Now, I have always wanted to agree with Lady Bracknell that there is no earthly use for the upper and lower classes unless they set each other a good example. But I shouldn't pretend that the consensus itself was any of my concern. It was absurd and slightly despicable, in the first decade of Thatcher and Reagan, to hear former and actual radicals intone piously against 'the politics of confrontation.' I suppose that, if this collection has a point, it is the desire of one individual to see the idea of confrontation kept alive.

Summary

This quote expresses the speaker's desire to challenge the societal consensus of avoiding confrontation. They refer to Lady Bracknell's belief that the upper and lower classes need to set good examples for each other. However, the speaker notes that in the context of the Thatcher and Reagan era, it was disheartening to hear former radicals speaking against confrontation. The speaker goes on to suggest that the purpose of their collection of ideas is to advocate for the importance of confrontation, highlighting their personal conviction in keeping this notion alive.

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