What is a Prime Minister for?

I raise the question because Britain’s Prime Minister David Cameron has gone off to Zurich with Prince William, second in line to the throne, and the football player David Beckham, to campaign for Britain to be selected as the venue for the World Cup in 2018.

I find this worrying on several counts. Why is it that British politicians want these events to be held in Britain? It is most definitely not the job of a prime minister, or, for that matter, a member of the Royal Family, to be abroad on this kind of mission. The prime minister has more important things to do. For the second in line to the throne to be involved is to demean the institution of the monarchy.

The entire realm of commercial competitive sport (which is most competitive sport these days), is dubious, intentionally tapping into primitive and atavistic emotions which, unsurprisingly, regularly erupt in drunkenness and violence. The later Roman leaders knew what they were doing. British politicians may be getting it wrong, as they seem to be in danger of forgetting that the circuses must be accompanied by the bread.

With the morning news full of talk on the subject, can we conclude that British politics is terminally degenerate? What hope is there of anything good from that quarter?