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Who are you going to vote for?


Guest SkUk21

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Guest mike-oh

Is it just me that's noticed the following similarity?

One's hell bent on world domination through mass media coverage and the other's an evil villain! ;) :twisted: :D

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Edited by mike-oh
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Guest Samsonite

doesnt matter who you vote for... the government always get in!!!

i wish we had compulsory voting like Australia but with the addition of a 'None of the Above' box on the ballot paper... That would generate policies for the people!!

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Guest morpheus2702

Absolutely - everyone should have to vote.

If you don't vote, then you can't complain when the government does something you don't like.

Even if you don't agree with any of the candidates, spoil your ballot paper - they are counted, you have had your say.

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Guest Confused Stu

My thoughts have always been this:

Can you imagine saying to the PM/Potential PM "Here ya go, here's the keys to my house. I'm going out for the weekend and the kids need to go to bed by 10:00". If you don't feel completely comfortable picturing yourself saying that to the person - why are you voting for them to allow them to control the whole country and every aspect of your (and your chidren's) lives?

I know this is probably a ridiculous way of looking at it, but it's what I genuinely believe. I wouldn't trust any of the leading politicians to take my car for a service - why should I trust them with my country?

Sorry, rant over! 8-[

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Guest drblow
Absolutely - everyone should have to vote. 

If you don't vote, then you can't complain when the government does something you don't like. 

Even if you don't agree with any of the candidates, spoil your ballot paper - they are counted, you have had your say.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

No way! I think thats a lame argument. I have as much right to complain about the government as anyone else ;) . The fact that my 'representation' in this 'democratic' society comes down to a choice between 3 twits that (as above) I wouldn't trust to service my car, let alone decide they want to take our country to war, is not of my making. The argument you present suggests apathy, which is not the reason I don't vote. I'm anything but apathetic politically, in fact I would love to vote for someone I honestly thought was capable of running the country ... even if there was one who seemed capable of answering a question with something resembling honesty or integrity. Your argument also suggests that by voting I might actually get the result I want - i.e. if I disagree with the government then I can vote against them, and then suddenly all my problems will be solved - if only :twisted: !

Let's face it, we're all grown ups here ... we all know that politicians are just puppets to big business anyway, so it doesn't matter who we vote for, they'll just crap on us like the last lot! have you never looked at parliament and thought 'they all look like the kids who got bullyed at school'? In reality, they're the kind of people who joined the debating team in school/college, or got involved with local politics at a young age! :D

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Guest Confused Stu

So, DrBlow, your basic argument is that politicians are the worst kind of people who should be involved with politics?

I honestly don't think I've ever heard of anything I agree with more!

=D>

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Guest morpheus2702
No way!  I think thats a lame argument...

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Not even an argument to be honest - just a perspective. This is the one chance you get to say 'I don't want any of these 3 morons running the country'. And no, I wasn't suggesting that by spoiling your ballot paper would mean we'd all be living on Lollypop Lane the next day!

You must hear it everyday... the legions of whingers that complain about their job, how much tax they pay, going to war in Iraq, how their wife won't have sex with them, how they'll never by a Ford again etc. But do they do anything about it? No, becuase they prefer whinging to actually doing something about what ails them.

Imagine if every person that protested against the Iraq war spoilt their ballot paper? That would register on the scale! But no, because they won't vote for Blair again, and are loathe to vote Tory, then they simply won't vote. Voting is as much about who you don't want running the country as it is the 3 morons who you are asked should be running it. You don't want any of them - fine, but you have to let it be known.

As 'grown-ups', let's break away from the 6th form conspiracy theory polictics that big business runs everything. It's the Civil Service... ;)

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Guest drblow

;) Those civil service b**tards!! Thats who James Bond works for isn't it!?

but seriously, whats the difference beteween not voting & this 'spoiled' ballot you are on about?

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Guest TigerNet

...personally, I would like to see a separation from electing the party (i.e. your local MP) and the Prime Minister...why should someone who is not popular in the country automatically get the top job?? This would free people to vote on the politics rather than the personalities of the three party leaders...

...dreaming I know...

Cheers

Nick

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Guest confused and hungover

i'm a firm believer that one vote doesn't make a difference. and i don't live in england. for those reasons i choose not to vote.

squall.... like the new avatar mate, also the game that it comes from, it took me nine months to complete that game and i almost split up with my girlfriend because of it :shock:

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Guest mupwangle

>>Even if you don't agree with any of the candidates, spoil your ballot paper - they are counted, you have had your say.

No they aren't - at least not in the UK. Spoiled papers are counted as non-votes.

Someone asked why spoiled papers are better than not voting. If they're counted anyway! Basically the government (or winning candidate on a smaller scale) claim to have the backing of the public after elections. Say they win 70% of the vote then they say they have the backing of 70% of the population. Say only 30% of the electorate vote then they only have 70% of the vote of 30% of the population. They claim that the non-voters aren't against them - that they just couldn't be arsed. If a ballot paper is spoiled then it is really a "none of the above" vote. The winners can't claim that they've got the backing of the majority - it shows that the rest of the electorate are not being apathetic - it is showing that they do not support any of the candidates standing. It could be argued that in those constituencies that the reason for not voting is the choice of candidates. The main parties could reconsider their choices or independant or smaller parties could stand. It gives you an overall idea of approval.

