Today is the 90th anniversary of Lloyd George's address to the American Club in London following the entry into the Great War of those United States.
Lloyd George praised the tradition of "never having engaged in war except for liberty." He called it a war for liberty, democracy, and the end of war. He uttered some baloney – resembling the Whig Theory of History – about rise out of autocracy for America, France, and now Russia.
The British Prime Minister did have some truth:
I don't mind saying that I rejoice even more in the knowledge that America is going to win the right to be at the conference table when the terms of peace are being discussed. That conference will settle the destiny of nations – the course of human life – for God knows how many ages.
A single conference didn't settle it, although the Versailles Conference was important, but Woodrow Wilson got to have his say about the post-war order, oh yes. Stalin, Hitler, and modern democracy, with its soft totalitarianism, oh yes. Something to rejoice about, oh yes!
Who is this Lloyd George to lecture about liberty? He and his comrades had emasculated the House of Lords, so it wouldn't be in the way of their agenda of expanding government. Who is this Lloyd George to lecture about Prussian militarism? Germany had tried to engage in world trade peacefully, but had been bullied by the Royal Navy. Who is this Lloyd George to promise liberty?
Where is my liberty? Has anybody else seen it the last 9 decades? Is it because I've only been around about a third of that time I haven't seen it? Is it because I haven't lived in a country party to the Great War I haven't seen it? No that can't be it, for I have. Or is it because I haven't seen the light of democracy I haven't seen it?
Where is that time machine?!?
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