2 May 2024
Cricket, Chaos, and the Carnage of Commentary
by Andrew Watson
The cricket season beckons, and a shiver runs down my spine – not excitement, but the chill of foretold disaster. Once, I loved the game. Now, the thought of a mere village match makes me cringe with secondhand embarrassment.
Why? It’s not the ghosts of dropped catches past. No, it’s watching our political landscape devolve into the same infantile shouting match I remember from my misbegotten stint as a child cricket captain. My only “team” was two mates who had a clue about the game, plus a gaggle of bewildered footballers. Every decision was contested, every move a chorus of backseat drivers. We lost spectacularly.
Fast-forward to today. Reading the likes of Andrew Marr rhapsodizing about Starmer as some radical savior… it’s that same gut feeling of chaos brewing. I can practically hear the tsunami of advice, the torrent of criticism, the pundits and influencers all vying to steer a ‘radical’ agenda into the ditch. What fun is success when you can have a beautiful public implosion?
The problem isn’t Starmer; it’s the parasitic media circus that thrives on negativity. Their business model isn’t delivering news; it’s pumping out content guaranteed to stoke fear and outrage. Analysis proves this gets eyeballs, eyeballs get ad revenue. No wonder every social media squabble, every phone-in rant is treated like the voice of the people. There’s no profit in pondering policies.
This is what destroyed Sunak. He had talent, and got played by those who’ve mastered the art of pushing agendas over governing. Why should Starmer be any different? Marr’s praise is as reassuring as a leaky lifeboat.
Look, I’m all for open debate. But I fear we’re headed for another failed centrist regime, clearing the path for the true extremes to waltz in. This time, I won’t just be embarrassed, I’ll be furious. Our digital carnival of commentary isn’t a cute side effect, it’s deliberate sabotage. And if we can’t find a way over it, we’re in for more than a lost cricket season.
tile photo: Pickled Stardust on Unsplash
