"To vote or not to vote, that is a good question to start a conversation, an exploration, to express a desire to understand how democracy functions and how it ought to function."
The Power Inquiry of 2006 looked at this is a lot of detail.
By asking people why they don't vote.
Seems like a good approach.
If done well, and if people are being honest, the it would produce useful information, evidence... it would test current public domain assumptions on the matter.
They did it very well.
It's amazing what listening to people, what hearing and understanding with feedback can create, in terms of expressing and identifying needs, and then helping people to meet those needs, if they need help, if they request help...
What
they found was that people's perception of professional politicians was
accurate.
Liars, cheats and crooks who represent those who lobby them
with cash incentives, who protect entrenched Power to Rule the People through the control of social and political institutions and exonomics, whilst pretending otherwise.
What they found
was that a growing constituency of people were ACTIVE in their local
communities, providing short and long-term support services to the poor and vulnerable, and the community at large, which had .historic roots in victorian local philanthropy mixed with a tradition of peasant self-reliance, how communities of peasants and later workers have long organised to help each other...
What they found was that for many people political activism was action on the ground to deal with issues in their area. Voting does not convey the same degree of social committment, and could be said to be inferior in many ways, if a citizens political action was limited to voting.
The Power Inquiry found that the Community Voluntary Sector was larger than membership of political parties by a massive margin, that as a diverse commjunity, it was politically and ethically aware and was taking active responsibility in their local areas.
They
found that the Community Voluntary Sector was well versed in delivering
services those they helped really needed, fund raising, consciousness
raising, treasury management, listening and learning from those the served, in essence the skills of self-Governance.
What they found was that the Community Voluntary Sector crossed all age and income groups.
What
they found was that the Community Voluntary Sector was also versed in
real democracy, in real decision making and policy creation and
implementation.
What came out of The Power Inquiry was a series
of recommendations for meaningful changes which would devolve power as a
SHARED RESPONSIBILITY to the grass roots.
One of which was removal of the official post of Party Whip. 100% anti-democratic post.
One
of which was no private funding of parties for Elections. A fund based
on the number of the electorate registered, to be split equally between
all candidates.
One of which was a re-call at every level of Public Office. A form of oversight.
One
of which was lowering the voting age to 16. Inclusion of the young
because they are not represented, and quite often are very well aware of
the issues of the day, and yet excluded.
One of which was
introducing Democratic Power to students in secondary Schools, to give
them a responsibility and voice on matters that affect their lives. You
cannot exercise or share Power unless you have some MEANINGFUL practice.
A NOTA segment on the ballot box. We ought to be able to register non-confidence in those offering themselves up for election.
And much else besides....
The
Three 'leading parties' Lab/Tor/LibDem attended the conference in 2006,
and praised the initiative and content of The Power Inquiry report,
before an audience of more than 500 people.
Two days later, they dismissed the Power Inquiry as 'impractical.'
'Impractical'!
And
then the assault on the Community Voluntary Sector was initiated, by
people who KNEW the crash of 2008 was coming, and who knew they could
use that to justify the cuts to the Community Voluntary Sector, and the
privatisation of much of the work being done by the Community Voluntary
Sector.
In other words, a clear manipulation and assault on
pro-Democracy activism at the local level, designed to stress the
Community Voluntary Sector, which they KNEW would also harm many of
those whose lives were being supported by the Community Voluntary
Sector.
And this has been carefully ignored by mainstream media,
because it was and still is intentional professional cruelty designed to
undermine REAL democratic intelligence within the UK.
The Greens, SNP and Plaid are gaining ground BECAUSE their policies are HUMANE, above all else.
The issue of voting/not voting is being manipulated to mask this cruelty and intentionality.
That
The State and Established Power are willing to be cruel to protect,
enhance and expand their power is OBVIOUS - Iraq, Libya, Syria, Yemen,
and our own bloody history (when read accurately, away from school texts
and media history programs).
Few people ever fought and died for
freedom, the majority fought and died because they were enlisted, or
because they were socially conditioned to support the State. None of the
political leadership fought, other than the likes of Churchill who
fought the Boers and treated their civilian population with horrific
abuse.
The treatment of Greek Resistance fighters post liberation
of Greece, by UK Military and State, ought to be standard subject in
school Histories. The UK Military and UK State enlisted those within
Greece who had collaborated with the Nazis to slaughter those who had
resisted on the basis that the resistance was largely populated by
'communists'.
The response to African Democratic Nationalists
post WWII discloses the nature of Power in the UK. The response to Iraqi
Democratic Nationalists in late 2003 disclose the nature of Power in
the UK.
They plunged Greece, Africa and Iraq into a nightmare of Authoritarian Government proclaiming LIBERTY! They KNEW exactly what they were doing, and remain unapologetic about it.
Russel Brand said WHY he doesn't vote, rather than urging people not to vote per se.
And his intention was misrepresented. Willfully misunderstood.
I
will vote Green, not because I think the Green candidate can win, but
because the Green Candidate represents a humanist approach that is
humane, that is kind, that is more empathic and that is practical, and
I'd rather lose standing for that, than win a Pyrrhic victory claimed by
excluding the Tories from Government, when in fact Government is the
entirety of Parliament and Local Councils, and our acceptance of them as
our Rulers, with the grass roots excluded from real decision making.
I vote for the entire community, not for my special interest,or traditional alliance.
I vote because I think on these matters, deeply and I care about all the people in this country, non excluded.
And
I vote Green because I despise the political culture, in power and on
the streets, that enables the protection of serial pedophiles in Church
and State Institutions, the cover-ups, the wars, the profiteering, the
lies.
I am not hopeful of an outcome based on one election.
I
am hopeful because there is a growing awareness of all that I have
indicated above, and it will continue to grow, year on year, generation on generation.
I vote thinking of long term outcomes, thinking of my grandchildren and their contemporaries.
I
totally get why so many people do not vote, and I would not dare
suggest to them that they are incorrect, given all that I have indicated
above.
This election is 100% illegitmate BECAUSE of the
cover-ups of the War Crimes, the cover-ups of priofteering and cover-ups
of the sexual abuse of children by members of the Power structure (it
also happens in families, the cover-ups..) has not been tackled
head-on., Not by Power and not by the people at large.
The only
reason we know what has been going on is because brave SURVIVORS broke
the stories, again and again and again, in the face of opposition within
the Police, within Councils, Schools, Churches and the great offices of
State.
We all need to think and think again on this. Not least
because we are adults with a core responsibility towards each others
welfare that defines our very humanity. Whether we like it or not.
We need to act as mature responsible adults. Way beyond mere voting.
Kindest regards
Corneilius
"Do what you love, it is your gift to universe."
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