Why Churchill was a racist | Tariq Ali interview

[@ThomasDooley-lb1pz]

I can remember my grandmother in Liverpool telling me that she hated Churchill for sending armed police against striking workers. She and many of her generation were no supporters of the man.

[@raymondrowson]

Thomas he sent a battle ship up the Mersey ready to fire on us , I still can’t believe that he was voted the greatest Briton not so long ago he was an absolute twat

[@HumanBeingsRThinkingBeings]

Mind Begs the Question: Hitler - Jews unsafe to German Values,Identity If Politicians/Govts - Muslims unsafe to Western Values,Identity Practicing Hitlers mein kampf,no?

[@gwyneth7812]

Many others from Liverpool would hate him too if they knew the truth of the sinking of the Lusitania. There is a good documentary film on youtube called 'Murder on the Atlantic' with good facts in it i believe from what i have researched (Churchill was first lord of the admiralty at the time and 'wanted' the sinking to get the US to join the war). My great grandfather lived on the Wirral, was one of the helmsmen and lost his life/was killed on the Lusitania.

[@minui8758]

Same here! My Gran (would now be 95 now but we lost her 7 years ago) hated the man! Thought of him as a great betrayer of the post war social reform project, an untrustworthy aristocrat, and if she’d been alive to see all the info on the Bengali stuff would have hated him for that too

[@bobbuilder3687]

They were in the end. Everyone was

[@capt.bart.roberts4975]

I met Churchill, one of school friends had his old nanny, her mum was head of Roedean. He smelt of expensive whiskey and cigars. When I told mum who I'd met, she sat me down and told me the story of The Welsh Miners.

[@noelpucarua2843]

The you realised it was the whiff of sulphur you'd smelt.

[@Pippins666]

And the story your mum told you was utter bollocks - Churchill recalled the troops that someone else had sent.

[@onanysundrymule3144]

​@@Pippins666You said similar under another comment re the Glasgow strikers. As home Secretary then, was Winston not in control, or was he always drunk down at the club whilst underlings ran the country, is that what you are suggesting?

[@Pippins666]

@@onanysundrymule3144 link please to my comment about the Glasgow strikers

[@gregmoore167]

His favourite whiskey was Johnny Walker red label...very cheap whiskey...stop with ur cheap shots!

[@aamirkhan6692]

If Germany won that war, Churchill and Stalin would have been labelled as the enemy of the world, and all of us would have nodded along.

[@JoaquinTazabi]

Sadly very true

[@Peacelover123-t7i]

Many of us we ould have been totally dead!!

[@rodgerhargoon3402]

Ali should also tell the world how many Hindus were killed by his Muslim brothers during their loot and rule in India ...churchill gave them Pakistan....please let the world know how your churchhill jinnah and mount batten divided india for your benefit ....

[@misterscruffy1289]

Now I can see why Pierce Morgan has never had him on his show, he would tear Morgan to pieces.

[@SB-ct9mk]

He only bring highschool droupout.

[@rare_wulf9358]

Just saw a 23 year old name Jackson Hinkle destroy a much older but not wise😅 Pierce Morgan in a interview.

[@cassandra-v4y]

@@SB-ct9mk Richard Dawkins, Neil deGrasse Tyson ?

[@bipolarminddroppings]

You can't even spell the man's name...

[@keithmartin1328]

Piers Morgan would just talk over and yell at him. "He saved Britain...". "You're being woke..." Etc. That's how the interview would go on TalkTV or GB news.

[@maelughran6981]

You only need to look as far as Ireland to see the consequences of Churchill's bigoted form of racism. One of the leading architects of the divisive, colonial determination to retain strategic territory the British had occupied for centuries, covering a significant portion of the province of Ulster, a quintessential part of what was traditional, Gaelic Ireland. It was Churchill played a major role in ensuring Ireland's partition. It is no coincidence that British schools do not educate pupils about the way the Irish were treated over the centuries.

[@shmug1968]

No, the only history taught in schools is about how evil Hitler was and that they won the second world war. The colonial men, African and Indians, who died in fighting the disgusting war are never mentioned.

[@Zeitaluq]

Ireland is interesting as over the centuries it ebb and flow. The various dynasties such as Normans, Tudors and in the modern times the William periodic era saw Ireland being reinvaded or lost and reinvaded although a place called Ulster the plantations was particularly valuable for Anglo-Scotch settlers. To be fair British schools do not educate people about the working class here or social struggles in 19th century like Chartists. There is football and 'news; whilst oligarchs own everything. Education system began in industrial revolution, when instead of dragging coal from deep mines on their backs children needed to learn how to push buttons on mechanical machines making cotton. Hence the three Rs were not really education for British workers.

[@gangadharhiremath7306]

All super powers have colonial mindset. The new economic powers like India and China too are following the brutal nationalist rightwing ideas of the 20th century west. China in Tibet,xingiang,India in J&K and north west are text book cases of colonial oppressions.

[@chocolatesugar4434]

I never once heard of this side of Churchill at school or whenever he is spoken about. He’s only ever praised to the highest honour by brits. This really says a lot, that he never seems to be criticised for this. It’s just never spoken about; it’s all hush hush.

[@bigmac786]

it was normal to be racist back then, it still is, we just aren't open about it like before. I wouldn't judge people back then in the same manner as we do now in terms of racism. Moreover, we are just as racist today, we just pretend not to be to appear good. Every person of every race is a bit racist, some obviously more than others but it is in our DNA to distrust other groups and favour our own. It's partly why our species are still kicking around after all these years. We are all animals when it comes down to that.

[@najmussaharbangash6924]

Mr Ali, you come across the "our young Tariq Ali" that we learnt to consider as ours while growing up. Bravo - keep it going.

[@Goonerette75]

Try telling churchill lovers about his role in the Bengali famine. They're so deluded, they think either it's made up or they'll use the old line "If it wasn't for him, we'd be speaking German".

[@susantunbridge4612]

If it wasn't for Canada's support is more like it.

[@RAIVEN.]

Also Russia and the US

[@paulwilliams561]

