Boris Johnson is a terrific writer and a keen analyzer of historical events. This is the impression I get from reading his magnificent biography/hagiography of mr. Winston Churchill. It is just a fast read, and I believe you get a good interpretation of mr. Churchills character and working method. The question is; what can we really learn from Churchill these days? What was it that gave him his reputation as the best politician of the 20’th century?

Today most people just know him from images and a hazy idea about his fight in the second world war against the nazis, which he won. But who was he really? You can know about a man if you know his friends, because the friends mirror a quality of the man. So who were his friends? The best friend he had, was of cause his wife, Clementine, and I believe a great deal can be said about Churchill if you know his wife, in fact a man is only truly a complete person if he really loves.

Clementine was a true liberal, she adored art, she had nothing against gays, she was in many ways the soft part of Churchill. Giving him a human understanding that I believe is not truly understood today. As when he fought in the second world war, he became agressive and sometimes comandeering on everybody, what you off cause can understand if you know the stress he was under. But she pulled out the soft in him.

I believe this is really the true story about Churchill, he managed to combine conservatism with liberalism, not only in politics, but all the way in his own most trusted circle, him and his wife. He was the genius, the orator, the shining knight on the white horse, but she was the princess with a soft heart and a strong will for those who have little. This really is the mark of a great man; to be able to win and after that hold on to the love of a great woman.

In politics this was reflected in his care for workers, his acceptance of both Jews and gays. His friendship with T.S. Lawrence, his love of painting. At the other hand it was reflected in his valorous fight for the colours of the United Kingdom, he never gave up, even after everybody else did. His ethical stance to the world, his aristocratic manners, his friendship with the house of Windsor.

Add to this a true heart for what was right and wrong, you have your person to truly admire.

He used his understanding of conservatism and liberalism to really follow the course he thought was the right course. It was not about the money or fame, yes that mattered as well, but the ethical core, what he truly believed in, was what truly mattered.

So he put ideals over career.

This is a lesson we can learn from with all the challenges we meet in Europe and generally in the West and East. To see the challenges not in the rearmirror, but as they truly are, and then find solutions to the problems we face, unconventially, but with the basic virtues of our democratic, humanistic states as the guiding stars.

We have Churchill no more, we have non of his quorrelous, annoying, far too skilled views anymore, you only have persons like me or Boris Johnson. But you will have to do with us, and only if you are strong and courageous enough will we live up to that example set by mr. Churchill.

G-d bless the comeback of the West and East.