Some feudal institutions live on in a significantly diminished form (e.g., the English fox hunt). Others are more robust than they were in the twelfth century (e.g., the University).

If Jürgen Habermas is correct, the public sphere has been a cesspool since the middle of the nineteenth century. There’s nothing new about the level of debasement found in the twitterverse. All that has changed is the method and speed of delivery of the textual rubbish.

Mr Geldof has overtaken Bono as the most disdained rocker in the world.

It’s important to dress well for the revolution. The “Young Spartacist League” (or “Young Sparts”) used to turn up at rallies in the most modish attire (at least on the West Coast). It was enough to make me think twice about abandoning the Orthodox Marxist worker’s bib for Critical Theory’s classic couture. In contrast, today’s Black Bloc are the Ninja Turtles of radical dressing.