“Why Gandhi hadn’t died yet” In September 1943 Churchill appointed Field Marshal Archibald Wavell Viceroy of India. Arthur Herman noted the irony: Churchill, long blamed for ignoring it, had appointed the very man “who would halt the famine in its tracks.”2 Wavell’s and Churchill’s actions to ease the famine are explained elsewhere. (See links in endnotes 2 and 10.) We focus here only on the specific misrepresentation of Churchill in two frequently quoted books.3 Both cite Wavell’s diary from July 1944: “Winston sent me a peevish telegram to ask why Gandhi hadn’t died yet! He has never answered my telegram about food.” Wavell did write this,4 but it was not a quote-and fairly peevish itself. Why don’t the critics publish what Churchill actually said? Here it is: Surely Mr. Gandhi has made a most remarkable recovery, as he is already able to take an active part in politics. How does this square with the medical reports upon which his release on grounds of ill-health was agreed to by us? In one of these we were told that he would not be able to take any part in politics again.5 Wavell replied that Gandhi had been released from detention because it was thought he was near death, but it “can hardly be said to have resumed an active part in politics yet.” Wavell added: “His release has not worsened [the] situation on the whole and I am clear it was right and justified.”6 Churchill did not contest this, and the correspondence ended. “He has never answered my telegram about food” Mr. Jungkow did not investigate Wavell’s complaint that Churchill hadn’t answered him about food, but that has a qualification too. Published documents reveal that Wavell’s requests for food mainly went to Leo Amery, Secretary of State for India.7 It is odd that Amery, often described as India’s sympathizer, is never cited for what he did to ease the Famine. Which as it turns out, was a lot less than Churchill and Wavell. And Amery’s diaries, so often used to manufacture nasty Churchill quotes about Indians, are laced with racial pejoratives that Churchill never used.8 This misrepresentation is peculiar in its timing: July 1944, when the Famine was easing. In January Bengal received 130,000 tons of Iraqi barley, 80,000 tons of Australian wheat (with 100,000 more to come), 10,000 from Canada. Wavell wanted more, so on 14 February, Churchill called an emergency meeting of the War Cabinet. Could they find more grain without wrecking plans for D-Day? In April, Churchill declared that “his sympathy was great for the sufferings of the people of India.”9 The War Cabinet referred him to Roosevelt. Churchill duly expressed “serious concern” to FDR, saying Australia had a million tons but he lacked the shipping. Could America help? No, said the President, U.S. shipping was stretched thin for D-Day and the Pacific. Churchill kept at it, wrote Zareer Masani. “By the end of 1944 Wavell’s much-requested one million additional tons had been secured from Australia and the allied South East Asia Command…”10 Churchill’s actual words to Wavell referred to Gandhi’s “fasts to death,” not the Famine. Lots of blame to go round Another prominent figure never questioned for ignoring the famine is Gandhi himself. “For all his reputation as a humanitarian,” wrote Arthur Herman, Gandhi did remarkably little about the emergency. The issue barely comes up in his letters, except as another grievance against the Raj. Yet in peacetime throughout the 20th century, the Raj always handled famines with efficiency. In February 1944 Gandhi wrote to Wavell: “I know that millions outside are starving for want of food. But I should feel utterly helpless if I went out and missed the food [i.e. independence] by which alone living becomes worthwhile.” Gandhi felt free to conduct his private “fast unto death” even as the rest of India starved.11 Leo Amery, however little he’d done to help, was still offering advice as the famine ended. Acknowledging “His Majesty’s Government’s help over food grains,” he advised Churchill: “…you may say that you cried wolf unnecessarily to [Roosevelt], and you may wish to send him a personal telegram explaining that the additional 200,000 tons has only been found by a drastic cutting down of our military maintenance provision….” Churchill wrote on Amery’s original: “I do not propose to send a personal telegram on this. Will you be so kind as to explain the matter to the State Department, quoting my personal [appeal] to the President as the key?”12 It would appear that Amery, like Wavell, expected the Prime Minister to attend every detail of the famine problem personally.

[@paulwilliams561]

Again people like u don't know history but take the opinion of what one communist says And think they do

[@ramasoma2746]

If the Americans did not come to help the British they would be speaking German now with the German Royals. Rotisserie are no better than Nazis.

[@fnkwhite6382]

Two things my grandfather drove churchill on occasion during the war he hated him , my father who served in the 8th army had two hates Montgomery who he called a prissy queen and churchill who he thought a fat entitled twat.

[@RadiantStar8997]

Good.

[@henryb160]

He was also a bankrupt drunk forever indebted to Jews...didn't he bother to mention that?

[@andrewruddy962]

👍

[@bigkuriboh3814]

Who gives a shit about your grandfather and what he thinks?

[@imperialmotoring3789]

Your grandfather sounds like a loser.

[@pauljosephbuggle3722]

As an Irishman with a decent knowledge of our history, I can assert that Churchill was an English colonialist exceptionalist. He was an anti-Irish bigot who didn't want us to have our freedom.

[@dianamincher6479]

And the Irish refuse to attend their own parliament?

[@briancarton1804]

@@dianamincher6479 What parliament are you referring to?

[@charliecatesby3346]

I mean it could be argued that up until that point England had been quite exceptional. Ireland and it's history would have fared no differently with any other powerful, successful neughbour regardless of it's culture. The only historical scenario in which Ireland didn't suffer colonialism would be if they had been the half of the islands of Britain to outpace their eastern neighbours, at this point they would become the colonisers.

[@HughCurranAedh]

What you are saying is unclear. "...outpace their eastern neighbours". What does thid mean? Do you mean "outpace" in terms of industrialism? Colonizing is not just conquering and dispossessing and appropriating the resources and setting English landlords as overlords for 300 years; it is also the denigration of language and culture. @@charliecatesby3346

[@noblemann4898]

Churchill thought that the Irish were crazy in not wanting to be British

[@mariannehancock8282]

I was at the cemetery at a centenary event in Wales where we lay wreaths on the graves of two young men who had been shot by Churchill's troops. The local teacher had written a meticulous documentary book on the subject. In his Churchill book, Boris Johnson denied this had ever happened; he said it was 'tripe'.

[@CerdicTheGreat]

Of course Johnson called it tripe. He belittles all and can't tell the truth.

[@yobomojo7967]

Does the deaths of two men somehow overpower the saving of the lives of tens of millions and the stopping of facism?

[@kevanbodsworth9868]

What is that meant to say,, I live where there are thousands of graves of young men women and children killed by "Churchill's troops " I live in Germany, ...You make war you confront the State with violence you take the risk it will work out badly, Such claims as the ones made by Ali are just a load of bunkum, No context history by people seeking advantage, The short clip below tells the reality of the incident you refer to, But usually people prefer to stay with the myths to embrace their enmities,

[@kevanbodsworth9868]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/paTKf6Gdma-siqs

[@Thomas-lg6jx]

Boring boris the commie puppet.

[@eshaibraheem4218]

This is my lucky day; an interview with Tareq Ali cropped up and now this and others have turned up. Many thanks.

[@bocjagne2878]

It saddens me that in my country the Gambia, there is a place named after him called Churchill's town. If only we really knew who this guy was!

[@bipolarminddroppings]

History will look back on us just as unkindly. The moral goalposts are a moving target and we will be judged to have missed it just as much as anyone else.

[@bocjagne2878]

@@dogboy5398 You must be off your rocker, you twit lol. The guy stood up and fought against racism and oppression, in his own land, and you label him a murderer?? Anyway, it's a marvellous idea to rename it Mandela Town so I'll credit you with that lol.

[@bibbiana4Lyfe]

Black children everywhere are only presented with flattering views of Churchill and other historical figures while our own heroes are minimized. Thank God for the internet and social media. We can learn the truth.

[@bibbiana4Lyfe]

​@@dogboy5398He is absolutely 100% a hero!

[@bocjagne2878]

@@dogboy5398 Well, the entire world sees and recognizes him as a hero except you 😂😂

[@niccolamachiavelli8094]

It was ironic that when Churchill made his famous speech "We will fight them on the beaches......." there was an aircraft on stand-by to take him, his Cabinet and the Royal Family to America if Germany invaded the UK

[@user-mg3xr9tz7m]

Oh you forgot the new motto he was about to release when Germany was on the eve of winning the battle of Britain…. You can always take one with you Planning to give arms to women, children and elderly to do that. Same Hitler did in 45 and till today called despicable and it is indeed but what does it say about Churchill?

[@rosem5041]

Wow😮 thanks for the input. History lessons in school don’t teach you anything of the sort, except that Churchill was a popular and charismatic leader.

[@boota1979]

@niccolamachiavelli8094 Wrong, my Grandfather was heavily involved in the evacuation plan. From the beginning of the war there was a RN ship docked at Scapa Flow which was ready to take the RF and the government to Canada. Like my Grandfather said he had no idea which beach etc Churchill would be fighting from, but it sure as hell wouldn't be in the UK.

[@anthonyimms4531]

Rubbish

[@stevenbanowich8089]

My dad used to say that

[@cassandra2249]

British workers did support the Empire, that is true, but I see that as a form of gaslighting from the ruling class. A lot of them didn't recognise their own enslavement.

[@Left_it]

But why does that really change anything? The point is the privileged layer of the working class ultimately sold out the working class as a whole

[@cassandra2249]

​@@Left_it That was especially true with Thatcherite policies. Divide and rule, always a good tactic for the ruling class.

