One of the pitfalls of democracy is it permits fools to elect fools. There has never been a clearer example than the landslide victory afforded to Labour during the last election.
Politicians, by nature, have to nurture the combined perceptions of intelligence, leadership and self assuredness. Not a difficult ask. Never in the history of politics would you have seen a hoarding claiming that “I’m a lazy, inexperienced, unemployable university graduate who finds a parliamentary salary more appealing than the dole.” For a large number of our current Labour MPs a hoarding of this nature would be a true reflection of their relevance and at least would identify the virtue of honesty. But for most, this is a virtue too far.
However, it is a two-way street. The electorate also consists of the lazy, uninformed petticoat tuggers whose vision of leadership is shaped by the manufactured manipulation of the voguish celebrity set. It is a continued representation akin to the appeal of the mind-numbing TV shows like the Bachelorette and Love Island, where airheads compete for celebrity status. The more their faces appear on screen the more likelihood their popularity will be enhanced.
This phenomenon didn’t escape the PM as she demonstrated prior to the last election. Celebrity without substance was her campaign strategy, portraying a Mother Teresa, but with neither the work ethic nor the humanity. And always with the supporting cast of the want-to-be celebrity co-star Gayford and the undoubtedly reluctant guest appearances from Neve. Their monotonous reminders on social media of what a wonderful and normal family they are (just like yours and mine) are a testimony to their insecurities of being viewed as privileged and without merit.
So this is the state of the nation where one waving our national flag is viewed as a right-wing colonial racist activity but singing the Red Flag at Labour Party conferences is just fine. In the fifties, sixties and seventies the exercise of being efficient in arithmetic, writing and reading was second nature to most children but today due to the intervention of new-age educators a high percentage of our children are, for all intents and purposes, illiterate. Back then, Christian values were taught in schools, but these days alphabet soup sex education takes priority.
It was fifty-one years ago when the British band “The Kinks” recorded their ever-enduring hit, “Lola” which included the lyrics:
“Well, I’m not the world’s most masculine man
But I know what I am and I’m glad I’m a man
And so is Lola”.
At least they knew the science was settled. Oh, how I long for the good old days.
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