This year marks the 800th anniversary of the signing of the Magna Carta. For many, such as British parliamentarian and best-selling author Daniel Hannan, the anniversary represents “an event of truly planetary significance”.
It is one of the few places on earth where nothing but a line on a map separates the third world from the first. A line that allows some to live in abundance while condemning others to a life sentence of squalor A line that separates the land where the dreams can come true from one where dreams are the exclusive domain of a wealthy few. A line that marks the transition from a nation that is recognized for its economic and political stability to one that is just as notorious for its economic and political instability.
Clambering to the crest of a ridge named Mont Saint-Jean on the early morning of June 18, 1815, the solitary figure who raised a looking glass to his eye probably was not thinking about the future of western civilization. For that British commander, victory on the rain sodden fields below him only represented what he hoped would be the final check on the territorial ambitions of the French adventurer who had convulsed Europe in war for over 15 years.
