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VOTE NOBODY IN BRISTOL

Nora Nobody | 08.02.2001 00:00

VOTE NOBODY CAMPAIGN TAKES BRISTOL BY STORM

The Bristol VOTE NOBODY campaign is really taking off with the City plastered with NOBODY posters and stickers.A resident of a sheltered accomdation flat was ordered by the warden to remove his NOBODY poster from his window but refused!
The Evening Post has been foreced to acknowledge the growing evidence of the strengtgh and popularity of the VOTE NOBODY campaIGN BY PUBLISHING A nOBODY POSTER IN TONIGHT'S ISSUE AND WRITING:
'The NOBODY campaign is really starting to put itselfd about - this new force could sweep the councillors from office on May 3rd'.
Nobody is concentrating on the Easton and Ashley wards where if the number of spoilt papers with NOBODY written on them excedes the votes for the 'winning' candidate then the wards will be declared autonomous zones free from council control and all power residingin the hands of popular assemblies.
BE POSITIVE - VOTE NOBODY ON MAY3rd

Nora Nobody
- e-mail: votenobody@yahoo.co.uk
- Homepage: uk.geocities.com/votenobody

Comments

Hide the following 35 comments

NON-VOTE

08.02.2001 16:21

This could catch on..Vote Nobody...I like that. If nobody votes for nobody then nobody can be elected. Let's just elect each other, support each other, ignore the fascist totalitarian military NWO...NOBODY wants to know!

Liberty

NOBODY is wrong to trash leftists in Bristol

08.02.2001 19:33

I think that the Vote NOBODY campaign is wrong to go round depoliticising poeple. People have fought for the vote and millions of people still believe and hope for governments that deliver left wing reforms. To tell them not to vote is to ask them to leave their destiny in the hands of the right. In the political void that has been created by New Labour moving massively to the right, a hole has opened up. If the left does not address people's illusions for reform, then the far right. The Vote Nobody campaign would be fine if its posters said instead "Vote Nobody" and added "- Organise and build the resistance against global capitalism", but it doesn't. I seriously question the legitimacy of the group behind it and their motives.

Instead, while, I have no illusions whatsoever that capitalism can be reformed and while I see the need for a popular revolution to sweep away the institutions of capitalism, we should not be blind to assume millions of working peope in Britain today agree with this view. In fact, the opposite is true. If they did agree with the need for revolution then we would see revolutionary activity in workplaces, colleges on the scale of millions not the several thousands that currently exists. The point is not to "sound" revolutionary but to relate to the millions of people who have had enough of sell-outs, sell-offs, cutbacks and boss attacks and who want to DO something about it. This means relating to their illusions too.

I condemn the Vote Nobody Campaign for wasting time going around working class areas of Bristol pasting over Bristol Socialist Alliance posters that are calling for an end to privatisation, an end to school closures, an end to low pay and council housing sell-offs. I condemn them for snubbing the heartfelt desire of thousands of working people for reforms - like the militant 100 parents, children, teachers, trade unionists and others who marched through Bristol last Saturday demonstrating against the closure of Gay Elms Primary school.

In this period of intense dumming down, we do not want more depoliticisation we want more politicisation, more radicalisation, more militancy. But this will only happen if revolutionaries take part in the debate with people, relate to their illusions and argue the case for more radical solutions such as strikes, occupations and actions.

Sorry, Vote NOBODY is mistaken. I want to vote Socialist and get stuck in with public protest and strike building not just sitting back with Nobody feeling liberal and radical. I wont be voting Nobody because I know I wont see him/her down on the picket line or in Genoa in July.

Mike Taylor
Bristol Defend the Asylum Seekers Campaign
& Bristol Activists Group

Mike Taylor
mail e-mail: m-t@supanet.com

Vote nobody

09.02.2001 00:49

Jesus, I didn't think it was possible for the SWP to get any more sanctimonious and self-righteous but I was wrong. I warmly reccomend NOBODY to read the above holier than thou
pompous twaddle. Has the geezer no idea of what a complete self-righteos geek he sounds. Yo Nobody - you got my vote just to annoy this geezer. Rosa.

Rosa Luxemburg

Vote Nobody

09.02.2001 09:54

So "Nobody in wrong to Trash Leftists in Bristol" according to our sanctimonious humourless SWP preacher man. Well, I think Nobody is right! The campaign's got humour, energy and a lot more to offer than a load of arrogant lecturing from Trot academics. One day you Trot lot really will all disappear up your own arses, and d'you know what - NOBODY will care!So VOTE NOBODY!

Molly Mayhem

Vote NOBODY for UK too!

