COMMENT | Until a few days ago, I thought khat was a leafy, stimulant drug, which the Yemenis and those in the Horn of Africa chew to give them a high.

Today, we bicker about khat and its relevance to our history, its use in art, and other unimportant details.

We must thank the education minister for his politics of distraction, because suddenly, we forgot who bedded whom, which education policy is worse, the dangers of pollution and how Malaysia became the world's dustbin.

You know what? Most people, especially in the lower-income bracket, do not care about khat, or any other lofty political ideals.

Life's a struggle. Who cares if Lynas is shut down or allowed to operate? Who cares if Penang has three or 30 artificial islands? Who cares about a flying car, when their own clapped-out Protons cannot be maintained? Ikan kembong, a staple fish, is now a luxury item. Things are worse than before...