The Saturday Play (29 Jan) on BBC Radio 4, "Playing for Time - 3 days in May 1940", was a dramatization of 9 war cabinet meetings held over one weekend as Allied armies were being routed by the German onslaught. Winston Churchill, who had been Prime Minister for less than a fortnight, believed that Britain should fight on against Germany whatever the outcome of the war in France, but was challenged by his chief rival for the premiership, Lord Halifax, who believed we should sue for peace.

Looked at in retrospect, Churchill's resolve to continue the war against Nazi Germany seems the only courageous and admirable thing to have done. At the time, however, without the benefit of hindsight, it was a foolhardy and extremely risky gamble. Britain (with or without its empire) did not have a chance against the military might of Nazi Germany, and no one would have thought Hitler stupid enough to attack the Soviet Union before finishing Britain off. Nor could anyone have anticipated the Japanese attack on the United States, which brought America into the war and sealed Germany's fate.

One must admire Churchill for his "uncommon sense" in realising that Nazi Germany had to defeated, no matter what the cost, and that it was better for Britain to go down fighting (as seemed almost inevitable in the Summer of 1940) rather than accept Nazi domination of Europe, and possibly the world. 

"Common sense" was on the side of Lord Halifax, who wanted to sue for peace before Britain was faced with crushing military defeat and occupation. 

In respect to our current situation relating to global warming and sustainability in general, particularly in view of politicians' fondness for appealing to voters' "common sense", we are once again in great need of some visionary "uncommon sense". 

Who will lead us against an enemy (a greater threat than even Nazi Germany) that is the fundamental non-sustainability of our own economy and way of life - and the values, attitudes and aspirations on which they are based? Who will have the courage to tell us that we are quite literally "plundering" our planet, and that unless we come out of denial about it and make the rapid, radical changes necessary to achieve sustainability, we (our children and coming generations) are facing catastrophe - even possible extinction?