To Vote or not to Vote - That is the question!

Have been meaning for a while to write a post about the fallout from the referendum. As you know if you are a regular reader of my blog I decided to vote in the referendum. It was the first time I had voted in many years and I had to re-register myself on the electoral role as had been on the road since 2010.

I feel that it is pointless speculating about what will happen next as who can really tell? I know for sure this much, the rich are still getting richer and keeping the poor poor. The elite are controlling everything. The system is wrong, unjust and just plain stupid. For real change the whole of society has to change. These are all things I can say for sure. If you disagree with any of those statements I would love to hear why.

The referendum has reinforced my beliefs that those in power are lying selfish idiots willing to do and say anything to 'win' the race. I think there was a lot of deliberate dividing the people of the UK with this referendum. The old saying united we stand divided we fall is true and as long as we (the slaves) are fighting one another we will never have the power to rise up against the elite. The fallout on social media in the few days after the result was terrifying. People on both sides getting really nasty, very sad.

I found out that a lot of the people of this country still hold this old fashioned idea of a 'Great' Britain and thought that by leaving the EU this country will become 'great' again. What was great about taking people's land, making the people of those lands slaves and forcing a new religion down their necks? What was great about a wealthy lord of the manor looking down at all his subjects in every town and village across the UK? What was great about no health care, no welfare, no social housing, no rights for workers etc etc etc. There are many things wrong with the UK and the World but harking back to bygone days will not help at all.

Sadly racism is very much still here and not just white on non white but British against everyone else it seems. Race crime has gone up apparently, there are people that before kept in check their racist crap now think it's OK to abuse people in the street if they are not from the UK.

It remains to be seen how much of an impact all this will have on people's everyday lives. For me personally it has made me look at my own views, question things again and tweak some of my beliefs on how to maybe change the system.

Before I talk a little more on that I want to reiterate what I have said before. I truly and firmly believe in Anarchy. I absolutely believe we can govern ourselves and work in communities together for the good of ourselves and the community. I also believe very strongly that the whole of society needs to change. We need to change our whole system not just of government, but of education, of how we deal with crime, with drugs, our housing needs, our health needs, how we treat other members of the community, the system of working, of money, the materialistic aspect of this world and how we treat other earthlings, those non human living beings (and that's just for starters!)

Bearing all that in mind lets talk about my experience with voting in general which until this years referendum has only ever been in local or general elections. I was a teenager back in the mid 80s when I first became politically aware. Thatcher had been in since 1979, the miner's strikes was dominating the news and I was listening to Billy Bragg in my bedroom. Back then with my limited knowledge of 'the system' I was left wing and I backed the Labour party. I couldn't really call myself a socialist as at the time I didn't really know what that was let alone a Marxist which is what the cooler people seemed to be! I got behind the 'Red Wedge' campaign which was a group of musicians fronted by Billy Bragg but also including some of my other favourite artists at the time like Paul Weller, The Smiths, The Communards, Madness, The Beat. Later they would get some comedians on board and again some of my favourites were among them including Ben Elton and Craig Charles. Red Wedge was about getting young people involved and interested in politics and it certainly worked for me.

I was too young to vote in the 1987 election which the Red Wedge campaign had spent a couple of years building up to. Thatcher got in again and Red Wedge drifted apart. On a personal level I had other things going on, exams, leaving school, finding a job, finding somewhere to live and growing up! Politics got put to one side as my life went in another direction. By the 1992 election I was old enough to vote, I should have been more politically aware by this point and had the internet been around then maybe I would have. Instead I had ignored the news, not really met people to help educate myself and had also had a baby the year before that was taking my time. But I did use my vote, back then I very much believed that I would be letting down all the suffragettes who had campaigned for my right to vote. So I went and dutifully voted for Labour, not that it did any good, the Tories got in again.

