h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I have been variously a Liberal, an anarchist, a revolutionary socialist, a member of the Labour Party, and an apolitical grumpy old git.

My best friend at school was the local organiser for the National Front, and was very keen that I joined them. I pointed out that there weren't any black people living in West Somerset for him to be prejudicial about, and that by that token he was quite frankly wasting his and everyone elses time.

I got very excited once upon a time about Stop the City actions. Then the broad anarchist theme in the UK split into two: Green Anarchist based in Oxford and Class War, neither of which particularly appealed.

I wound up in my local Labour party branch, where I shut down the actions of Militant and their take over of the Young Socialists, and that group's places on the GMC. I did it not because I particularly disagreed with their analysis, though it was very simplistic and highly dogmatic. It was more that they were a bunch of tits and needed a good spanking.

Time drifted on.

I found an enterist group that I did identify with - Socialist Organiser. I spent a happy couple of years flogging their paper around town and engaging in horizontal recruitment. But not at the same time, obviously

The forces were massing to kick me out of the Labour party. I resigned of my own accord, and resigned from SO at the same time. I was getting bored and disenchanted with the whole thing and wanted a change.

More time drifted on.

I've not been a member of a political party since those days in early 1992, and I can't see myself joining another any time soon.

Over the years I've been entitled to vote in four general elections. I've voted every time, and each time for a different party, only one of which is what would be generally considered as one of the three main political groups.

The point of this journal? Not much really, I guess I'm rambling a bit.

All said and done, just make sure you vote come May 5th. As Ben has said - people died so that you could do so

Interesting tale GD

Has anyone also pointed out to Ben that people died so that you can choose not to vote?

Yes they have, and she ain't very happy with people who choose to opt out.

My take on it is that you've every right not to vote if you don't want to. But if you choose not to vote, you've no right to complain about any outcome, policy or decision that comes back and affects you. Period.

Agreed

As a resident alien of the US I don't have a vote, so the point is moot for me.

That's just given me an idea

Your situation is entirely different to the one I discribed above

One time, as a resident of Lincoln County Hospital's Nurses Home in 1994, and with no way of getting back to Sheffield that night to cast my vote in the European Parliament election. I 'borrowed' a polling card about 20 minutes before the polls closed from the stack that was lying on the post table just inside the front door, and exercised someone elses right to vote

nice one

"Your situation is entirely different to the one I discribed above"

Never tried to argue that it wasn't. I merely pointed out the fact.

I know. I'd just posted to the thread you'd started over at the Forum where you'd included the can't vote option in brackets with the won't vote. I let it spill over here. Sorry.

We are both agreed, they are *very* different cases.

I pointed out to Ben that they died so we had the choice, not so we could just be forced the other way, and she was a bit cross.

I really doubt that when Emily Davidson ran underneath the Kings Horse as a protest for the suffagettes that she was thinking 'Oh If I do this in a hundred years time people can sit at home thinking 'it's raining too much to vote''.

What really annoys me is people who complain about the system and make no effort whatsoever to change it!

So you don't think voting makes a difference? Are you in the campagin for electoral reform?

Have you started a campagin to spolit a ballot and demand a RON option at the next election?

So you don't think any of the parties represents your views? Are you in pressure groups trying to get your views represented?

Or are you really just too lazy?

Vote Natural Law Party, Vote Monster Raving Looney, spoil your ballot, if you're feeling really desparate you cuold even vote Conservative. Just let people see that you are dissatified.

If you stay at home *nothing* will change.

Was that directed at me? Or just at people who believe that they have a choice in the matter in general?

Oh that was just a rant that's been waiting to come out for a while.

Fair enough. I always remind my parents they should be voting, but they'd vote for the 'other side' to me so I don't complain too much if they don't go.

"Vote Monster Raving Looney" - funnily enough I have!

I was in a turmoil over who to vote for in the 1997 election. I wasn't going to vote Labour as I thought that their leader was a right c**t.

I wasn't going to be voting for the Tories, as they were the bunch of c**ts that we were trying to get rid of!

As for the Liberals: well they're a bit wet really.

Going into the polling station I was resigned to my fate of having to vote for the only one left: the bunch of unreconstructed Stalinists that made up the then Socialist Labour Party of Arthur Scargill's creation.

It was only when I got the ballot paper in my hand that I realised that the Looneys had a candidate in Brighton Kemptown and that I was saved. Job done

Oddly enough the Natural Law Party had a major impact on my life. When I was ten I was living in the TM movement's ideal village, and generally thought The Movement was a good thing. I just believed what my parents and teachers told me.

Until One day my Mum came home from a meeting in The Dome and told me that they were going to establish a political party and run for the election in two weeks time.

At school we made a map of the country and marked on where everyone's Mums and Dad's were standing for parilment. I was embarrased because none of my parents were standing for parilment. My Dad thought that it was all a stuff of nonsense and muttered about not voting for them, that made my Mum cry, how could he say something like that 'Maharishi told us to vote for them'.

The really odd thing is that some people genunily believed that they were going to get elected. I remember over hearing a hushed conversation in the local organic food shop 'but I won't know what to do when I'm an MP' I thought it would be cool if we won. My friend Arthurs dad would be chancellor of the excheque because he was a accountant. I didn't really know Geoffery Clements who would be prime minster, but he lived on our estate and was someone I'd say hello to.

We got an extra weeks school holiday because all the teachers were standing for parliment. Which was fun, we didn't really know what we'd do if they won, perhaps we'd have no school at all.

I had a sneaking feeling that they weren't going to win, but I didn't say anything because that would make my Mum cry and send me to my room.

Hmmm, well i'm not sure who I'll vote for, as Ihave issues with the three main partys, can't vote bnp as some of them are racist, can't vote socialists because tehy are anti religious (besides which all the ones I know are dead boring and in the words of NOFX want their slice, want every thing three, and complain about wealth distribution but none of them ever has a job). Not going to vote green peace as they'll go over board on certain issuews, their is no islamic parties and even if their was i wuldn't vote for them as none of them follow proper sharia, plus that this is not a muslim country so if they want to start a sharia law party then they should do it in Iraq, Irab or afganistan etc. so i'll probabley vote labour sinse things can't get any worse, or can they. That being said i work nights so i'll probabley miss the vote anyway.

It is getting very difficult for many people I know in terms of figuring out who they/I am going to vote for, strange in the group of people I know locally round here, so many say/have the same opions as I do, which isn't helping decide who to vote for, can't vote Labour, they took us to war, Can't vote Conservatives they are still awash and seem to have supported governments view on the war, Can't vote Lib Dems as i disagre with many of their policies, same for the Greens, and i'd not even consider voting for the nat front for obvious reasons, I don't even know if any more than that will be standing in this area

My MP was outside sainsburys today - well, I'm not sure if he was, but his groupies were, handing out balloons to the kids. J was most miffed that I wouldn't let him have one - they were blue.

I do vote every time, but it doesn't really matter where I live if I do or if I don't in the general elections. It's a safe Tory seat. - the last local election we had the lot I vote for only got 90-odd votes, so it seems a waste of time bothering!

I can't understand why we get a Tory MP, but a lib dem council all the time. Is it just that all the Tory's can't be arsed to come out and vote for the locals?

I live in a safe Labour seat, yet in the last local election they returned a Conservative councilor - Local and National are different.