Ed Miliband., leader of Britain’s Labour party, said he sees his ‘One Nation’ as “a country where everyone has a stake, where we get our young people back to work… prosperity being fairly shared… we defend our shared institutions, our shared life, whether it’s the NHS or the United Kingdom itself, and where  no interest is too powerful to be held to account in our society.”

I don’t want to get into British politics (it is un-Epicurean), but these are fine sentiments, and, were there any politicians in the Western world able to execute such a programme, he or she should be leader for life.

Unfortunately, the vested interests, the lobbyists, the money-in-politics men (mostly men!) will never let it happen.  In both Britain and America an unhealthy proportion of people are content to let the money-and-power hungry people call the shots, pocket the cash and initiate wars.  The ordinary people  have, in effect, given up on democracy (if not, why don’t more vote?).  It’s just that no one dare admit it.    Well, it was worth trying while it lasted.

All this means that the day of the Epicureans is fast approaching where like-minded people let the rest of the world get on with it, while they try to enjoy life  in a notional Garden, with friends.