[@PerishingForLackOfKnowledge]

Nothing has changed. Capitalism only comes to kill, steal, and destroy, yet workers keep themselves enslaved too it. They’ll die for it. That’s some damn good brainwashing.

[@SiphoGwale]

Facts

[@cassandra2249]

Couldn't agree more.

[@johnroche6333]

Hi Tariq i am a few years younger than you, and when i was growing up it was the time of the skinheads and i was one,uneducated inner London Brixton Streatham youth who really didn’t have clue, and in the course of my work met a gentleman Who was educated and who helped me to become educated as in no longer being a racist and believe it or not it was your self that he used to educate me,god bless Tariq ,and as a great Irish man used to sign off with and may your god go with you.

[@tia904]

What a nice story and comment.

[@michellenorris8471]

The former Queen Elizabeth II's husband, Prince Philip the Duke of Edinburgh, had 3 sisters who were all married to German SS Officers during World War 2, it is all an enormous farce!!!

[@mugekolukisa783]

Loved Dave Allen.😊❤

[@newtagwhodis4535]

Thank you for having the moral courage to stand for the liberty of all people against tyranny. There are geniuses, luminaries and revolutionaries of all stripes and solidarity is of working people and kf liberation is where it starts. Don't let the flame of righteous indignation be snuffed by convenient bigotry. They keep us punching our neighbors instead of punching up.

[@eteneshtefera2582]

♥️🙏👌🙏🙏♥️🙌🏽🙌🏽

[@allypoum]

Churchill was a figure of hate among most of the adults I grew up with in 1960s Glasgow. Funny how people forget. It's a living memory thing I suppose.

[@bipolarminddroppings]

No, its that history tends to judge people less harshly than those who hated them would like. Churchill was a man of his age, by our standards he was a terrible person, but thats the benefit of hindsight.

[@HdHd-hp6qz]

@ bipolarminddroppings A man of his age ? Giving the go ahead to use chemical warfare against the Iraqis in the 1930s ?? I don’t think any man in 2023 or 1923 would see that as an honourable or justified way of fighting a war. Churchill was a cruel evil man in his own right.

[@ciaranryan5265]

@@bipolarminddroppings 'Man of his age'?, what date is the cut-off point by which we accept murder, genocide, racism, sexism, imperialism, etc. I can assure you there were plenty of people who called all this out in the early part of 20th centuary.

[@kljmaq]

Glaswegians hate everybody. 🤢

[@charliecatesby3346]

He was a politician, that goes with the territory. He has been singled out in the common memory because of his leadership in WW2, without this there would be no confusion in him being railed against for his shortcomings. What has happened is that this wartime leadership has served to negate all of his failures, ironically in much the same way as this video tries to use his racism to negate any of his successes.

[@nimagol]

This is the kind of stuff you don’t see in corporate media

[@sdlsaves]

Nor these fake churches

[@archiebald4717]

Because it is utter nonsense.

[@umimohamed2323]

@@archiebald4717how?

[@mudra5114]

Corporate media is Marxist media.

[@rodgerhargoon3402]

They write history to suit their lord and ladies.. and they think that the whole world is dammed stupid.... their greatness is long gone with the wind...

[@NsanzeJimmy1]

It’s really refreshing to see and hear Someone who lives in Europe humble to recognize these things, which many Europeans don’t want to sit down and talk about.

[@daydreamer-ix2bo]

Interviewer is a genius so intelligent like damn this man Knows his stuff......man's just amazzzzing

[@krishnabhatt3377]

Tariq Ali is a lonely figure now since he is so well read and speaks his mind. Far more erudite than any other public intellectual around. Thanks for this interview.

[@peterreston6478]

A very impressive man blessed with integrity and wisdom. I agree that, where it is warranted, statues should have two plaques and not knocked down although some times statue bashing can have unexpected consequences. In Victoria, BC, Canada a statue of Captain James Cook was knocked down by protesters. It didn't need much knocking because it was made of fibreglass. Many local people were appalled by the stinginesses of the city council that put it up.

[@aromaseawater1492]

This is the type of human that I can respect. Would love to meet him.

[@alexoller22]

​@@peterreston6478 Literally a hero with fiberglass feet ... 😂

[@jimseltzer2002]

I am glad he is a lonely figure -he should leave here and take all his self hating followers and move somewhere that history suits him. Mars perhaps.

[@KashmiriNamak]

When you approach subjects in a purely academic method more often then not truths are uncovered. Uncomfortable truths for establishments across the globe.

[@dare2dreamd2d23]

I fell asleep, I awoke and thought, I know that voice, Tariq! Thought, he had passed. Glad to see he's still here.

[@nedhappened3085]

Ireland had a population of 8 million and the UK 12 million at 1801 during the act of union. Role on the exploitation of Ireland, about 2 million dead, 2 million emigrated and just over 3 million left in Ireland. The British empire exploited everyone. 😥

[@Darren-fm3pe]

Nope! Every nation in British Empire joined because they wanted they're dinner. Fact.

[@P.H.888]

@@Darren-fm3pewhy are so many people of all backgrounds clambering over each other to get into Britain 🇬🇧?? 🧐

[@KabulMM]

@@P.H.888 To take it over😂

[@eamonnleyden7040]

To get there stolen wealth back

[@denroy3]

Too fn bad.

[@Kotch111]

What Churchill did to the Irish and Welsh has never been forgotten nor forgiven. Worst kind of English Imperialist.

[@stephenholmes1036]

Im Irish are you? We can speak for ourselves we dont need your patronising white liberal crap. Churchill was respected by Micheal Collins and vice versa. He didnt do us much harm he didnt get on with De' Valera many didnt in Eire a marmite Taosach. We dont need white English liberals help thank you Malcolm X was right about white liberals! They cannot be trusted and bite you from behind

[@henryb160]

Actually he was half American and part Irish. As for the Welsh? Churchill simply prefered the Jews to the Welsh because the Jews paid off his debts and elevated him to 'greatness'. That's why he happily sent the troops in to put down the Welsh uprisings against the Jews during the summer of 1911.

[@babaganoush6106]

@@henryb160 he was no friend to the English either; having put troops and armed the police on the streets of London in 1912.

[@seansands424]

Churchill Worst kind full stop

[@seansands424]

Black and tans again

[@Troutower]

I read your book on Churchill, which was excellent. I have since read more of your books. I really enjoyed ‘Rough Music’. To think that Churchill is considered by millions to be the greatest Englishman who ever lived is rather scary. But then again our social media and many posts/videos on here are scary, anti-Muslim, racist, ill-informed, ignorant and bigoted. Who knows where this country is going. You are a breath of fresh air. Long may you continue.

