I feel like voting for the first time in my life, (I'm 42) because Nobody represents me, my ideals, my hopes and aspirations, for a fair and just society. Nobody for Prime Minister!

I've voted Labour my entire life, I'm 63. Well no bloody more - they are all just parasites, this time Nobody gets my X.

Good on ya Thomas...they are depending on the 'grey' vote, trying to bribe you with a penny increase in your pension! Tempting isn't it? NOT!

While I am sympathetic to the basic dissillusionment with mainstream politics that the Vote Nobody campaign represents, I wouldn't necessarily vote for it. It's alright sticking 2 fingers up at the establishment and saying "right, let's start up our own local community-run system", but who'll get off their arse to participate? Why bother missing Cory? Is there any detailed planning behind this if the Vote Nobody campaign actually won? Without organisation, such change would not necessarily be for the better...

mf

So who are you going to vote for Michael, in this one party State? Nay, this Global Dictatorship? You see it really dosen't matter, they are making up the rules as they go along now...laws for every eventually, implemented at the drop of a hat. If protesting against the destruction of the planet which sustains our lives, is Eco-terrorism...we are doomed!

You are assuming sheeple are so stupid they NEED to be led...organised by a 'leader' but when suppression is absent, co-operation becomes second-nature. Years (centuries) of conditioning has created the myth that without government we would become an 'anarchic' rabble, incapable of a supportive, communal existence. But lets try it, Anarchy is the only political choice we have been consistently denied. It can't be any worse than the NWO nightmare unfolding on Earth at present! Things can only get better.

What you need is electoral reform.New Zealand has recently adoped MMP,(mixed member proportional),which after our second election has put into parliament 15% genuine left,(6% greens,9% alliance)including well known anti globalisation activists,radical greens,a rastafarian,and a transsexual.First past the post guarantees that the genuine left splits the vote installing the right wing as the largest minority,taking the majority of electorate seats.Britain and the USA are stuck with this antiquated undemocratic sham,while Europe has Greens,socialists etc.,far more representative.It won't bother them if you don't vote - George Bush didn't mind.Half of America did not vote.If all the non-voters had voted for Nader he would have almost doubled Bush's vote.You have to do better than to not vote.Don't you have a greens party?

Theoretically P.R should bring about a change because it would represent the actual votes cast. Practically don't you face the problem that when ever radical parties get into power they find out that they can't actually do anything bearing in mind that successive governments have signed away more of our rights and freedoms to quagos and N.G.O's. P.R. does not really deal with the problem that 'power corrupts' and what's to say the people elected by P.R. aren't going to be any less susceptible than other politicians how would control this. Many people tend to also hold conservative opinions (look at how easily newspapers whip up xenophobic and racists attitudes). Also the problem with radical governments is that business tends to react against them (e.g. capital flight in the seventies and the currency problems of Wilson) and a lot of people believe that economic success is a good thing (even though it only indirectly benefits them) so how would a radical government stand any more chance of been elected especially when it would face the added problem that big business would put its money against and as shone in USA the party that spends most wins.

The 'Green Party' has been been hyjacked by the same mob...using environmentalists to push for higher oil prices to 'save the planet' while BP makes $700 profit per second. Nader has shares in Oxydental, who are destroying the rainforest and threatening with extinction the U'Wa Indians...very eco-friendly! Why aren't the Greens demanding alternative (suppressed) fuel sourses, like Water Cell Technology...? Global Warming is Artificial...it's the wonders of H.A.A.R.P. Order out of Chaos, remember? How many Maoris are in you mixed party?

It's a great idea. But I think it must be seen as a revolutionary strategy to damage their system, which is the capitalist system. Reform can help acheive short term goals, but for anyone who is interested in true change, major social changes must take place, which spells revolutionary thinking.
I like it very much. It is very interesting. But people must keep at it. I've even copied and pasted the article for my local #sydney Indymedia.

Cheers!

Rob.

Well actually Ann, I was not implying that communities automatically need leadership - I simply said that they need organisation. The form such organisation takes is something I think people should debate. Principally I would want to argue for a system in which political participation was maximised for as many people as possible, and thus the sharing of political power was as equal as possible (without getting into the Animal Farm situation...)

