I think I need to flag up this interview with Madeline Albright in the economist, about her new book, In it, Albright warns that fascism, or a new form of it, is once more creeping into world politics: the same forces that lead to the rise of Hitler, Mussolini and Franco in the thirties can be seen now. “Today, we will be lost if we abandon faith in the institutions and values that separate democracies, however imperfect, from tyranny. History is replete with bullies who seemed formidable for a time only to crash by attempting too much or by underestimating the quiet courage of honourable women and men. Scanning the globe at this moment, I see abundant cause for worry, none for despair.” Populists who scapegoat minorities in order to gain power are gaining dominance once more. Albright is right: we are now in a very precarious position.