Tinker, tailor, soldier, spy

The most powerful line of the movie and one not written by Le Carre I think, has a real contemporary resonance particularly this week which marks the 10th Anniversary of the 'War on Terror'

The fanatic is always prey to self doubt. That is how I know we will win (I paraphrase)

The way of the fanatic never can succeed because it exceeds the bounds of human decency and tolerance, which a Christian would ascribe to the (common) grace of God. Thus the Arab Spring will ultimately prove more significant than the Twin Towers.

For this reason also the West must resist any fanaticism of its own.