As a young boy I recall watching war movies on a black and white television.

World War II had ended only fifteen or so years earlier, and war movies were hugely popular. One of those was a series of documentaries covering every major war theater from 1941-1945 titled “Why We Fight.”

The movies explained why the United States was locked in this most terrible of all wars in which we would ultimately sacrifice over 400,000 men and women.

I didn’t know way back in the 1960’s why I found the series so interesting, but I know now- even as a boy I was intuitively proud that my country and my Dad and all of my uncles who were old enough to fight, were in the thick of it.

“Why We Fight” was produced by the legendary Frank Capra on the order of our most senior military leader, General George C. Marshall.

General Marshall wanted Capra to explain to our troops why we were fighting, which wasn’t necessarily apparent in the early 1940s.

Prior to Pearl Harbor, America First non-interventionists dominated the political stage and America suffered severe military setbacks in the early stages of our involvement in the war.

America needed a clear reason to fight, and Capra brilliantly responded with his great insight: just show the troops what fascism for the evil force it is and our troops would know why they were fighting.

The series was so successful that the decision was made to show the documentaries to the entire nation.

Fast forward to the mid-term election of 2018.

We are not presently in a fighting war, but we are engaged in a cultural and political conflict which will decisively determine the fate of our country.

Harkening back to Frank Capra’s great insight, if we of the right, center, and what remains of the sane left can show what fascism in its current forms- Antifa, progressive socialism, and the societal tyranny of political correctness, the vast majority of Americans will understand why these cultural and political battles are worth fighting and winning.

Whether our election results will be accepted by the losing party and our senior officials respected, or our republic doomed to never ending impeachment proceedings while our officials are hounded in elevators and threatened in restaurants?

Whether we will protect our borders or allow free access to all comers with good intentions or ill?

Whether the American market economy will continue to be the greatest wealth creator in history, or be taxed and regulated until it is a mere shadow of its former glory?

And ultimately, whether America will remain proud of its history and accomplishments or cast off its foundational heritage in an orgy of self-loathing, and trade the blessings of the world’s leading democracy for the living Hell of a politically correct socialist Utopia?

These are the great questions of the day as we prepare for the upcoming mid-term election.

This series of articles, from conservatives with different perspectives, is presented in the spirit of Why We Fight.

Louis Gurvich, Chairman
Republican Party of Louisiana