Reason.tv: How Churchill Became Churchill—rediscovering young Winston's classical-liberal American mentor, Bourke Cockran

Reason.tv's Nick Gillespie recently sat down with Reason contributing editor Michael McMenamin, co-author with Curt Zoller of 2007's Becoming Winston Churchill, now out in a paperback edition from Enigma Books. The volume promises "the untold story of Young Winston and his American mentor."

Churchill's mentor was the Irish-born New York orator and politician Bourke Cockran (1854-1923), who served in Congress and advised President Grover Cleveland. Recognized as the one of the greatest public speakers of his day (William Jennings Bryan refused to appear on the same stage with him), the classical liberal Cockran introduced Churchill to the benefits of free trade, anti-imperialism, soaring oratory, and, even more important, says McMenamin, the idea that "government is not the source of wealth…[Cockran] gave Churchill a healthy distrust of government and other organizations (like the Church of England) that could hold power over people."

Approximately 7.30 minutes. Shot by Roger M. Richards and Alex Manning; edited by Roger M. Richards.

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Comments

[Alan Vanneman]

"...the classical liberal Cockran introduced Churchill to the benefits of free trade, anti-imperialism ..."

Yeah, but free trade was already established dogma in GB since the repeal of the "Corn Laws" in 1846 ("corn" being Brit talk for wheat; the Corn Laws established protective tariffs to protect the aristocratic landowners). As for "anti-imperialism," I guess that part of the lesson didn't stick.

[Mark Brady]

I was about to comment when I saw that Alan Vanneman has just posted. "Cockran introduced Churchill to the benefits of...anti-imperialism..." There is nothing about this in the interview and whatever Cockran might have said in this regard, it clearly didn't register with Churchill who was a gung-ho imperialist and warmonger of the first order.

[Andy Craig]

Winston was a great historical character, and I'm rather fond of him on a personal level, but the man was no libertarian or even much of a classical liberal, though he did show the occasional liberal streak. He's much more Ben Franklin, fuzzy-ideology opportunist, than a Jeffersonian classical liberal. The "national greatness" conservatives really aren't that far off when they claim Churchill as one of their own.

[Brandybuck]

Wasn't Bourke Cockran the inventor of the warp drive?

[D.A. Ridgely]

Wasn't Bourke Cockran the inventor of the warp drive?

Yes, that was after his disastrous defeat as a Supreme Court nominee.

[libertymike]

The bottom line was that the guy was a socialist who championed greater and greater projections of state power.

[Mike]

Churchill had his faults, like wanting to hold on to the Empire long after its expiration date, but he is certainly the greatest defender that Western Civilization ever had. He understood that you can't fight tanks with diplomacy; you need tanks of your own. When Hitler attacked, he didn't ask "What did Britain do to make Hitler hate us?" Instead, he understood that Hitler was evil, and he had to be taken down with violence. A lot of people today have forgotten that lesson.

[BlueBook]

Isn't it about time for another episode of the talk show? These little interviews are nice, but they just aren't as satisfying as a proper half-hour (or longer) dialogue.

[ed]

Unlike most really old people, Churchill grows larger every year, a stature reinforced no doubt by the intellectual dwarfism of contemporary politicians. Who, today, may rightly be called a "statesman"?