[@davidpayant8684]

My mother was a historian of English history. She recognized the flaws in Churchill. She said the British public had the good sense not to elect him after the war. He was an awful military tactician. He was behind the foolish invasion of Turkey in WW1. He said that it was wise to invade Italy in WW2. “The soft underbelly of Europe”. He was so stupid as to disregard the difficulty of fighting in mountains. The good thing he did was to mobilize the English language in the fight against Hitler. His speeches were important in resisting Hitler. He was a great writer too albeit a bigot of the first order. 🐝🐝

[@tonyatthebeach]

He convinced the Allies to invade Italy before the Normandy landings not because he thought it was easier but to protect the British Empire shipping routes in the Mediterranean. The Americans didn't realise this until the invasion was in full force

[@indeed8211]

hang on calm down there's several flaws with what you were saying Churchill was was super racist but he is not as stupid as you are making it out to be 1. the invasion of Italy was because war support was declining and there was elements of rebellion the invasion finally made the rest stop sitting on the fence and depose Mussolini which happened the Mediterranean being secured for allied shipping was always at the forefront of planning no one was tricked or deceived 2. the disaster of Gallipoli was mostly actually the UK media's fault they are the ones that bragged about it in the news paper the invasion of Turkey was also an ANZAC battle not a British one the British did very little fighting as they sat on the beaches "resting" waiting for Australia and New Zealand to do all the work Gallipoli was so horrific that Churchill developed PTSD from it and tried to postpone D day and even forget about it entirely instead trying to secure Italy and move men into Austria and France he was more supportive of the invasion of Italy because it was going to be primarily airborne invasion of Turkey affected him more than you seem to realize two nations treated like shit so few returned sent to slaughter irreversibly damaging both nations close ties to the UK and will to support future war efforts and he knew it

[@tonyatthebeach]

@@indeed8211 According to eminent historians, Churchill had his own agenda from the start of the war and pushed hard for the invsasion of Italy to suit his plans: The “Soft Underbelly” US and British objectives were not the same. The British wanted to restore and protect the prewar empire, including the routes through Gibraltar and Suez to their colonies and possessions in Africa and Asia. The Americans regarded the Mediterranean and Middle East as a distraction from the main task of taking on the Germans. They were not interested in preservation of the British Empire. The Americans did find the operation harder than envisaged, thus the quoted 'tough old gut'

He sank the entire French navy which was waiting to fight on the Allied side.

[@stirlingmoss9637]

But the British reelected him the next time around. Your mother clearly knows some history but not enough to make such sweeping statements.

[@billybobkingston5604]

Greetings from Ireland, great talk, very interesting

[@davelong9055]

Chrisum

[@NgugiKamau-rr3zp]

Thanks for this enlightenment especially those dark plans for Kenya my country.britain did indeed commit genocide in Kenya, forceful removal of populations no different from what Germany did! pressure has been applied to successive Kenyan governments to keep these crimes against humanity under wraps.we demand Nuremberg courts to open for the hearing of these British crimes in open court

[@rajasmasala]

I fully believe the British atoning for their crimes is currently one of the few things that can save the current polity from descent into eternally worsening mismanagement.

[@andrewruddy962]

I understand, an Irishman.

[@mauranolan843]

I so admired Tariq Ali it’s great to listen to him once more.

[@PhillipHilton]

Tariq Ali makes a great point in regards to Churchill. Churchill is either portrayed as 'a saint' or 'a demon.' There is 'no nuance' at all about how he is characterised in the public discourse. He was an effective war time leader but he was also responsible for Gallipoli, sent the 'Black and Tans' into Ireland and diverted food from India and Australia(which was bound for India) to Britain leading to millions of Indians starving to death. Those are just his 'greatest hits.' I like Ali's idea about putting a 'left column' and a 'right column' of just the acts and the facts. History is complex, context dependant and complexly nuanced. We need to get a lot better at putting weights on both sides of the scales and making up our own minds. Thats progression.

[@crescentsi]

Really great comment for a more balanced and less sensationalistic perspective!

[@arunjetli7909]

would you say the same about Hitler

[@PhillipHilton]

@@arunjetli7909 would you?

[@arunjetli7909]

@@PhillipHilton no i eould not and neither eould i say anything positive about Churchill he was an accidental prime minister intellectually snd ethically challenged

[@arunjetli7909]

i meant would sorry for the typo

[@CarlyonProduction]

Ali is brilliant. Great interview

[@capt.bart.roberts4975]

I could listen to Mr. Ali all day, but things to be, and people to do! 🔥😈🔥

[@michaelodonnell824]

Mr Ali is 100% correct. The whole of Britain was totally behind the Empire. No matter how you put it, it wasn't Churchill who was the English Landladies who openly and proudly erected signs "No Black, No Dogs, No Irish". And not a single English person has ever disowned those sentiments...

[@Thequietestquiet2875]

"not a single English person....." not true

[@MartinJames389]

Statues are not history. They often distort and misrepresent history, not in words but by their very presence, to which people attach what is effectively fantasy. They also distort by their size and position. Statues of people worthy of admiration rarely exist, or in the few cases where they do, they are usually relatively small and obscure compared with those of genocidal criminals, thieves and exploiters. Look at the large equestrian statue of Charles I ("the man of bloud") at the top of Whitehall, and there's one of Cromwell in the grounds of parliament (also a "man of blood" in Drogheda and other massacres). But where are the statues of John Lilburne, Gerard Winstanley, Thomas Rainsborough, Hester Biddle and other such people of those times? I don't want any and I'm sure they wouldn't have. I ask, with Hester Biddle (only without god) "Did not the Lord make all men and women upon the earth of one mould, why then should there be so much honour and respect unto some men and women, and not unto others, but they are almost naked for want of Cloathing, and almost starved for want of Bread?"

[@whatsthatnow308]

Excellent comment.

[@NoaChonky]

Yes, distorted history, but history. The sort of history that we shouldn’t repeat. Good example of what Japan was doing until this last year - forgetting it’s past and revisiting it with different eyes. Statues allow us to be disgusted every day to not forget the type of countries we have developed, ingrained in those figures and wars. It’s my opinion that we would probably forget the nasty past we have if we didn’t have those statues. Do most people know about this nasty past? No, but that’s where the type of stuff Tariq Ali is talking about is effective. Would be a great moment for our countries if we had, like the example he gave, the current plaque showing how we used to portray that person in the statue and another one showing how we now see that person. That would be very enlightening! It can’t forget that we need to, above all, learn about all these people from the past because nowadays new statues and monuments alike are being built for modern figures that are doing very similar things that the ones on old statues did…

[@tai31415]

I agree. It also depends on the reason for why those statues were put up. A lot of the confederate statues (you know, the guys who wanted to continue the practice of slavery) were put up a decent chunk of time after the civil war as a way of putting POC in their "place". If the statue was put up in such circumstances, then I think it should be taken down and those that say otherwise are only doing so because they support what those abborant people believe. Free speech can and is used as a shield for critisism. You can freely use your free speech to say racist things, and I can use mine to call you a racist. That isn't shutting down debate, that is describing your views my dude.

[@django3422]

​@@NoaChonkyOr, better idea, we remove the statues and improve our history curriculum.

[@jonathandnicholson]

If you want someone you do not get to select which part(s) of them you like and cast the rest off. Take people as a whole. Oliver Cromwell is the symbol of the Parliamentarians not just a symbol of himself. The people I mostly agree with from that era are Charles I and John Milton. Charles' trial was also a legal absurdity. Anyway, I am drifting off the point. Did not the LORD men of one mold? Well, we are apparently all descendants of Adam and Noah. Genesis 1:27 is not as obviously about human equality as I first thought. I think that the value of moral equality comes more from 'You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbour and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect' (Matthew 5:43-48). Why then should there be honour and respect to some men above others? Hierarchy means Holy Order. St Paul urged the Jews (Christianity is closer to the initial fulfillment of Biblical Judaism as well as not every Hebrew is a Jew and not every Jew is a Hebrew) in Rome to obey the civil authorities and to give honour to whom honour is due as God ordained the princes of this world (although I doubt this honour to whom honour is not just about Charles I et al). Israel had ordained kings and judges (earls by role if not earls by name). Early Israel had no kings, but was led by the Prophet Moses, Joshua, the Judges (Samson et al) and the kings (Saul, David, Solomon et al). The Levites were the highest ranking of the tribes being of the Priestly order and consequently being subject to moral purity as only Levites could perform the Holy duties in the temples. The Book of Leviticus is about the duties of Priests and laws for moral purity. The Prophets (people like Elijah and Isaiah) were higher (as Moses was to his brother Aaron - Exodus Seven) than the Levites. Prophet means Holy messenger - Abraham, Jacob, Moses, Nathan, Elijah, Isaiah, John the Baptist et al. Angels (Holy messengers from Heaven - St Michael, Gabriel et al), being heavenly spirits, are higher still. Then God the Holy Spirit, then God the Son, then God the Father. This is not God and everyone being on the same plain. That is simply absurd to suggest an Angel or a Prophet should be as low as even a king. In Anglicanism and Catholicism the saints are somewhere between clergy and Prophet. I suppose we are equal in the sense that we are all beneath God the Father, but we humans are still beneath and have local hierarchies within the larger hierarchy as the clergy have hierarchies (Pope, Cardinal, Archbishop etc) above that of the king who has his hierarchy (king, prince, duke, marquess, earl/count, viscount, baron, lord, baronet - a king makes a prince who makes a duke ad nauseum). Charity (or whatever the PC term for charity is - in the Abrahamic faiths, charity is really love: willing the good of the other as other given that is what the Hebrew word for love means), as shown by the parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-34) is given and received by the individual, so just as Hester Biddle is asking what is to be done, one apt question is what are you doing, Hester? A lot of people complain about the state of the world and complain about other people, but forget Genesis 4:6-7. Biddle might well be doing something, but the only relief to the poor the king is expected to make is loans without interest to fellow Christians (for a Christian ruler, different for an Islamic or Jewish ruler). The rest of relief (say for someone who had a different faith or someone who had no faith) would be down to the individual to be the Good Samaritan rather than having Dennis Healy rates of taxation. The king could give money to whoever, but was not supposed to charge interest on loans to poor members of the congregation.

