So, a man who slaps a minister is unhinged, mad, nutty, and is part of a dangerous trend, but exhorting and moralizing by preachy anchor-journalists are illuminating and informative. Worse, if family entertainment in the evening is either watching mean, vicious, petty, squabbling family soaps or, hollering, rousing and whooping anchors and panellists, is it any wonder that the audience is now clamouring for a slice of the action? If they can sock it, why can’t I? is a reasonable enough poser.
Which takes us to the thudding heart of political debate— Parliament, and where do our venerables stand in the deliberation and discourse sweepstakes? At rock bottom. Session after session has been disrupted and scrapped because political parties want to settle scores rather than legislate and conduct business in the House. Television has brought public life into people’s bedrooms and drawing rooms and what do we see whirring before our eyes? Parliamentarians screaming, abusing, shouting, flinging chairs and microphones at adversaries, and here the opposition cannot plead innocence. Parliament and assemblies are for legislation, debate and policy making, protests are legitimately held by parties outside the House.