It's the dirt and dust of countless ages

In these edgy times of war and climate change, veiled teachers and unveiled North Korean nukes, I often wonder how our political leaders developed their personal beliefs. It's almost certain that, despite Messrs Blair and Bush's devout Christian convictions and their Oxford or Harvard/Yale educations, they've never considered a real message that truly sensitive thinkers follow. And it's a safe bet that the likes of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Kim Jong Il and Osama Bin Laden haven't mulled this real philosophy over their cornflakes either. I'm talking about the world as it exists in Peanuts cartoons (that's "Snoopy" to the uninitiated).

It's my firm belief that if everyone threw out the Bible and the Koran and started reading the complete columns of Charles Schultz instead, the world would be a much more convivial place. The feckless egomaniacs we see on the news could really learn something. Why? Because in a world full of people, Peanuts' simply-drawn characters offer a humble and self-deprecating reflection of humanity that we can all recognise.

Surely, at some time, you've empathised with Charlie Brown - he's the everyman we all identify with: the perennially awful baseball team, the dark cloud hovering above his head, the frustrated shouts of "GOOD GRIEF!", and, of course the hopeless, unrequited crush on the little red-haired girl.

But perhaps you identify with Snoopy as well - the beagle savant as the fearless flying ace, or wannabe author, hunched over his typewriter, pouring forth the immortal prose, "It was a dark and stormy night...". Or maybe you're Lucy, the girl with a predeliction for pianists, who's always right.

Despite my own youthful Linus-esque tendencies towards thumb-sucking and carrying a security blanket, I realised as I was attempting to clean my flat yesterday that my closest affinity is to Pig-Pen. He's less well-known than some of his friends, but has a remarkable ability to attract grime and dirt, which I certainly share. I feel ridiculous dusting my bidet - I'm never going to use it and it's only going to get dusty again, but it's a cycle I'm condemned to. Perhaps there's a bigger message there.

Which Peanuts character do you see in yourself? Why don't you fill in the poll below? And leave a comment to explain your choice!

Which Peanuts character are you?
	Charlie Brown
	Snoopy
	Lucy
	Linus
	Sally
	Schroeder
	Peppermint Patty
	Marcie
	Woodstock
	Pig-Pen
	Franklin
	The Little Red Haired Girl
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