Hi Gideon. Just to temper your diagnosis of excessive "free-marketism" being the source of the current UK funk. Did you know that government spending in the UK is now 10 percentage points higher than when Thatcher left office (45 per cent now versus 35 per cent then). Maybe you might need to consider other causes...just saying..... Enjoy the comms though....Cheers
Thank you for the insight into Greg Sheridan. From time to time he gets a run on the bothsidesism of the ABC. I know it's a separate topic but theA BC seems to be moving to the right. Are they scared?
Us rusted-on Conservatives are probably as lost as the old style lefties. I'm too old to be idealistic, so it's a struggle to find somewhere to park my principles.
What are your principles Tony? Perhaps they should be destroyed rather than parked. It seems most “die hard” Tories parked their principles with Reform. We take a lot for granted about our political systems in Australia … not perfect but better than the UK.
It's been wonderful to read in recent months that you are on good terms with Tom Holland and Simon Kuper - I'm an ardent fan of both.
My occasional and fleeting visits to the UK in the last 15 years have been focused on central London. Each time I go, the place feels more venal, corrupt and tired. It's very sad and there's an undercurrent of shapeless globalism in London that is even more pronounced than in other major financial and tourist centres.
British declinism is a trope that predates Orwell's 'Lion and the Unicorn', but it does appear to be gaining pace. As happens with many bankruptcies, things happen very, very slowly...and then very, very fast.
Hi Gideon. Just to temper your diagnosis of excessive "free-marketism" being the source of the current UK funk. Did you know that government spending in the UK is now 10 percentage points higher than when Thatcher left office (45 per cent now versus 35 per cent then). Maybe you might need to consider other causes...just saying..... Enjoy the comms though....Cheers
Thank you for the insight into Greg Sheridan. From time to time he gets a run on the bothsidesism of the ABC. I know it's a separate topic but theA BC seems to be moving to the right. Are they scared?
Us rusted-on Conservatives are probably as lost as the old style lefties. I'm too old to be idealistic, so it's a struggle to find somewhere to park my principles.
What are your principles Tony? Perhaps they should be destroyed rather than parked. It seems most “die hard” Tories parked their principles with Reform. We take a lot for granted about our political systems in Australia … not perfect but better than the UK.
Still remember Sheridan defending the Santa Cruz massacre, arguing “even genuine victims concoct stories”.
It's been wonderful to read in recent months that you are on good terms with Tom Holland and Simon Kuper - I'm an ardent fan of both.
My occasional and fleeting visits to the UK in the last 15 years have been focused on central London. Each time I go, the place feels more venal, corrupt and tired. It's very sad and there's an undercurrent of shapeless globalism in London that is even more pronounced than in other major financial and tourist centres.
British declinism is a trope that predates Orwell's 'Lion and the Unicorn', but it does appear to be gaining pace. As happens with many bankruptcies, things happen very, very slowly...and then very, very fast.
“Declinism”?? WTF is that?
An obsession with decline.