http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2011/may/03/bin-laden-death-us-patriot-reflex
It's very eloquent in summarising the current status of the world on terror. And in summarising how stupid SOME Americans are.
Thursday, 5 May 2011
The Big Vote
Today we stand with an opportunity. Now, being British, we have been inherently conditioned to shy away from opportunity. As I was discussing with some friends at the bar the other night on Royal Wedding week, "Yeah we (British people) tend not to get to angry about anything, that's just how we are I guess. Queues and Tea. Although we do riots quite well :P". But we stand here with an opportunity nonetheless, and I think, for the future of the country and the political system under which it operates, we should fight our inherent Britishness, and vote YES to AV.
Now, I, and many other AV campaigners, are not heralding AV as some wonder system that is perfect and solves every problem (and indeed, No campaigners are taking that as a reason not to vote YES). It has definite weaknesses. The fact that it is regarded as a compromise rather than a solution does put some people off, and without the redistribution of parliamentary seats that comes with AV Top-up, AV does not address the issue of representing the distribution of votes across the country in the popular vote. But compared to FPTP, the strengths are clear.
AV is not complicated (if you can count that is :P) and is not expensive, it will actually cost no more than our current elections (despite the NO campaigns saying £250m). And in terms of simplicity, if we wanted easy and simple then surely a dictatorship is the way to go! In terms of obtaining votes, under FPTP, an MP can be elected with well over half the votes against them, which doesn't seem a fair representation of what the constituency actually wants? Under AV MPs will have to work much harder to gain not just a selection of votes (that might bring them the 'most') but also second and third preferences (that will bring them the 'majority'). A much better gauge of public opinion don't you think? Finally whilst AV is not going to eliminate tactical voting, it will go some way to reducing it. Now that voters can express their other preferences, they can sincerely vote for the candidate they want, whilst being able to put preferences to express themselves if their candidate doesn't win. If you send someone to the shop, you would give them what you want and then some ideas of what you'd like if they didn't have that, otherwise you might end up with something awful (like a Tory...err I mean parma violets...).
I could go on, but it's kind of pointless, because most people ideologically fall for or against changing the system, and with the current MESS of the commons, most people who fall ideologically in favour are pushed towards voting NO because 1) Nick Clegg is involved and he has betrayed every single 1 of the Liberal Democrats who voted for him, thus putting many off or 2) FPTP favours Labour and they are out of power. So unlucky for AV, unlucky for Britain. Nick Clegg has desperately tried to live up to at least 1 election promise and as a result will (if polls are correct) have 1) stunted this countries democratic progression for at least another generation and 2) pushed the Liberal Democrats into an isolation that they have not seen since their founding.
I guess my last note in this blog will be to urge you to at least vote, whatever your vote is. If you don't vote, then really you have no right to complain. And if you do vote No, then you have no right to complain when the candidate you didn't vote for gets in next time on something like 30% of the vote. Well done Nick Clegg, you spineless fool.
Now, I, and many other AV campaigners, are not heralding AV as some wonder system that is perfect and solves every problem (and indeed, No campaigners are taking that as a reason not to vote YES). It has definite weaknesses. The fact that it is regarded as a compromise rather than a solution does put some people off, and without the redistribution of parliamentary seats that comes with AV Top-up, AV does not address the issue of representing the distribution of votes across the country in the popular vote. But compared to FPTP, the strengths are clear.
AV is not complicated (if you can count that is :P) and is not expensive, it will actually cost no more than our current elections (despite the NO campaigns saying £250m). And in terms of simplicity, if we wanted easy and simple then surely a dictatorship is the way to go! In terms of obtaining votes, under FPTP, an MP can be elected with well over half the votes against them, which doesn't seem a fair representation of what the constituency actually wants? Under AV MPs will have to work much harder to gain not just a selection of votes (that might bring them the 'most') but also second and third preferences (that will bring them the 'majority'). A much better gauge of public opinion don't you think? Finally whilst AV is not going to eliminate tactical voting, it will go some way to reducing it. Now that voters can express their other preferences, they can sincerely vote for the candidate they want, whilst being able to put preferences to express themselves if their candidate doesn't win. If you send someone to the shop, you would give them what you want and then some ideas of what you'd like if they didn't have that, otherwise you might end up with something awful (like a Tory...err I mean parma violets...).
I could go on, but it's kind of pointless, because most people ideologically fall for or against changing the system, and with the current MESS of the commons, most people who fall ideologically in favour are pushed towards voting NO because 1) Nick Clegg is involved and he has betrayed every single 1 of the Liberal Democrats who voted for him, thus putting many off or 2) FPTP favours Labour and they are out of power. So unlucky for AV, unlucky for Britain. Nick Clegg has desperately tried to live up to at least 1 election promise and as a result will (if polls are correct) have 1) stunted this countries democratic progression for at least another generation and 2) pushed the Liberal Democrats into an isolation that they have not seen since their founding.
I guess my last note in this blog will be to urge you to at least vote, whatever your vote is. If you don't vote, then really you have no right to complain. And if you do vote No, then you have no right to complain when the candidate you didn't vote for gets in next time on something like 30% of the vote. Well done Nick Clegg, you spineless fool.
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