Politicians are not in it for their political beliefs no more, they are career professionals, and the European Parliament encourages it more as it opens up another option to them.
To paraphrase "Butch" Oscar... "never give your vote to anyone egotistic enough to put themselves forward for election"
I have been eligible to vate for over 25 years now, I never have and never will until the ballot paper contains the legend "None of the above".
And before the cries of "waster and "you get what you deserve, if you can't be arsed", start, - universal emancipation also means the God given right to withold your vote if you don't wish to endorse any of the candidates.
Why not turn up and spoil the ballot paper instead then, that would demonstrate that you are interested in the process if not the candidates. However I do think it sad and more than a little myopic that in 25 years you haven't been bothered to vote, you pay tax you should vote or at least spoil your paper.
agree with BFR that if you are not voting because you can't endorse any of the candidates then spoil your paper, otherwise it looks like apathy which gives the politicians an easy ride.
Spoiling the Ballot has absolutely no effect other than to give the volunteers who man polling stations more work to do. If spoiling the ballot meant that the returning officer had to announce the total number of spoiled ballots then I would think about it.
Why is it myopic? As I said it has been a conscious decision to exercise my democratic right not to endorse any of the self serving asses who want my vote. In making that decision I am aware of the policies and promises of all the candidates and have given each of them due consideration and have found consistantly that none of them, of whatever persuasion, have ever come close to representing what I want to see from a Government.
Yes I pay tax, as do you presumably in the country in which you reside which I assume is not this one, are you enfranchised in Germany, or do you exercise your postal vote over here? You cannot really believe that as a taxpayer or a voter in either Country you have any say in forming policy or indeed who it is that does formulate that policy?
The fact that better than half the entitled population in the UK don't vote tells you and them something, or at least it should but no, heads firmly inserted in their own rectums they continue in their own merry way espousing opinions and telling people what is best for them (the politicians not the people) whilst bemoaning the fact that most of the Country don't trust them and cannot be bothered even to argue the lost cause.
And don't even get me started on that bunch of C***s in Europe!
Spoiling the Ballot has absolutely no effect other than to give the volunteers who man polling stations more work to do. If spoiling the ballot meant that the returning officer had to announce the total number of spoiled ballots then I would think about it. ..............
Those that man the polling stations are paid to do this work. The vote counters are the volunteers, but the returning officer has to declare the number of spoilt ballot papers along with the official results.
.................... The fact that better than half the entitled population in the UK don't vote tells you and them something, or at least it should but no, heads firmly inserted in their own rectums they continue in their own merry way espousing opinions and telling people what is best for them (the politicians not the people) whilst bemoaning the fact that most of the Country don't trust them and cannot be bothered even to argue the lost cause. ...................
As for the this...your attitude smacks of apathy, you don't like the voting system, or the candidates or their parties and fair enough, but by doing nothing you are effectively legitimising the sitaution and doing nothing to change it. As the saying goes, we get the politicians we deserve. Because you refuse to do anything to change it you are effectively supporting the ststem and putting it under no pressure to change, effectively therefore you are supporting a system that you disagree with, in other words your attitude/dislike of the system has become a self-fulfilling prophecy.
Comments
I hate them all....
Amen to that!
I have been eligible to vate for over 25 years now, I never have and never will until the ballot paper contains the legend "None of the above".
And before the cries of "waster and "you get what you deserve, if you can't be arsed", start, - universal emancipation also means the God given right to withold your vote if you don't wish to endorse any of the candidates.
Why is it myopic? As I said it has been a conscious decision to exercise my democratic right not to endorse any of the self serving asses who want my vote. In making that decision I am aware of the policies and promises of all the candidates and have given each of them due consideration and have found consistantly that none of them, of whatever persuasion, have ever come close to representing what I want to see from a Government.
Yes I pay tax, as do you presumably in the country in which you reside which I assume is not this one, are you enfranchised in Germany, or do you exercise your postal vote over here? You cannot really believe that as a taxpayer or a voter in either Country you have any say in forming policy or indeed who it is that does formulate that policy?
The fact that better than half the entitled population in the UK don't vote tells you and them something, or at least it should but no, heads firmly inserted in their own rectums they continue in their own merry way espousing opinions and telling people what is best for them (the politicians not the people) whilst bemoaning the fact that most of the Country don't trust them and cannot be bothered even to argue the lost cause.
And don't even get me started on that bunch of C***s in Europe!
..............
Those that man the polling stations are paid to do this work. The vote counters are the volunteers, but the returning officer has to declare the number of spoilt ballot papers along with the official results.
....................
The fact that better than half the entitled population in the UK don't vote tells you and them something, or at least it should but no, heads firmly inserted in their own rectums they continue in their own merry way espousing opinions and telling people what is best for them (the politicians not the people) whilst bemoaning the fact that most of the Country don't trust them and cannot be bothered even to argue the lost cause.
...................
As for the this...your attitude smacks of apathy, you don't like the voting system, or the candidates or their parties and fair enough, but by doing nothing you are effectively legitimising the sitaution and doing nothing to change it. As the saying goes, we get the politicians we deserve. Because you refuse to do anything to change it you are effectively supporting the ststem and putting it under no pressure to change, effectively therefore you are supporting a system that you disagree with, in other words your attitude/dislike of the system has become a self-fulfilling prophecy.