Mike Vickers' Blog

We attended a talk on Politics with David Runciman, professor of politics Cambridge University – at the Edinburgh Book Festival

1. Thesis – Since 1989 when the Wall came down technology / technocracy has changed beyond belief (eg self driving car done 100,000 miles on real roads in US – (pity the US has no trains!)) but politics hasn’t
2. 3 UK parties still the same
3. Teaching students who weren’t even born in 1989
4. China governed by engineers
5. Clash of political classes – the West and China – sometime
6. West – Europe and US politics dysfunctional
7. 9/11 has had little change in West – but rest of world has changed
8. Horror in Syria and Iraq
9. Yet politics not obsolete.
10. Only Politicians can bring the multinationals to order eg Cameron can stop Google (but does he want to?)
11. To question will Scotland be different – well may be for a few years, but will just drift back.
12. To question How should politics change? he gave no answer (may be his book has) but he stressed that it will and must – the people will demand it.
13. There remains the question not posed on how Middle East horror will be contained.