Si vis pacem, para bellum

Winston Churchill believed that World War II could easily have been avoided, that it was an unnecessary war. Instead, the world suffered the bloodiest conflict in human history.

While Hitler was busy rearming Germany, the whole world looked on, refusing to believe what it was seeing with its own eyes. Refusing to believe that another World War was possible. Refusing to rearm sufficiently to ensure that another World War did not happen. Hoping appeasement would work. It never does.

Until war did come. Finding the world unprepared.

War finds you. You cannot hide from it, hoping that a neutrality clause in your constitution will spare you from being invaded by a Hitler. Or a Putin. You cannot escape it, thinking that the war is someone else’s war. That it’s none of your business. It’s never someone else’s war. Right and wrong are always everybody’s business. It’s never an option sitting on the fence in the face of evil.

The EPP is right in suggesting that the EU should have it’s own defence arrangements. Let’s stop making this a partisan issue. It’s not about being a jingo. It’s about ensuring peace.

Si vis pacem, para bellum. If you want peace, prepare for war.