“A state that fully believes in itself and in the goodness of its own mission, in contrast to the unambitious and self-abasing governments of the West.” It’s unintentionally (or not) great life advice.
> Much ink has been spilled over what good political values are. Let’s keep it simple: strong commitments to economic growth, individual freedom, and national identity.
It seems like there would then be big benefit then from fostering a national identity that champions economic growth and individual freedom...
I agree about the need for time to think. One of the reasons I take the heterodox view that we shouldn't focus on strengthening the centre of government but on making individual departments work better is that the "strong centre" argument in one sense boils down to "the PM must do everything important from his place at the centre of the web". Do less, better, and with more opportunity for reflection.
This is excellent! Don’t overlook literature. Cummings recommended Kim as a minimum and he was a Tolstoy reader.
True! As you have been writing about recently https://www.commonreader.co.uk/p/culture-matters-more-than-politics and https://www.commonreader.co.uk/p/why-read-middlemarch-if-you-work
“A state that fully believes in itself and in the goodness of its own mission, in contrast to the unambitious and self-abasing governments of the West.” It’s unintentionally (or not) great life advice.
> Much ink has been spilled over what good political values are. Let’s keep it simple: strong commitments to economic growth, individual freedom, and national identity.
It seems like there would then be big benefit then from fostering a national identity that champions economic growth and individual freedom...
I agree about the need for time to think. One of the reasons I take the heterodox view that we shouldn't focus on strengthening the centre of government but on making individual departments work better is that the "strong centre" argument in one sense boils down to "the PM must do everything important from his place at the centre of the web". Do less, better, and with more opportunity for reflection.