09.02.2001 12:27

I was working on an article detailing my thoughts on the looming so-called GENERAL election here in the UK but this Bristol idea is even better; the main thrust of my article was to plead for ~everyone~ to get out and vote this time (as per Tony Bare's request to cut the 'voter apathy' - yeah, right :) - BUT, instead of voting for any one candidate, to take along with you a prepared statement to stick on the ballot form with words to the effect that we no longer have anyone to honestly and steadfastly represent the interests of regular folks or even common decency in this country (vis: DU, Iraq refugees, Arms to Indonesia, Star Wars, RIP, Terrorism Act, BP, World-Mort, GM, Sainsbury, Krebs, total sell out, captive state, etc etc etc ad inf).

Failing that, please write across your ballot form:-

'NONE OF THE ABOVE'

Your thoughts on this up-coming non-event would be most welcome.

and whilst I am at it, how about this to counter the evils of GATS?

You may think my idea very naive but I have studied just about everything written on GATS, including the latest exhortation from the Ecologist, and still don't see how they can get away with it. Okay; simply this:-

Over many decades all the services now under attack by the 'private sector' (dastardly euphemism!) have been developed and refined through the expenditure of our taxes. If these services are now to be thrown to the corporate wolves, should they not be required to recompense each individual taxpayer for the amount s/he has paid to set up and provide such services in the first place?

If govt does not agree to this proceeding, are we not fully within our rights (what few rights we have left, that is), as citizens of each country, to withhold our taxes? Furthermore, if all services are to be sold off there will no longer be any reason to pay taxes. Surely, we will 'purchase' the services of our police, doctors, military, etc etc as consumers (vile semiotic!) - as and when we feel the need for them - just as we do already for everything else in the marketplace?

TIA for any thoughts or better still, ACTION!

In solidarity with anyone who prefers syndicalism and cooperation to useless wittering and overbearing hierarchy,

mango
 http://www.environment.org.uk/activist/

'You assist an evil system most effectively by obeying its orders and decrees. An evil system never deserves such allegiance. Allegiance to it means partaking of the evil. A good person will resist an evil system with his or her whole soul.' - Mahatma Gandhi

mango

Vote Nobody

09.02.2001 12:36

Well, I hope you Nobodies are truly humbled by your ticking off from the Trot! A thousand Hail Marys I say! What a naughty lot you've been to cause the SWP comrade to pontificate so! Does nobody have any respect for the Trots anymore?! I've seen the Vote Nobody posters in certain parts of Bristol, and I must say I'd give Nobody my vote for the same reason as Rosa, just to annoy the fuckers!

Jan King

thinking it through....

09.02.2001 15:22

So let's imagine, the election looms, turnout is low because people are disillusioned with establishment politics, the vote nobody campaign has been a tremendous sucess- BUT of those that do vote the majority go to the BNP, they take power in Bristol and start to cut grants and shut down organisations helping various groups, gay, black, etc.....People are intimidated and attacked by their racist thugs on the streets -feeling confident now they have poltical power .

As in france they offer white couples more money to have children, and they target and detain refugees and other asylum seekers.....and what of the vote nobody's? Who will protect them from the fascists who now seek to curtail their 'liberal' freedoms?

this isn't a game....

come live were I do and see BNP stickers on the lamposts, witness recent attempts by the BNP to build in the area (which we stopped), all in a multicutural area

come and tell my asian neighbours that voting nobody is a good idea.

go on I dare you.....

noel
mail e-mail: noel@desiderium.org

top idea but...

09.02.2001 16:24

The idea is excellent, it's good to have something positive to suggest to people rather than just not to vote at all. However it seems that the campaign, or at least the Web site, is aimed purely at the people who probably won't (or aren't registered to) vote anyway.

The election is all about numbers - obviously - you have to get people to take you seriously. The Web site should look as slick as possible (nick ideas from the 'real' parties sites etc) and the wording should sound professional (no swearing for example). The pieing etc of politicians should be kept seperate from the NOBODY campaign. Maybe it could be listed as news of other opposition to the bullshit rather than as a campaign tactic.

Have any attempts been made to get similar campaigns going in other areas ?

Many praises to the Bristol lot though, keep it going.

eyes

NOBODY is wrong to trash leftists in Bristol

10.02.2001 01:36

Dear Mike (SWP/"Activists" Group),

>In this period of intense dumming down
Well I ain't votin' for you dumBy


Yours sitting back feeling radical

No really, yours actually getting out there and encouraging people to take action for themselves, not just pushing Genoa, hierarchies so you can't really get involved in 'defending asylum seekers' (whatever that sometimes means!), or otherwise attempting to co-opt the so-called (it doesn't exist!) anti-capitalist movement for recruitment purposes, but pretty much just boring me stupid (or is it dumb?)

