Shock Me with the New!

Most people get more conservative with age. I've gone the other way. I was always a lefty, but to begin with I was a William Morris lefty. I didn't like the modern world. I thought the way forward was through the middle-ages. Guild socialism, craftsmanship, simple faith- all that sort of thing.

I was a Prince Charlesy kind of person. Please take those nasty modern buildings away. High-tech medicine- pah! Hand me a dock-leaf.

And now I can't get to the future fast enough. Come on you guys, hurry up with the inventing. I want shininess, I want genetic engineering, I want hotels on Mars.

But it's not optimism. It's more like desperation. What I'm really hoping is that somwhere among all those new-fangled goodies- bring 'em on, bring 'em on- will be a cure for human stupidity.