[@hayleyanna2625]

I worked as a carer and many wonderful men and women I spoke to aprox 15/20 years ago loathed him. These are great people who served in the war and went through many struggles. Churchill was a awful man.

[@Conn30Mtenor]

as compared to whom?

[@Charlieb6308]

If you search hard enough you will always find someone to support your narrative. Twat

[@EzioAuditoreDaFirenze99]

His alcoholism was a national embarrassment

[@CLARKE176]

Compared to Stalin? Roosevelt?

[@AliceWatts-d3v]

Your right I used to work in a social services day centre & one woman i supported was a driver for him & she said he was a horrible & miserable man.

[@BeenaVarughese-rg3uw]

You said the truth, he was more criminal and racist but he had the dark main stream Anglo Saxon propaganda media working for him and we the colonies believed them even when they robbed us.

[@gangadharhiremath7306]

*"We will fill their stomachs with lead..."* There I stopped-shocked. I knew Churchill was a monster. I knew his remark "why M.K.Gandhi is not dead yet" I knew he was the butcher who killed 40 million Indians in (artificially created)Bengal femine. But Tarik Ali, I had forgotten abt you.Did not know you were alive or not. Thank you so much. I love you for your brilliant mind and lucid writing. I will buy your book on that Monster called Churchill who is the hero of racist right wingers like MODI. Thank you again. Thank you Tarik Ali

[@lorenzo6mm]

As GHANDI lay dying by his body guards bullet, he was heard saying, " Churchill was right." India was not ready for Independence. Churchill tried to delay Independence for India. To PREVENT MASS MURDER HINDU AND MUSLIM CIVIL WAR.

[@gangadharhiremath7306]

@@lorenzo6mm I thought only Modi Lunatics in India get to know crazy stories.

[@andrewruddy962]

I understand, an Irishman

[@suzanne6441]

Churchill was warning that the entire time and now people say it's evil colonialism, but Churchill was right about the coming bloodshed between Hindus and Muslims. And if he actually said then why isn't Gandhi dead- during a famine when millions of Indians starved (because of the typhoon and WW2) but Gandhi was on a perpetual hunger strike - how did he manage to eat enough - while hunger striking for politics while his fellows actually starved in earnest? @@lorenzo6mm

[@Mayan_88694]

@@lorenzo6mmno he wasn’t

[@Leornianæfre]

What an absolutely fantastic interview with Mr Ali, I will buy his book. Churchill was also a war criminal and a eugenicist as well as a racist. It’s our duty to shine spotlight on it because history is all about fact not idealistic fiction. We cannot change history, instead we have to learn from history. The right to free speech is a privilege, it’s not without consequence and comes with great responsibility. There has to be a filter between brain and mouth (or fingers if typing) before you say something. Too many people are extremely unintelligent, incredibly lazy and cannot be bothered to educate themselves.

[@babaganoush6106]

good comment

[@spaliverpool71]

Indians = Racist to flood other continents 🙄

[@Johlibaptist]

We need to apply and teach the historical critical method. We should see where the facts take us and not rely on myths, prejudices but rigorous scholarship.

[@lizhughes2852]

Loved that! Well done Ollie! I love your interview style. Listening from Wales x Diolch x

[@jsm3692]

From a contemporary, (+/-5yrs)from India: Privileged to hear Tarig Ali. Greetings and best wishes.

[@gangadharhiremath7306]

I am extremely unhappy that,Churchill lived for few years in my home town Bengaluru(India) during his young days.

[@koteswar009]

Never knew that. Interesting. Got to know more of that

[@spaliverpool71]

I feel also unhappy you are a Slum Dog with no pedigree. Know your place 🙈

[@sudipshettynoojjis7851]

He still didn't clear his club bills if I am right?

[@gangadharhiremath7306]

@@sudipshettynoojjis7851 Most probably yes,but not very sure.

[@HaggardPillockHD]

This is all eye-opening. As a school kid in the 90s and early 00s I was not taught much about the British empire (and obviously this stuff about Churchill comes as a surprise).

[@tomsochy1238]

They phased out everything to do with the empire and focussed solely on WW2, the last time we were the "good" guys, lol.

[@mrmouse7642]

I wanted to read this book so much that, unlike me, I pre-ordered the hardback version and bought it, paying top banana. It is a very good book. It is not so much a book about Churchill himself but about his times and what he did in them, if that makes sense. To me the things that register most are (1) (as a (deficient) ex soldier, myself), he saw things predominantly through a soldier's eyes - was that healthy? NB he was "only" a cavalryman, not having the brains or application to be an engineer, artilleryman or infantryman; (2) as a conservative, then Liberal, then Conservative could he be trusted? (3) the Great Unrest (a) Tonypandy - if it is right that he kept the soldiers back, they were still a threat, nevertheless. (b) how do you justify a warship training its guns on Liverpool where there was a very big strike? - In the "troubles" the British Government was keen only to have wheeled vehicles on operations in Northern Ireland - not tanks. I wasn't aware of a Scottish equivalent - I will look into that. Churchill was an aristocrat, an imperialist and a capitalist - and probably a racist too. Whichever way you slice it, his career was intended to ensure that the status quo continued. How else could he advocate the post WW1 war intervention by allied powers in Russia in which British troops took part (NB British War Medal 1914-1920 - not 1918) intended to "strangle the Bolshevik baby in its cradle" - or whatever the precise words were. Tariq's analysis that it was Thatcher who rehabilitated him is instructive. I would like to learn more about that. Thank you Oli for your interviewing plan and skills. You are a true journalist. Thank you for your professionalism and skills. You have worked to the public benefit. You have enabled Tariq to make his case to public benefit. Thank you. Let's hope this gets the many views and thumbs up it deserves.

[@robtherub]

If he had strangled Bolshevism in its cradle Bolshevism wouldnt have genocided millions of Slavs in Ukraine (part of the Marx Engels plan was to genocide the Slavs, they wrote about it) without the communist genocide in Ukraine the Ukranians wouldn't be nazis and we wouldn't be facing world war 3 right now

[@mtsardar]

Excellent interview , Tariq Ali doesn’t hide the facts . He does touch the nerve and stimulate intellectual debate

[@Arltratlo]

wow, i am sure Cruela would like to deport him to Rwanda!

