clear parallel with current events in Iraq, Mr Howard said D-Day was significant "because it's a reminder that tyranny, like hell, is not easy to conquer". He said one of the Australian characteristics was that we always helped others in wartime. "We've always accepted a responsibility to do our bit and we don't think our freedom and liberty should be delivered by others. We think we have to play our part in delivering our own freedom ... and we've never profited from the sacrifice of others to deliver the sort of life we have today." The Prime Minister was in Normandy with 17 other leaders, including the US President, George Bush, the Queen and the British Prime Minister, Tony Blair, to remember, mourn and celebrate the sacrifices made on D-Day - the turning point of World War II in Europe. About 30,000 soldiers were deployed to protect the dignitaries. Advertisement Advertisement Mr Howard's comparison with today's events was echoed by Mr Bush, who said: "We ... remember the timeless lessons that D-Day teaches, that sacrifices must always be borne in the defence of freedom, that free nations working together can overcome danger ..." The French President, Jacques Chirac, said the occasion was "an opportunity to say to America and to Americans just how deeply grateful we are to them today".
All in all, a touching commentary about heroes and heroic principles that saved the world, at least for a time, from the fangs of tyranny.
One of my all-time favorite documentaries is called In the Face of Evil. It was inspired and based upon the book entitled Reagan's War by Peter Schweizer, which I would also recommend. Throughout the documentary, the narrator referrs to the forces of tyranny, whether they be Trotskyism, Bolshevism, Marxism, Communism, Naziism, or Radical Fundamentalist Islam and its terrorists, as "The Beast." I thought this labeling very clever and effective. After all, oppressive power in the hands of evil can be considered as nothing other than "beastly." Through a touching chronicle of the struggle of good versus evil, the documentary shows how, time and again, the forces of good banded together to fight back the oppressive forces of the Beast.
May those of us that treasure freedom always be willing to fight the Beast in its every form; whenever it presents itself at our towers, our Marine barracks, our airports, our bus stations, our subways, or wherever it may be found. The Beast manifests itself as oppressive governments, terrorist theocracies, and corrupt corporations - but the root of the Beast is always the same: power lust, greed, pride, envy, and hate. And the Beast always feasts upon the same thing - weakness, ignorance, and indifference. Therefore, the best way to constantly stand in the way of the Beast is to be strong, informed, and involved.
As Edmund Burke said: "The only thing necessary for Evil to flourish is for good men to do nothing."