Forward to the next election in 1997, although I was becoming very disillusioned with the system I still didn't really see the bigger picture at all and thought it was all the Tories fault. I still hadn't really had my eyes opened to how things were really being played out. Unfortunately I was living a fairly sheltered life bringing up my young son. Although I had by this point discovered Zion Train and The Levellers both who had newsletters sent out and where I started reading about different political views and protests. I had also become interested in the new traveller movement which led to seeing different points of view. I was still watching and believing too much TV and am ashamed to say even buying the Daily Mirror now and again though! Little did I know at the time of the election that later on that year I would meet someone who would open my eyes! In the meantime though I put my tick in the Labour box and low and behold they won. Tony Blair was prime minister and now things would change (or so I thought!)

In the summer of 1997 I met someone who I was to spend the next 6 years with. There were big ups and downs in the relationship and ultimately it ended but during some of the good times I was introduced to lots of more conscious music, lots of reggae that spoke of freedom, peace and love but by far the biggest influence musically at this time were RDF. We had a battered tape with Borderline Cases on one side and Wasteland on the other and that music spoke to me just like Billy Bragg's had 12 years earlier. I started going out more, mainly to raves, some free parties, some festivals and broadened my horizons. Politically Tony Blair and Labour had proved that they was just as bad as the Tories and I had given up wanting to vote.

In the 2001 election I didn't vote as I didn't believe it made a difference, I thought all political parties were the same and there was no point. I didn't really have much idea about what change I wanted though not in real workable terms. I just knew I wanted everyone to get on and people not have to slog their guts out in crap jobs just to get by. By the 2005 election I was a bit more certain in what I wanted to see change and how that could maybe start happening. At the time I had a friend running as the Green Party candidate for my area and he tried to talk me into voting for the greens many a time. Although a lot of their policies made sense it was around this time that they decided to elect a leader which I didn't agree with preferring the idea of no one single leader in charge of the party. In the end I decided against voting for anyone but went in and defaced my ballot paper. I had read much from the press about the elections and it seemed to me that even if their was a very low turn out of voters they always put it down to apathy. No thought to the fact that maybe people didn't vote because they didn't believe in the system just that they were lazy or didn't care.

In the 2010 election I was by now a firm anarchist and again went and defaced my ballot paper writing across it that I did not believe in their system. In 2015 I was not on the electoral role and so did not vote.

Which brings us back to the present day, I detailed my reasons for voting in the referendum HERE in this blog post a few weeks ago. Not all of it was correct, I found out later people from the EU who have been here over 5 years will be able to stay so most of the people I know who I wrote about at the time will actually stay here whatever happens. But what I wrote at the time was from the heart.

The main reason for my rant today and my detailing all my political and voting background is this article HERE titled '20 reasons not to vote' This was posted to Facebook by one of my friends, a very good friend who I respect and love and so was interested to read the article. But what I read made me so mad! I really wanted to comment immediately saying how terrible I thought this was and how offended I was by it. I (nearly) always take a step back in these situations though and thought I'd leave it for a day or so and have a proper think about what the writer said. After more thought and a couple of days I was still mad but when I went to the post I saw that there was already a lively discussion going on about it. What I really wanted to say I found hard to condense into a paragraph or two and so after some more thought I decided I would use my blog to comment on it. I had wanted to do a follow up post on the referendum but as already mentioned it is all speculation as quite frankly a bit boring! This seamed like the perfect way to comment on Brexit and on a wider issue, voting!

I'm going to go through the writer's 20 points and make my own comments. Bear in mind that the writer is American and so talking from an American perspective where it seems tome they have much less choice politically than we do in the UK so while I disagree with quite a lot of what he says I am coming from a British point of view.

1. If one votes, one participates. If one participates, one condones and endorses the process, and subsequently, what those elected ‘representatives’ do and say in your name.

