The mob is fickle, which in essence is what we, the general public, are. I find some episodes of The Simpsons perfectly represent mob mentality, and unfortunately most people will want what is best for them and their given situation, not what is best for the country. You cannot blame people for this, it is a simple element of self preservation.
But it is a fundamental issue with democracy. Add the evident apathy towards politics/politicians and it does not bode well for reasoned decisions during voting. Indeed, I think it is because people are so fed up with politics of late, that parties like UKIP are seeing such growth. I believe people are voting, in protest, for a party not fit to govern because they are so fed up of the 'big 3' parties, which could be argued is even more dangerous than not voting.
I do not for one second think the general public are stupid, but we lack solid and honest information and due to busy lives I think most lack the inclination to sit for hours doing research. So we either tend to believe what we see on the news or read in the newspapers and try to make a reasoned decision from limited (well spun?) information. Or we remain apathetic and just dismiss politics and voting as a waste of time because the serious parties are all the same, and the others are unsuitable because they want to send all the black people to Africa or they want to close all the power stations and have us living in fields. I do think there is an inherent gullability in us, but I think it is born of the unassailable optimism that British people tend to have.
However, we have been let down badly by successive governments which adds to the general disinterest in politics. Certainly tighter press regulation is needed to deal with the trash that gets printed daily, but I also think the politicians have a role to play in minimising spin and being a bit more down to earth and honest. Although I doubt it will happen in our current system or with the current crop of politicians. Everything our politicians do is orchestrated with the intention of looking good and earning votes. It is like watching the x-factor every day of our lives!
The death of conviction politics is lamentable, and I cannot stand the current smarmy hollow politicians we now have. Perhaps if the political community accepted that a bit of backbone and conviction earns more respect than saying what they think people want to hear, we may see a change in the direction our country takes.
I think reconditioning of our general mindset towards politics is needed, and that it should start in our schools. Perhaps if we can re-inforce the importance of reasoned decision making, and instill the importance of making time to research exactly what it is we are voting for, we stand a chance. But, the issue is proving to people that their vote counts, and as we have seen over the last 20 years it does not, not really. Same old story, just a different name in charge wearing a different colour tie. But perhaps this is just indicative of the state the country is in? Whoever gets to rule will be unpopular because the choices facing us are tough. Or is it indicative of a political system that seems to be run with conflicted interests and by people who have shown themselves to be morally questionable and dare I say it, incompetent? Perhaps the two elements go hand in hand?
But the cynic in me feels that keeping the public in the dark, and discouraging political education in schools is to keep the population malleable. What better way to win votes than have a population of people who either have no clue about, or no interest in politics? Then use the media to peddle a specific political agenda to targeted demographic groups in order to whip up a frenzy, and hey presto the politicians have control. For example, the government must love the Daily Fail because it peddles their benefits bashing agenda. It keeps the spotlight firmly on the poor, the dispossesed and the struggling, seemingly blaming them for our ills. Meanwhile, whilst everyones attention is diverted, the private schoolboy millionaire politicians line their own pockets on other peoples misery and laugh all the way to the bank! But because it is accepted in the rule book that they wrote, their behaviour is not wrong. How many times have we heard that gem of moral bankrupcy in the last few years?
So perhaps it is time to get more radical and accept that our current system is a failure? Our entire political and socio-economic landscape is based on a 5 year cycle and thus all of the politics and policy surrounding our lives is transient.
I cannot help feeling like our current systems are counter productive for the 'greater good', and worse for the general population overall. Oh dear, now I am sounding like a communist!!
But seriously, I think we need to consider changing the basis of our voting system and the type of decision makers we have in parliament, and perhaps look at extending the tenure of a government to try and aid long term stability.
I am not really sure what the answer is. Every society and style of government thus far used in history, has failed. I see no reason why ours will eventually end up any different. But a way to prevent it seems to elude us.
Perhaps the first step along that road is to leave the EU. Honestly I dont know. I can see the good and the bad, but I am not convinced that leaving the EU would be categorically bad for the nations future. Of course, in the short term it would be a disaster, but I can't help feeling that having to comply with Brussels is crippling us and that our future home grown prospects in services, industry and exports would be more versatile and adaptable if we were not living under the weight of imported one size fits all policies.
I am not convinced either way, but I do think if we were to leave the EU the time to do it is not now. I am also convinced that as much as I am disillusioned with current state of politics, voting for UKIP is
not the way forward!
