Blair has been the modern man he claims to be: for him, a sense of sub — John Gray (philosopher)

"In the life of the academic mind, the owl of Minerva seldom flies as early as the dusk."

"Liberals tend to regard being subjects of the Queen as an insult to their dignity. But at least the archaic structures by which we are ruled do not force us to define ourselves by blood, soil or faith, and we are protected from the poisonous politics of identity."

"Terror is not now, if it ever was, something that comes to us from outside. It is a part of the society in which we live. Both liberals and neoconservatives believe terrorism can be dealt with by removing its causes. The truth is less reassuring. Al-Qaeda has mutated into a decentralised, often locally based type of apocalyptic terrorism and, in this new guise, seems to be acquiring a formidable momentum."

"If you want to understand the beliefs that are shaping global politics, read the Book of Revelation."

"The result of toppling tyranny in divided countries is usually civil war and ethnic cleansing."

"I may not be as unambiguously hostile to capitalism as many people are, but what I dont like about it is the commodification of personal experiences, it turns everyone into actors."