Goldstein ("1984") is not simply Snowball/Trotsky. The “doublethink” in his text, prohibited in Oceania, “Theory and Practice of Oligarchical Collectivism”, is a type of mental discipline, both desirable for and required of all members of the party, enabling people to believe two contradictory truths simultaneously. And that, of course, is nothing new. We all do it.

And at a time when there are actually almost no taboos left in the media and intimate matters are reported on shamelessly, the commonly held understanding - that religion is a private matter - does seem rather out of kilter. Does personal religious faith have to be completely private, or would it be better if we talked about it much more?

Three terrosists fired against the offices of the French satirical magazine on wednesday. They allegedly shouted: “We have avenged the prophet!”