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Who Will Fight the Next Wars? Special report: Will 200th Issue the US recovery last? issue 200 | november 2012 www.prospect-magazine.co.uk november 2012 | £4.50 Survival of survival of the fittestsurvival the fittest Who will fight the next wars? Labour’s lost votes peter kellner John Major’s entertaining dad ken dodd What women don’t want jane shilling Hobsbawm and India ramachandra guha China: a one-car policy? megan shank A$10.95 NZ$12.50 US$6.99 €6.90 Can$7.99 Our fund managers’ most useful tool No. 5: A visitor pass Over the past year, we interviewed the management of hundreds of listed companies across the UK. Murray Income Trust Stocks and Shares ISA and Share Plan There’s nothing like being able to judge for yourself. The value of tax benefits depends on individual For us, we won’t add a company to our portfolios without circumstances and the favourable tax treatment first holding a personal interview with its management. for ISAs may not be maintained. 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Telephone calls may be recorded. Please quote MINC PM 07 1012_Prospect_MINC_PM_07.indd 1 08/10/2012 17:20 prospect november 2012 3 Foreword Our 200th issue 2 bloomsbury place, London wc1a 2qa Publishing 020 7255 1281 Editorial 020 7255 1344 Fax 020 7255 1279 Email [email protected] [email protected] Website www.prospect-magazine.co.uk Editorial Editor and chief executive bronwen maddox Editor at large David Goodhart Deputy editor James elwes this is the 200th issue of Prospect since it was born in Politics editor James macintyre Books editor David Wolf october 1995. It’s nearly two years since I became editor, Creative director David Killen Production editor Jessica Abrahams taking over from David Goodhart, the magazine’s founder, Web editor Daniel cohen Editorial assistants thomas Leece, rose now its editor at large. We’re read by more people than ever, mcLaren, Annalies Winny growing fast across the english-speaking world, with many Publishing President & co-founder Derek coombs digital readers and contributors, and a record number of Publisher David Hanger entries to our international think tank awards. our strength Circulation marketing director Jamie Wren Digital marketing: tim De La salle remains the same: the exploration, at length, of the most Advertising sales director Iain Adams, tel: 020 7255 1934 important ideas and arguments shaping the future. Advertising sales manager Dan Jefferson, tel: 020 7255 1934 the themes have shifted, though; it’s been a long 17 years. Finance manager pauline Joy Prospect was conceived in the spirit that brought tony blair to power—taking a Editorial advisory board David cannadine, clive cowdery, Ac fresh look at how to run a modern democracy, with the conviction that no single Grayling, peter Hall, John Kay, peter Kellner, political party had a monopoly of answers. It was a time when the “rich” world nader mousavizadeh, toby mundy, robin niblett, Jean seaton felt rich. since then, the Us’s misjudged wars, the crash of 2008, and debts and Associate editors deficits, have rocked confidence in democracy and markets. Hephzibah Anderson, tom chatfield, James crabtree, Andy Davis, edward Docx, our most influential articles this year have answered these questions— David edmonds, sam Knight, Ian Irvine, sam Leith, emran mian, elizabeth pisani, although not by agreeing with each other. rowan Williams, Archbishop of Wendell steavenson, James Woodall canterbury, attracted global attention with his criticism of markets in “modern Contributing editors philip ball, Anthony Dworkin, Josef Joffe, babylon,” as did our roundtable with paul Krugman on the austerity debate. Anatole Kaletsky, michael Lind, Joy Lo Dico, erik tarloff John Kay and richard Lambert have stirred up argument on the crisis in Annual subscription rates capitalism, as have bill emmott and George soros, and Dahlia Lithwick and UK £49; Student £27 Europe £55; Student £32.50 Diane roberts on Us gridlock, while ruth Franklin and Adam Kirsch have Rest of the World £59.50; Student £35 explored how America’s fiction reflects its new anxiety.e lizabeth pisani on prospect subscriptions, 800 Guillat Avenue, Kent science park, sittingbourne, me9 8gu Indonesia, the “make-believe nation,” and ramachandra Guha’s account of Tel 0844 249 0486; 44(0)1795 414 957 Fax 01795 414 555 India’s crippled government