2026-08-30
We English (in general, and I include the Scots Welsh and Irish as kindred members of the same family of islands) are proud to be known for our tolerance, our slowness to take offence, our obligation to "fair play", for "my word is my bond", for our enthusiasm for peace over conflict, for our now rather quaint notion that the government is our servant rather than our master, and even for our less altruistic but generally harmless eccentricities local and national (of which between us all we can boast plenty 😀).
We are therefore a fairly typical population with much more in our respective cultures that unites us (even our differences!) rather than divides us.
And yet, one of the unspoken impressions of modern life is that some or indeed all of these characteristics are outmoded, belong to a past age.
The truth is that we need as much of all such traits as we can muster these days, as those who pass for our governments are ever more clearly intent on none of these - except to undermine them.
So, as we all live in "democracies", the question for our time is: "where did it all go wrong"?
There is no point in addressing any of the individual issues unless we can first address this one, and effect the very necessary correction.
And how best to install governments that truly reflect value and support these our own characteristics?
(10 minutes)
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