U2, a band founded half a century ago by schoolboys from a Dublin comprehensive, is about to release new album Carnaval de Luz; age has not diluted their desire to get people of all nations singing their songs. The passage of time has not swept away U2's ambition or eroded their friendship.
Musicians who perform on stage together in front of giant and adoring crowds are often not fans of each other. The Beatles, Pink Floyd and the Kinks recorded albums which captivated the world but incendiary tensions ripped through the bands. People who came together through a shared love of music can be driven apart by differing creative visions, rows over the division of loot and base jealousy.
Trust and Friendship at the Core
Yet it is heartwarming and inspiring to see artists whose creative partnerships and personal friendships have weathered the decades. As the guitarist, who still goes by the nickname The Edge, put it: “We genuinely think that we might just write the best song we’ve ever written next week, or do the best show we’ve ever done next tour.”
At the heart of this dynamic is trust, friendship and joy, which in turn are enchanting qualities. The euphoria at the reformed Oasis shows is in part a celebration of renewed brotherly love, and the beauty of fraternity glows when Bruce Springsteen steps out with the E-Street band.
A Lesson for Political Culture
Such decade-spanning friendships are rare in a British political culture in which politicians quit the Commons to make “proper money” as soon as they lose starring roles. Achieving lasting change takes more than a couple of parliamentary terms.
William Wilberforce, sustained by deep friendships, fought slavery as an MP for nearly four decades. MPs who find a cadre of brothers and sisters who share their values and ambitions for a revived Britain should think twice before breaking up the band.
Fear of Crime and Social Standards
There is something deeply concerning about public bodies and companies writing notes for burglars and louts. When I see a notice on a shop window stating that no cash is held on the premises overnight my heart sinks; such information can only be of interest to a passing vagabond tempted to stage a heist. Likewise, a message now sits on so many reception desks warning that abusive conduct will not be tolerated.
Are we so moronic a society that we dare not expect Britons to maintain minimal standards of courtesy during stressful conversations? Tourists will go home thinking that modern Britons live on the verge of ram-raiding shops or dissolving into Genghis Khan-grade fits of rage. The most worrying thing is if this is how we see ourselves.
France's Riots and Political Reform
Rioting in France sends a unique chill down the spine of British politicians and has done for generations because it triggers the question: “Could it happen here?”
Edmund Burke, the pioneer of modern conservatism, was horrified at the Terror of the French Revolution and instead argued that societies should be changed through reform and not decapitations and destruction. As the leaders of debt-addled France wrestle with passionate demands for public investment, UK ministers will pray that Britain is not hit with the wrath of the mob.
China's Youth Unemployment and Geopolitical Risks
Former Foreign Secretary William Hague warned this week that Xi Jinping may gamble that his best chance of winning control of Taiwan is while Donald Trump is still US President. Meanwhile, the US and China are locked in a race to perfect Artificial Intelligence which could define the future of humanity.
It is easy to imagine worst-case scenarios about a confrontation between China and the West but this is a country – like the one we call home – which faces a raft of internal challenges. China’s unemployment rate for urban 16-24-year-olds hit 18.9% in August. Any society is fragile when anxious and frustrated young people lack a job and purpose in life. Hopefully, the nominally Communist state will respond by doubling-down on efforts to boost the economy and shy away from geopolitical adventures which would sabotage trade. A nightmare awaits if it follows Vladimir Putin’s playbook of shoring up power by pandering to the most aggressive nationalist instincts.
