I recently watched a late night television debate which completely confirmed my belief that intellectual political debate is all but extinct.

The discussion was from 1988. Hosted by the late Clive James it featured Christopher Hitchens, P.J. O’Rourke and Edwin Meese discussing the presidency of Ronald Reagan. Clive James was an erudite social, political and literary commentator well matched to keep the three in check.

What struck me immediately was the polite respect each displayed towards the other. There was no shouting, no abuse, no cheap or fictitious point scoring, just considered and well informed opinion. None of the three were shy in a pointed response or two but it was civilised and by addressing each other as ‘Mr’ they unconsciously made their points all the more worthwhile.

Contrast this to today’s shout-a-thon’s in which each person is looking to get social media points from their own fan base resulting in a pointless exercise in soundbites and it is easy to see how far we have fallen intellectually.

If all we do is accuse each other of being a ‘Nazi’ or ‘Woke’ then where in our shared interests does that get us? These so-called champions of the Right and the Left are very poor imitations of what went before us.

Edwin Meese was, in 1988 the Attorney General and a close ally of Reagan, he did not come off lightly against Hitchens but he stood his ground and rebuffed the points made against him.

The American election looms large, I observe it from across the Atlantic and wish, just as I do in my own country that politicians be held to account in a civilised, intelligent and non-partisan way. We get so caught up in personalities and division when we should all remember that they do, or should, work for us and the sooner journalism en masse gets its act together the better.

Further reading:

Christopher Hitchens-And Yet….

Christopher Hitchens Unacknowledged Legislation

Christopher Hitchens: Prepared For The Worst