Manchester, Liverpool, Yorkshire and Cornwall are all rather fine places - you look around yourself and if that place is yours, pride is quite easy to feel. You are reminded again and again of yoir o… (View Post)

I think your latter two points are true. I don't think we ought to go overboard on the national (or even municipal, or regional) pride. But I also wish we didn't go so big on the national s… (View Post)

It's not even the "patriotic" lobby. I love my country. But I recognise that that's a function of me growing up in this country and being rooted in it, and human psychology valuin… (View Post)

Motivation for the destruction 'just drunken stupidity'. In some ways, I find this something of a relief. It's not a *good* reason, certainly, but the least bad reason I can think of. (View Post)

I'm more baffled at the moment about the apparent shrug with which the world has greeted the news that Trump has apparently elected to award the World Club World Cup trophy to himself - not leas… (View Post)