“it’s true that Occupy might well be one of the more obvious signs of the ending of the generation-long grip of reductionist market philosophy on public policy”

I’m not sure I buy that, Diane. If reductionist market philosophy had such an iron grip on public policy, the banks would not have been bailed out. They were, and it socialised the cost of their fecklessness – a very “un-market” solution. The energy market is another example of increasing collectivism, not liberalism (neo- or otherwise).

I was in New York in the autumn (should I say Fall?) of 2008 when the Emergency Economic Stabilization Bill was tabled. There was, to the astonishment of DC and the press, an enormous public push back against the Bill from across the spectrum. Both the Left and the classical liberal/libertarian discovered they had common ethical ground in opposing the bailout. Within a few days, the Bill grew three pages to 700, before it was finally passed.

Isn’t it from such fascinating new alliances that the political landscape is reshaped in the long term – rather than the romantic 60s protest cliche of Occupy? Ultimately Occupy was unable to express much more than a rage against the concentration of wealth. It failed to realise that Wall Street was not acting liberally, but illiberally, very much like a state industry.

In form and message, Occupy missed the moment.

I will put it on my Around the Traps I do on Friday ( OZ time) as I did with your take on the classics.

I do hope you gain more converts from downunder as a result!

As to how to create beautiful towns, I have no answers. England is dotted with picture-postcard villages, towns and cities (usually very old). I’ve never understood how we seemed to have regressed in this regard, whilst progressing in many other areas of human endeavour.