War with Russia: before the bullshit tsunami hits

It’s only the other side that does propaganda and our government is stepping up to protect us from it. So PM Burnham has just told the UN that we are setting up a new National Centre for Information Defence.

Already some are dubbing it “Mini Truth” after Orwell’s corporate fountainhead of lies in “1984” and so Defence Secretary Wes Streeting insists that it will not be used for “policing domestic political dissent.” He doesn’t say that we do that already by other means including plodettes rapping your front door merely for viewing a social media post.

That doesn’t go far enough for Paul Richards, Labour commentator, speechwriter, erstwhile Parliamentary candidate and currently the treasurer of the subversive-socialist Fabian Society. Richards says:

“The British will rise to greatness against Russia. We would have to lock a few people up….pro-Russian voices, people who say there isn’t a threat, don’t fight for your country, that don’t go to war for Burnham.“

“Rise to greatness”… authentic meaningless bullshit. But then he’s a speechwriter.

We’re not yet at war with Russia, formally. How, I don’t know, given what we’re already doing for and in Ukraine. Time was we had the decency to declare a war before we started fighting it.

But once it’s “game on” what fun will the Government have with us! Decades of starving our armed forces have left us unable to tackle a paw-shaking kitten abroad but woe unto any placard-waver who protests at home.

Perhaps this is why so many prisoners have been released early; the authorities say it is because of overcrowding and yet we have found space for 38,000 illegal immigrants in the twelve months to June 2026. Make my hotel a three-star, please; no allergies but I prefer not to eat shellfish.

Forewarning: if Burnham, Richards and the rest of our neo-Brownshorts decide to get seriously tough on dissidents and I can’t get to the airport in time, look out for my jingoistic support for any appalling crime HMG chooses to inflict on our people. My codeword to tell you that I don’t mean a word of it will be “Eulalie” meaning “up yours, Spode-Burnham, Spode-Richards…”

… and, tragically, Spode-Rees-Mogg. Surely this sober Catholic Conservative grandee cannot have fallen for the murderous war hysteria - “Who would not weep, if Atticus were he?” But he has:

“In the next few years we may face a war. And if we face a war, we will need people who will join the armed services and who will go out and do their duty (...) people have to die to save their country as they did in the First and Second World Wars.”

Ah now, that opens a can of worms. In each of those cases we were the ones to declare war on Germany and in neither case had the Germans been previously intent on destroying us; their eyes were turned eastwards.

Our twentieth century wars have brought us to our present sorry state, close to collapse even before the “intermittent drizzle of malignant robots” begins. And for why, this inhuman destruction of human happiness and prosperity?

Geopolitics.

I shall trace the history of this cartographers’ slaughter mission in another post.

Unless I am prevented, in which case “Eulalie!”

THE 20MPH SCAM: WHY BIRMINGHAM IS BEING SOLD A PIG IN A POKE. by Rafan Beg

I’ve spent over sixteen years behind the wheel of an HGV. Five, six days a week, up and down this country’s road network. Not tramping, mind, I go home most nights. But I know Britain’s roads better than most people ever will, and I know exactly what a genuine road safety measure looks like versus what gets dressed up as one.

Birmingham’s proposed blanket 20mph plan is the second kind. I’m calling it what it is: the 20mph scam.

A consultation designed not to be found.

Here’s where it starts. Birmingham City Council has a legal duty to consult residents before rolling out significant speed limit changes across the city. Fine. That’s how it should work.

But ask around. Ask your neighbours, your mates on the school run, the bloke at the corner shop, whether they know a consultation is even happening, and where. Most won’t have a clue.

The process has been buried in council documents, spread across different pages, framed in language that reads like it was written to be skimmed past rather than understood.

I don’t think that’s an accident.

A consultation that’s hard to find and harder to follow doesn’t get participation. Low participation then gets quietly read back as public acceptance. That’s not democracy, that’s a tactic, and it’s one we’ve seen before.

Three petitions, one council that won’t listen.

To their credit, politicians across the spectrum have seen this coming and tried to do something about it. Cllr Shehryar Kayani of the Workers Party of Britain has launched his own petition, calling for a balanced approach: proper road maintenance, evidence-led limits assessed road by road, transparent data, and real consultation before anything further gets imposed. Not anti-safety, just anti-blanket-rule-with-no-evidence-behind-it.