PS this doesn't mean I'm into encouraging people not to vote either. It's all very well unless we can truly empower people to take action to defend their communities and make the world a better place - if this isn't accessible, or we don't have the capabilities right now, then encouraging people to not vote can just encourage hopelessness/disempowerment.

Mr Non-Sectarian

Nobody should rule

10.02.2001 11:26

Well I never...a subject that actually inspired Brits to write. Yes, we fought for the vote and where has it got us? Into a fucking Plutocracy! Only 30% of the UK. turns out at the polls and they are all over seventy...but still our 'leaders' declare a 'democratic' victory! It's all FIXED. Our Prime Minister is hand-picked by the Bilderberg Group, someone who will carry out the programme (of Global Domination) in return for an ego massage. VOTE NOBODY!

Freedom!

Vote NOBODY

10.02.2001 11:41

The thing about the NOBODY campaign is that it is actually popular! When we were out flyposting we got asked for posters by three different lots of people to stick in their windows. NOBODY is set to sweep to victory! Get preparing for those autonomous zones now!

Captain Nemo

Vote Nobody = New Labour & Tories

10.02.2001 11:46

Abstention is the only alternative to an electoral process which has nothing to offer. The SA whom you mistakenly call Trots is just Old Labour rehashed for the 'modern' period. People dissillusioned with Labour will just not vote. The SA role is to get people back into ...Labour. When you vote for New Labour or the Tories you are voting for nobody as the Corporations rule society, not the politicians. Campaigning for a no vote is obviously progressive in the current period and not a sign of dumbing down but expressing what millions feel: voiceless from corporate politicians.
The SWP agree with New Labour on every turn:
Imperialist immigration policies which seek to integrate the spill over from imperialist led wars into poor working class districts so the working class is forced to share its meagre resources.
Campaigned for Ken (Bomb Belgrade) Livingstone so he can bring in a CIA hatchet man to privatise rail with New Labours agreement.
Voting for Labour candidates where they aren't standing, claiming absurderly there is such a thing as a 'left' Labour candidate.

vngelis
mail e-mail: meberry68@hotmail.com
- Homepage: www.balkanunity.org

vote with salami!

10.02.2001 13:51

put greasy salami or suchlike into the ballot box, thereby not only registering your own lack of support for New Tories, but sabotaging their whole game.

o

Nobody fools me

10.02.2001 16:16

I’ve got this revolutionary new idea, why don’t we spend our energy encouraging people not to vote, because by doing this, all the people that put their hope in political parties and trade unions with see the error of their ways and become revolutionary anarchists and form revolutionary unions without hierarchies or maybe they will be up for a series of bigger and bigger street parties that one day take over the world. What does it matter if the best union activists and Labour Party voters are breaking with Labour after holding on eighteen years for a Labour government, cos we all know that it doesn’t make any difference who is in power. The fact that Labour won the last election has made no difference in terms of activity on the left has it? They are all the same, Benn and Portillo, Nader and Bush. Viva NOBODY.

Dave Dog
mail e-mail: boundforglory@hotbot.com

Anyone for Freedom?

10.02.2001 18:41

Each party, Labour and Tory, has been a continuation, in turn, of the same 'business as usual policies' for the past 100 years! I stopped voting when I became 18 years old, because NOBODY represents my ideals...ie. FREEDOM!

Polly Ticks

Nobody told me

10.02.2001 21:39

nobody tells the truth ..

Luther Blissett
mail e-mail: luther_blissett@aruba.it

a great idea in theory

10.02.2001 22:57

I have 2 agree with noel. This is a great idea in theory but what if it all goes wrong and the fascists are elected?

?

No borders...no refugees problem!

10.02.2001 23:24

Who is it that's attacking the Refugees and Asylum seekers right now? The government have just initiated a crackdown on 'illegal human trafficking' the same government that begged us to open our doors to them after NATO blew the infrastructure out of Eastern Europe! Remember the pitiful sights on T.V? Now they are criminals? I suppose that includes the people of Gujerat? Break down all the borders and roam the World at liberty! It's our god-given birthright!

