CONTRIBUTORS TO THIS ISSUE

ANDREW BILLEN is a staff writer on the Times

WOUTER BOS is leader of the Dutch Labour party

BETH BREEZE is deputy director of the Institute for Philanthropy

PAUL BROKS is the author of Into the Silent Land (Atlantic Books)

MARK COUSINS is the author of The Story of Film (Pavilion Books)

TOM DE CASTELLA is a freelance journalist and writer

ANTHONY DWORKIN is editor of the Crimes of War website

JONATHAN EVANS is a professor of psychology at Plymouth University

STEPHEN EVERSON is writing a book on metaphysics and the mind

MICHEL FABER is the author of The Crimson Petal and the White (Canongate)

DAVID HELD is a professor of political science at the LSE

JOHN HEMMING is the author of Die If You Must (Pan)

DAVID HERMAN is a television producer and writer

RICHARD JENKYNS is professor of the classical tradition at Oxford University

TOBIAS JONES is the author of The Dark Heart of Italy (Faber)

TIM KING is a writer and documentarymaker living in France

DAN KUPER works for London Underground

ELENA LAPPIN ’s novel The Nose is published by Picador

CHRIS LAYTON is chair of Action for a Global Climate Community

BEN LEWIS presented the BBC4 series Art Safari

MICHAEL LIND is the author of Made in Texas (Basic Books)

THERESA LLOYD is the author of Why Rich People Give (ACF)

FINTAN O’TOOLE is a columnist for the Irish Times

STEPHEN OVERELL writes about work and employment

TOM REED is an east European politics and energy analyst

IAN STEWART is a professor of mathematics at Warwick University

ERIK TARLOFF is a novelist and screenwriter living in London

2 PROSPECT January 2005

contents Issue one hundred and six January 2005

OPINIONS 10 After Van Gogh

WOUTER BOS The Dutch Labour party leader asks what the centre-left should do now.

11 Nonsense on jobs

STEPHEN OVERELL Reports of the death of the job for life have been greatly exaggerated.

13 A split Ukraine?

TOM REED Russia may try to split Ukraine if its supporters lose the next vote.

14 When to intervene

ANTHONY DWORKIN The latest plan for the UN does not solve the intervention riddle.

16 Has Mugabe won?

TOM DE CASTELLA The opposition MDC should boycott next year’s elections in Zimbabwe.

17 Blair’s chance

CHRIS LAYTON Climate change presents Blair with a chance to become a world statesman.

COVER STORY 20Mother tongue

RICHARD JENKYNS

What does the fashion for books about modern usage of the English language tell us?People care about language because it forms part of their identity. But correct usage is not an elite affectation; it is a badge of competence.

ESSAYS 26 Red-state sneer

MICHAEL LIND Many Democrats blame the unenlightened “red states”of America for Kerry’s defeat. But most workingclass Americans remain centrist. Liberals must learn to stop sneering.

32 Indelible paint

BEN LEWIS By announcing the triumph of paintingin 2005, Saatchi is following, not creating, a trend. Painting is indeed “back,”but this time it is more than a fad.

38 Global left turn

DAVID HELD Martin Wolf and I agree about much. But while he regards liberal markets as sufficient for globalisation, I think the world needs a turn to social democracy.

42 Tribal preservation

JOHN HEMMING Fifty years ago, Brazil’s indigenous peoples faced extinction. But thanks to a long campaign, land rights and political protection have been won. www.prospect-magazine.co.uk

INTERVIEW 48 GK Chesterton

TOBIAS JONES Chesterton is dismayed at the onward march of relativism and secularism. He also thinks the novel has lost its way, understands Islamic grievances and is a proud mentor to satirists.

SPECIAL REPORT 52 The return ofphilanthropy

BETH BREEZE The number of very rich people in Britain has risen sharply, but we still lack a US-style culture of philanthropy. plus 55 Why rich people give

THERESA LLOYD Motives of British donors.

COLUMNS 8 Out ofmind

PAUL BROKS Tony Blair’s funny walk.

18 Washington watch

TUMBLER Curse of the second-term scandal.

47 France profonde

TIM KING It’s all about west African oil.

56 Brussels diary

MANNEKEN PIS The truth about the Norwegian way.

80 Notes from underground

DAN KUPER The art of manager-dodging.

REGULARS 4 Letters 6 News & Curiosities plus Enigmas & puzzles IAN STEWART 13 My top ten fears ELENA LAPPIN 75 Classifieds 78 The generalist DIDYMUS 79 The list

arts&books

CULTURAL TOURIST 72 The canonical Potter

ANDREW BILLEN Christmas is all about television, which makes the BBC’s Dennis Potter season all the more welcome. Plus news and listings.

FICTION 58 Serious swimmers

MICHEL FABER Pale from night living and wasted by narcotics, Gail reaches into the pool to find her son.

REVIEWS 64 A less important Ireland

FINTAN O’TOOLE Ireland no longer needs self-pity or hyperbole to tell its story. Diarmaid Ferriter’s account returns to the Irish the right to be unremarkable.

66 Dylan talks,Zappa shouts

ERIK TARLOFF The legend of Bob Dylan thrives on a work of self-exposure. But why does anyone care about Frank Zappa?

68 What drives the human?

JONATHAN EVANS Are we driven by ancient genes or by cognitive faculties?The two systems may be in conflict with each other.

COLUMNS 63 Smallscreen

DAVID HERMAN The Culture Show vs The Late Show.

70 Widescreen

MARK COUSINS Is Alexander a hammer or a mirror?

74 Musical notes

STEPHEN EVERSON Woes at the Wigmore.

FORTHCOMING

Michio Kaku on slipping into another universe

Simon Stevens on what’s wrong with the NHS

Bartle Bull on writing Iraq’s constitution

Rachel Halliburton asks if Complicite are overrated

Peter Wayne on morphine and prisons

THE NEXT ISSUE OF PROSPECT IS PUBLISHED ON 20TH JANUARY

PUBLICATION OF THE YEAR Political Studies Association

PROSPECT January 2005 3