Democracy is theft. Steal your vote!
%-) | 16.05.2001 16:53
Should you vote, not vote, or spoil your ballot papers. Or are there other ways of showing your dissatisfaction.
This is quite a dilema really. Should we not vote at all. Spoil our ballots. Or pick a party and vote.
Let's look at those options.
Not voting at all
None of us really want to vote for people who seek power really do we? I mean, can you trust anyone who wants to be in charge? Why do they want to be in charge anyway? So they can screw us over!
But not voting is merely shying away from our one opportunity to do something "democratic" that actually includes everyone (over 18, not in jail or a nun etc etc aside). The one chance we get to come together as a community and say something even if the choices are limited. Not voting is akin to saying that you really don't care what happens.
Spoil our ballots
So moving on from the not voting option, we come to the next one. The "third way" of democracy I suppose. Spoil the ballots, because they are all wankers. This is your one way of saying, hang on a minute the system is rubbish. The system could be better. We want to vote, but not for that lot above. They are all 12 foot lizard-men. They ate our children last time and they'll do it again.
But then again what exactly does this say? This spoiling of ballot papers? Perhaps it is just another way of wasting your vote, like putting a cross next to the Rename Thursday to Thing party. Does anyone read the spoiled ballot papers? Are they considered just the papers of people who couldn't figure out how to use the ballot paper? Can a spoiled ballot paper really be viewed as a vote against the system?
Voting
So how about actually voting? There are a few alternatives to voting for the dark lords. Some of them aren't akin to a spoilt ballot paper and really have some policies. So choose a party.
Or vote strategically to keep your enemy out.
Remember, democracy is all about doing things little by little vote for a socialist party because that will help steer the ship back on course.
Big BOLLOCKS to that. Look at the Labour party. They have been going more and more right wing the more people vote for them. Voting doesn't seem to change anything. The big parties just aren't that scared of you not voting for them! If you look around at the way things are going it really makes you wonder if your vote is worth anything at all. It just serves to make the individual feel tiny and worthless. Your yes or no means nothing.
So what to do?
I'll tell you what might work!
The brand new fourth way of voting!
STEAL YOUR OWN VOTE!
It works like this. Go to your polling station. Give them your details and get your ballot. Then just walk off with it. Take it home with you. Throw it in the bin. Pin it on your wall. Whatever.
The thing is, they have to keep track of the ballot papers. If some go missing then the number of votes cast will be less than the number of people who voted. If enough people do that then the election will look like it has been rigged! What better way of showing disatisfaction with the system than by turning its rules on itself. This cannot be ignored in the same way as any number of ballot slips. They will find it really hard to count the number of people who steal their own vote in the polling stations. It will be really hard to prove that those papers haven't been stolen to rig the vote.
Is that any good? Who knows? Any other ideas?
Let's look at those options.
Not voting at all
None of us really want to vote for people who seek power really do we? I mean, can you trust anyone who wants to be in charge? Why do they want to be in charge anyway? So they can screw us over!
But not voting is merely shying away from our one opportunity to do something "democratic" that actually includes everyone (over 18, not in jail or a nun etc etc aside). The one chance we get to come together as a community and say something even if the choices are limited. Not voting is akin to saying that you really don't care what happens.
Spoil our ballots
So moving on from the not voting option, we come to the next one. The "third way" of democracy I suppose. Spoil the ballots, because they are all wankers. This is your one way of saying, hang on a minute the system is rubbish. The system could be better. We want to vote, but not for that lot above. They are all 12 foot lizard-men. They ate our children last time and they'll do it again.
But then again what exactly does this say? This spoiling of ballot papers? Perhaps it is just another way of wasting your vote, like putting a cross next to the Rename Thursday to Thing party. Does anyone read the spoiled ballot papers? Are they considered just the papers of people who couldn't figure out how to use the ballot paper? Can a spoiled ballot paper really be viewed as a vote against the system?
Voting
So how about actually voting? There are a few alternatives to voting for the dark lords. Some of them aren't akin to a spoilt ballot paper and really have some policies. So choose a party.
Or vote strategically to keep your enemy out.
Remember, democracy is all about doing things little by little vote for a socialist party because that will help steer the ship back on course.
Big BOLLOCKS to that. Look at the Labour party. They have been going more and more right wing the more people vote for them. Voting doesn't seem to change anything. The big parties just aren't that scared of you not voting for them! If you look around at the way things are going it really makes you wonder if your vote is worth anything at all. It just serves to make the individual feel tiny and worthless. Your yes or no means nothing.
So what to do?
I'll tell you what might work!
The brand new fourth way of voting!
STEAL YOUR OWN VOTE!
It works like this. Go to your polling station. Give them your details and get your ballot. Then just walk off with it. Take it home with you. Throw it in the bin. Pin it on your wall. Whatever.
The thing is, they have to keep track of the ballot papers. If some go missing then the number of votes cast will be less than the number of people who voted. If enough people do that then the election will look like it has been rigged! What better way of showing disatisfaction with the system than by turning its rules on itself. This cannot be ignored in the same way as any number of ballot slips. They will find it really hard to count the number of people who steal their own vote in the polling stations. It will be really hard to prove that those papers haven't been stolen to rig the vote.
Is that any good? Who knows? Any other ideas?
%-)
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blindmind@runbox.com