Stephen. Green. Ugh.

Stephen Green, who is incredibly smug, even by the standards of the blogosphere attempts to "Fisk" Pat Buchanan for questioning the wisdom of US entry in to the Second World War. In my favorite part, Green writes, "Besides, this country was not going to go to war with an ally, no matter how monstrous, not after having just concluded three years of war and suffering a million casualties. It was Not. Going. To Happen." Geez. Stop. Being. Such. A. Jerk.

Green then describes two alternative scenarios of what might have happened had the US and Great Britain not gone to war against Hitler, followed by this: "These are historical facts. Buchanan knows them. He's hoping you don't." No. These Are. Stephen Green's. Opinions.

It is good that Buchanan continues to bring up subjects that our betters don't want discussed -- Green smarms that World Net Daily, "should have known better than to publish" Buchanan's Column. Buchanan should also raise the topic of how the allies fought the war some time. Thomas Fleming produced a book-length "Fisking" of Roosevelt and his war effort a few years ago, which Green would do well to read. The main object of his ire was Roosevelt's "unconditonal surrender" policy which prolonged the War. Fleming speculates (and unlike Green he knows the difference between his opinions and facts) that Hitler might have been done in by his generals in early 1943 after a stinging defeat on the Eastern Front had Roosevelt not announced that policy.

I think that the good guys won in World War II, and we got a lot of great movies out of it. But the reality of the war; and how the allies entered and fought it became much more complex to me when I ceased getting my history from John Wayne Movies.