In Britain, those that can remember the Second World War talk about the Blitz spirit. As London was bombed for 57 consecutive nights, it is said that communities banded together, crossed class boundaries and formed a wall against the common enemy. Such is the power of this story that it is brought up every time Britain faces a crisis. After the bombs in London on July 7 2005, life seemed to return to normal surprisingly quickly. Some newspapers loudly praised Londoners' Blitz spirit. Others, including my friends and colleagues, were rather more cynical: once the trains were running, there was no excuse not to go to work.
September 30 2007