I've been out most of the day and have came in to see that the Brexit Party are accusing the Tories of bribing their candidates, and that Labour are offering everyone free broadband. This really is quite a mad election. I honestly don't know what to expect next.
It does seem like all the parties are trying to bribe the electorate though. Labour in particular seem to be offering the world to the world. With plans to spend very big and have very big, wide open borders.
As I'm typing this I'm also watching the tail end of Question Time. Tonight from Brighton. The candidates on the panel haven't been too bad to be fair. In fact, I feel quite bad for James Cleverly, who's always a very balanced operator. He's really been getting an earful from all sides.
The last question for the panel is about "National Kindness Day" though. Which was yesterday apparently. The level of virtue signalling and emotional pandering from both the politicians and the audience is quite depressing. I really fear for the country. Where is the adult debate? Everything is driven by pure emotion it seems, and transient emotions at that.
A political discussion show, mid-election, and we have a discussion about being "kind". It's like something you would get on a TV show aimed at five year olds.
There seems to be a complete failure on the part of many people to distinguish between an ideal and a practical decision. That if you don't believe in, say open borders, it must be because you're "too mean" or not "kind" enough. With no acknowledgement that in reality there are often difficult decisions to be made where there are no easy or perfect options.
There were two young girls in the audience who spoke very eloquently in defence of immigrants coming to our country, and I really felt their sincerity and idealism coming through. In fact, I completely empathise with their desires and concerns, but where is the counter argument stating, with basic logic, that there are limitations on what we can do as a country. Again, where are the adults or senior figures articulating the problems in a way that pushes people to go beyond the basic yes/no, good/bad argument. Those young women should have been taking part in a nuanced and challenging debate about an important issue. A debate perhaps helping us all to collectively head towards some kind of policy or practical common ground on the issue at hand.
Instead we just have an almost childlike back and forth that offers nothing but empty rhetoric and shoutiness.
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