Going To Hell in a Handbasket

The Netherlands has a general election tomorrow, when a new Parliament will be elected by the voters. On the eve of the election, a good chunk of Dutch primetime television is being given over to a televised debate between the leading candidates of the various political parties. I tried to watch the programme, but I’ve given up in disgust. It is coming across as more of an entertainment show than a serious attempt at laying out and debating the issues. Perhaps it’s inevitable in this day and age that it would turn out to be a circus, but I had hoped for something better than this dross.

Update: The second half is turning out somewhat better. The debates are better controlled by a more experienced pair of chairpersons. We are still getting irritating cutaways to someone who gives pointless updates on what the Twittersphere is saying – as if I could give a damn. However, on balance I am just about sticking with the programme. Wilders is still as annoying as ever, however.