Obama, McCain, and Irving Berlin, on the lessons of history

By Thomas Lifson

How quickly Americans forget the difficult and bloody lessons of the past! Human culture, prior to the invention of mass media, remembered the lessons of war via song ("Mine eyes of seen the glory...."). Prior to the post-60s emergence of mass media bent on trashing America, our cultural icons insisted that we remember, and used the communications technology at hand. Probably the greatest of all American songwriters, Irving Berlin, wrote a song during World War II to remind us of the importance of winning this time, so we won't have to go back and fight again, a theme John McCain touched up in last night's debate several times.

Bookworm noticed the similarity of themes between the great songwriter and the war hero, and fashioned a post for her site Bookworm Room. Courtesy of her hard work, here is a video clip from the 1943 patriotic film (yes, there used to be patriotic films -- it was called the "Golden Age of Holluwood") This is the Army, containing the song.

Here are the lyrics to the Berlin song:

Twas not so long ago we sailed to meet the foe
And thought our fighting days were done
We thought 'twas over then but now we're in again
To win the war that wasn't won
[Refrain:]
This time, we will all make certain
That this time is the last time

This time, we will not say ‘Curtain'
Till we ring it down in their own home town

For this time, we are out to finish
The job we started then

Clean it up for all time this time
So we won't have to do it again

Dressed up to win
We're dressed up to win
Dressed up for victory
We are just beginning
And we won't stop winning
Till the world is free

[Coda:]
We'll fight to the finish this time
And we'll never have to do it again

If Obama wins and pulls our troops out of Iraq according to his own rigid timetable, we may have to re=learn this lesson at a cost unthinkable to us now.