Glimpse into how government or power quarantines us from society at large from sketch writer Simon Hoggart.

[Alastair Campbell noted] as prime minister, Tony Blair was shielded from the bewildering speed of technological change. Everything was done for him. So in 10 years he never learned how to send a text message. Finally he did. Campbell reported: "I have had two from him. The first was the single word 'are'. The second read: 'this is amazing you can do words and everything'."
Sometimes Tony Blair seems like the oldest boy scout in the world.
Cam Riley: South Sea Republic. Freedom, liberty, equity and an Australian Republic.

Comments
  • cam . # . 1/1
    Bush the first damaged himself badly by being amazed at a scanner in a supermarket. Vice Presidents don't do their own shopping obviously, but it is tech that everyday people come in contact with. The latest fad in the US is self-checkouts where you do all the scanning yourself. Wonder how Bush would have handled that?

    Australia also had Richard Alston as telecommunications minister for a while. That cabinet opening needed a 'luddites need not apply' clause.

    More recently there was the Senate of Alaska talking his way through what the internet was ie [paraphrasing] 'dump trucks and tubes with emails that get stuck in waterslides'

    Makes politicians easy to mock.
    'Sworn to no party, and of no sect am I.' Frederick Vosper's republican motto.