Liberty

Vote NOBODY

11.02.2001 11:36

There are two key factors which it seems to me makes the Bristol Vote Nobody campaign more interesting than a prank.
Firstly they are doing it for the local elections on May 3rd rather than the general election. In a general election campaign such anti-vote campaigns have traditionally been swamped but in local elections the have a better chance of being effective. Turn out in many wards is often only 10-20%
WITH THE WINNING CANDIDATE GETTING ONLY ABOUT 10% of the registered vote. They are still able to claim a mandate despite this. However if there is a POSITIVE VOTE OR NOBODY and these NOBODY votes counted as spoilt balloet papers outnumber tghe votes for the winning candidate then there will be a real crisis of legitimacy.If this was to be the case anywhere then an immediate move the day after the election to declare the ward an autonmous zone free from council control would perpetuate the legitimacy crisis while mechanisms for dual power were set up and daily popular assemblies started to run the show. Sounds far fetched - but one succesful NOBODY campaign anywhere in the country could have a big effect. Lets go for it.

Ret Marut

Nobody leads the way!

11.02.2001 12:57

Yes lets...because our 'self-appointed' leaders have no legitimacy. The ministers and directors are lords and sirs, the aristocracy rule! It's feudalism by the back-door...lock it!

Jim Bob Jones

THIS IS A VERY IMPOTANT DEVELOPMENT

11.02.2001 14:21

Perhaps its to do with the outrage we have seen with George Jr Bush's elctoral shinannigens (spellcheck, please!) in Florida, but for the first time, ANARCHISTS are calling for a VOTING strategy ! Excellent ! I congratulate you.
I personally will be voting tactically, for any decent candidate likely to unseat Labour, eg, If you live in Mandelson's patch, you might want to try old Arthur Scargill... Or not. I thought Mike Moore's "Ficus" campaign in "The Awful Truth" was very successful, and we independent leftists have a lot of choice in tactics. "Nobody" is certainly a valid tactic worth considering if faced with a usual choice of Lab / Lib / Con, but the main thing is to break with that understandable position of not voting at all. We've all taken that stance at some time, and its a good start for a critique of established politics, but then it gets more complicated !

Auguste

Vote Nobody

11.02.2001 16:23

There's a lot of people I'm sure who'd like to vote for Nobody, but for various reasons are not on the electoral register and wouldn't want to be.Any suggestions from anyone about how to get to vote on the day - or maybe nobody has got some bright ideas?

The Invisible Man

Invisible voting

11.02.2001 22:05

why not just return electoral register forms with a list of names of your choice - you'll get voting sli[s through the door - and can vote without getting collared for those outstanding fines.

Alternatively - bundle down the polling station and give the name and address of someone who wont bother turning up (eg 'Hi, I'm John Major' in Huntingdon') and they'll give you the paper and you're in the box doing the Nobody's business on it - see y'all down the community centre on May 3.

Vote Nobody - sod th parasitical kingmakers of the SW..... er I mean 'Socialist Alliance' - nowt like a name change!

Dawn Primo Rolo

Nobody couldn't care a toss

12.02.2001 12:00

Vote Nobody was a funny joke about twenty years back when anarchists first dreamt it up.

Now it's great to see how anars can be even more self-righteous than the worst trot. Keep up the good work ! People will realise what a load of stale ideas anarchists have when confronted with real politics.

Andy
mail e-mail: Pabs47@Hotmail.com

Vote Nobody

12.02.2001 21:00

Yes, Andy from Ipswich, you're right - Nobody couldn't care a toss about humourless twats like you! And what are these "real politics" people are going to be confronted with? I wait with baited breath... Give me Nobody any day.

Margaret Beckett

Bexley BNP 26% & French Nazi Councils

14.02.2001 01:28

Last year the BNP got 26% in Bexley in East London when people had had enough of the same old free market crap from Labour & the Tories & the Lib Dems. And if that's not enough of a warning for the Vote Nobody campaign, just look across the water to France. The Nazi Front Nationale control 4 councils. Just ask the Sans Papiers to stay at home and not vote. Look a bit further East to Austria and you'll understand why I went to Vienna last march to join the 250,000 people who were shocked into action by Haider's Nazi Freedom Party being voted into power. Try telling these masses they should have stayed at home, not voted and let the Nazis take all the rest of the seats. It is not a game. We have to get it right and get it right now. Vote Socialist or left independent and argue for militant action now! It doesn't have to be or the other. I sure as hell dont want some piddly little autonomous zone in a ward in Bristol surrounded by Nazi dominated councils - do you?

Mike Taylor





Mike Taylor
mail e-mail: m-t@supanet.com

Damn Right Mike

14.02.2001 11:08

This is all an absolutley great joke, vote nobody because nobody is any good, but when it comes to reality this becomes extremely problematic. The nazi threat is the most obvious part of the problem, but there is also the threat that by not having some sort of election campaign like the Socialist Alliance (which is neither the SWP, or a load of old Labourites, but a coalition of a wide number of people to the left of labour) will lead a lot of people away from campaigning.
I have seen some of the stuff the SA have been doing, and this is not just some gang of electioneers, they have been on the streets campaigning over issues that effect peoples lives, getting people involved who would otherwise just stay at home and complain about how shit Labour are.