[@stirlingmoss9637]

​@@Arltratlogrow up

[@stirlingmoss9637]

The interview shews just how much he doesn't know or understand about historical events like the recurring famine in Bengal, which suits his narrative.

[@dvegule920]

Which is what? Please elaborate.

[@joedias7946]

He would be invited to Rwanda by Paul kagame. Kagame would agree with him.

[@wrs1627]

Really enjoyed this. What a brilliant and dignified discussion. Love this interviewer and Tariq

[@seekthetruthfindit6879]

Thanks for having someone intelligent on here for a change. Thanks.

[@kerryfry1857]

Could listen to Tariq all day 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

[@ramiroramirez9980]

Thank you for this wonderful interview. How refreshing to hear someone authentic.

[@davidwright8432]

Marvelous interview! Thank you both. My introduction to Tariq Ali was in 1970 when my parents said to have nothing to do with that leftwing troublemaker and rabble rouser. Really? So I did some digging and found he and I were on the same rabble rousing page! He far more effectively and eloquently than I, but I certainly gave - and give - him my (im?)moral support!

[@staninjapan07]

Thank you both very much indeed. It had been, perhaps, 15 years since I had heard Mr. Ali speak. He seemed as genuine, eloquent and convincing as he was whenever it was I last heard him. And as for you, Mr. Politics, or may I call you Joe, you are one of the closest interviewers I have seen on YT whom I could say with all sincerity tries to be impartial/unbiased. I really appreciate your no-nonsense, plain speech approach, which you pull off without trying to dumb down. Thanks a lot from far away.

[@numbersix8919]

What a delight and unexpected treasure! Who could be better than Tariq to approach this task? I have a friend whose graduation ceremonies included Churchill's "Iron Curtain" speech. He has always hated Churchill vehemently.

[@MissBlennerhassett876]

@@dogboy5398 Don't be silly.

[@MissBlennerhassett876]

@@dogboy5398 Wow, look at all that murder lol

[@MissBlennerhassett876]

@@dogboy5398 Keep posting irrelevant whataboutism with no basis in reality 🤣

[@stevenicol1]

@@MissBlennerhassett876 he was heavily involved in the Church Street bombing.

[@MissBlennerhassett876]

@@stevenicol1 While he was in jail? lol

[@GetGwapThisYear]

One of my favourite interviews on KZbin. Nicely done Oli

[@vm5954]

Why?

[@GetGwapThisYear]

@@vm5954 because, for me, the purpose of an interview is to receive a response to a question in its entirety, and have the interviewer genuinely wait for the full answer. Oli did that here, and there was no ambiguity in the answers given by Mr Ali. Most interviewers are just waiting for their chance to jump back in and listen to the answer on playback, rather than being present.

[@yesyoureright]

Churchill was a true racist. If you were not from his circle you had it. Ireland, the Indians bengalis. People whom literally built this country were made to suffer horrendously. Just wanted to say this was a brilliant interview. Pj doing the job the British media won't.

[@tom4381]

The didn't literally build Britain tho did they 🙄

[@yesyoureright]

@@tom4381 yea they literally did. If you're up for it do a video chat I'll give you a free history lesson from the white folk's of this country. We'll start with the 45 trillion stolen and the cheap abused labour used to build literally everything in this country which continues to this day.

[@charliecatesby3346]

Remarkably and clearly against all modern intuition the people who "Literally built Britain" were the British ! I'm sure you'd be horrified to learn that outside of Western Europe most people in the world are racist to this day, though not sure that knowledge would do much to advance your political ideas. It's meaningless to use a modern value created to accomodate a changing population to try and measure historical figures. I could easily go after Nelson Mandela for not supporting Gay or Trans rights.

[@rushshukla4636]

​@@tom4381Indirectly yes because the 43 Trillion the British Empire looted from India was used to build Britain. Churchill hated Indians!

[@adamb.m4844]

​@@charliecatesby3346normal look AT America its total chaos

[@docimir]

Thoroughly enjoyed all this talk by Tariq Ali. So much to learn

[@thecrimsondragon9744]

I love Ollie's interviews, and Tariq as always is fantastic 😊

[@paulines4441]

This is a very educated man and I admire him greatly.

[@charliecatesby3346]

In 50 years time we will measure Tariq agaibst the new modern moral standards and he too will be deemed evil and used as a pawn to engender an opposing ideology. Long lives the heros of hindsight !!

[@brankog7]

Great discussion. Thanks. Cheers from Australia

[@Hecatonicosachoron]

Tariq Ali is one of the greats - always displaying such profundity of historical knowledge and lucidity of intellect,

[@whispjohn]

My old dad was in WW2 on convoys, he never fired a shot in anger during the whole war but he got shot at and torpedoed quite often. He told me about the election and how many were fed up with Churchill and they celebrated on his demise. Not many men on the convoys had any affection for Churchill, or even in the Royal Navy, in fact everyone was tired of the war and Churchill.

[@NatTurner1555]

So why didn't they mutiny and stop the british participation in the war if they rebuked him SO much?

[@Henchman.24]

​​@@NatTurner1555Because they were living through it, not looking back nearly a hundred years after the fact.

[@gwynwilliamssr.588]

The book is a first rate work of UK imperial history and politics. Currently re-reading it for the third time. Hasta Siempre Tariq from Nicaragua.

[@nimesh0775]

Brilliant interview - so important to hear in our times with far right elements increasing their influence all over the world.

[@Madasin_Paine]

Brilliant? Please! That word has become too abused. Another boring safe underwhelming windy nothing if a long lecture. Hasn't changed in years. Waste of time. Yes Churchill is a lot like Hitles and Dulles. And?? Focus time on what matters today. Worse things in real time are upon us and this winbag doesn't explore THAT meaningfully either.

[@nimesh0775]

@@Madasin_Paine kzbin.info/www/bejne/aGKmfWCHpreaqZI

[@kurdaali]

​@@Madasin_Painehistory telling is always slow and boring but it's important to hear the other side of the story and not the only side. I presume you are not a big fan of the bashing the british image gets in this interview.

[@Madasin_Paine]

@@kurdaali Out of respect for the audience, the editor and speaker lack. Why on Earth would you presume so incorrect yet likely to appease your POV? Think and research first then asking obvious self serving questions will become unnecessary.

[@bobbydazzle1937]

The far left are worse

[@ABloodyEyeFull]

Really interesting hearing his opinions! His opinions about Mother Theresa are also worth hearing. Another person regarded as a hero by many, especially Catholics, some of them still idolise her, but the truth of what kind of person she really was, is a very different case from what was believed by many.

[@paradoxicalcanons]

@@MrKwodsonikpunk In his documentary on Mother Teresa titled “Hell's Angel.".

[@elaine1034]

@@paradoxicalcanons First of all, it was *Christopher Hitchens* who reviled mother Theresa in Hell's Angel. And he was a Marxist atheist. Another bloody Brit who hated religions.

[@elaine1034]

@BloodyEyeFull You are way off base! The Brits have hated Catholics since multiple wives killer King Henry the 8th made himself head of the Anglican church. Your eye is too bloodied to see truth. Are you also a Zionist by any chance?

[@erth_mu]

Christopher hitchens said the same thing about Mother Theresa over the years too

[@salmanairport]

Tariq Ali is a brilliant writer. 🎉This publication on Churchill further strengthen his excellence as a writer and a political activist.

[@ManikMiah-x5e]

I thank Tariq Ali to explain about the history and it was very interesting to me.

[@maurydoherty5996]

He did the same to the miners in Scotland. Sending troops in to crush them.

[@nooraani]

Churchill never liked Gandhi. He always looked down on him and used to call him a 'naked faqeer' meaning a beggar.

[@MikeStock88]

Excellent interview, really enjoyed it

[@nathanaelsmith3553]

Agreed but Gandhi was a racist too Seems to be a ruling class nationalist trait popular in the 1930s rather than a uniquely British one

[@fookorf]

whataboutery.

