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Thursday 21 November 2013

Is Voting a Waste of Time?

There are those who proclaim that when you have a vote you should use it. It may be the case that our forefathers and foremothers had to fight for the vote and that we should be thankful that. Many of us do take for granted the right to vote and don't always make as much effort to follow politics as we should. However, cynicism has descended upon a generation. Of course, politicians' motives and actions have always been brought into question, but whereas there were once a few good politicians with conviction, ideals and principles, it seems that this is no longer the case.

Consequently, many people in democratic societies such as the United Kingdom see voting as a waste of time. The lack of enthusiasm for politics and voting in the UK is particularly evident because of a first-past-the-post system which has led to the domination of two political parties over the past century. Although there have been coalition governments, such as during war time and following the 2010 general election, for the most part it has been either the Conservatives or the Labour Party in power.

Increasingly, there has been little to distinguish between the two parties. Traditionally, the Conservatives have been seen as representing the interests of big business and land owners, whereas Labour were regarded as being there to fight for the working man and woman. However, money talks and Labour began cosying up to big business and media magnates, and when they were in power the process of privatisation continued, often at the expense of ordinary individuals. Many questioned whether it was worth voting when both parties were espousing the same values and developing similar policies.

Politicians from across the political spectrum seem to be all as bad as each another and it is understandable why people choose not to vote when politicians lie with such ease. Voters often make their decision on who to vote for by reading the manifestos produced by the main political parties. Unfortunately, quite often the promises that would-be politicians make in these manifestos are soon forgotten once they are elected. People who cast their vote do so on the understanding that the person they vote for will follow through with his plans and that he best represents their particular interests.

Politicians will regularly state that they are directly elected by the public and that they will be held accountable at election time. What they fail to mention is that quite often they will get less than 50 per cent of the vote, which means they are not exactly speaking for the majority. In a first-past-the-post system an election can be won or lost in a few key marginal seats, so that politicians do not have to make that much of an impression on a national scale.

All that most people remember about politicians, anyway, is when they have been involved in some kind of scandal, although this won't necessarily prevent them from being elected. Voting might seem like a waste of time and there may be very few differences between politicians, but the alternative is to live in society with an unelected president or monarch. This is something which citizens in undemocratic societies in the middle east and elsewhere in the world are unhappy with and are trying to change. Thus, despite the flaws in a democratic system at least you can cast your vote and have your say, even if you aren't really listened to.

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