Anthony Barnett (London, OK): Thoughtful post by James Graham on Quaequam on the way politics in Britain is also rotting from the bottom, not just the top, and how even when there is an opportunity for local politics the local subjects in our kingdom remain passive and become victims of the BNP:

Why do so few people stand for parish and community councils? There are lots of factors, but the main ones in my experience are an unholy alliance between a profoundly undemocratic electoral system and a profoundly undemocratic culture that regards elections as vulgar. Villages have a tendency to be ruled over by hegemonies. Political parties in all but name, they dominate by perpetuating the myth that they are above such things. The worst examples of nepotism and venality can be found but somehow this gets justified as a natural feature of village life. It works because the passive majority simply cannot imagine anything else.

Read the full post HERE it's well worth it.