[@royfearn4345]

The vast majority of nations have their share of racists and fascists. More love between nations is out of fashion but is a much needed quality if we are ever to achieve enlightenment and world peace!

[@noahjohnson5312]

gandhi didn't starve 10 million people to death out of racism; churchill did.

[@henrijamespicardo2973]

Those who really knows history and a critical thinker will agree with this guy

[@annepoitrineau5650]

Thank you for introducing me to this great man.

[@madmike1708]

As far as I'm concerned, racism was just a whole other animal back then. Most of my mates have grandparents that they love dearly...but would feel nervous about other people meeting them because of their views. I'm thankful and honestly shocked that both my Grandparents never held bigoted views during their entire time alive. Hell my Grampa pulled my mum aside when she was 16 and told her "Don't you dare treat anyone different for who they love or the color of their skin. It's awful and I don't want you to grow up like these idiots.". But this is apparently rare, or their grandparents views changed with time. I've come to understand that while I would of hated being alive in the 20s to 50s...things I hate were just the norm...

[@capt.bart.roberts4975]

They sound like my parents. I remember the old man chasing one of the local racists down the street. After they'd had the temerity to knock on the door and try and co-opt him into chasing a South Asian family out of the village. He was incandescent!

[@lionroar26]

That's not true Racism has always existed, yes, but not at the level of Europeans. You have to think that the British East India companies soldiers were in majority Indian, more than 90% & this had a lot to do with the Hindu cast system. Can you imagine a brown black empire coming to a European nation & the white majority fighting for them? Churchill was just as evil as Hitler.

[@madmike1708]

@@capt.bart.roberts4975 Hah, nice. Yeah, my Grampa wasn't a neighbourhood watch kinda lad, but he just made sure he wasn't going to raise a bad person in his eyes. Tbf, they just always came out with very modern takes on things before they were considered good takes. His only bug bear was religion, but that's because he was raised Catholic (Irish mum), and the church was not good to his mum. Other than that...he basically was a live let live hippy...who's still a roll-up sleeves, boxing loving sailor xD.

[@whatsthatnow308]

@@lionroar26 That makes little sense. Churchill aside, (I need no convincing as to his downsides) you mentioned the caste system. This is just further proof that the wolves in any society need little persuasion to rule with an iron fist and that the roughly 70% of sheep will follow them over a cliff if it means they get left alone. History is littered with examples of this. Granted, Churchill lit the touch paper and the UK benefitted, but there were those in India just waiting for such an opportunity and proffitted a lot more than the lower classes in the UK.

[@seansands424]

Include Starling as well@@lionroar26

[@ebbek6065]

Great interview, I’ll buy the book

[@jonathaneffemey944]

Thanks for posting.

[@adriftinaboat3452]

The notion that Churchill was universally admired during the war is false, quite a few thought his speeches were incoherent drunken ramblings. He was sometimes booed when newsreels were shown and in the street when he visited bombed towns. My late dad who volunteered to fight fascism in 1939 was working class and he hated everything that Churchill stood for. The Tories with Churchill at the helm voted against the NHS 21 times.

[@WingsOfPeaceToronto]

Tariq Ali is always engaging and brilliant

[@stephanieking4444]

Great interview.Tariq Ali came across as having a nuanced approach to the less heroic aspects of Churchill's legacy. His book cannot be the "Marxist insult to history" that reviewer Simon Heffer wrote about in the Telegraph.

[@qntnotes9427]

Tariq Ali's books are Marxist drivel for the most part. But to really insult history they would need to be historic books first. Which is definitely not the case with them or other opinion pieces that cherry-pick and ignore Historic data.

[@ishyandmikkischannel8811]

Simon Heffer is an extreme right wing journalist, very similar to Sebastian Gorka in the US.

[@spiritualanarchist8162]

Churchill was one of the greatest spindoctors ever. It's a example how morale can win a war . He turned the humiliation at Dunkirk into a positive. Created this concept of the ' Bulldog spirit ' that would never give up. Etc. Now I'm obviously happy the Allies won the war. But I can't help but wonder what would have happend if Hitlers's priority had been the invasion of England right after Dunkirk( instead of invading Russia ). . I'm sure the British would have fought bravely, but the Nazis would (probably ) have Blitz-Krieged it's way to London within a week after landing .

[@songsmith31a]

But would America have waited until Pearl Harbour I wonder - and what about the responses from the Commonwealth? Life is full of "ifs" and that can make history even more interesting. .

[@spiritualanarchist8162]

@@songsmith31aNow obviously we can't know what would have happend in the long run. However, If we look at the historical data it's clear that the Americans only started it's immense war industry after Pearl Harbor. If the Nazis invaded England it would have been too late. The technology wasn't advanced enough to invade Europe from the U.S. And American voters didn't want to interfere after WW1.

[@intello8953]

@@songsmith31alol why would America help Britain? You do realise these European and North American powers really disliked each other right? That’s why they had so many wars with each pre WW2. Just because they had at that a good “trade relationship” you think America is gonna risk their rising economy and power by going to war with old Europe? Naaa.

[@spiritualanarchist8162]

@@songsmith31a P.S: Yes life (and thus history) is filled with ' what ifs '.However Hitler choosing not to invade Britain against the advice of his generals is a an example how one man dictates the outcome of history . That England couldn't counter an full blown invasion early 41 is based on military factual data.

[@Rose-zw2oe]

Churchill and his people couldn't do with just winning .It is true they had to absolutely destroy .Churchill was like an elegant old reptile. He could charm you entirely and entertain you before devouring you or so I understand .Best wishes to all 🌹 😊

[@hassanshayegannik155]

Great thinker, committed, and progressive historian with a wonderful and revealing new book. Bravo! Thanks!

[@laylaali5977]

Tariq is a honorable man

[@charliecatesby3346]

Like Mark Corrigan.

[@Hereford1642]

The evil that men do lives after them; the good is oft interred with their bones

[@davelong9055]

I agree - Tariq is evil

[@michaelodonnell824]

I love the comment from M K Gandhi - He was once asked by a European Journalist, "What do you think of Western Civilisation?" "I think it would be a good idea"...

[@cassandra2249]

Wales is a colony of England and they behaved the same there as they did else where in the Empire.

[@markward3981]

Tariq Ali is wise and experienced. He makes us remember forgotten things , given us unique ways of looking at things .

[@proudhon100]

He is a complete buffoon who never did an honest day's work in his life.

[@vaxcraker99]

Well said and spot on.

[@naveedhussain3834]

Wonderful interview with our intellectual Tariq Ali. I still remember that beautiful summer midday when my father before my sisters and brothers introduced first time his “street fighting years” while reading the book enthusiastically. Then my love began to explore more Tariq Ali's books, videos and interviews.

[@spaliverpool71]

So this Slum Dog was also a terrorist? Living a comfortable life in a nice country, probably also with a submissive English wife 🐕

[@indrajitgupta3280]

What a year that was, 1968. "Bliss was it in that dawn to be alive, But to be young were very heaven."

[@brianc7023]

Great and informative interview.

[@peterhill8398]

The popular portrayals and perceptions of Churchill over the past few decades have more to do with nostalgia, idealisation of the past and wishful sentiment. I think it is a reflection of how Britain is growing uncertain & nervous about its future, it’s identity and status. When nations and cultures feel that way, they often cling to, and mythologise the past as a comfort.

[@JJS9171]

How is our country defeating the Nazis being “idealised”? Should we no longer be proud of this achievement? Did all of our ancestors who fought die in vein? They would be ashamed of your comment

[@philnewton3096]

Yes ..he's a mythology of the past ...a story book larger than our lives character as we cower in the bunkers.

