Yet in light of his subject, in light of dialogue, his theorem so easily fell apart. And what was singular eloquence becomes a street brawl where armed with the bullying cosh of intellect and imperious bluster he swings his cosh wildly and wild eyed. Sadly in the hallowed gallery of experts and English TV the visual spectacle of vacuous pomposity is enough to legitimize him and he knows it. But the Jester outwits himself.

Christians and Muslims alike believe it evil. Whatever you believe vanity can destructively place things in the wrong order. The King for Starkey for whom he is the jester is not the subject of the disturbances. The king for whom he is the jester is the BBC and in person the Newsnight television producer. Narcissus convexed in the mercurial pool of reflected light from the Camera Lense. Zoom baby.

Once you can understand the latter you understand the man. Starkey has the mind of an historian but the eye of an aged court jester. Not a jester at all (!) but a fool whose aim is not to incite others but to elevate himself. This base human behaviour to elevate from ones present condition is exactly the same as that of the young man trying for a better television from the shop window. Except he has more dignity because he can not see the consequences.

Likewise Starkey doesn’t care for the subject. Starkey is the licensed fool given leeway by permission of the court by decree. Our worst folly is to take him seriously and promote him beyond his capabilities or interest. One of the best ways to deal with the likes of Starkey is to allow him to sink into his own academic quagmire. Allow him to become one with his environment much like Kurt. The Heart Of Darkness is not a physical place at all. The heart of darkness is in the vanity of the historian. It's not that I want to deprive Starkey of the oxygen of publicity not at all. I want to allow him to walk unhindered through his own medieval stench.

(This blog should not be read as a lone piece. It is part two of two.)