They're not voting because...
- as a foreigner I...
as a foreigner I'm not entitled to vote in general elections. As a resident I'm only allowed to pay taxes like everyone else, but not allowed to decide how much tax I pay and what my taxes are spent on.
I do vote in local elections, where I'm entitled to vote as an EU citizen. I also vote in the EU parliament elections (as long as my registration doesn't get lost, as it did last time...)
I don't vote in the general elections of the country I'm entitled to vote in because I carry its passport, simply because I don't think it is right to decide about the government of a place where I don't live.
written 6th Apr 2005
Responses
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Martin replies: Hear, hear. This could have been written by me. My story is identical.
written 7th Apr 2005 -
Craig replies: Same here. Why, when we give so much of our pay packets to whichever party wins the latest popularity contest, do we get no say in how the country we choose to live in is run?
Democracy? Don't make me laugh.
Having said that, I wouldn't vote for any of the major parties even if I was allowed to :-)
written 7th Apr 2005 -
Svet replies: No taxation without representation, eh? To be fair we can still vote in local ones - so at least paying council tax can be justified.
Perhaps there could be some "naturalization" period after which - if you are a tax-paying foreigner of good standing of course - you get to vote? Mind you Daily Mail et al would go spare, so it would be worth it just for that.
written 7th Apr 2005
