Rein Taagepera says that oligarchs don't need to buy people's votes. Brainwashing is enough. The nation-state is not the endpoint of history. The future may belong to neo-feudalism: global networks over which there is no control.
Artificial intelligence is coming too quickly and from too far away. The changes that occurred in a decade should have been spread over a century. The world's main belief is the religion of consumption: people are pushed to increasingly feel the need to buy more.
The meaning of Estonian life is to continue our slightly absurd experiment: to show how a million people can sustain their language, country, and culture. Humanity should get used to the idea that each subsequent generation may not live better than the previous one.
Quantitative political science only makes sense if calculations are accompanied by meaningful thinking. If the researcher does not understand what to put into the model, the data can turn into garbage.
Rein Taagepera was born in Tartu. He has been living in Tartu on Riiamägi for 30 years already. He reflects on the obedience of Estonian politicians, which has changed over the years.
He talks about how people's opposition can create friendships or friction. If a person stands too close, it can provoke anger. He also wrote about traffic hooligans as carriers of a slave mentality.
Rein Taagepera believes that the electoral system should be simple. Complex systems can lead to unexpected results. He would prefer a simpler electoral system that would reduce the number of parties.
He reflects on the proliferation of parties. In majoritarian electoral systems, two parties should dominate, but in the United Kingdom, politics has become fragmented.
Rein Taagepera believes that humanity should get used to the idea that life may worsen. Continuous progress is not a human right. He emphasizes that with lower expectations, one can be happier.
He reflects on the interaction between technology and population. He believes that the world's population may decline in the future. This decline could be milder or more severe than 2000 years ago.
Rein Taagepera also considers the idea of a world-state. He believes that humanity may consolidate into a single world-state. The feudal era may return if power networks become increasingly strong.
He reflects on the decline of violence worldwide. He believes that agriculture tamed human behavior. However, violence is decreasing exponentially, although different countries live in different eras.
Estonia could show the world how a small country can preserve its language and culture. The meaning of our life is to continue this interesting experiment.
Rein Taagepera does not know if his models will still be used a hundred years from now. He is not sure if the parliamentary system and parties will survive in the future.