And yeah, ultimately we need to make changes to the basic economic system as well as the political one. Now I'm not going to argue for communism, but I do think that utopian thinking offers a good perspective on this. If we want a fair and just world, where environmental degradation is kept to a minimum, ecological consciousness is promoted through education and cultural (and economic) practices, people have enough resources to meet their needs, wealth and power is shared equally, and the whole enterprise is based on democracy rather than fascism, then we need to give careful consideration to the arguments against this possibilty.

It seems to me that the first one is entrepreneurship and the idea of individuals grasping for power and becoming corrupt etc; that if you place heavy taxes on corporations you will discourage entrepreneurship and ultimately discourage economic development. One way of wrestling with this is to argue for the development of educational and cultural practices that encourage individual development, creativity and change in as many areas of life as possible so long as these activities do not contravene what would be the basic constitutional framework of cooperation and concern for sustainable development. Investment in the arts and sciences with a focus on how such investment is going to improve the quality of experience for as many people as possible might be an effective approach, rather than just asking how such investment could improve the economy. My argument is that such an orientation over time might lead to a very strong culture of participation, creativity and cooperation in which significantly less social problems and disputes would arise in the first place. We could liken this to today's world where creative research in all areas of the social sciences is encouraged so long as it does not contravene the basic principles of our system - somebody somewhere has to gain economic benefit from it.

Of course such an argument would need to rest on the premise that the society already had sufficient resources to meet the needs of its people. The way in which these needs are defined, as I have just outlined, has to change - and this is where the main challenge lies as I see it. I also agree with the idea that changes to our electoral system will only have short term effects. It is the values and needs of mainstream society that need to change so that they are more compatible with the UN's Agenda 21 for example. I argue that we do this through sustained changes in education (e.g. the teaching of more interdisciplinary courses in the social sciences) and cultural practices (e.g. finding ways to get more people involved with pro-environmental activities, perhaps in the form of sports). But gradual changes in such a pro-environment (and pro-life) direction should ideally be made to as many areas of society as possible in a simulatenous, drift-like fashion, rather than wholescale overnight political reform. That, I think, will cause much confusion, fear and dissillusionment....

peace
mf

Your arguments would pack a harder punch if they were spelt and punctuated correctly. Oh, and what about a few political ideas in there as well? Just a thought.

Impressed M8,have copied U onto forum;
 http://www.fuelprotest2000.co.uk

Shame I couldn't follow YOUR link, I wanted MORE.

i voted labour in the last election for reasons that i cannot fathom now.i hold this as one of my worst ever decisions,but i only voted 2 get the tories out.how foolish i felt when the new labour turned out 2 be twice as evil and hypocritical ads the tories.nobody will definatly be getting my vote,i wont be fooled again!

I felt inspired from the plan I based a small rant/song from it. I myself live in the US where are Government is known as a democracy. Based on the peoples concern. I feel that if we spread word of similar plans of catching corruption in this method we can defintely stir something out of its place in the minds of the many conditioned citizens of the US. Im asking permission to use my song/rant in my upcoming band or zines. As you know in the U.S. we live on a voting system. There are too many who believe it works and more people are dissapointed with the outcome of our election. The suspicions of corruption, I would say are more aware then ever. Im not on organization. Yet. Im one person, just willing to poison the polluted steam of "American Democracy" I live in. I could safely tell you your situation is far more then amplified where I live. Let me scratch the surface. I myself was never made aware of this simple/potential method of catching corruption. I wanna put shows on and distribute zines in areas of poverty, I live in the los angeles area. Many cities are vibrant about trying to catch lieing politicians, such as Watts, and other slums in South Los Angeles. The protests that took place in The Rampart District, and even in my own city.

Fucking yeah this is what its all about I thought the original post was 'made up' but this is real I cant believe
it Long Live the Free Easton Community-
what the buzz with the filth have they moved in yet or is this legal. jeezuz this is great WE'LL ALL VOTE NOBODY
Solidarity.