Sometimes I Wonder.....

Sometimes I wonder why a sophisticated country like Britain keeps falling for the same garbage from politicians, then I think about this conversation that I overheard in a pub in Cheadle a few weeks ago.

First guy, 'I think that all these terror attacks started when we invaded Libya'

Second guy, 'Well, he shouldn't have invaded Qatar'

First guy 'Who?'

Second guy 'Saddam Hussein'

First guy 'Libya didn't invade Qatar'

Second guy, 'Yes they did, that's what it was all about'

First guy 'To invade Qatar, Libya would have to go all the way access Egypt, cross the Red Sea and then go all the way across Saudi Arabia'

Second guy, 'Well, that's what happened'

First guy 'Saddam has nothing to do with Libya'

Second guy, 'Where was he, then?'

First guy, 'Iraq'

Second guy, 'Oh well, same thing'

First guy, ' It's not the same thing, it's not even in the same continent'

Second guy, 'Well if he hadn't invaded Qatar, there wouldn't have been a war'

First guy, 'Will you stop it, nobody invaded Qatar'

Second guy, 'Yes they did, it was Gaddafi, that's what caused the war'

First guy, 'Look, Gaddafi was in Libya, which is in Africa and he didn't invade anywhere, Saddam Hussein was in Iraq, nowhere near bloody Qatar, that's on the other side of Saudi Arabia.

Second guy, Well, he invaded somewhere'

First guy 'Who did?

Second guy 'Gaddafi'

First guy, 'Gaddafi didn't invade anywhere, Saddam Hussain invaded Kuwait, but that was twenty-seven years ago and is nowhere near Qatar'

Second guy, 'Oh, you're just splitting hairs, now.'

I'm ashamed to say that my suppressed laughter made some the beer that I was drinking come out of my nose - I'm not ashamed of beer coming out of my nose, I'm ashamed that I found it funny that so many people in this country are so badly informed about the things that affect them the most.

It's no wonder that we are confused when you see the reaction from the media when Corbyn tried to inject some reality into the debate.

Maybe people like being confused; maybe TS Eliot was right when he said that human kind can't bear very much reality - just as well really, there isn't much of it about at the moment and when someone tries to provide some, the media and the Tories shout it down.