Say not the struggle nought availeth

A BBC story yesterday describes the American left as disorganised and directionless.

That could be a counsel of despair, but it is also, possibly, a sign of life.

Let us consider the golden words of John Milton, in the Areopagitica:

The adversary again applauds, and waits the hour: when they have branched themselves out, saith he, small enough into parties and partitions, then will be our time. Fool! he sees not the firm root, out of which we all grow, though into branches: nor will beware until he see our small divided maniples cutting through at every angle of his ill-united and unwieldy brigade.