They're not voting because...
- Whoever gets elected nothing will change...
Whoever gets elected nothing will change. 1997 proved that.
Thanks to focus groups and the overwhelming desire to get elected at all costs, none of the parties now seem to believe in anything or represent any particular worldview.
All we have is a right-wing party of big business fighting against a very marginally more right-wing pary of big business, with a mildly centerist party of big business try to pick up a few seats in between.
What every party proposes is (more or less) the same on pretty much every issue that matters. Its like pretending that voting for who has proposed the best deckchair arrangement will have any effect over the direction of the ship.
As a result vting in the election will chage nothing. A high turnout means that the existing party leaders can rest assured that they must be all travelling in the right direction.
But a low turnout worries them. It makes them think. They realise that something is wrong. Thus far they have not managed to come up with the right answer - but at least there is a chance that one day they might.
A vote is a vote for the status quo, whoever you vote for. An absention gives at least the hope for change.
written 21st Apr 2005
