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When I want your opinion, I’ll give it to you
Why...
Are we surprised at the contempt in which politicians hold the voter? There was a comment the other day on the radio from a frustrated Brit who mewed: “If my vote really meant anything they would take it away.” The honest answer is, no need... it’s simply ignored.
...and another thing
If Government was a product, it would have been taken off the shelves years ago.
Let’s start with the Advertising Standard Authority. The Daydream Party claim they will bring back unicorns, solve world peace and make your country king of the hill when elected… but do not. So election promises are at best misleading and most likely untruthful. Try that on a packet of soap flakes and see how quickly your product gets pulled.
Next. Can electing The EyePopping Lunatic Party be damaging to your health?
They claim to improve your and the Nations Health but that rarely happens. Yes technology comes up with miracle cures and ingenious medicines but Government still manages to approve the unhealthy stuff (thalidomide, Qualuuds, Mandrax, LSD, any opioid you like) or blocks the healthy (CBD), lengthens waiting queues and fails to grasp the nettle of who should get free health care and who can afford to pay for it.
Cost control, accountability and balancing the books for your tax contribution? Need I even comment about the financial ineptitude of Governments?
The only reason there is always a male Chancellor of the Exchequer or Minister of Finance, etc is that he can add up better than a woman. He can count to 11 if he undoes his flies.
Morality clauses and anti-corruption undertakings.
Every government turns more blind eyes than a flotilla of Admiral Nelson’s. When Government does it, it’s called expediency. When a businessman does it, it’s called five years in jail.
...and another thing
And yet we the electorate are to blame because we don’t take on responsibility of action ourselves. If we cannot live by the consequences of what we do, why on earth would politicians?
The UK is wrestling over the basic fact that the majority of people voted one way over our relationship with the EU and Parliament believes they should have voted another. Everyone is searching for common ground.
Of course in many instances that is to be admired but when the question is a simple black or white from (an admittedly ill thought out) referendum question, you cannot! There are some things that are either one thing or the other.
I remember at the height of the Irish Troubles, the UK very nearly held a referendum on capital punishment. Had the yes vote been won by only 1%, would that have meant a compromise was needed so instead of hanging some poor soul we just chop his leg off?
So let’s be radical. I think the basic problem is the period in power is too short.
Voters simply think:
“Well, let’s give it a whirl. If it doesn’t work, we can change our mind in four years.”
Although Government can cause a lot of damage in four years, it’s much harder to actually achieve anything.
So what would happen if we let people stay in power for 10 years.
“No no no!” you all cry. “We can’t have that. It’s far too long”.
What we really mean is once we realise our mistake we don’t want to be held responsible for our own stupidity for too long.
Well perhaps if it was 10 years, people might think a bit more who they voted for and why; be a little bit more responsible with the Democracy our forefathers fought for.
If you want to hold politicians accountable for their actions, we need to be more accountable for our own.
So I propose ten year terms but full accountability at the mid term for what was promised; with the same penalties and repercussions for misleading information as in the corporate world! If you misrepresented, you get fired, maybe sent to jail.
Chew on that!
Back to sillier blogs next week.
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One Comment
It’s not it’s not the parliamentarians at fault it is the system and this thing called democracy ( whatever that is ) and the basic stupidity of 17.4 million British people. And I am including members of the ERG.
When the referendum results were announced I said to a friend who I was dining with ” Who the hell knows whether we are going to be better off but I can tell you that it will end up in an unholy mess ”
I am a great fan of WSC and boy could we do with him now. But in his honour I will leave you with some quotes which seem very relevant today.
Tory democracy is a democracy which supports the Tories
A politician needs to be able to foretell what is going to happen tomorrow, next week, next month and next year. And have the ability afterwards to explain why it didn’t happen
The case against democracy is a five-minute conversation with the average voter
I am looking forward to us crashing out without a deal and then observing the consequences. It will be pleasant to see the British people punished for their stupidity