Yes you are participating by voting. What you are not doing necessarily is endorsing the process, just because you vote doesn't mean you agree with the system, it just means you feel that is the only way (or one of the only ways) to get your voice heard at that time. You are defiantly not condoning and endorsing what elected representatives are doing from then on in. For a start that only works if the person (or party) you voted for gets in and even if they do get in how can you be said to be condoning and endorsing actions they take that could be different from their election manifesto as is often the case or maybe not even mentioned at all.

2. Electoral promises are meaningless because politicians are able to lie to gain the favour of the electorate, and then do exactly what they want once they have it. Then there is no accountability or recourse, other than waiting another 4 years or so to vote them out and replace them with someone else who will follow the established template and do the exact same thing.

Absolutely agree on this point. If we do have to have this system then at least make it so as politicians are accountable for the promises they make. Of course the problem with this is we live in an ever changing world and so some promises can not be kept. Another reason why we need to scrap this whole system.

3. The act of voting grants legitimacy to the idea that it’s acceptable for the majority/collective to use the coercive arm of the state to impose their will on the minority/individual using force, or threat of force, and for that reason, it is immoral to vote. As such, the only way to truly de-legitimise the system is by not voting. When the people refuse to participate in droves the international community can no longer recognise the results of the election as legitimate. This perceived legitimacy is such a concern for politicians that in some countries it’s now a legal requirement to vote (e.g., Australia).

It grants legitimacy to the governments, to the elite and to the community who follow like sheep. It does not mean you as an individual believe it is acceptable, it means you feel at the time this is the only way you might start some sort of change or when talking about local elections prevent a really bad candidate winning as opposed to a bad candidate, i.e. Labour instead of UKIP. When the people refuse to participate in droves yes we may be able to change things but how likely is that to happen? Not very in the UK from where I am looking. My experience of British people is that they want change but don't really want to rock the boat too much. People are scared of loosing the comforts of a secure(ish) home, car, job, savings etc and so would rather have a system that they kind of know rather than something totally different. 'Better the devil you know' as the saying goes!

4. A non-voter emerges from the electoral process with a clean conscience because they can legitimately proclaim that what the elected ‘representatives’ subsequently say and do after they have gained power is not done in their name, not with their permission, and not with their encouragement.

True, but what about the thousands of people that would have voted for a representative that did not get in? Do they get the clean conscience? And even if the person you voted for gets in, can you not change your mind, realise after all that they are a lying cheating scumbag just like the rest?

5. To not vote DOES NOT mean one relinquishes the right to then comment on, complain about, or protest the actions of the government, it is completely the other way round. When one votes one effectively makes a contractual agreement (the voter is officially recorded doing so), which hands over the right for someone else to speak and act in their name, and as such, assents to whatever the government does thereafter. A non-voter however, has not done so, and therefore retains the right to complain, object and protest all they want.

Whether you vote or not you have the right to complain, object and protest. Just because you vote for someone who then gets in and so is in effect acting in your name does not mean that you have to spend the next 5 years not complaining, objecting and protesting. As I said before not voting is put down to apathy and nothing else, the not voting can only really work if either far more people stop doing it or if all the people who don't vote because they do not believe in the system actually go into the polling office on voting day and write on their ballot paper 'I do not believe in or want this system'. Remember all defaced papers have to be counted!

6. Participation in the system (i.e., voting) reinforces the idea that people can’t live together without violent control.

Not necessarily, plenty of people absolutely do not believe in violent control but have participated in the system as a (hopeful) first step to change. It is true that there are many people out there that think the system as it is now is the only way. They might not agree with all the lies politicians tell or the massive expenses they claim but they fundamentally think this system of government is the only way it can be. Educating people and showing people examples of some of the small communities that already live in a more anarchistic system (within this system) could help and bring us a step towards a real change.

7. Participation in the system (i.e., voting) implies that the majority knows what’s best for everyone.

The system of government implies that the majority knows what’s best for everyone. Participating in it does not mean you agree with that view. Again it just means you feel that is one of the only ways you may be able to effect some small steps towards change.

