> The world desperately needs a leader - a Churchill, a Lincoln, just about anyone - to stand up to it, to show people there are other, much better ways.

The Churchill who authorized the bombing of Berlin? The Churchill who authorized the bombing of Dresden?

The Lincoln that authorized Sherman's march to the sea with its intentional destruction of civilian areas to break the will of the south to fight?

The Lincoln who suspended habeas corpus?

I think Churchill and Lincoln were far more willing to use force in the service of what they saw as right than people think they were.