Freedom is in Peril

All-round good-egg Jonathan Calder has a deliberative piece today that eventually links to this piece in the Guardian about a very old wartime poster that has suddenly found new favour.

Two things struck me about the article.  

One was the nice little detail that the Nottingham Emergency Planning team have a copy in the Emergency Control Centre in the Guildhall on Burton Street.  (I’ve never been in that room, but it must be the easiest room to find.  The Guildhall is a complete rabbit warren, but every floor and every corridor has a sign in it pointing out the direction to the Emergency Control Centre.)

The other interesting thing is the words from other posters.  Yes, “Keep Calm and Carry On” is a good phrase.  And “Your Courage, Your Cheerfulness, Your Resolution Will Bring Us Victory” certainly rings out a wartime feeling.

But the phrase that really has legs at the moment is the middle one. Freedom is in Peril. 

This time the enemy is within.

2 comments on “Freedom is in Peril

  1. Simon's avatar Simon says:

    Yes, I read that piece too, and I agree that ‘Freedom Is In Peril’ is a more resonant and contemporary phrase than ‘Keep Calm And Carry On’ – which sounds a bit too much like ‘Shut Up And Do What You’re Told’ for my liking.

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