We all have them. SHOWBOATERS & HISSY FIT THROWERS. In public life, in corporations, in families and yes on the sports field. You know the feeling when a tantrum is thrown or when the very self-important Chairman lets everyone understand that it’s him, and him alone they should thank for securing the future.
The American Senate this week had public hearings to confirm the President’s nomination as Justice to the Supreme Court – the highest court in the land. Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson became the first black woman in the history of the US to be appointed to the Supreme Court, but not before the Showboaters & Hissy Fit Throwers from the Republican party soiled the proceedings with their absurd and degrading behaviour towards her during the hearings.
In this moment in time it is the Americans, particularly, who are served daily dishes of #Show&Hissy by politicians, talk show hosts and court jesters beclowning themselves. It is as if a 21st century Circus Maximus had been erected in Washington, complete with gladiator games and chariot races.
TOP SHOWBOATERS this time around included senators Ted Cruz, Tom Cotton, Marsha Blackburn, Josh Hawley … and Lindsey Graham — that master of the self-righteous hissy fit. These folks really went the extra mile to turn the proceedings into a circus. So much performative outrage. So little interest in reality.
The spectacle of their indecent obsession with wokeism and outrageous statements such as trying to paint Jackson as someone whose sympathies and loyalties are with criminals, not victims—and who perhaps has some hidden agenda regarding the exploitation of children, as the New Yorker observed. It made me think of an observation by Juvenal [famous Roman author 55 – 127 AD]; “As the Roman Empire started its decline, the people are only anxious for two things: bread and circuses."
In Soccer Ronaldo excels at hissy fits, besides his incredible ability to score goals. In South Africa former finance minister Malusi Gigaba was a showboater almost in the league of Donald Trump, but not quite. We also have advocate Dali Mpofu, a hissy fit thrower of note, and now sanctioned for one of those during which he shouted “Shut Up” to another advocate in court.
And since the 2022 Oscars: – Will Smith is the outright winner of the newly created category, Showboater & Hissy Fit Thrower.
It is also widely reported that even the normally inscrutable Putin has lost his cool a few times as the Ukrainians pummel his troops & tanks to smithereens. Apparently he knows how to throw a hissy fit.
Juvenal also asked the troubling question; “who can be trusted with power” —“who will watch the watchers?” or "who will guard the guardians themselves?" [In Latin: quis custodiet ipsos custodes] EXACTLY. Let us remember this and enjoy the Showboating & Hissy Fits for what they are, performative art. Nothing more.
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I have the privilege to live in a constitutional democracy after decades of apartheid, which was declared a crime against humanity. I am passionate about our democracy and want that for all of humanity, therefore I will often include a paragraph about how we uphold or how we violate democracy; starting today.
WHEN YOU FEEL FOKOL FOR YOUR CONSTITUTION
Donald Trump’s son, Trump Jr. sent emails to his father’s Chief of Staff just after the presidential election, with advice on how to overthrow the election. If all the other plans failed, according to the Trump Jr. text, GOP [Republican Party] lawmakers in Congress could simply vote to reinstall Trump as President on January 6, 2021.
FOKOL is the South African [strong] word for NOTHING, and Donald Trump, his family, lawyers and some members of his Republican Party felt absolutely FOKOL for their constitution and their democracy in their all-out assault on a legitimate & democratic election in which he lost to now President Biden. Judge Carter, in a recent case involving a Trump lawyer who was advocating for overthrowing the election, framed the work done by Trump & Co as "a coup in search of a legal theory." Imagine if they had succeeded. Imagine if this had happened in South Africa. THE CONSEQUENCES WOULD HAVE BEEN TOO GHASTLY TO CONTEMPLATE [the only wise words from an infamous former apartheid Prime Minister of South Africa].
Can I invoke Juvenal again, in my own words: Remember that the guardians themselves need to be guarded – that’s why democracies have Constitutions.
Always a great read