A reader writes:

>>>I’m an Anglophile and a great believer in the “special relationship” and all that, Yet somehow I can’t see Churchill saying, “We will fight on the beaches and the landing grounds and in the streets…so long as America retains our special steel quota exemption…”<<<
In fact, throughout WWII, we took the Brits to the cleaners, first with our “Cash and Carry” policy on arms sales and later with the highly unfavorable Lend-Lease Program. Though the Brits were grateful for the equipment and support, our policy effectively exhausted British gold and hard currency reserves, resulting in the post-war collapse of the British Empire–which may have been one of Roosevelt’s secondary agendas.

Me: Note: I neither affirm nor denounce this historical interpretation. I just know — from years of experience — that this is the sort of thing that sets off history buff brouhahas that at this late cocktail hour I have no interest in refereeing.