Anyone getting their results today?

[d000hg]

She is. Currently pondering doing her dissertation on the parallels between Boris Johnsons rise to power and that of Pericles et al in the ancient world. Seriously, if you know anything about it it's creepy stuff.

Sounds very woke, I'm sure it will score well as it plays into the sort of thing university types enjoy.

[ladymuck]

Sounds very woke, I'm sure it will score well as it plays into the sort of thing university types enjoy.

How is that 'woke'?

[vetran]

She is. Currently pondering doing her dissertation on the parallels between Boris Johnsons rise to power and that of Pericles et al in the ancient world. Seriously, if you know anything about it it's creepy stuff.

Boris the first citizen of post Brexit UK?

Apparently there is a bust of Pericles in No10.

You saying the Marble Arch molehill is the modern Parthenon?

Why do you believe its creepy?

[vetran]

How is that 'woke'?

he required citizens by default to have Athenian parents? Seems tame to similar societies of the time.

[d000hg]

How is that 'woke'?

It's very trendy in educated left-lib circles, perhaps not quite the same but close.

[northernladuk]

It's very trendy in educated left-lib circles, perhaps not quite the same but close.

No it's not. It's the word getting bannded about and getting watered down to the point of being used for everything.

Woke - alert to injustice in society, especially racism.

[SueEllen]

It's very trendy in educated left-lib circles, perhaps not quite the same but close.

To quote Winston Churchill, that very left wing statesman

- “Those that fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it.”

[vetran]

To quote Winston Churchill, that very left wing statesman

- “Those that fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it.”

How is Boris repeating the history of Pericles?

he didn't even die from the pandemic.

[d000hg]

No it's not. It's the word getting bannded about and getting watered down to the point of being used for everything.

The definition means what people choose it to mean.

[DaveB]

Boris the first citizen of of post Brexit UK?

Apparently there is a bust of Pericles in No10.

You saying the Marble Arch molehill is the modern Parthenon?

Why do you believe its creepy?

I'm not the expert but certainly on first look there are clear parallels in the events leading to Pericles rise to power and subsequent rule.

Johnson is a classicist by education and has cited Pericles as an inspiration on several occasions, and yes he does have a bust of him in No.10.

The Molehill is certainly an attempt at a building project to inspire the masses, as were his proposals for the Boris Bridge and Boris Island airport and more recently the new "National Flagship" yacht.

Pericles came from a privileged and wealthy background but mobilised a populist support base by presenting himself as one of the people, not the ruling elite who's leader, Cimon, he then ousted. He used public money to fund his supporters and expensive building projects to shore up his popularity, leant heavily on nationalism and imperialist rhetoric and the promotion of Athens as being above other nations and cultures. He entered conflicts with other states, Sparta in particular, that he then needed to negotiate terms with by paying them large sums of money to settle.

There is lots of other stuff there as well but I'm not the one studying the subject, I've only picked up the headlines from talking to MrsB about it and reading some of her course work sources. There are certainly parallels to be drawn that suggest Boris is running the Pericles Playbook on populist politics and power.