Anna Karenina again!, Book launch and Common Purpose

Very interesting and jolly day today.  I continued my conversation with Eyvor about Anna K - we were at the launch for Stewart Ross's YA book The Soterian Mission, with Jane Clarke and we were actually talking about books - she was explaining why she didn't like AK  - or Levin... so my statement "we all like Levin" is untrue.  She said she always got stuck at the point when they got off the couch together... clearly it was over before it started. I must admit I had somehow missed this obviously significant sign of distaste - I had thought they were clearly destined to split not long after - they were clearly bored with each other.  But it is a good day when you can have 2 conversations about AK - I had one earlier with Kirstie - she loves the book. I was waxing lyrical about how about 20 pages before the end AK is dead, Vronsky's scampered off to Montenegro or wherever - and you wonder "how is it going to end now?" - and then he has that absolute genius of Levin's epiphany - his understanding of how everything fits together, how the world continues and everyone is part of one another etc.  And somehow that works brilliantly - especially since it is a casual comment by a peasant that sets him off.

I also met some people who have a conspiracy theory about Common Purpose... and well they might, except that the "sinister force" that seemed to be super-governmental etc. was, I felt, probably market capitalism rather than a band of EU trained bureaucrats who will take over in a "post-democratic Europe" (as one of the websites I found about it claimed).  CP look to me like a band of vaguely Tory conformists... but the fact that their initials are CP suggests that they are actually crypto Marxist (according to another website..).  I hasten to add that these people are not terribly worldly or knowledgeable... of course there may well be a sort of bureaucratic Illuminati just waiting to seize control of the UK as soon as the electorate have become too disillusioned to vote any more.  The idea that these uber-bureaucrats are (a) EU trained (b)  marxist and are (c) putting billions of taxpayers money into the pockets of their wealthy chums the bankers and privatisers er, does not compute...

The fact that Robert Peston is one of their alumni does give me pause for thought, but best not mention this to A in case he goes off on another BBC-related rant.  RP is exactly the sort of person you would expect to have gone on one of their courses, and I can guess a couple of other people I know who may have done this too. .

BRICS & Conspiracies

Yes - the blog is going global - the discerning few in Brazil have joined the Indian and Russian audience... sadly I doubt whether China will be joining in - think I'll have to make do with Singapore - and as for S Africa - well, given that half my family is white S African I know for a fact that reading isn't one of their favourite activities (and that was before the internet and tv).  What on earth does this audience make of this rather parochial worldview? - or perhaps they are all ex-pats craving some crusty and bewildered comments that remind them of good old Blighty? 

Had a fascinating chat with D today - a newish friend (let's face it all my friends down here are newish...) I really like him - there's something about one's fellow cradle Catholics that... well, there's some sort of shared culture - and he's Irish too.  He is also a bit of a conspiracy fan.... he was jokingly talking about the Illuminati - Finn overheard him and said afterwards "Does that man really believe in the Illuminati?"  I thought not - and said that I was a fan of the cock-up rather than the conspiracy theory... I felt the world was in its current state because of a combination of greed and incompetence, and lack of foresight and short sighted governments who have no real ambition beyond winning the next election.  However D thinks there could be some vast Establishment plot that's caused it.   I personally don't think it's in anyone's interest to bring the Western Economies to their knees - unless it's the BRICS - which seems unlikely since all the major players are US-owned transnationals.  

On the subject of the US he feels that they have done plenty of harm around the world and should now understand that it's China's turn.   As an ex-nurse he's afraid of what will happen as the UK health service is slowly privatised.  The first hospital has been privatised - by a nice, softly spoken, not-for-profit company - clearly chosen to put everyone at their ease, before the Megadodo International Insurance and Facilities Management Corporation starts getting into its stride and buying up the rest, sacking everyone and charging for the use of wheelchairs (they are free to use in the UK, or used to be).

D is an interesting and thoughtful man - like a lot of us he has slightly odd ideas about things he doesn't understand - I am all too prone to developing my own theories - which is why I crave a proper conversation with knowledgeable persons to get some light on the dark subjects.  In this case I think I was playing the role of knowledgeable person - certainly when it comes to understanding how the City works (a bit).  

The problem neither of us could resolve was why Tony Blair - a religious man - a convert to Catholicism - could square 800,000 dead in Iraq with his faith.  (OK, first person to mention medieval manifestations of Catholicism will be disregarded - that was 500 years ago - Catholic social and political teaching has moved a long way since then.).  Iraq was clearly not a just war.  Did Blair think they'd drop a few bombs and it would all be over by lunchtime?  I do understand though the desire to intervene and "make better" and that was, I think, was what he thought it would do.  Or did he just enjoy sucking up to Bush (oh dear, I'm getting my tenses mixed up - due no doubt to my day of editing the novel - changing persons and tenses everywhere).  Whatever it was, I don't buy the idea that he was somehow blackmailed into it.    Clearly I don't spend enough time reading the conspiracy blogs...