In recent months I might have given the impression that I didn't think it would be worth voting in the general election. I might have suggested that there was little point as all politicians are as bad as each other, only in it for what they can get, don't give a toss about the electorate etc etc. Well, I'd just like to clarify my position, but the trouble is I can't. I'm finding it increasingly difficult to determine why I should vote, for whom I will vote and what I hope this will achieve.
But, having said all that, I think we, the electorate, have two choices and one very important truth to absorb. So, the two voting choices are vote or don't vote. What? Did you think I was going to tell you who you should vote for or even who I would vote for? Do grow up. But what I mean by saying vote or don't vote is that it is something we should all do as one. Imagine if everyone entitled to vote just didn't. No slacker "I meant to vote, but forgot, got there too late, thought it was the next day". Just real intentional "I'm not giving any of you my support". But let's face it, that won't happen. So the only option is to get out there and vote. Cast your vote on whatever basis you like - political conviction or the candidate's nice smile or even sticking a pin in a bit of paper.
Having cast your vote, the important truth to take in is. . .it won't make a blind bit of difference. Sorry to disillusion you, but the grim reality is that we as a nation are in such a deep shithole that merely changing the political complexion of the government will have barely any effect. To be brutally frank much of the reason we are in such a dire situation is entirely down to us. Yes, politicians have played their part, particularly in allowing banks and big business to roam at will feeding off us as if they were monstrous parasites, but we have encouraged them because of our insatiable desire to have "things". As long as we've been able to go on buying and consuming we've not really cared too much about what's been going on and now we have no option but to pay attention. And what we are likely to see in the coming months and even years will not be pleasant.
I live in the Torridge and West Devon constituency, almost literally a stone's throw from the boundary with the North Devon constituency. They could be twins, deeply rural, low income, housing shortage, and virtually invisible to central government. That, I fear, does not depend on the party allegiance of the two seats' MPs. When we've had MPs of the ruling party it hasn't made the slightest difference. The sad fact is that we are peripheral (in sight of the end of the world, as it says at the top of this blog) and we have no clout, and politics is rarely about doing the best one can for everyone, but doing the best one can to keep yourself in power.
I am sorry, when I started writing it, this posting was intended to be quite whimsical, and that's how it would have turned out were it not for the fact that the more I think about this the more I think that as a nation we are in denial about our situation. We hanker after "change" but we are not ready to change ourselves. Sorry to sound so bleak. Roll on May the 6th.
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