The Importance of Being Idle

The End of Democracy?

Something I've noticed during this most recent iteration of our democratic process, is that nobody seems to have any ideas anymore. I remember, when I was a kid, the ideological differences were clear and pronounced; the Conservatives were the party of the wealthy, and Labour were for the work-class. Their policies bore the stamp of these ideologies, and were as offensive to their political opponents as they were loved by their adherents. Those days are gone.
I'm not sure if it's really possible to discern any minor political differences between the Conservatives and New Labour (or Tory-Lite, as they shall henceforth be known), let alone any major ones. In fact its actually quite hard to work out what if anything either party stands for anymore...
The Tories promise us:
1. Lower Taxes
2. Increased School Discipline
3. Cleaner Hospitals
4. More Police
5. Controlled Immigration

whereas New Labour (sorry, Tory-lite) don't make promises, they make pledges...

Your Family Better Off
Your Child Achieving More
Your Children With The Best Start
Your Family Treated Better And Faster
Your Community Safer
Your Country's Borders Protected.

What you should notice from these things is that whilst they are both to all intents are purposes identical, they are also so shockingly anodyne as to be meaningless. These promises or pledges, are so in-offensive, so lacking in character or ideology, so devoid of true meaning that they render the whole notion of democracy meaningless. We are no longer voting for whomesoever we believe will provide us with the best future for our country, because no-one is presenting us with a vision for that future. The products we're being offered are to all intents and purposes identical. All we're voting for is whichever brand of politician we like best, like choosing between Coke or Pepsi.
We seem to have moved beyond the notion of the political party now, now its all about the image, the brand. Once upon a time a political party was a group of people who shared similar views, and got together to get things done. The notion of a party is almost irrelevant. Like modern corporations not being terribly concerned with actually making things, merely promoting their brand, the modern, media obsessed political party isn't all that concerned about activists on the doorstep (or indeed activists of any kind) when there are other, more reliable ways to promote itself. Thanks to the terrifying masses of information that are stored about us in this brave new world, the political parties know altogether far too much about us, and from what they do know they infer much they do not know. Most of the voters are irrelevant too, because this database and statistical analysis shows who will vote, and for which brand, and what their certainty is (ie how sure they are in their choice, and how likely they are to vote). That certainty makes a very small number of 'undecided' voters in a small number of key constituencies are all that truly matter, and these are the people the brands are targetted at, and targetted with ruthless precision.
What this all boils down to is that a few thousand people, a mere handful, a focus group if you like, are the ones who will truly decide this election. This is disturbing in all manner of ways. For a start it makes a mockery of democracy in and of itself, as well as our so-called 'first past the post' voting system. It raises the spectre of a future where the predictable ones of us are culled from the political process altogether, and only those 'undecided' get to make a choice, because ultimately their choices are the only ones which matter. It undermines the notion that every vote is of equal weight, as clearly they aren't. But to me the hardest thing to stomach is that this great power to decide the political future of our country belongs in the hands of what I can only describe as stupid people.
Seriously, how can you be undecided, how can you NOT have an opinion? Have you at any time in the last parliament been alive? Have you seen the world around you? Have you read a newspaper, seen a news broadcast, or maybe had a conversation with another human being? Then how can you NOT HAVE A POLITICAL THOUGHT IN YOUR HEAD? I don't know what's worse, letting these half-wits make the decision at all, or the fact that they are making it on the basis of four weeks of intense lobbying that has been designed with all the efficiency and trickery of modern advertising to appeal specifically to them and them alone!
It horrifies me, it really does, but there is irony here too. The people who are going to decide this election, the people who will judge our politicians successes and failures, the people who will decide the very future of our country over the next few years are the very people who are completely and utterly devoid of any political interest whatsoever. Which I guess explains why nobody has any ideas anymore. After all, what would be the point?

posted by BadMonkey @ 8:58 PM