Britain has a problem – loss of belief. There used to be a belief in socialism, but that went down the tubes, and so did belief in capitalism and so did nationalism. That’s according to Maurice Saatchi, advising David Cameron to get some beliefs if he has a concern for his legacy. What is more, standing in Cameron’s way is the Conservative tradition of pragmatism, which doesn’t trust theories and blueprints. He must put this aside, Saatchi says, and look for inspiration to… the Sermon on the Mount, the American Declaration of Independence and the Communist Manifesto. ‘To read them afresh is to understand the power of belief.’
If it weren’t so laughable, it would be laughable. This inspiring text or that one or the other one – the more the merrier. One might also observe that in the nature of genuine belief is that you don’t acquire it merely for instrumental reasons to do with ‘giv[ing] people something to believe in’. This is almost like what you’d expect from an avertising agency.