“On this day in 1940 Winston Churchill gave his first speech as prime minister to the House of Commons. Three days earlier, he had taken over the job from Neville Chamberlain, who resigned. . .
“So although the 65-year-old Churchill had been a politician for more than 30 years and delivered plenty of speeches to the House of Commons, this was his first as prime minister. . . the speech Churchill gave is considered one of his greatest. He said: “I would say to the House, as I said to those who have joined this government: ‘I have nothing to offer but blood, toil, tears, and sweat.’ We have before us an ordeal of the most grievous kind. We have before us many, many long months of struggle and of suffering. You ask, what is our policy? I can say: It is to wage war, by sea, land, and air, with all our might and with all the strength that God can give us; to wage war against a monstrous tyranny, never surpassed in the dark, lamentable catalogue of human crime.” (Source: Garrison Keillor, The Writer’s Almanac for May 13)
War Today
The folk singer Jesse Welles is a contemporary version of Woody Gutherie and Bob Dylan. He writes and posts an average of a new ballad each week.
Here is his latest, Call Me When You Win the War. Just over 2 minutes.
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ntbj-kB3Ooc)