Blind optimism is the only bet for Britain’s Tories
How magical thinking conquered the Conservative Party
In an old joke, a condemned man is begging for clemency from a king. The prisoner makes a rash promise: let me live and I will teach your horse to talk. The king agrees, giving him one year to complete the challenge. An elated inmate returns to his cell. His cellmate asks why he is so happy. “A lot can happen in a year,” he replies. “The king might die. The horse might die. I might die. And maybe the horse will talk.”
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This article appeared in the Britain section of the print edition under the headline “Talking-horse Tories ”
Britain September 30th 2023
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From the September 30th 2023 edition
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