8. Participation in the system (i.e., voting) implies that the majority knows what’s best for the individual.

As above comment to point 7. (The writer could have made that point in point 7 but I guess it made it nice and tidy having a round 20 bullet points rather than 19!)

9. Voting is effectively participating in mob rule, and the mob then enforces it’s views on the rest of society with the threat of violence.

On a basic level yes it is but some people who vote do not want mob rule, they hope things can change slowly and they do not want the threat of violence over people.

10. By voting, an individual literally advocates the use of force against peaceful people.

This is where I started not only disagreeing with the writer but getting mad! This simply isn't true for a lot of people. Voting does not mean you have to agree with everything a government says or does. Voting can mean you hope that a certain candidate might be the one to really shake up and change the system. I have voted and I will NEVER advocate the use of force against peaceful people.

11. Voting reinforces the idea the ‘people’ have the power rather than the largely unaccountable bureaucrats who make the rules.

But does it? Everyone I know whatever their political beliefs and whether they are a voter or not are not under any illusion that they have any power.

12. Voting is futile because invariably the better financed candidate wins.

There is certainly some truth in this and in the fact that there is so much spin out there that if the elite want a certain candidate or political party (or in the case of a referendum, a certain result) to win then they can manipulate the people quite well. Whether voting is actually rigged in so much as votes either taken off the result or fictional votes added on to the result is another debate but is also possible.

13. Statistically, any one vote makes no more difference than a single grain of sand on a beach. Thinking that their vote counts tends to give the voter a mistakenly inflated sense of self-worth, and participation in a system creates a passive sense of accomplishment.

Obviously, but a thousand votes may make a difference or ten thousand so every one vote has to be important. There are lots of things in the world where the participant can get a mistakenly inflated sense of self-worth or a passive sense of accomplishment. Two examples spring immediately to mind, 'liking' political posts/ideas/campaigns on Facebook or 'following' them on Twitter, pretty useless waste of time really unless you are actually participating in these things in the 'real' world too. It does however seem to make people believe they are getting behind a campaign or reinforcing a political ideal. Also volunteering for charities, some people do the bare minimum to be able to go home and feel less guilty about their comfortable life or to boast to friends that they volunteer. These people are still desperately needed by charities even though they may do very little but have seen with my own eyes this sort of situation. Voting can lead to this but then again for a lot of people it doesn't. I certainly haven't ever felt any self-worth or accomplishment by voting.

14. An individual’s ability to make an informed choice is zero if the only information they reference is from the overtly bias main stream media, government news channels (propaganda), politicians and party manifestos (sales pitch), or from an ‘enforced’ state school education (indoctrination).

Yes I agree with this point and I think the recent referendum in the UK showed this. Information on both sides was very biased and it was very hard to find unbiased information to make an informed choice. If we have to have this system a step forward would be far more referendums but this would only work if people are presented with the facts not falsehoods.

15. Voting sends a false signal to the elected politicians that the voter approves of all their policies. Voters therefore encourage them.

Yes agree again but it is not the truth from the voters point of view. As I stated before just because you vote someone in does not mean you loose your right to complain about them or automatically agree with all their policies.

16. If an individual has not come to firm conclusion about the election, that individual will do more for their country/community by not voting, rather than making a mistake.

 Maybe, maybe not, this statement can not be used in all cases. What if you know for sure you do not want a racist party, council or local Councillor but are not sure out of everyone else who might be the better? You may think that at least to vote against the racist party will help them not get in. Is that such a bad thing to do?

17. If the outcome of a vote is unknown, then voting is tantamount to gambling. If the outcome of a vote is known, then voting is futile.

Well yes but that is one of the reasons why the system is flawed and I don't want the system!

18. No individual has the authority to make laws their neighbour, or anyone else, must obey. Then how is it morally acceptable for any individual to delegate authority they don’t have to someone else, such as a politician?

As above, yes but that is one of the reasons why the system is flawed and I don't want the system!

