Is it just me, or is it turning into a hectic time, politics-wise?
I have just grown accustomed to the quiffed buffoon in the White House, who changes his mind as circumstances dictate and who seems to be so flexible that he bends himself into a pretzel.
I wake up most mornings expecting a story about his latest madcap changes of mind or one of his incompetent henchmen shooting his mouth off, or being unceremoniously sacked.
This unstable, changeable, fickle Donald world has almost become the norm, the new ‘way things are’. The word ‘brexit’ has become a minor irritant to most people, who are now thoroughly sick of the twists and turns it has brought about.
I play bridge most Tuesdays with a gang of Dutch people (mostly) and they simply do not understand why most British people thought it was a good idea.
Just a month ago, the election in Holland returned Mark Rutte as the Dutch people gave the other man with the mad hair-do, Geert Wilders, the firm ‘no’ vote.
I had thought that might be the end of it, politics-wise, for a while, but no.
Turkey’s hard-man has managed to become omnipotent and break several electoral rules as he did it, it appears, and now we are faced with the France debacle.
It seems that there are four politicians who are neck and neck, with just a couple of days to go until Sunday’s first round vote.
Opinions vary hugely, but seem to suggest that until Sunday, it’s too close to call.
I confess to an almost total ignorance about French politics, but it certainly seems a bit of a muddle.
Now, just heard on the news, it’s a snap election in UK!
Good grief! UKIP and the Lib-Dems are claiming the ‘credible opposition’ mantle while Jeremy Corbyn seems to be saying ‘bring it on!’ Parliament are voting and pollsters are rubbing their hands with glee as they will be commissioned to get it all wrong again!
Sky News, the BBC, even CNN, who have obviously run out of anything nasty to say about Donald, are clogging the airwaves with the chances of this happening, or the likelihood of that taking place.
There seems to be a huge army of political hacks, all suited and booted, commonly (in UK at any rate) squinting into an uncommon sun or holding a wind-buffeted umbrella, as they offer pithy comments and knowledgeable looks at the cameras.
Politicians of every hue are asked increasingly absurd questions to fill the time as the political commentator jostles for a position so as to get the Houses of Parliament behind them.
The German elections are due after the summer and then, in October, it’s our local elections here in Portugal.
It’s non-stop. Perhaps we should have a couple of dedicated politics channels and let the news channels go back to real news.
At the moment, it seems to be either football or politics and I’m not really that fascinated by either, I’m afraid.
I’m not sure that I can cope with any more politics. Or football.
Let’s get rid of the TV.
Mike Gaunt is a former headmaster at St Christopher’s School, Bahrain
- mikegaunt@gmail.com