My NEW Taki’s column: The English Way of Cancer

My attempts at mounting a Grand Unified Theory fail once more…

 This recently deceased trio had two other things in common: They were Englishmen. And apparently none of them had felt obligated, upon diagnosis, to “raise awareness” about their disease in order to “help just one person.” No foundations were hurriedly incorporated, no well-advertised last interviews with Ellen or Oprah booked, no slogans coined or ribbons worn.

So I wondered: Was this understated approach to fatal illness evidence of British stoicism, that stereotypical disinclination to “make a fuss,” even when Germans are practically nuking your neighborhood? And wouldn’t it be wonderful if all this signaled (or inspired) a societal trend away from celebrity sickness sideshows (and their threadbare civilian imitations)?