Or why a healthy society thrives on dissent. And even, who will save us from the stupidity of endless, repetitive order? Fascinating thesis from that most excellent political dissenter John Lloyd, which he kicks off with a seminal quote from Nietzsche:
“The danger to those strong communities founded on homogeneous individuals who have character is growing stupidity, which follows all stability like a shadow. It is the individuals who have fewer ties and are much more uncertain and morally weaker upon whom spiritual progress depends in such communities; they are the men who make new and manifold experiments.”
Lloyd argues that every party/tradition, needs a leading dissenter to effect real change. He draws mostly from British parliamentary history, citing D’Israeli, Churchill and Ernest Bevan as prime examples of men who thought and acted across the currents of orthodoxy in their own traditions and in doing so effected substantial and lasting changes.
But his thesis is one that could be fed on and made relevant to the local scene in so many, many ways. Who’ll give us a starter for ten?
Mick is founding editor of Slugger. He has written papers on the impacts of the Internet on politics and the wider media and is a regular guest and speaking events across Ireland, the UK and Europe. Twitter: @MickFealty
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