Mmastodon WorldElections first seen 2 d ago, last 2 d ago, peak #7

Grey's 'lamps going out' warning revived amid European tensions

Original: “The lamps are going out all over Europe, we shall not see them lit again in our life-time” —Lord Grey, August 3, 1914 T

Posts are circulating Edward Grey's famous remark of August 3, 1914, on the eve of the First World War: "The lamps are going out all over Europe." Users pair the quote with the observation that, in their view, the lamps are being lit in Europe again — read as a reference to remembrance lights or rearmament — while warning that the United States risks being drawn into conflict if it does not act. The quotation is being used as a commentary on present fears of a wider European war.

Why now: People are invoking Grey's century-old warning to voice anxiety about a new European conflict and to urge US engagement.

Edward GreyEuropeUnited States

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Evidence

• “The lamps are going out all over Europe, we shall not see them lit again in our life-time” —Lord Grey, August 3, 1914 The lamps are being lit in Europe again. The US better follow along soon, or something else will be lit afire. # History # Elections · outer@mas.to · 6

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