Democracy Requires Backbone

On the sixtieth anniversary of World War II, we can ponder the events that led up to the greatest calamity the world has ever known.

The Adelaide Advertiser article "War of the World" July 26, is instructive in the current environment. However, more should have been made of events that led up to the great calamity. In the 2 decades preceding WWII, the League of Nations, a for runner of United Nations, offered continuous strongly worded protest letters to the 3 axis dictatorships, who were arrogantly committing crimes against humanity in Europe, Indo China and Africa.

USA, Britain and France offered continuous appeasement to placate Hitler, Mussolini and Tojo and call upon reason to prevail. The axis trio continued on their murderous path and with each of their successive crimes against defenceless people built an ever stronger military.

History does consign those who forget the past to for ever repeat it. Fortunately, Australia, Britain and USA today do have the backbone in its leadership to stand for democracy, as so ably demonstrated by our Prime Minister John Howard in Iraq on Monday .