pursued the same themes on a grand scale. Email [email protected] Website www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/subscribe In britain, our report on the collapse in public support for welfare kicked off cheques payable to prospect publishing a debate which changed all parties’ calculations. our reports on boris Johnson’s Ltd. subscription refunds must be made in writing to prospect within four weeks of a ambitions and UKIp’s inroads into the tory vote were prescient. recent months new order or renewal, and are subject to an administration charge of £15. no refunds are have seen some of our most widely read pieces: mark Kitto’s account of leaving paid on quarterly subscriptions. china; the declaration by the former UK ambassador to Israel that “there may the views represented in this magazine are never be peace” in the middle east, and richard Dawkins on evolution. not necessarily those of prospect publishing Ltd. best endeavours have been taken in all this month, our writers advise on how to oust Hugo chávez, rewrite cases to represent faithfully the views of all contributors and interviewees. the publisher Germany’s constitution and judge whether the Us recovery will continue. accepts no responsibility for errors, robert Fry, recording the long romance with elite military forces, asks whether omissions or the consequences thereof. Newstrade distribution politicians are wrong about the wars of the future. peter Kellner, in a significant comag specialist, tavistock road, new poll, argues that political allegiance is no longer based clearly on class. West Drayton, ub7 7qe, tel: 01895 433716 Images this isn’t a picture of gloom; there are answers, if not easy ones. our writers Cover image: mILpictures by tom Weber show the capacity for change in the most difficult predicaments. Ate ric Cartoons by: KJ Lamb, At, Feggo, roger Latham, GJ, Aaron, Hunter, nick. Hobsbawm’s funeral in London in october (see the tribute to the marxist Additional design: Jennifer owens historian, p22), his son said that his father (who died aged 95) had wanted to ISSN: 13595024 live even longer to “take in more of what was happening in the world, and to get more of what was in his mind out into the world.” that aim—of both observation and influence—is, not just for writers, an honourable principle by which to live. pRospect NoveMber 2012 5 Contents November 2012 This month Features Life 6 If I ruled the world garrison keillor 74 Today’s specials 28 Survival of the fittest Unrecognisable restaurants. 8 Recommends Will special forces retain their role? william skidelsky 10 Letters robert fry Opinions 14 Drugs nonsense peter lilley 15 John Major’s music hall dad ken dodd 76 Wine Hearty reds. barry smith 76 Digital life Meet the data hoarders. hephzibah anderson 78 Leith on life In defence of the smiley. 16 Merkel’s real opponent sam leith katinka barysch 18 South Africa’s breaking point justice malala Arts & books 20 Venezuela’s flawless failure 36 Labour’s lost votes 80 What women don’t want william j dobson one way to win them back. Tips for feminists. 20 US election: the board game peter kellner jane shilling teddy wayne 42 The curious case of the Sherlock 84 Beyond the page Holmes pilgrims The novel goes digital. conan Doyle fans gather in the Alps. leo benedictus edward docx Obituary 22 A British internationalist Remembering eric Hobsbawm. ramachandra guha 85 Art of the here and now Special report: US economy Realism and the Reformation. 62 Staring at America’s cliff james woodall charles dumas 87 The month in books olivia laing 66 Gas: on the rise john dizard 68 Innovation is key Fiction roger kay 50 Car crazy Does China need a one-car policy? 88 Tamara’s baby 68 Treasuries: safety net megan shank ludmilla petrushevskaya nick carn 54 A cry for real help The NHs is failing suicidal patients. Endgames Science & technology anna blundy 93 The generalist didymus 70 The elusive number 113 56 Adventures on the edge of 93 Enigmas & puzzles ian stewart The creation of a new element may consciousness change chemistry. oliver Sacks explores the outer reaches 94 The Prospect list philip ball of the human mind. 96 The way we were 72 The month ahead anjana ahuja adam kirsch 200th anniversaries. ian irvine 6 prospect november 2012 If I ruled the world Garrison Keillor I’d send the royal family to Croydon and chat with God.
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