I'm pushing 30 and I've never voted, for similar reasons as expressed above. I don't believe in choosing the best bad choice (would you like to be punched or kicked in the testicles?) I've been accused of being apathetic, but I'm not. I would fight if there was a risk that I would lose the right to vote. It is my democratic choice not to endorse a candidate I don't support fully. I am a fully informed non-voter. I know the issues I'm refusing to endorse. Part of my decision is the complete lack of faith in party politics. I suppose I would like the government to make choices that are right rather than whatever gives the most favourable headlines. I also have a big issue with the party system. I found out about 18 years ago that the party's priorities take precedence over the individual MPs. If I vote for an candidate then it is because I want them to represent me (or at least the majority of my constituency), but the party can decide something that the MP has absolutely no alternative but to support (even if against the interests of the constituency) or face deselection. Unfortunately politicians are, in the main, extremely ambitious so they are unlikely to make a stand. I will admit, there are exceptions, but most of the one's I'm aware of are nutjobs (like George Galloway)

This is a discussion that could continue for days!

One thing though - this year I will vote. For the first time 2 days before I'm 30. I'm voting because I've moved from Scotland to England. In Scotland it didn't matter. (anyone not familiar with scottish politics - basically the same main parties plus the SNP (Scottish National Party). Not to be confused with the BNP (British National Party). The SNP are/were a single issue party - independance for Scotland from the UK (despite the various flaws in their budgeting, but that's a different argument!. BNP are white supremacists.)

Where I live in England there is a candidate standing for the BNP. I know that the BNP are relying on a low turnout. If they mobilise 100% of their support and there is a low turnout then they have a much, much greater chance of being elected. I usually don't give a toss who represents me in parliament. They're usually much alike - but I really don't want a member of the BNP as my MP.

Rant over. I'm off to post a message about MMS. ;-)

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Guest drblow

Can anyone here honestly say they really understand what polticians are talking about? We constantly hear labour telling us the tory figures don't add up, and vice-versa. But does anybody really, and I mean REALLY understand govt. budgeting?

I have never voted in the past because I have was born/have lived in Northern Ireland for most of my life. The party system over there doesn't even include labour/conservative (although I believe it does now, to a very small extent - the last time I was at home during an election the conservative candidate withdrew afetr being theatened with a punishment beating! ;) ). The party system in NI is based on unionist/republican alignment. Every candidate is representing a viewpoint on the NI political landsacpe, and there is very little mention of education/health service etc etc. Thats because no matter who you vote for in NI, you end up with an English government in Westminster making decisions for a province they know absolutely nothing about. Politicians don't visit NI unless they are meeting up with Gerry & Ian about the latest 'peace' talks! So a vote cast in NI is basically a statement of whether or not you want to maintain the union with Britain, not a representative vote on how you would like the country to be run. So I never bothered. I don't want to encourage ex-paramilitaries (yes, that means Paisley & Adams) to think that they represent me or my ideals, when in truth they represent everything that disgusts me! :D

I work weekends in an opinion research company (yes, the kind of people who phone you at 9am on saturday morning to ask how you are going to vote! :twisted: ). It constantly amazes me the amount of people who will respond that they will vote labour/tory or whatever, and the next question is usually 'why?' - and they never really have an answer for that bit! For example, last week they asked a question about whether people felt that the torys/labour would increase tax if elected. Funny thing, but tory voters said yes to labour tax rises, and vice-versa. But when challenged about why they thought that, and what taxes would rise, people just simply did not know. So it would appear that the majority just blindly vote for whoever they percieve/have been told is the best option, without ever actually knowing any facts. Like lemmings over the cliff ... :D

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Guest morpheus2702

As much as I am one to continue a thread into the middle distance, I've been reading up on this whole 'spoiling does/doesn't count'. Some say they spoilt ballots are counted, some say they are not.

For anyone not planning to vote, then take 5 minutes of your time to look at http://www.notapathetic.com and tell the world why you are not voting.

Let's just agree that politician's are mostly twats and follow Mupwanle down the pub. ;)

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Guest drblow

I have added some words to that page! :twisted:

Don't get me wrong here Morpheus, I'm not trying to start a row ... just an active, engaging political discussion! ;)

I think the truth is that I miss Mr. Orange - he was always good for controversy on the forums - so I'm just stirring up a little dissent for entertainment value! :D

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Guest morpheus2702

Hey, anything political ends in bloodshed (if it is halfway good!) ;)

Ah, Mr Orange, the Karl Marx for the smartphone generation. Who can forget the October Revolution (or 'Orange October' as historians call it now) when we all stormed the Winter Palace? Ahem, or when the E200 came out and we all revolted? :D

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Guest drblow

:D The good old, bad old days! Ah, I remember it well. As far as I know, Mr. Orange has now gone on to become head of public relations for Orange worldwide, and is single handedly responsible for the constant rising standards of customer service throughout Orange. :D

Oh, sorry, this thread is meant to be about an election or something ... ;)

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Guest SkUk21

blimey - i wasnt expecting such a response!

personally i'm going to vote for lib dems - i want to see what they are about and how they can sort out stuff!

i'm sick of the other 2 parties

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