Right Honourable Gentlemen

There can hardly be a sight so little edifying as the Right Honourable Gentlemen of the House of Commons in full debate.  One has to be thankful we have debate I suppose, and that we do not have to suffer “Putin on The Ritz” as do the modern serfs in the 21st Century Russian Empire.

We are all monsters.

But still, the sight of His Right Honourable Bigness from Self-Important-Smugness-in-The Marshes really isn’t much fun.

Before the advent of televised debate one may have been forgiven the assumption that dignity and decorum prevailed in the sacred debating chamber here at the epicentre of democracy.

Not so. It is every bit as vicious in there as a meeting of the Parish Council or the Women’s Institute. Bossy self important people score points off each other using ridicule and scorn. And apparently they are paid to do so by the people foolish enough to elect them.

I’m afraid it all goes back to the origins of violence.

However good natured and pacific we may be as individuals, get us in a crowd and we turn into monsters.  The will of the people be damned – Not In My Back Yard thank you!

There may not be much to be done. Given the platform and the provocation most of us would probably behave in exactly the same way.

We may think we are different. We may hope so. But like rats in a cage, when the chips are down it seems we humans will fight to the death for self interest and a place on the Titanic’s last remaining lifeboat.

Unfortunately none are blameless. We may become irritated in church at sickly smiles or the petty pecking order, we get road rage, our family can irritate us to death.  Awareness is certainly a help. Thinking and pausing before you speak another. Or delaying sending that email for an hour.  Can we change our minds? Can we become nicer people? Opinion is very divided but it does no harm to try.