Micro-blog post

World War 2 is arguably the most important moment in history for the UK. The heroism, community spirit and sacrifice that arose during the 1939-45 conflict have done more to shape modern Britain than any amount of Tudor divorce nonsense or flukey Norman archery. Whether the Keep Calm and Carry on bobbins, or Brexit faux nostalgia, it continues to shape modern British thinking.

One of my favourite podcasts is Jam Tomorrow from Podmasters. The premise of the podcast is that it looks back at aspects of World War II or projects in the immediate aftermath through a critical and insightful lens.

• Did what we believe happened, actually happen?
• What are the parallels with the past?
• Why on earth haven’t we learnt the lessons from the past?

The 21st June 2023 episode “I.D. Cards: Show me who you are?” is a fascinating analysis of both the ID cards introduced in WWII and the broader ethical discussion about the potential introduction of ID cards today. It’s a genuinely interesting discussion about the ethics of data collection and power in a modern society; potentially topics that should be of some interest if you’re reading this blog. If you have a half hour to spare, it’s a decent thought-provoking listen.