Dying to vote…

There’s a very interesting article over at Max Farquar by Earwig entitled “The Only Answer: Self Government” which is rather long but well worth a read.

I don’t agree with a lot of what he’s proposing as the answer, but I can see where he’s coming from and he does make some good points. I would comment on it over at that blog, but although it holds itself out as a bastion of free speech, I am banned from commenting because they don’t like what I say. But I digress…

Earwig rightly points out that the system of parliamentary democracy that we permeated around the world is fundamentally flawed for a number of reasons. As Winston Churchill once said ‘it’s the least-worst system thus far devised’. I’m particularly interested in the subject in the light of the recent so-called ‘arab spring’ uprisings and the presidential elections in Afghanistan.

I agree with him when he says that humans are naturally selfish and self interested. They’re not naturally altruistic and they are attracted to power and influence. Power corrupts and, as we have seen the world over, absolute power corrupts absolutely. Earwig suggests a system of egalitarian democracy by a short life committee system of ordinary citizens. It’s an interesting idea, but I don’t think it would work – mainly because the individuals would never agree on a plan of action or priorities.

The Party system and election manifestos all have their faults, but at least there is a degree of co-ordination and a stall is set out. It’s a fact, however, that no plan ever survives contact with the enemy. Nevertheless, what we do agree on is that there needs to be some sort of system even if we can’t agree on what it should be.

This is where it gets interesting. Read the comments on that post and you will come across one prominent commentor, George Silver, who advocates that we should refrain from voting altogether because, in his words, ‘it encourages them!’ GS has a very low view of politicians and to a degree I agree with him. However, I have always believed that if you don’t vote at all, them you have no right to criticise what you end up with because you weren’t interested enough to express your opinion at the ballot box.

Here’s an exchange between GS and another commentor, John Smith’s Bitter :

GS : They are all fucking thieves and hypocrites whatever party but thanks for reminding us Max. The sheep need reminding that ALL people who want to be in “government” are the same and that there is NO possibility that anything will ever be different.

JSB : People who don’t vote shouldn’t complain at what they get IMHO

GS : Which means people who DO vote are responsible for aiding and abetting the corruption and mismanagement.

GS is, of course, completely wrong. The corruption he talks about is entirely down to the perpetrators themselves. When their wrongdoings are uncovered they are answerable to the electorate. A good example is Neil Hamilton who when discredited over the cash for questions affair was resoundingly thrashed at the ballot box. There have been several examples of this over the years.

If an elected representative of the people does not perform his duties properly then the electorate have the opportunity to vote him out. If you don’t then it actually encourages them to carry on and get away with it. It is ludicrous to suggest that you encourage them if you do vote.

The right to vote is the central cornerstone of parliamentary democracy. The line that GS takes disrespects all those who have given their lives over the years to achieve the right to vote and to preserve it.

The picture at the head of this article is of Emily Davison doing just that. Just over 100 years ago, on June 13th 1913, Emily died when she threw herself in front of the King’s horse at the Epsom Derby to protest for the right for women to be given the vote.

Last weekend in Afghanistan thousands of Afghans turned out despite threats of death from the Taliban to vote for a new president – the first full and free election in Afghan history. Try telling them that they shouldn’t vote ‘because it encourages the politicians’ and see how they respond.

No, parliamentary democracy might not be perfect, but it’s a damn site better than Nazi Germany or Stalinist Russia or Gaddhafi’s Libya or North Korea or many others I could name.