Dialogue
More Popular than Jesus: The Hubris of the Music Industry
Daniel Johnson: Ian, is it possible to combine celebrity with musical integrity? Your face is visible on the London Underground and everywhere we look. Is it possible for a musician nowadays to become a household name and yet still be serious about his work?
Previous columns
The Terrorist Threat to Business
LUKE JOHNSON AND MICHAEL BURLEIGHDecember 2008
Luke Johnson, entrepreneur and business commentator, discusses terrorism's growing menace with historian Michael Burleigh and Standpoint editor Daniel Johnson
The British Gas Man Cometh (Not)
MIRIAM GROSSDecember 2008
Standpoint senior editor Miriam Gross tries seven times in vain to negotiate the hopeless beaurocracy of British Gas's customer service department
Is Capitalism Morally Bankrupt?
SAMUEL BRITTAN AND EDWARD HADASNovember 2008
Samuel Brittan and Edward Hadas, both distinguished economic commentators, discuss where to place the blame for the current global crisis with Standpoint editor Daniel Johnson
Is There a New Cold War with Russia?
EDWARD LUCAS AND MARY DEJEVSKYOctober 2008
Edward Lucas and Mary Dejevsky, both leading commentators on Russia and eastern Europe, discuss the Georgian crisis and its implications for the West
Rethinking the War on Terror
PHILIP BOBBITT AND MICHAEL GOVESeptember 2008
The presidential adviser and author of Terror and Consent, Philip Bobbitt, shares his ideas on the war on terror in a Standpoint dialogue with Conservative politician and author of Celsius 7/7, Michael Gove
Bringing the House Down
SIMON GRAY AND CHARLES SPENCERAugust 2008
The playwright Simon Gray died on August 7. Shortly before his death he shared his thoughts on the theatre and much else in a Standpoint Dialogue with The Daily Telegraph's theatre critic Charles Spencer and our editor Daniel Johnson
The Politics of Climate Change
OLIVER LETWIN AND NIGEL LAWSONJuly 2008
Former Tory chancellor Nigel Lawson challenges David Cameron’s Conservatives, represented by the party’s policy chief Oliver Letwin, to break with the consensus on global warming. Their discussion is chaired by Standpoint editor Daniel Johnson
Long Night of the Red Star
JUNG CHANG, JON HALLIDAY AND SIMON SEBAG MONTEFIOREJune 2008
Jung Chang and her husband Jon Halliday are leading authorities on Mao, while Simon Sebag Montefiore has published two major works on Stalin. With Standpoint editor Daniel Johnson, they discuss the two communist dictators who were responsible for up to 100 million deaths
