In May of 2017, I wrote an article entitled I Ain’t Superstitious about superstition, the art of false news, and a quote by Winston Churchill, which is surprisingly accurate today. Fans of Eye of the Moon will recognize some elements from the novel in the article.
By way of introduction the following quote is from Winston Churchill before the House of Commons on May 2, 1935:
“When the situation was manageable it was neglected, and now that it is thoroughly out of hand we apply too late the remedies which then might have effected a cure. There is nothing new in the story. It is as old as the Sibylline books. It falls into that long, dismal catalogue of the fruitlessness of experience and the confirmed unteachability of mankind. Want of foresight, unwillingness to act when action would be simple and effective, lack of clear thinking, confusion of counsel until the emergency comes, until self-preservation strikes its jarring gong – these are the features which constitute the endless repetition of history.”
Churchill’s reference to the Sibylline books is of interest. Please note: We’re still here eighty-five years later, and in spite of any indications to the contrary, we will be around for a great deal longer. It’s what we do.