LAST week's events were interesting not only for Americans but for observers of American politics. The presidential debate, where two aging protagonists confronted with insipid questions from the moderators responded with non-sequitur replies coated in sound bites. The debate format did not test Biden or Trump for the job of president. It was a made-for-TV production where CNN made millions in their four commercial breaks. It is unfortunate that the harsh focus of the tube played not on the raging issues and comparisons of their presidential stints but instead on the personalities of both, highlighting senility, age, cognitive dissonance, soundbites and lies that couldn't be fact-checked instantly. Biden had the short end of the stick, showing him to be a stuttering, raspy-voiced old-ager with cognitive issues, looking old and sounding old.

Trump, on the other hand, was perfect for this format, a reprise of 'The Apprentice.' He ambushed the old warrior with lies and prevarications, where the moderators allowed these to go unchecked.