The shriek of the loudest voice

 Subject: The shriek of the loudest voice

One of the phenomena of modern politics is its reliance on the internet media to sustain its position on virtually any subject. From the ‘hissy fit’ to the fake remonstration of remorse when tragedy occurs. Everything is tailor made to exact the maximum-response with genuine feelings way down the list when it comes to honesty.

Nigel Farage is in trouble because last night he said that the expansion of NATO had been the cause of Russia’s invasion of the Ukraine. Of course Putin’s invasion was a mixture of things, the Wests lack of response to Russia’s invasion of the Crimea, the historical claim Russia has towards the Ukraine, the European  reliance on the Ukraine on for grain. The diminishment of the USSR back into the territorial confines of mother Russia and the encroachment of Russia by NATO was seen as a threat but only as a counter balance to the historical expansionist policy Russia has through the ages pursued.  

Farage was voicing a commonly held opinion, nothing more nothing less but the response has been one of political unanimity with leaders thankful to be let off the hook of realpolitik, of housing and health of social care and food prices, the things they are supposed to be in charge of and instead flood the airways this morning with condemnation for what Farage was implying.

The modern media peopled by the commentariat such as Nick Robinson who’s hectoring tone does nothing to illicit ate information, media icons who’s nightly appearances on the television give them the opinion they represent ‘us’ in their damning condemnation.

We are in a time of a media opiate where vitriol excuses debate and all we hear is the shriek of the loudest voice.

Given that from the time of Brutus the people have been rather persuaded by the glib tongue of the orator rather than rational argument we are left in a theatre with the lights out trying to remember how we got in. They are all at it from the flashing smile of our Prime Minister, to the podgy faced, dough like performance of the Labour Party leader, to the Lib Dem’s Gladiator's representative, alway vying for a photo opportunity. It’s the modern equivalent of the “ peep show”, it contends with entertainment to catch and keep our attention since politics has fallen so low in our trust.