19. Should people who know more about game shows, sports, reality TV and celebrities, rather than matters of any real importance (economics, political philosophy, history, logic, critical thinking, etc) be in a position to vote and influence the lives of others?

This is very true and the reason why a system of lots of referendums or the people being able to vote on every issue that comes up in parliament would not work in society as it is today. I said earlier society needs to change and this is one of the changes that needs to be made. The elite have promoted all these things to keep the masses dumbed down and their minds on stuff that doesn't actually matter.

20. Supporting the lesser of two evils is still supporting evil.

Yes, but again sometimes the lesser of two evils is better that the evil. Doesn't make it right, doesn't mean you have to agree but it is a fact.

The main trouble with this article is that it is very black and white, anyone that lives in the real world knows that there are many shades of grey in life. In our daily interactions with family, friends and strangers we make compromises because we realise we are all individuals with different opinions and to force our way on everyone else would make for an unhappy life. Maybe some of the more hard line anarchist or anti government types need to consider some compromise if only to start the ball rolling on the way to the future they (and I) would like to see.

We defiantly need to engage more if we really want change. It is not enough to 'like' or 'share' a Facebook post or go on a demonstration once in a while. If nothing else we need to talk more, we need to share our thoughts and opinions, we need to make each other think about things. It is by interacting with one another we can become stronger and more united. Articles like the above seem to me to want to divide people by making out people who vote to be the bad guys and the non voters the good guys. We should be together, we are all the slaves and the elite love to keep us divided, we need to be united and we can only be united if we have a bit more respect for other people's choices and beliefs and by finding unbiased information, sharing it and discussing it.

To effect real change those of us with more 'alternative' anarchistic views need to come together and accept each others differences, we need to be more united despite not agreeing on every single issue. Once united we can start educating the people still sucked into the idea that the government system is the only system.

Recently some anarchist type people I know have joined the Labor Party to be able to vote Jeremy Corbyn to stay as leader. Whilst I understand and respect their view I do not agree. Whilst at the moment it does seem that Jeremy is one of the best in a bad bunch, to actually join the labor party to keep him as leader is going too far against my principles. At the next general election I will probably deface my ballot paper with the words 'I do not believe in or want this system' as I am on the electoral role again. As I have already said, if enough people did this I believe something might start to change.

In 2015 33.9% of the voting population did not vote, if they had all come in and defaced their ballot papers could change have been in the making? That year the Tories won with 36.9% of the votes with Labour second with 30.5%. Imagine then the Tories would still have got in but it would have been widely reported that there was a 100% turnout with in second place 33.9% of the people unhappy with the system, so unhappy in fact that they took the trouble to go into a polling station and register that unhappiness. Nothing apathetic about that, and then other people might have realised that they could do that too so by the time of the 2020 election the 'unhappy with the system' people could be in a majority.

In fact just quickly lets look back at the 2001 election. Then 40.6% of the voting public did not vote and Labour got in with 40.7% of the votes. If that 40.6% had gone in and defaced their paper by 2005 it may well have been 50%, by 2010 even more. It's just one way I believe we could bring about change. It is not the only way and I may well be wrong but I don't think it hurts to try!

Another thing that got me thinking lately was Billy Bragg being interviewed on the Distraction Pieces Podcast with Scroobius Pip. He makes some interesting comments on why he now votes and why he didn't agree with Russell Brand telling people not to vote. This is from 2015 so they are talking about the general election but I think what he says is still relevant. It's a really good interview and I recommend listening to it all but if you just want to hear him talking about voting go to about an hour in and listen from there :) Find it HERE, go to 2015 episodes and find it in the list.

In the future I will write more about how I would like to see society change for the better. About the sort of changes we could make to education, crime, drugs, housing, health care, jobs, money, immigration, how we treat other members of the community and other non human animals. We'll call it The Surplus Manifesto!

It's been the longest blog post in a while, hope you made it to the end!

Thanks for reading :) xxx