The World Crisis, Vol. 4: The Aftermath, Chapter XX: The Greek Tragedy
Winston Churchill
Churchill knew the fickle nature of public memory. In politics and war, triumphs and safeguards quickly fade from consciousness, overshadowed by new crises or complaints. His observation critiques an aspect of human nature: the tendency to overlook what doesn't scream for attention, even if it quietly saved lives. The line was penned in the shadow of World War I's devastation, a period when the relief of averted dangers soon gave way to new struggles and demands.