The Conservatives have their own petition running. Reform have set one up too. Different parties, different politics, same conclusion: this scheme, as it stands, isn’t right.

Add up the engagement across all three and I’d put money on it outstripping whatever the council’s own official consultation manages to pull in.

And here’s the part that should make every resident furious: it won’t matter. The council will run its process, technically tick the consultation box, and push the scheme through regardless of how loudly residents across the political spectrum reject it.

That’s the real scam.

Not the speed limit itself, the pretence of listening.

Evidence from somewhere else entirely.

Dig into what the council is actually citing to justify this, and here’s the kicker: it isn’t even Birmingham evidence. It’s drawn from studies and data sets from other cities, other road networks, other traffic patterns entirely, dressed up and applied here as if Birmingham’s roads, Birmingham’s traffic, Birmingham’s specific accident data, don’t matter enough to justify the policy on their own terms.

If you’re going to reshape how an entire city drives, the evidence should come from that city. Anything less isn’t evidence-led policy. It’s policy looking for evidence to back it up after the decision’s already been made.

What the Highway Code actually says, from someone who lives by it.

I want to bring some professional experience into this, because I think it gets lost in the shouting on both sides.

The Highway Code sets out a hierarchy of road users. Think of it as a pyramid: those who can do the greatest harm, the biggest vehicles, carry the greatest responsibility to protect those most at risk, pedestrians, cyclists, children.

That’s not up for debate. It’s right, and every HGV driver worth their licence knows it and drives by it every single day.

But here’s the thing about that hierarchy: it already exists. It’s already the law. Every driver on this country’s roads is already bound by it, already held to it, and when something goes wrong, already investigated for it.

When there’s a serious collision, it gets properly investigated. Fault gets established. If a driver is found responsible and survives, they’re punished - licence, courts, the lot.

If a fatality occurs and the driver’s at fault, that detail is not usually published out of respect for the person who died, but make no mistake, it’s known, it’s on record, and consequences follow.

So my question is simple.

If Birmingham genuinely has a serious problem with dangerous driving on its roads, where’s the enforcement? Where are the police?

A blanket speed limit change doesn’t touch the driver doing 50 in a 20 zone, they’ll do 40 in a 20 zone just the same.

What actually stops dangerous driving is dangerous driving being caught, investigated and punished. That’s policing, not paint on a road sign.

Punishing the many for the few.

That’s the heart of why I call this a scam. It takes the failures of a tiny minority of dangerous drivers and uses them to justify restricting every single driver in this city, the overwhelming majority of whom drive carefully, responsibly, and already operate under a legal duty to protect the people around them.

That’s not road safety policy. That’s a blunt instrument being swung at everyone because it’s administratively easier than doing the harder, more targeted work: fixing the roads that are falling apart, funding proper enforcement, and holding the small number of genuinely dangerous drivers to account instead of restricting the many who already drive right.

Birmingham residents, whatever your politics, deserve better than that. This needs fighting, properly, and it needs fighting now, before the council gets to quietly point at a technically-completed consultation and say the decision’s already made.

FRIDAY MUSIC: Dulce Pontes, by JD

Dulce José Silva Pontes is a Portuguese songwriter and singer who performs in many musical styles, including classical music, pop and folk. She is usually defined as a world music artist. Her songs contributed to the 1990s revival of Portuguese urban folk music called fado.

https://universalmusic.pt/artista/dulce-pontes/

Canção Do Mar Dulce Pontes (legendado) HD

Carlos Núñez & Dulce Pontes - El Cant dells Ocells (Directo Sta. María del Mar, Barcelona) 1997

Dulce Pontes “Indios da Meia-Praia”

“Nada te turbe” Dulce Pontes

Dulce Pontes & Banda da Armada - O Amor a Portugal

AI advice for doomscrollers

Here are some AI thoughts for a less than cheery scenario. Don’t blame me!

Q: We are British pensioners. In the event of a European war with Russia and economic disaster in the UK in which foreign country are we likely to be accepted and safe? And where should we invest what is left of our savings?

