I think this is probably unfair to Sullivan in parts, but the history is interesting. From a reader:
I’ve long come to regard Sullivan as a total defeatist, but some more ammunition for him if you want:
Churchill presided over numerous military disasters. The Greek campaign in 1941 resulted in so many New Zealanders being captured that the Kiwis became gunshy – and still brame British callousness for their losses.
The fall of Singapore was an unmitigated calamity, so was the surrender of Tobruk in 1942. The raid on Dieppe was also massive fumble for the Allies.
Churchill faced several attempts to break up his government and skillfully put them down.
Churchill did however have one advantage over George W. Bush, at least as far as maintaining unity: the Wehrmacht 20 miles across the English Channel.
Sullivan has got a lot of nerve to throw stones at Bush’s leadership. He is demanding a standard of perfection that is unattainable. We’ve lost less soldiers in Iraq than in one afternoon of WW II fighting, yet Andrew’s ready to fly the white flag and throw Bush overboard.
It seems to me Andrew’s real hero is Stanley Baldwin, who achieved a huge majority for his party, got on good terms with the opposition – and did nothing to stop the rise of Nazi Germany.
But at least he didn’t make any mistakes.