re: Obviuosly Churchill knew he was making horrible decisions.

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there are many issues in history that are still being developed and new evidence discovered. If we condemn and shun all new ideas about what really happened, then we are hurting our chances of actually learning from history.

History in many cases was written to be propaganda - often wartime propaganda. We don't deserve to be shackled by that - "we" being the people who really want the truth about what happened in the past.

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Great post. 100% agree.

The purpose of understanding history is to see more clearly in the present.

Some people want to understand the mechanisms of society that lead us on our paths. Some people want heroes to admire. Some people want to study battle tactics. History can do all those things. But there has to be some honest level of deconstruction to find the nuance and truth.

I like the example of Frederick the Great. For a very long time, the germans did not want to accept the fact that he was gay, even though the evidence is overwhelming. Just like with Churchill's drinking, its fair to ask if it even matters. Maybe not, they both accomplished great things and it shouldnt take away from that greatness. But in order to better understand the person, it is a valid observation.