What is the purpose of making a two-hour speech on the budget when this speech simply consists of reading from a document? Can't the government hand out copies of this to whomever is interested (and also post this on the Net) and be done with it?

We would then be spared a) the unedifying spectacle of watching our beloved legislators remove any hint of doubt about their cluelessness by displaying a look of utter vacuousness during the speech (the way they suddenly wake up and start thumping the desk in appreciation of some point made by the minister without realising what the fsck he is talking about is hilarious) and b) the captains of industry spouting their wisdom in a television studio and secretly thinking to themselves how great they look in their suits and not wondering even a tiny bit whether anybody gives a rat's ass what they think.