They're not voting because...
- the current system gives constituents...
the current system gives constituents an illusory feeling of power and influence. The reverse is true - if you vote for the "winner" you simply add to their majority. If you vote for the "loser" you have wasted your vote. It is ironic that voting is in fact dis-enfranchisement. Democracy cannot be a binary judgement in the yielding of power to representatives.
written 25th Apr 2005
Responses
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MJR replies: Voting is only part of the political process. It's usually the most effective part, but not in the current UK system (and if that bothers you, vote for a party that supports electoral reform).
The other parts are things like going to hustings, lobbying candidates, raising issues in the media and other public forums, haranging the candidates when they doorstep you. It doesn't matter if you're a single-issue person and don't want to debate the economy: get your issue talked about.
written 25th Apr 2005
