Contributors

Francisco J. Ayala is an evolutionary geneticist and molecular biologist and the recipient of the 2010 Templeton Prize. Jeremy Black is a Professor of History at the University of Exeter. He is the author of nearly 100 books, including The Curse of History and The Battle of Waterloo. John R. Bolton is the former US ambassador to the UN. He is senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute and the author of Surrender is Not an Option: Defending America at the United Nations. Philip Booth is Editorial and Programme Director of the Institute of Economic Affairs and Professor of Insurance and Risk Management at Cass Business School. Michael Burleigh is Professor of History at the University of Buckingham. His new book, Moral Combat: A History of World War II, is published by HarperPress. Nick Cohen is a columnist for the Observer. Tim Congdon is chief executive of International Monetary Research Ltd. Jessica Duchen is a music journalist, biographer and novelist. Her latest novel is Songs of Triumphant Love. She blogs on music at standpointmag.co.uk/jessica-duchen Tibor Fischer’s latest novel, Good to be God, is now available in paperback. B. H. Fraser works in the City for a major bank and is the author of City Poems. Mark Gullick lives on a narrow boat, has a philosophy PhD and blogs at www.keepthinkingbutch.blogspot.com John Haldane is a philosopher, commentator and broadcaster, and a Papal Adviser to the Vatican. His most recent book, Reasonable Faith, is now a Routledge paperback. Nichi Hodgson is a freelance writer on arts and culture. Clive James’s most recent books of prose are The Revolt of the Pendulum and The Blaze of Obscurity, both published by Picador as is Opal Sunset, a volume of poems. Paul Johnson’s latest book, Brief Lives, is published this month by Hutchinson. He is writing a life of Socrates. Marc Jordan works in the visual arts as a consultant and adviser. He is also founder of the Creative Education Trust, which connects creative businesses with schools in deprived areas. Dominic Lawson is a columnist for the Sunday Times and the Independent and the author of a book on the battle for the world chess championship, The Inner Game. Joseph Loconte is a lecturer in politics at the King’s College in New York City and the editor of The End of Illusions: Religious Leaders Confront Hitler’s Gathering Storm. Shiraz Maher is a writer and broadcaster. He blogs at Focus on Islamism, Standpointmag.co.uk/hitchens-maher Minette Marrin is a writer, broadcaster and columnist for the Sunday Times.

Craig Raine

Julia Pettengill

Gwyn Prins

Jessica Duchen

Nichi Hodgson

Clive James

Frances Weaver

Peter Whittle

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June 2010

William Norton is a research fellow of the TaxPayers Alliance. He is the author of Monument and Bank: Capitalism and the Anglo-Saxon Mind, to be published shortly by the Social Affairs Unit. Emanuele Ottolenghi is a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defence of Democracies. Julia Pettengill is the Director of the Campaign for the Responsibility to Protect at the Henry Jackson Society. Gwyn Prins is a Research Professor at the London School of Economics and the lead author of The Hartwell Paper, another coalition launched on May 11. Michael Prodger is literary editor of the Sunday Telegraph. Craig Raine is a poet, dramatist, librettist and essayist. He is the founder editor of the literary magazine Areté. His first novel, Heartbreak, will appear in July. Hamish Robinson is the author of The Gift Returned and was poet-in-residence of the Wordsworth Trust in 2005. Joshua Rozenberg  presents Law in Action on BBC Radio 4. He writes a blog on legal affairs at standpointmag.co.uk/law Lionel Shriver’s new novel, So Much for That, is published by HarperCollins. Norman Stone is Professor of International Relations at Bilkent University, Ankara, and also lives in Oxford, where he was Professor of Modern History until 1997. His new book, The Atlantic and its Enemies 1945-1991, is published by Penguin. Anthony Thwaite’s Collected Poems was published in 2007. He is the editor of Philip Larkin: Letters to Monica, a collection of letters between the poet and his closest confidante and lover, to be published by Faber and Faber in the autumn. Daisy Waugh writes novels and two columns in the Sunday Times. Frances Weaver is the web editor and columnist of Standpoint. Peter Whittle is Standpoint’s film critic and director of the New Culture Forum. He blogs on politics and the arts at standpointmag.co.uk/peter-whittle Special thanks to Nick Redgrove and Berenika Stefanska

Letters Standpoint welcomes letters to the Editor. Write to: Standpoint, 11 Manchester Square, London W1U 3PW or: letters@standpointmag.co.uk Please include your address and telephone number.

8 June 2010 Issue 23

Manchester Square 7 CounterpointsHeavylevy;Misproportional representation; Voting block; Terror errors; Military trials; Barge charge 10

Columns European Eye Mara Delius indulges in some California dreaming 16 On the contrary Lionel Shriver finds the same US state extremely taxing 17 The Outsider Douglas Murray laments the conduct and outcome of the general election 18 Marketplace Tim Congdon isn’t convinced that we need a government at all 20 Jurisprudence Joshua Rozenberg witnesses a courtroom clash between Church and State 21 Living History Michael Burleigh imagines the aftermath of a dirty bomb 22 Points East & West Emanuele Ottolenghi predicts the end of Europe’s welfare states 23

The Mole attacks the cosy boys’ club that is the Parliamentary lobby 24 Web Sightings Frances Weaver translates Hugo Chávez’s tweets 25 Letters Toepfer on trial; Banking blunders; Classic values; Mistaken identities 26

COVER ILLUSTRATION by andrécariliho

Coalition Britain Talk is cheap: now it’s time for action Daniel Johnson predicts a posthoneymoon headache for the new coalition government 40

Something nasty in the woodshed Nick Cohen warns that Clegg’s party harbours some deeply illiberal attitudes in its ranks 44

40

Now is not the time to go all wobbly John Bolton examines the future of the special relationship under Cameron and Obama 48

Dialogue Has Britain found a role yet? Norman Stone and Jeremy Black discuss how our history affects the politics of today 34 DispatchesShirazMaherin Bajaur comes face to face with the Taliban 28 Jonathan Foreman in Oslo attends an alternative human rights forum 32

Features Beyond climate hubris Gwyn Prins demands a more pragmatic approach on global warming 52 A Catholic voice for the American Right John Haldane profiles the new leader of American intellectual conservatism 54

Civilisation Critique Craig Raine details the lengthy birth pains of his first novel 58 Books Paul Johnson reviews Moral Combat: AHistory of World War II by Michael Burleigh; Tibor Fischer on Hitch-22: A Memoir by Christopher Hitchens; and Nichi Hodgson on Capital Affairs: The Making of the Permissive Society by Frank Mort 60 Cosmos Francisco Ayala illustrates the harmony between religion and science 65 Music Jessica Duchen explores the major influence of Goethe’s Faust 66 Art Michael Prodger celebrates the British sense of humour 67 Film Peter Whittle finds Shrink far from therapeutic 68 TV Nick Cohen calls for the downfall of Murdoch’s empire 69 Theatre Minette Marrin contrasts two depictions of ruling elites 70

TextCliveJames, Anthony Thwaite, B. H. Fraser and Hamish Robinson New poems 72

Imagination Daisy Waugh eavesdrops on the pro-Boris brigade in Party Lines; Whatever by Peter Blegvad: The Saga of Smit & Smule continues 76

Drawing Board Avigdor Arikha (1929-2010): An appreciation 78 Overrated/UnderratedTheeuro/TheQueen by Jamie Whyte and Peter Whittle 80

ChessDominic Lawson reports on Vishy Anand, a worthy world champion 82

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