FDR’S wisdom

To the Editor:

Winston Churchill: Cheerio, Franklin! How are things in Washington?

FDR: Hello, Winnie! Grim, here. How about in London?

Churchill: Awful. The bloody Nazis have been bombing us for months. They’re planning an attack across the Channel. Our planes can’t compete with theirs and our food supplies are running low. At least our people are united against this superior force. We desperately need America’s help, Franklin.

FDR: I wish I could help, Winston, but my Republican friends insist that you give us your strategy for winning this war. The Speaker of the House asked, “What’s the objective? What’s the endgame? How are we going to have proper oversight of the funds? We need a clear articulation of the strategy to allow them to win.”

Churchill: Our “objective? Our “strategy?” Franklin, my “objective” is to simply survive and not be swallowed up by Hitler. Strategy? Fight them! Preserve my country! That’s my “strategy.” Your Republicans are ridiculous. Can’t you talk sense to them?

FDR: I’d love to, Winnie, but you know them. These America Firsters can’t see that helping save you will help save ourselves; if you don’t survive, this dictator will be encouraged to attack even more countries and America will be left more and more alone.

Churchill: We’re not asking for your troops, Franklin. We simply need the tools to defend ourselves.

FDR: Sorry, Winnie. Republicans win.

This conversation didn’t exactly happen. Roosevelt told Americans that, “We must be the great arsenal of democracy. For us, this is an emergency as serious as war itself.”

We sent them more than 50 outdated American destroyers, passed Lend-lease and Britain survived. Parallels? Putin doesn’t have a funny little mustache, but he’s a killer and the latest Hitler. Are we as wise as Roosevelt, or will today’s Maga/americafirsters — and Putin — win in Ukraine?

Gary Sipperley

Twain Harte