In Britain, journalists often view comparisons with our society going back two, three, or seven centuries as more relevant than comparisons going bac… - Theodore Dalrymple

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In Britain, journalists often view comparisons with our society going back two, three, or seven centuries as more relevant than comparisons going back two, three, or seven decades. Drunkenness centuries ago is more illuminating than comparative sobriety 30 years ago. The distant past, selectively mined for evidence that justifies our current conduct, becomes more important than living memory.