[@whyugotnocase]

I loved this interview. It is impossible to listen to an interview with Tariq and not learn something new about the world we live in big thumbs up and the interviewer did a wonderful job of giving Tariq space to present and expound on his ideas.

[@jamesbarclay8430]

Enjoyed the interview.

[@ArranVid]

Tariq Ali is correct in everything he said.

[@GeorgiaMartin-ll9qg]

No he isn’t. Any WWII historian would coubter much of what he said. Ali is just another Marxist who hates western civilisation, while living in the west

[@Josue-di4id]

Wonderful interview He just confirmed what I knew about Churchill. In history is good to know the side of the losers.

[@django3422]

While I appreciate a lot of what Ali is saying here, I don't agree with him about the statues. For one thing, most people don't read up on stuff. You put a plaque somewhere nearby the statue giving an "alternative" view, that's not doing anything. Vast majority of people just see a statue of a bloke and, because of how our brains work and our culture's developed, we see that as a celebration of the person. And it's not a matter of preserving history. We don't need statues to remember our history and they really don't help anyway because statues rarely ever have ANY kind of context or nuance to them. And to use an easy example - I've never seen a statue of Hitler but there's no way I'm ever forgetting who he was or what he did. We shouldn't enshrine individuals like that, it's unhealthy. Because then you're not celebrating the deeds or the ideas but just the person themselves, and people accept that wholesale. So get rid of Churchill's statue. We have WW2 memorials to everyone who fought and died, everyone who laboured for the homefront effort, the people who rallied together and helped each other through... and we can replace Churchill statues with more of those if people want! But stop lionising a white supremacist.

[@evolassunglasses4673]

People like you destroyed the Left. This is completely the wrong hill to die on.

[@jamespaul6315]

God you are lame. No.

[@danw5760]

I see a lot of your comments. You're an unpleasant radical

[@hotto5150]

Yeah pretty silly idea. It's a waste of public spending that can be spent towards something more helpful. People aren't going to go around different statues reading plaques and debating other statue watchers. Besides there's nothing to debate about Churchill. We know what he's done and said. Unless you think racism, genocide and brutality against workers is fine. Change in the school's cirriculum to teach real facts about Churchill instead of whitewashing or emitting facts that make him look bad. We all have built in moral systems, well decide what kind of a person he is.

[@django3422]

@@ironthreads7 Except its a statue of him. Its saying "look at this great person we have elevated". We have numerous monuments and memorials to the collective achievements of British people who fought against fascists. Being willing to overlook his "other dimensions" means you're willfully ignoring the ways in which Churchill was also a fascist. And I think that defeats your entire point. Tear the statues down.

[@akram.ibrahim]

Great video

[@mohassan1581]

Can I ask, where did you get your crew-neck y-shirt from?

[@johnferguson40]

Good interview but the Scottish workers who were bursting into song at the launch of the royal yaughts were the sectarian unionist who built the ship in what was a practically prodestant closed shop.

[@jamesrennie-xk1gn]

yes those very same proddies who've held Scotland (and N Ireland ) back for decades

[@nijadbahnam9859]

Churchill was racist . He did consider Protestant Whites as as the top , then Catholic Whites seconds then downhill from there . He refered to Ghandi as the beggar when he went to GB . The problem is plenty people were racist then and were conviced by superiority of Western Civilisation as an undisputed truth . So how much he is a biggot or a product of his time can be argued .

[@fang_xianfu]

Well I think it's more that he was both a bigot AND a product of his time. And a lot of the racist views at the time were also very economically and politically beneficial because exploiting colonial holdings was a huge business and source of power. It's much easier to exploit people if you pretend they're inferior. So even people who thought it was racist and bigoted had a reason to act like it was justified and doublethink themselves into racial bigotry.

It's more the mass murder than his rancid racism.

[@alanbeaumont4848]

Churchill was a Victorian, of course he was bigoted. But considering the alternative we were lucky to have the bigot.

[@j377yb33n]

And just remember, the orange lodges still hold that view.

[@silondon9010]

You knew him personally then ?

[@urmisunshine8]

He was famous for his war time speeches. He was an aristocrat and a bigot from what I have read. He was considered unflinching in his tenacity to win the war. He spoke for the aristocracy and at that time no right minded British citizen would want to be ruled by what they considered a brutish culture. I am not sure why he would have hated jews, but it was most likely to do with the mindset of old ruling class or families.

[@cheri238]

I have always admired how Tarik Ali speaks about world histories with intelligence and wisdom with absolute clarity. He has that ability to conntect with the utmost clarity with great insights. In addition, without hatred. I have severial of his books. Thank you both for this discussion today. It begins when we see we are all part of this world and all humanity matters. Not this arrogance of one race is better than another or the powers of greed, which makes only one the white race matters . However, domination to control others in their lands for minerals and wealth by wars for profits keeps others under submission and contributes to breed divisions and hated. I will not participate in this insanity and divisions. Universal consciousness of love for one another for world peace. Look at us now in 2023. Peaceful solutions and new ideas a must and debates with arguments with intelligence speaking loud and clear for peace. We are all walking in seas of madness, all societies are being affected now and tramatized. Wars and domination in this hypocrisy of power of the elites as families and children are being destroyed by the millions in all nations. May it end? One can only imagine what the world could be when one sees inside oneself with the enormous energy with what love is not. It begins with deepest awareness of who are we? How do we use our brains? 🙏❤️🌎🕊🎵🎶

[@proudhon100]

Tariq Ali lives in a parallel dimension. If Hitler had won over Churchill, there would be absolutely zero racial diversity in Britain.

[@Socrates1944]

Very cool and wise in your comments! We have to get away from the madness that is going on here and around the world in general. We must come to the realization that we are all one Human Family and that religion or ethnicity does not affect our lives or our humanity as a species!! Thank you for your openness! The world desperately needs people like you, to make us think, reflect on what is happening now! Blessings to you and your family 🙏

[@Iguazu65]

He is known as the person that sent the Black & Tans to Ireland. Almost unknown in GB as it is never discussed or taught. Basically, it was a paramilitary group, with absolute powers and total amnesty from legal prosecution. And they certainly filled their boots, looting, burning many villages, farms, businesses and widespread torture and many summary executions. And it totally backfired. The Irish people finally realised that it was better to die on their feet fighting then on their knees. The rest is history.

[@andrewmalone3073]

He appointed Montgomery who served with Auxiliaries/Tans in Ireland. General Percival served in the Tans , disgraced in Singapore.

[@Iguazu65]

Percival was the CO of the Essex reg. in Ireland. One of the most brutal regiments that ever operated in Ireland.

[@shaneduggan7901]

Ya and they were shitting themselves.

[@TheSombatista]

I am that guy who brings these conversations to parties. lol! Man, I love the content on this channel!

[@lucamenato9997]

In face of a deluge of hype about Oppenheimer, I now feel I desperately want a preview and an advance review of the movie by the two of you! At least an in-depth Q&A with Christopher (Dunkirk) Nolan.

[@joyaroy8532]

Americans are raving ecstatically about 'Oppenheimer' who wasn't the leading physicist of the Manhattan Project but the coordinator of its highly secret programme. Not sure if the film even mentions the role of Enrico Fermi, Bohr, Heisenberg, Planck, Einstein in developing nuclear research.

[@orange1666]

Myself knowing so many crimes by our elite and their protection of reality I would be deeply skeptical about that and any film , the mainstream is purely propaganda for the masses , entertainment at best but will be far from the truth . For that reason I have no interest to watch .

[@NutopianBlr]

Greatly admire Mr. Tariq. Just one question: where did all the activism of his and others of his ilk lead to? Nothing has changed; in fact things have got worse. 🙁

[@halimaalhiane9284]

😮