Quote:
|
Originally Posted by andygrif
But you were making the point that non-voters such as yourself were not happy with the options on offer in an election, yet you want change - I think this is hypocritical as you're not prepared to do anything about bringing change to pass.
|
Fine, you contribute a few million pounds to my political campaign and I'll be happy to "do something about it"!!!
Quote:
|
I don't think that given the state this country is in, that fox hunting is an election winner. Most people don't like it, sure, but there are far more serious issues that need resolving far higher up the list IMO.
|
Which is why I said Blair did it in a cack-handed manner. He painted himself into a corner to try to grab some votes and then got stuck with the consequences.
Quote:
|
Second, and most important, as you say the majority of people did not agree with invading Iraq - you're right, but you do have power to do something about it. Vote for someone other than Labour next time. Even reducing Blair's majority sends a huge message to Labour that they screwed up, and if you and your all fellow non-voters voted for someone else then Labour would be out.
|
Yes, but then we're stuck with either Michael Howard and the Tories who nobody is really willing to trust, or the Lib Dems who want to dive headlong into Europe despite the fact that it's clear that most of the country doesn't want that.
Of course you can vote for a "minor" party or spoil your ballot paper, but frankly these are equally as pointless.
Quote:
|
Seriously though, I respect your opinion - but I found it really interesting that yesterday you green rep'd me (much appreciated) for quoting Niemoller's 'First they came for the Communists' line. Is this not the same thing? The quote was about a man who chose not to speak up (in this case I'm inferring that speaking up requires voting).
|
I am willing to "speak up" about issues. I have e-mailed my MP on such matters as the introduction of IR51 (the taxation of dividends for small businesses) and the blatant unfairness of the Sexual Offences Act 2003 that redefines a child as someone under 18 (instead of 16) and then effectively *backdates* that so that a photo that *was* legal is now *illegal* (a breach of Human Rights law).
However this is not the same as objecting to an unrepresentative system for electing governments that does not reflect the views and opinions of the population of this country.
Quote:
|
if we don't vote that situation will only get worse.
|
Or possibly someone will actually start *doing* something about it.