What does the author mean by 'Nostalgia is no guide to policy'?
The decline of the high street is usually blamed on online shopping, and there is truth in that. But shops have also been undermined by changes in how towns are planned: out-of-town retail parks draw trade away from the centre, car parking is dear, and buildings are left empty because their owners find it cheaper to wait than to rent at lower prices. Nostalgia is no guide to policy. A high street that merely sells goods that can be bought more cheaply online has no future. A high street that offers things online cannot, such as services, food, company and a reason to linger, might. Councils could encourage this by freeing planning rules to allow homes, workshops and cafes in place of the shops that will not return.
Answer and explanation
Correct answer: D. Wishing for the past is not a sound basis for deciding what to do
- Step 1: Nostalgia is longing for the past.
- Step 2: The author says it should not determine policy; the next sentence says a high street selling what is cheaper online has no future.
Answer
Wishing for the past is not a sound basis for deciding what to do.
Why not the others: The remark does not restrict policy to older people, question memories, claim no one remembers or ignore history.
Practise more Town and city life.
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