"WHAT YOU CAN DO
Register as a voter early or check that you are still on the roll.
Select one or more parliamentary candidates who could perhaps win your support."

fantastic - we can reform the state with our carefully selected party politicians.....

Just to add to the fact that it is not worth voting as the system is a complete and utter shambles, here's a answer about a question regarding democracy in America (and therefore the rest of the 'free world'), from Noam Chomsky, the esteemed and brilliant thinker and writer of a socialist-libertarian persuasion:

START QUOTE

QUESTION: Isn't that erection of barriers to democracy woven through the entire history of the United States?

CHOMSKY: It goes back to the writing of the Constitution. They were pretty explicit. Madison saw a "danger" in democracy that was quite real and he responded to it. In fact, the "problem" was noticed a long time earlier. It's clear in Aristotle's Politics, the sort of founding book of political theory -- which is a very careful and thoughtful analysis of the notion of democracy. Aristotle recognizes that, for him, democracy had to be a welfare state; it had to use public revenues to insure lasting prosperity for all and to insure equality. That goes right through the Enlightenment. Madison recognized that, if the overwhelming majority is poor, and if the democracy is a functioning one, then they'll use their electoral power to serve their own interest rather than the common good of all. Aristotle's solution was, "OK, eliminate poverty." Madison faced the same problem but his solution was the opposite: "Eliminate democracy."

END QUOTE

So its clear, even from this little answer from Chomsky, and from other available 'evidence', that the voting systems in so called 'democracies' of the west, and emerging 'economies' in the east, are 'stooge' attempts at making us feel we have a voice, yet in reality the elites that run the world, the madisons and the bush's and obama's, really dont give a toss about the 'electorate' and true democracy, a democracy we are yet to see on planet earth except in anarchistic communities, for example, Climate Camp, which could be viewed as more democratic than the entire british state, yet is only small and in a 'general minority', but also representative of the views of millions of concerned earth residents. Getting involved in real work to bring awareness of or actual change, thats real democracy in action. as the reclaim the streets slogan reminds: this is what democracy looks like ie. when you get off your arse and get it done..........

Also, democracy is a word bandied around by tthe ledia and the power brokers to make people feel they have a voice and an avenue for 'reform'. The state will only 'reform' when the elite tell it to and if the elite decide its good for profits and control of resources.

WAKE UP PEOPLE, VOTING IS FOR SUCKERS!!
Only getting out in to the world and changing or bringing awareness for change will actually succeed. Therefore voting is useless, in my opinion.

HOBSON’S CHOICE 2010: The patronising begins if you are going to vote and fuck i ask you not to! It is hobsons choice see  http://themovementofmoof.wordpress.com/ for an esacpe from all the patronising bullshit i have now taken to turning of the news and not even reading anything my mind needs to be free there will be a … new image a day some fresh some from the archive an escape from hobsons choice.

God, it’s going to be a long few months before the general election and we get the privilege of rubber stamping the next elected dictatorship. Does the mind not reel at the prospect of having to listen to week upon week upon bloody week of this kind of horse’s doings from the likes of Harriet Harman?

“We have to understand that we now have a new cohort of well, active, healthy older people. The role that they play in their families, in the economy and in society must be recognised and responded to. We must recognise the emergence of the “wellderly”.”

You can just picture the warm little thrill she got when she said that, can’t you? I bet she did her best ‘aren’t I clever’ look. I sometimes think that some people are against all-women shortlists for parliamentary seats for no other reason other than the fear that such a system might turn up another Harman.

 http://www.chickyog.net/

to be honest my only plan around election campaign is to keep the BNP out of my area.

I thought it might be an idea to get loads of people to write "VOTE HERE" on public bins in their area closer to election time. I think the job of the left is to expose british "democracy" for the farce that it is and not re-enforce self-defeating behaviour.

 http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_kDyMtZ_dJwQ/SazlYw4TwtI/AAAAAAAAAtk/V9Ffo8IEC90/s1600-h/vote_here.jpg

people are thinking of running in the elections to try and politicise them. Its doubtfull they'll win ( I dont think there particularly bothered) but it'd be great to use this opportunity and the masses of publicity you're given for free for running in a progressive way.

whether we agree with elections or not, we need to accept they exist and for many people are the key political event of the year. It smacks of the dull and irrelevant ideology of many anarchsists to say becuase we dont agree we should ignore them. Whilst its easier to ignore elections than work they must both be struggled against in appropriate ways.

pragmatic, yet radical, engagement (I think) is a good idea.

The short article article from  http://www.iniref.org/citizen-led.pdf has been very wrongly interpreted.

Author of the first comment, which others seem to have followed blindly, apparently did not read all of the longer pdf article "Towards citizen-led democracy" to which Liberal Bullshit refers. As a result of LB's viewpoint the article was censored, hidden by Indymedia for about 48 hours.

