In early 2009, when I got off a plane to begin an overseas posting in Washington, the city seemed to fizz with energy. The US was in recession but Barack Obama had just become president after a campaign which promised “hope and change”. I thought back to those days recently when Rachel Reeves, the UK shadow chancellor, went to Washington to deliver a speech that seemed to tap into the new political zeitgeist — an approach she has dubbed “securonomics”.After years of slow economic growth, a global pandemic and a war in Europe, people are in no mood to believe in grand visions any more, and politicians have moderated their rhetoric accordingly. In fact, their promises seem to have retreated right down Maslow’s hierarchy of needs to settle at the basic necessities of life. Hope and change is out; “security” is now in.
2009年初，当我走下飞机开始在华盛顿的驻外工作时，这座城市似乎充满了活力。当时美国正处于衰退之中，但巴拉克•奥巴马(Barack Obama)刚刚当选总统，他的竞选承诺是“希望与变革”。最近，英国影子财政大臣蕾切尔•里夫斯(Rachel Reeves)前往华盛顿发表演讲时，我想起了那段日子。她的演讲似乎抓住了新的政治风潮——她阐述了她称为“安全manbetx20客户端下载 学”(securonomics)的manbetx20客户端下载 政策。