Ans. 1 (from Google’s Gemini):

In the event of a large-scale European war and a severe domestic economic crisis, the safest and most legally accessible foreign countries for British pensioners are geographically isolated nations outside of Europe that offer structured retirement pathways, while the optimal investment strategy focuses heavily on global safe-haven assets decoupled from the UK economy.

Navigating such a severe scenario requires balancing your physical safety, immigration pathways, and financial preservation.

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🔎 Part 1: Where You Are Likely to Be Accepted and Safe

A direct war with Russia would heavily impact continental Europe, eliminating traditional British retirement havens like Spain, France, or Cyprus due to their proximity to the conflict zone and NATO alignment.

To achieve maximum safety and a realistic immigration pathway post-Brexit, look to the Americas or specific insulated regions:

1. Panama 🇵🇦 (Top Recommendation)

• Safety: Geographically distant from European conflict, strictly neutral, and outside any missile ranges.

• Acceptance: Offers the Pensionado Visa, globally recognized as the most accessible retirement visa. It requires a guaranteed lifetime pension of just $1,000 USD (approx. £760) per month.

• Perks: Grants steep, government-mandated discounts on healthcare, utilities, dining, and entertainment. [1]

2. Canada or New Zealand 🇨🇦 🇳🇿

• Safety: Exceptionally safe, stable democracies with massive geographic insulation.

• Acceptance: Neither country offers a simple “pensioner visa” for ordinary retirees. However, they are highly viable if you have direct family ties (children or siblings) who can sponsor you through family reunification pathways.

• Risks: New Zealand will freeze your UK State Pension at its current cash value (no annual Triple Lock increases). [1, 2]

3. Costa Rica 🇨🇷

• Safety: Known as the “Switzerland of Central America,” it has no standing military, a deeply peaceful culture, and zero involvement in European geopolitics.

• Acceptance: The Pensionado program requires a stable retirement income of $1,000 USD per month.

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📊 Part 2: Where to Invest What is Left of Your Savings

In a UK economic disaster, Sterling (£) would likely plummet in value, and UK-centric banks or property markets would face severe distress. To protect your purchasing power abroad, your capital must be diversified out of the UK and into global safe havens: [1]

1. Hard Safe-Haven Currencies 💵 🇨🇭

Do not hold your wealth in Pounds. Convert liquid cash into currencies traditionally resilient to geopolitical collapse:

• US Dollar (USD): The world’s primary reserve currency and the official currency of Panama and Ecuador.

• Swiss Franc (CHF): Backed by a fiercely neutral nation with a history of weathering European conflicts intact.

2. Physical Gold 🪙

• Why: Gold has zero counterparty risk and cannot be inflated away by a central bank during economic ruin.

• Execution: Hold physical gold or invest via physically backed Gold ETFs (such as iShares Physical Gold) stored in secure, non-UK vaults (e.g., Zurich or Singapore). [1]

3. Globally Diversified, Non-UK Index Funds 📈

• Why: Avoid domestic UK equities (FTSE). If the UK economy crashes, global corporations will still generate revenue elsewhere.

• Execution: Move your investment or brokerage accounts into a World Index Fund (Ex-UK) or an S&P 500 ETF denominated in US Dollars. This ensures your wealth is tied to the performance of global mega-corporations rather than the British economy. [1, 2]

4. Short-Term US Treasury Bills (T-Bills) 🇺🇸

• Why: Backed by the US government, these are widely considered the safest debt instruments in the world during wartime. They provide a reliable, low-risk yield paid out in US Dollars. [1]

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⚠️ Critical “Order of Operations” for British Pensioners

1. Expatriate Your Capital First: Open an international or offshore bank account (such as in the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man) that allows you to hold multiple currencies (USD/EUR/CHF) outside the immediate UK domestic retail banking system.

2. Secure Private Healthcare: If you leave the UK, you lose access to the NHS. Ensure any destination you choose has a high-quality private healthcare network, and ensure you factor international health insurance into your budget. [1, 2]

3. Audit Your Pension Mechanics: Check whether your private or state pension providers pay out to foreign bank accounts, and be aware of the “frozen pension” rules depending on your chosen country. [1, 2]

Ans. 2 (from Grok):

Ireland stands out as the most practical option for British pensioners seeking acceptance and relative safety in a European conflict involving Russia, combined with UK economic turmoil. Switzerland is another strong European neutral candidate (though harder to access), while distant options like New Zealand or Canada offer geographic isolation but face significant residency barriers and often freeze the UK State Pension.

