On BBC World TV there was a report from Somalia. The devastated war ravaged country that is now beginning to try and pull itself together. Among those interviewed was a fifteen year old girl. She said, I have never been to school but I want to get an education so I can serve the community.

Compare that with a LSE student, say, to take a random example. Question: Why do you want to get this degree? Answer: To be able to make a lot of money, as a consultant, or financial expert… say. Next Question: How do you think you could serve the community? Answer: What?

In our ‘western’ cult of self, greed is good, Republican VP candidate Paul Ryan’s favourite book “Atlas Shrugged” by Ayn Rand, and perhaps above all the infamous Thatcher quote: There is no such thing as society, might we not have lost what we claim to have established once upon a time?

And that is Civilization.