I keep reading about just how important it is to vote,
or what some people call ‘exercising ones democratic rights’.
Why Bother ?
You may well ask ….
I’ve always thought that if one really believes in exercising
ones rights,
then one should do much more than vote for someone to
‘represent’ one every so many years.
The truth is that a real involvement in politics involves a lot
more than just voting.
I’m also very critical as to just what the various political
institutions are able to achieve.
I’ll skip yet another lecture upon parliamentary corruption,
state repression, state surveillance, or how the voice of
protest is constantly being ignored.
I’ll just give one example of how the voice of the people is
constantly being ignored:
the 2 million people who marched in London again the second
gulf war.
There is an old myth you may recall:
about how voting can change the system.
Yet you should always remember that when voting changes
the system, then the system may well be abolished,
and I am not just thinking about military coups.
This happened with the GLC ( Greater London Council ) when it
started to make some real social changes.
The GLC was abolished.
Yet the ‘last rotten borough’ has still to be challenged.
I refer to the ‘city Vote’ which exists with the City of London
corporation.
I was born within the City of London,
and so this is a question which is very close to my heart.
Only when the city vote has been abolished will I believe that
any voting will be worth while.
Only then will I start to believe that voting can make any
difference to the way in which we live.
It is the difference between being governed,
and that of taking part in a process of social change.
If the City of London Corporation represents democracy,
then the whole concept of democracy needs to be rethought.