I do have one disagreement with Mike though, I don't think the vote nobody campaign will lead to some sort of revolutionary region is Bristol, surrounded by nazi areas, simply because vote nobody is not going to create any sort of revolutionary region in Bristol, or anywhere else.

Damian
mail e-mail: damianB@hotmail.com

Some concerns

14.02.2001 16:43

My concern over the vote nobody campaign is that it will add numbers to the overall turn out thereby legitimizing the election to some degree. If not enough people Vote Nobody the idea will be missed, while electoral politics are strengthened.

As for BNP etc. I think we've all got look closely at our own region and decide from there what is the best strategy.

Nottingham Fascists are marching on 3rd March and there's a counter demo if anyone's interested - a non electoral way of dealing with that problem.

I also think that any part of an anti-election/party campaign has to say something positive too. Like "Don't Vote, Act!"

Overall interesting idea, and good luck in Bristol. If it has much impact it might inspire a lot of groups elsewhere for the election after.

Deluge

NOBODY

15.02.2001 17:25

Well, I'll be interested in this, but can it happen, will the council really follow a Nobody mandate and declare an autonomous zone? Either way at the very least its an excercise in organising some resistance to this crappy system, and a nobody victory would be very symbolic.
RESPECT TO BRISTOL : ALWAYS CRAZY

ROB
mail e-mail: 97146474@LUTON.AC.UK

Nazi's rule!

20.02.2001 17:38

The BNP and Nazi propaganda is perpetrated by the same individuals who contrived all political parties, to oppose each other, eternally, the same party who will win if you vote or not. The New World Order!

Nobody

Autonomy, bought and paid for!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

05.03.2001 15:42

Anarchy? Funny thing isn't it. Surely by voting and emancipating an area using the system currently imposed you negate the whole idea. By using a conformist and organised model to gain autonomy the newly gained autonomy is tainted from its very conception.
It seems to me that this approach of gaining autonomy is flawed.
To engage in their election as the ULTIMATE MEANS of gaining autonomy is wrong. Far from ligitamising any autonomy that may be gained this campaign suggests that the current form of capitalist democracy and its so called voting system is legitimate.
I strongly beleive that anarchy is well worth considering in a post revolutionary society but I feel the revolution must come first.
By all means use this election as a stepping stone to revolution but do not make it the means by which you gain autonomy. THEY MADE THE RULES, IF THEY DON'T WIN THEY WILL CHANGE THE RULES. If you make this system ligitamate now there will be no turning back you will forever be a party of the system you despise and your autonomy will be built on the foundations of capatism.
See you all in Genoa!!!!!!!!

MDW

Sorry

05.03.2001 15:49

Sorry about all the postings,computer error

MDW

NOBODY LOVES ME, EVERYBODY HATES ME.

30.04.2001 12:15

Mike Taylor, so should we all vote Tory then, just to make sure that the more blatant fascists don't get in?

My vote is going to nobody. At the end of the day it's down to the people to stop the racists and their ilk. "Theres no power without control."

Snoo

My sixpence

16.05.2001 20:45

Firstly I can't vote (to young) but if I could I would, either for the SA or the Green Party, whichever is running in my area. I don't actually believe they will change much, but I want to make the world a better place and I believe in doing that any way, short of violence, that is available. Voting, letter writing, protests, direct action, pie-ing politicians, hactivism etc. etc.

Also remember that the people who fought for the vote, the Chartists and Suffragettes, were the radicals of their day, just as we are the radicals of today (god this is sounding pretentious).

For all those of you who are unsure about the Socialist Alliance go to their site: www.socialistalliance.net and check out there manifesto. There's very little on their I didn't like and I'm an anarchist.

Finally seeing as Tory Blair is certain to get in I have a suggestion. We protest at their conference and tell them what we think of them and thir neo-liberal policies. Check out the web adress for my earlier suggestion of this story and other people's suggestions or the story in the nes wire subtly entitled READ THIS NOW!!!

please

Disillusioned kid
- Homepage: http://uk.indymedia.org/display.php3?article_id=5056

SA is Reformist nonsense

17.05.2001 15:59

Hi, the last post said they support the SA but is acually an anarchist.

Well I never, I thought anarchists were against the state, against legitimising power of buerocrats and in favour of abolishing capitalism (well thats what communist-anarchists think - ie. mainstream anarchist movement in Europe today).

Don't vote for renationalisation, ruin your balot! Don't legitimise this pathetic farce of a democratic system that we have today. Don't vote SA.

ZZ