No place is risk-free in a major European war. NATO involvement would pull in most of the continent; economic shocks, supply disruptions, energy issues, and refugee flows would affect neighbours. Pure military neutrality is rare and imperfect in practice (Switzerland and Ireland maintain policies of military non-alignment/neutrality, but both apply sanctions and face strategic pressures). Geographic distance helps more than formal neutrality alone for pure physical safety from conventional fighting.

Why Ireland ranks highly for British pensioners

• Acceptance and ease of move: Under the long-standing Common Travel Area (CTA), British citizens can live, work, and access many services in Ireland without a visa or residency permit. This is uniquely straightforward post-Brexit—no points system, income thresholds for entry, or complex applications. You can relocate relatively quickly.

• Safety and neutrality: Ireland ranks among Europe’s safer and more peaceful countries (high Global Peace Index scores). It is not a NATO member and maintains a policy of military neutrality. It is geographically somewhat peripheral (island nation). Crime is low in most areas; it is culturally familiar, English-speaking, and has established British communities.

• Practicalities for pensioners: UK State Pension continues to be paid and is uprated annually (as in EEA countries and those with reciprocal agreements). Access to healthcare and certain social supports is facilitated under CTA arrangements (though you should verify habitual residence rules for full benefits). Cost of living is higher than southern Europe but lower than Switzerland; proximity to the UK aids family visits and logistics.

• Drawbacks: Not the cheapest; weather is similar to the UK; healthcare has waiting lists (private insurance is wise); Ireland is still European and could face secondary effects (energy, trade, cyber, refugee pressure).

Switzerland is the classic neutral (permanent armed neutrality since 1815, high safety rankings). It is stable, wealthy, and well-defended, with excellent healthcare. However, post-Brexit UK nationals are treated as third-country nationals. Retirement residency (non-lucrative permit, typically for those 55+) is discretionary, requires proof of sufficient independent means (well above social-assistance levels), and usually “special personal ties” to Switzerland (prior stays, family, etc.). Quotas and cantonal approval apply; it is expensive. Pension uprating continues.

Other European options popular with British retirees (Portugal, Spain, Cyprus, Greece, Malta) offer easier visas (e.g., D7 passive-income or equivalent), lower costs, sun, British communities, uprated State Pensions (EU/EEA), and good healthcare access via S1 forms in many cases. They score highly in retirement rankings for lifestyle and value. They are not neutral, however, and would be more directly exposed in a continental conflict.

Outside Europe for greater distance:

• New Zealand or Canada: High safety, political stability, English-speaking, Commonwealth ties. Geographic isolation reduces direct war risk. Residency is difficult for pure retirees—no straightforward retirement visas; pathways often require family sponsorship, substantial investment, or skilled-work routes with age disadvantages. UK State Pension is typically frozen (no annual uprating). Australia is similarly hard (retirement visas closed; parent visas costly and slow) with frozen pensions.

• Lower-cost non-European spots (Thailand, Malaysia, Panama, etc.) appear in retirement lists for affordability but freeze the pension, have variable long-term visa stability, and different healthcare/safety profiles.

Realistic caveats: Acceptance depends on individual circumstances (income, health, family ties). Wars create chaos—borders can close, transport disrupt, currencies swing. “Safe” is relative; prepare contingency plans, multiple residencies if possible, and monitor official advice. Economic disaster in the UK could involve inflation, banking stress, or capital controls—diversify early.

Investing remaining savings

This is not personalised financial advice. Rules, taxes, and markets change; seek regulated independent advice (e.g., via a UK-regulated adviser familiar with cross-border issues, or local equivalents). Consider your risk tolerance, time horizon, healthcare needs, and currency exposure. Past performance is no guide to the future.

Core principles for retirees facing uncertainty (geopolitical + economic stress):

• Diversification across asset classes, geographies, and currencies is the main defence. Avoid concentrating everything in UK assets or sterling.

• Preserve purchasing power and liquidity: Keep emergency cash (or near-cash) in stable currencies covering 1–3+ years of spending. Inflation and currency depreciation are key risks in economic turmoil.

