[thorn bird]

So here we are in crisis again, the lessons of history completely ignored, The parallels and threats are almost identical.

A country ruined by a bloody war to end all wars which ended in defeat. The population left humiliated, resentful and poverty stricken. Out of the ashes of that war they acquiesced to a tyrant who promised to restore their place in the world by building an empire via force of arms. This ultimately lead to another war when despite the strident warnings of statesmen like Churchill, the unprepared world finally woke up and realised that Tyrants will do what Tyrants do, ignoring their ruthless expansionism was self defeating folly. Realising that everyone was threatened, the western world had to rapidly prepare to fight another war in Europe, blissfully ignoring an oriental threat that lay on the other side of the world, who chose to take the opportunity, while the world was distracted, to expand their empire via force of arms thus drawing the whole world into conflict.

Of that war a tyrant was defeated and a imperialist nation crushed at great cost in treasure and lives.
Despite warnings again from Churchill, out of the ashes another tyrant arose, created a regime that threatened the world yet again, armageddon never seemed far away. Fortunately after many close calls economics defeated that regime before a major war eventuated.

Have things changed in the modern era? Did we learn the lessons of the past century?

I would suggest not. Buoyed by 70 years of relative peace we have been lulled into a false sense of security ignoring the Mantra "Hope for the best, but plan for the worst"

Once again we are facing an imperialistic tyrant in Europe and an opportunistic regime in Asia, completely unprepared. We may not be so lucky this time.