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Hello, I'm Sam Holmes and welcome to Spectator Out Loud. Every week, a few of our favorite writers read their pieces from the latest

issue. This week, we'll hear from Lionel Shriver on if Western populations would fight to defend their

homeland in the way that we see the Ukrainians have. Kate Andrews, on the real reason behind the

rise of the cost of living, and Nicholas Farrell asks if the war in Ukraine will boost popularism.

First up, Lionel Shriver.

Why are so few Americans willing to defend their country?

For many of us war voyeurs watching the news with a glass of sherry,

admiration of the little engine that could Ukrainian fighters is underwritten by unease.

As families escape to safety, plenty of feisty Ukrainians are remaining behind to battle a far

more powerful aggressor, and they're not all men either. The question nags then. In the same circumstances, would we stick around to defend our

homelands? Or would we cut our losses and get out? Earlier this month, that's precisely what

a Quinnipiac poll asked Americans. Some 7% said, don't know. But in astonishing, 52% of Democrats predicted

that they'd skedaddle. Among Republicans, a full quarter would carpool with the high tailing

to hell with this, Democrats, while 68% would stand their ground, or think they

would. Among all respondents, 55% would stay in fight, while 38% would flee. Scaled up, that would be

125 million yanks storming from the land of the no longer

free and the home of the not especially brave all at once. Quite a stampede. As Matthew Hennessy

observed in the Wall Street Journal, these answers are especially surprising

because nothing compelled these folks to tell the truth. People often deceive pollsters,

especially when an honest reply seems socially unacceptable. That's why Donald Trump's victory

in 2016 caught pollsters so unawares.

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