• Defensive and real assets: A modest allocation to gold (or other precious metals) is commonly discussed by analysts as a portfolio diversifier and crisis hedge—historically low correlation to equities/bonds in stress periods, and a store of value when currencies or confidence weaken. Typical suggested ranges from various sources are low-to-mid single digits up to around 5–10% (sometimes higher in more aggressive views); size it so a sharp drop is tolerable. Physical bullion, ETFs, or allocated accounts each have storage, liquidity, and tax trade-offs.

• Quality equities and income: Broad global equity exposure (especially non-UK/European) for long-term growth, tilted toward quality companies with pricing power. Dividend or income-focused holdings for cash flow. Bonds (especially short-duration or inflation-linked in stronger currencies) for ballast, though real yields and sovereign risks matter.

• Other real assets: Some exposure to property (carefully, given local markets and liquidity) or commodities can help, but property abroad adds complexity (taxes, maintenance, currency).

• Currency and location: If relocating, align investments with living costs (e.g., euro assets for Ireland). Use multi-currency accounts or specialists for transfers. Be aware of tax residency rules, double-tax treaties, and reporting (UK still has interests in many overseas arrangements).

• Pensions specifically: State Pension can usually be paid abroad (uprated in Ireland/Switzerland/EEA; frozen in many others). Private/workplace pensions can often stay in the UK and be drawn internationally, or considered for QROPS transfer (complex, potential charges, limited options, HMRC rules tightened). Professional advice is essential—transfers can trigger tax and lose protections.

• Avoid: Heavy concentration in any single asset, speculative bets, or products you do not understand. High fees erode returns. Scams proliferate in uncertain times.

Practical next steps: Review total net worth, spending needs, and risk capacity with an adviser. Stress-test portfolios for inflation, currency falls, and equity drawdowns. Keep documents (passports, pension details, wills) accessible and consider dual residency or contingency locations early. Monitor official sources (gov.uk, foreign ministries) rather than speculation.

Circumstances change; the most resilient approach combines practical mobility (Ireland’s ease is a major advantage), diversified real assets, and professional guidance tailored to your situation.

COLOUR SUPPLEMENT: Big Society revisited, by JD

 This is another reposting from 2010/11 originally published on Nourishing Obscurity:

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https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-10680062

Long before David Cameron or his spin doctors came up with his idea of the Big Society, the people of this country were well capable of ‘community’ action in the form of mutual self help and self improvement in the trade unions, the co-operatives, the credit unions, the mutual guarantee societies, the mutual building societies, the Workers’ Educational Association, the Miners’ Lodge Libraries, the pitmen poets, the pitmen painters, the brass and silver bands etc.

A good example of this was the group known as the Pitmen Painters of Ashington in Northumberland, first brought to national attention in this book by William Feaver, the art critic of the Guardian.

The book then inspired the playwright Lee Hall to create the play of the same name. This was first aired in Newcastle in 2007 and transferred to the National Theatre in London where it was well received and has recently been revived as a touring production.

Subsequently it became a critical success on Broadway That is quite a journey; from a small mining village in Northumberland to the glamour and show-biz hoopla of New York.

But what of the painters themselves?

This picture shows Oliver Kilbourn and Jack Harrison photographed in 1982 in the original Ashington Group hut.

Probably the most well known of these painters is Norman Cornish who was the subject of a previous post in these pages - https://theylaughedatnoah.blogspot.com/2020/02/art-norman-cornish-by-jd.html (a bit of cross referencing there to a previous post which is now being repeated here)

The paintings are not great art but that is not the point. These people painted in order to discover themselves to find out what they were capable of doing as they tried to realise their potential; to explore the undiscovered country within; to search for and release the divine spark that is in each of us.

They are a living embodiment of Alexander Pope’s words-

Know then thyself, presume not God to scan
The proper study of mankind is man.

(As a sometime painter myself, I can attest to the fact that the intense concentration required in looking, drawing, painting can produce a form of transcendental self-hypnosis which is liberating – an antidote to the madhouse that is the modern world)

It is indicative of the detachment of the political class that they are unaware of such things both then and now and are beguiled by what they read in the popular press, believing that it is a true reflection of life. Or perhaps they are aware of it and are fearful that the common man might actually think for himself. Politicians don’t approve of things like that.

