Changes

''What is the government doing to increase the activity levels ofsecondary school -aged children?'' A query or headline of this kind is so commonplace nowadays that it takes a while to realise how utterly preposterous it is. It is a perfect example of the degree to which the government is engaging - and is actually expected to engage - in micro-management of individual behaviour instead of presenting anything even remotely resembling a wider, political, vision. But in the world of TINA, the infamous ''there is no alternative'', which since Thatcher has became become a government mantra of a whole generation, a vision - which implies an existence of viable alternatives - is not possible. Thus, cabinet conferences about school-dinners.

''Politics of Fear'' explores this state of affairs, and links it to the general societal condition, characterised by an unspecific, floating anxiety that can attach itself to any subject and which thus becomes a dominant mode of public discourse. With history seen mostly as a repository of horrors and a future almost bound to be worse than the present, while uncontrollable forces threaten the very survival of the human species, the Enlightenment ideal of humanity creating its own history, of human agency capable of influencing, moulding and to some extent controlling what happens according to freely chosen ideas seems to be indeed very out of fashion. The populace becomes infantilised, and this insidious process is welcomed rather than contested because people already believe that they need to be guided, ''supported'' and protected as they are too vulnerable (and, implicitly, too ignorant and volatile) to deal with everyday tasks of life like bringing up children, having relationships and cooking food - never mind running the country. '' Governments, which have become uncertain of values and their purpose, have refocused their energies towards management of individual behaviour and regulation of informal relationships.'' Creating conditions for a better life has been replaced by attempts to alter individual lifestyle and manipulate emotions (thus the popularity of unnecessary hate laws).

The books book ends with a passionate plea to reclaim the progressive legacy of the Enlightenment. Controversially, Furedi suggest suggests that the left-right divisions need to be put aside and that the true Socialists, Conservatives and Liberals need to unite forces in the quest to oppose and turn around the current anti-humanist culture of vulnerability and recover the ideal of individual, grown-up autonomy. According to Furedi what we need is not a Big Idea - not yet, at least - but an intellectual climate that would make a future Big Ideas possible.

Furedi's diagnosis of the current societal state of mind is realistic, well -argued and wide -ranging. But in his analysis of political life, especially the modern activism, too many leaps of reasoning are made which help to make the argument whole-encompassing, but which perhaps simplify things too much.

All in all, provocative and well -argued in its diagnosis, while overstretching the main point in order to get to what I felt was pre-set conclusion, ''Politics of Fear'' nevertheless is extremely stimulating and definitely worth reading especially by those interested in the state of the society & politics but unfamiliar with Furedi's ideas.

Those interested in a more whingey but humorous view of infantilisation of the modern world might like [[Big Babies]] . George Monbiot's [[Heat]] shows how environmentalist cause can be conscious of the achievements of technological civilisations and be perfectly compatible with the profound belief in human ability to make a difference. You might also appreciate [[Britain in a Perilous World: The Strategic Defence and Security Review we need by Jonathan Shaw]].