Our explanation to the Moderators which led to its re-instatement was as follows:

"Hi nn,

The main idea presented in the linked pdf paper (citizen-led.pdf ...) is as follows:

"Tell candidates who refuse to sign and refuse to support the direct democracy campaign that
as a result they will NOT receive your vote.
If there are no suitable candidates standing in your constituency then use your vote to protest!
Do NOT vote for any candidate. Write on your ballot slip, REFERENDUM ON DEMAND!
and DIRECT DEMOCRACY NOW! Drop your ballot slip into the box. If enough people do
this word will get around, other people will join in and perhaps some politicians will be
persuaded to change their ways ;-)."

Our campaign is entirely independent and we do not endorse any political party. In the section which you objected to we simply accept the reality that some people are going to vote for a candidate. We try to persuade those people to support our cause. The recommendation "register to vote" is necessary for the tactic of "spoiling" your ballot: effectively abstaining and sending a demand for reform at the same time. This is a way to put pressure on governments because they are very worried about falling voter turnout.

This is only one campaign tactic -- we have other extra-parliamentary ideas too!

Thanks for your reply,

mjm

p.s. Forward this if you want to."

"As a result of LB's viewpoint the article was censored, hidden by Indymedia for about 48 hours."

The article was not hidden as a result of LB's viewpoint, the article was hidden (and then unhidden) as it is a borderline case in terms of breaching the "no hierarchy" guideline:-

 http://lists.indymedia.org/pipermail/imc-uk-moderation/2010-January/0111-sk.html
 https://publish.indymedia.org.uk/en/static/editorial.html

As the article contained encouragement to vote for and support unnamed political parties (which are hierarchical), it can be argued that this breaches Indymedia UK editorial guidelines. Whether this is the case probably warrants further discussion but in the meantime the article has been unhidden.

Furthermore, Indymedia does not "censor" articles. Articles are hidden from the newswire if they breach editorial guidelines but can still be viewed at their original URL. The article was unhidden 24 hours after the objection was raised:-

 http://lists.indymedia.org/pipermail/imc-uk-moderation/2010-January/0111-4b.html
 http://lists.indymedia.org/pipermail/imc-uk-moderation/2010-January/0112-uz.html

"As a result of LB's viewpoint the article was censored, hidden by Indymedia for about 48 hours."

You mean as a result of my quoting directly from the text?

In what way is this a protest? It's a waste of time and energy, and as we all know, even if some candidates make the promises in the election campaign, the chances of them following through are zero. The whole idea behind the campaign lends the system legitimacy that is not warranted.

With a few tweaks we shall be saved from the very system that keeps us in bondage?

...only when you bother to engage in it.

Spoiling your ballot or not voting serves no purpose. You will be the ones complaining when the BNP gets more seats, won't you?

If no one represents your views, cough up the deposit and stand for election yourself.

All this democracy, voting business gets more confusing by the second.

We basically have 3 main political parties, right? Usually, it's fair to say, either Labour or Tory will get in power at next general election, eh? That will almost certainly be the case because of at least a couple of reasons, tragic ones at that, one being masses of non-voters, the other being that the bulk of voters will vote Tory or Labour, those voters depriving the Lib Dems of votes, plus the fact that, if the non-voters were to vote, maybe not a few of them would be disgruntled enough at the Tory/Labour monopoly, causing them to vote Lib Dems. If this last were to happen, perhaps putting Lib Dems in power, at least we would all get away from this stranglehold Labour/Tory monopoly, eh?

At least the Lib Dems will then know that, as a result of neither of the two big guns getting power, the electorate has become pissed off to the hilt with all past mistakes of Tory/Labour power! Get it? Well, if you don't, the Tories and Labour would get it, it being a clear message to them that the masses are pissed off with all their broken promises, etc., etc., etc. I am a middle-of-the-road political voter. To conclude, whoever gets in, well, they'll almost certainly be in power for five nice long years, eh? Do you get that? Could be five nice long years of more misery, if the wrong party gets in, eh? And, perish the thought, the election will soon be upon us! What a lovely present! Won't be, if it all goes wrong, eh?

If it all goes wrong? You mean like if there is a 10% turnout and Labour is re-elected, despite 90% of the electorate not having had a say? Or maybe a BNP landslide?

Do you really think anyone is going to give a shit if you spoil your ballot paper, go out and smash some windows and put superglue in some cashpoints instead?

A.H., I can't recall that I suggested anyone spoiling their ballot paper. Nor have I even suggested, nor do I imply, anyone to do anything illegal re voting. I shall stand corrected by you if you can prove I have suggested spoiling ballot paper. Best wishes.

"revolutionaires"

inref arent saying dont do demos, dont do actions, they are saying to many anarchists who do vote tactically lets do it in a coordinated way!!!!!!!

are doing good stuff& acting on direct democracy
imc guidelines are as good as possible, theres heirarchies everywhere!
theirs heirarchical manipulators in the anarcho movement Ive met acting within it for 2 decades,quite afew,not as many as political parties, but yes they exist everywhere

@ No gods, masters or opiate just beardy old men


Thanks, your interpretation is right on!

at ballot regarding this we will have a mass movement& millions ready to back this up in every town & village with plausible aims rather than fiddling around with afew bank atms or half a day of fun or getting baton charged on the outside mostly of a city centre lets get a permanent real universal direct democracy.
We have to be careful what we say & do, provacatuers, jokers&trolls will try & mess this up, imc is great but has more than its fair share of these