Watching the Drunks and Insomniacs

national | arts and media | opinion/analysis Friday July 09, 2004 15:07 by seedot - Indymedia TV Review: Watching...

Despite the lack of a category, Indymedia should have a TV page. Why do when you can watch.

Oireachtas Report often lives up to Pat Rabbittes memorable description - he may have been talking about the audience but who can tell?

Saw it last night and heard some people bemoaning the lack of accountability for the Government during the next 3 months as the Dail was in recess. It is handy the day the decentralisation website stats are released all right, but have they ever watched the programme? I mean, given the level of editing (i hear they often shoot scenes and even endings that never make it into the final cut) you'd think it would be more exciting then 'Who's in the Doughnut'.

You see the idea is that this is where the affairs of the Nation get debated and decisions taken. So when they're not there all hell might break loose - anarchy even. To avoid this the Oireachtas has to be the place where the government tells the truth, where great men (usually men) make great speeches. Even with the general lack of greatness, yesterday they were all very upset that this would'nt be happening for the next few months - although we were reassured that the committees would still be sitting.

Now I am not the fiercest critic of electoralism. If they want to have their party, let them; as long as I don't have to go. But the whole thing seems a bit useless if the government can just say whatever they want in the Dail chamber and everybody just lets them. As we learn from the Indymedia feature today, Oireachtas Report is just FICTION afterall, which even Bertie, weight of the continent on his shoulders, prince of the church, partakes in. Do they not realise what this will do?

How can anyone defend electoralism and let the Taoiseach lie to them in the Dail Chamber? Maybe SKYs new Ashtown Gate Wet T Shirt Competition is what we should be watching. Oireachtas Report is not back until the Autumn: lets get rid of the liars and just let the Drunks and Insomniacs do their party piece.

For the sake of television.

To save us from committees.