My Christmas Message : Behold The Armies of One

If the Festive Spirit seemed lacking in my previous post, I hope that this one might make amends.

Just the other day, I came across an article by the US academic Harold Bloom in the New York Times (http:/www.nytimes.com/2008/10/12/opinion/12bloom.html). In his NYT article, Bloom considers the relevance of Ralph Waldo Emerson's philosophy to our present day economic problems, and, in particular the concept of "self-reliance".

Now, for my money, if former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher felt that "there is no such thing as society", excluding her own (ie "one of us"), our present one, Gordon Brown, feels that there is no such thing as the individual, excluding himself and his cronies, of course.

This bring me to what seems a central message of "The Christ Story", the importance of individual conscience and action in the face of oppression (military, political, social, cultural, economic etc).

Sharing the same North American tradition as Harold Bloom, the management writer Tom Peters has drawn attention to the importance of the "Army of One" ie the self-reliant individual working within and without organisations , often overcoming the forces of oppression in the process, for some greater societal good.

Good Luck to Them and Seasons Greetings to All !

Better to reign in hell than serve in heaven ?

The above quotation is taken from John Milton's epic poem, "Paradise Lost", which BBC Radio 3 is broadcasting every afternoon this week and next at 5pm. Now here's some real "fear and loathing", to use those well known words of Hunter S Thompson, from Satan's "crew" !

Earlier this year, as it happens, I briefly attended - being short of time and attention span - an exhibition entitled "Citizen Milton" at the Bodleian Library (one of my all time favourite places) in Oxford. Near the start of this exhibition, I was perplexed to find the following quotation from our Prime Minister :

"At the core of British history, the very British ideas of 'active citizenship,' 'good neighbour', civic pride and the public realm." — Gordon Brown, 2007

This may well be true, but what has it got to do with Milton ?, I asked myself : Oxford Establishment cosying up to the Government, perhaps. Then as I listened to "Paradise Lost" yesterday, another thought occurred.

What particularly strikes me about Gordon Brown and his Cabinet is the pride and arrogance of some (not all, admittedly) of its key members, including the Prime Minister, himself. I wonder what "Citizen Milton" would have made of them ?

Postscript 24.12.2008 : If anyone is wondering where God is in my "argument" (to use Milton's word), let them look to Citizen Williams, although the Poet would, I think (had he been alive today) looked more to Citizen Tutu for his inspiration.

"The least accurate but most truthful account..."

So was the writing of Gonzo journalist Hunter S Thompson once described : a description which might well provide food for thought over the festive period for those concerned with matters more or less evidence-based.

More Cabaret & Less Strictly Come Dancing Please

Yes, I'm Back ! : Variously inspired by the German Finance Minister attack on Brownite Economics (if such a thing exists !), economist Tim Harford's BBC Radio 4 Programme "More or Less" (check out the website), and Lord Mandelson's aspirations to appear on BBC 1's "Celebrity Come Dancing". However, what I want is more "Welcome to Berlin"* style cabaret with Peter in a starring role, of course !

* The musical's original name