by Horatio Clare and Sharon Tyers
As if the politics aren’t bad enough in this crazy world of ours, doubly tragic is the abysmal speech-making of our leaders, delivered without a trace of persuasion. Who could ever be convinced by them, as they mumble fretfully away, knowing you’ve rumbled them?
So many of our leaders speak as if beset by paranoia and cupboard skeletons. They trot out soundbites as if all the peoples of the British Isles were on Fleet Street. You almost expect it, now, from our public officials, leaders and representatives, to whom we have voted our voice: that insipid, monotone speech at the dispatch box that has me reaching for the remote and Homes Under the Hammer.
Young and old readers will remember something of the speeches of Winston Churchill and his Socratic method. Some will remember the satirical wit of Andrew Marr on Sunday mornings and the uplifting, endearing and sincere speeches from Barack Obama on his Inauguration Day – and at the White House Correspondent’s dinner, when he mocked a dazzled Donald J Trump in the audience with such elan he may have inadvertently set us all up for The Fall.
When I was little the big song in town was Harry Secombe’s 1963 hit, ‘If I ruled the world.’ Grandma hummed it in the kitchen as she made custard in her porringer and my friends and I would dance to it after school, weaving between dad’s flower beds, arms outstretched, imagining a world with us in charge. When you spoke and when you sang you did so with conviction and passion.
We need the people in charge of us to become proficient in the art of rhetoric. That way, we might just start to believe what they tell us. We also need to put oratory, rhetoric and plain public speaking firmly back on the curriculum for our children as it was in Shakespeare’s day. Can you imagine he would have been able to write Othello’s great speeches without that teaching?
He was taught, like the sophists in ancient Greece, how to speak and argue successfully. It was a deeply respected art and the common man sought to become proficient in it.
Everyone then, took great pride in being able to talk well. We must restore that pride again.
Otherwise, our leaders’ arguments will continue to wilt in the September rain because they have not learned any of the rhetorical techniques. Otherwise, those espousing the maddest and cruellest ideologies will be the only voices heard.
Until we teach ALL children oratory and public speaking in Primary and Secondary schools, as standard, by law, we are doomed to remain disillusioned, apathetic and let down.
Please join Baby Wolf in our new campaign: teach all children oratory at school. You can get in touch with us on socials – reply to posts! – and please share this far and wide.
Thank you!
As the great orator Victor Lazlo said to Rick Blaine: With you on our side, I know we will win -!
