Even in Britain, the trade unions tell me that employment contracts have less protection than in the past.

The unions still have a job to do, representing their members' interests to governments and parliaments. And I think collective agreements still have a role, alongside markets and laws.

I had to think whether, after 50 years of hard slog, I was still lucid and fresh enough for the job.

Cinema explains American society. It's like a Western, with good guys and bad guys, where the weak don't have a place.

I was drafted during the Korean War.

Pope John Paul, a man of peace and compassion, was one of the most revered leaders of our time.

I was the first blogger on the Times's website. That happened during the Iraq war, when I wanted an outlet for the things I was seeing every day that couldn't fit into just two columns a week. Then I became interested in using multimedia, specifically as a way to engage young people.

What they could do with 'round here is a good war. What else can you expect with peace running wild all over the place? You know what the trouble with peace is? No organization.