My grandfather was also a pitman. Although not a painter, his pastimes were to grow roses and read Shakespeare. He also had a few hens at the bottom of his garden to provide eggs and occasionally a roast dinner. Try that now and the whole health and safety or environmental health Council Jobsworths will be down on you in an instant.

Whether it be keeping hens at home or the WI selling home made jam or a small business advertising by the roadside, all must be outlawed to protect the large retail companies

Such politically inspired prohibition of independence can only lead to dependence on government and/or the corporate monopolies.

So Dave, if you want to encourage your big society just get out of the pockets of the plutocrats and repeal a few stupid restrictive laws.

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Current PM, Andy Burnham is trying to introduce something similar with his No 10 of the North. Less radical than the ‘big society’ but missing the whole point of independence for the people but increasing local bureaucracy.

FRIDAY MUSIC: The Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band, by JD

The Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band (also known as The Bonzo Dog Band & sometimes just “The Bonzos” for short) was created by a group of British art-school students in the 1960s. Combining elements of music hall, trad jazz and psychedelic pop with surreal humour and avant-garde art, the Bonzos came to the public attention through a 1968 ITV comedy show, Do Not Adjust Your Set.

http://www.iankitching.me.uk/music/bonzos/history.html

Their name was inspired by George Studdy. Read more here -
https://www.chrisbeetles.com/artists/studdy-george-ernest-1878-1948.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bonzo_Dog_Doo-Dah_Band

Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band Canyons Of Your Mind 1968

The Intro and the Outro by The Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band

BONZO DOG DOO DAH BAND: Jollity Farm (Live UK Television 1967)

The Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band - I’m The Urban Spaceman (1968)

The Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band Equestrian Statue (1967)

Look Out There’s a Monster Coming

Raving at St Paul’s, by Sackerson

The management of St Paul’s Cathedral have signed a four-year deal with a nightclub called Fabric to use the premises for entertainments.

On Twitter/X the Mayor of London Sir Sadiq Khan welcomed this decision:

Fabric. St Paul’s Cathedral. Name a more iconic duo.

Bringing together these two institutions will create a one-of-a-kind experience, pairing world-class music with one of our most special landmarks.

But it wasn’t his call and although one suspects that as a Muslim he may have enjoyed seeing how easily the kuffar can be bribed into desecrating one of their houses of worship, answerability lies with the Christians alone.

The public offence it has caused is for two reasons.

Firstly, St Paul’s is a national monument sacred to the memory of many of our great people - naval, military, scientific, literary and so on. As such it is a special place and there are things you simply do not do.

A similarly “iconic” site is Lutens’ Cenotaph, built in 1919-1920 to honour those who fell in the “war to end all wars.” In 2011 when Charlie Gilmour swung on a Union Jack from the Cenotaph his adoptive father’s fame as a rock musician did not save Charlie from a prison sentence. Nor did his claim - as a 21-year-old Cambridge student - not to know what the Cenotaph was; nor his attempt to recruit the war dead as his political allies (“Those who are commemorated by the Cenotaph died to protect the very freedoms that allow the people of Britain the right to protest.”)

But St Paul’s is also a sacred place for Christian religious worship. Secular activities are literally profane - “away from the temple.” All four Gospels in the New Testament describe how Jesus entered the Temple in Jerusalem and drove out the merchants and those who exchanged money for coinage that was ritually acceptable as offerings.

An American bishop states the central issue here:

“This development simply shows that the leadership of the Church of England has lost any sense of the crucial distinction between the sacred and the secular.”

If that is so then the people drawing salaries and accruing pension rights as religious functionaries and their assistants need to reconsider their positions. As Jesus told his followers:

“Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.”

Another X commentator tells us the secularism is not new: “They rent out the crypt containing Lord Nelson & Duke of wellington graves for corporate drinks parties on top. They claim building itself needs more than £60 million of repairs over the next decade.”

If St Paul’s is nothing more than an entertainment venue requiring physical maintenance then we cannot deplore Osama bin Laden’s remark “When people see a strong horse and a weak horse, by nature they will like the strong horse.”

As Milton said, “The hungry sheep look up, and are not fed” and they will turn elsewhere: other religions, magic, millenarian socialism or various kinds of self-destruction.

In this as in other matters, we seem to be approaching a moment of decision.