Well, I'm pretty fucked off with this country's so called government. Right now we're in limbo as we allegedly decide on a new government. At this point, I direct you to this:
Pretty sad and while #debill #deact (the Digital Economy Bill) was being forced through in the wash-up, the electoral reform bill got kicked out. #undemocracy in action.
People of the UK, I implore you... WAKE UP!
We do not live in a democracy.
It is at best an oligarchy wearing the dress of democracy.
In less than a month we will elect a new government. A government which will no doubt change it's leadership at least once, if not more times, during it's term of office. You do not chose your leadership, you choose which group of fools gets to choose your leadership and then tools like Brown, Blair, Major and Thatcher (in my memory) get to dictate with zero accountability and make decisions which affect our lives on a daily basis without consultation or proper due process. And the fools that choose those tools are the lawmakers who are above the law. Watch how three MPs accused of fraudulently using expenses will be exonerated at the expense of the tax-payer. And if they're not, they are simply scape goats to try and placate the masses.
DO NOT LET THEM TELL YOU THIS IS NOT HOW IT IS.
Because if it wasn't like this, Blair and Thatcher would be in jail for crimes against humanity. They could share a cell as well to save some money.
£65,000, give or take a few pounds, is how much an MP earns and don't forget that they claim expenses for just about everything. Long hours they work, well I should damn well think so for the money and half they time they don't even turn up to parliament to discuss the issues that people are interested in. When you live in a constituency where nearly as many people who voted against the winning MP as did the MP will pick and choose the issues that matter based on who makes the most noise and who they deem to have influence with other voters. "But it's hard to be in your constituency and parliament" - I agree and that's why after 300 years of rich pickings, it is time for the system to change.
I have a dream. A dream where adults are actively involved in politics on a daily basis - just part of their every day lives, no political parties and a media which reports news rather than tries to manipulate the masses. A dream where children are given an education that is worthwhile; maths, languages, science, philosophy, politics and they leave school wanting to be an active part of society and how society is run. A dream where capitalism doesn't filter society in to classes like a centrifuge sorts the grit from the cream.
In the 21st Century, and already a decade in, we have the technology to achieve this, to achieve direct government, but we don't have the will... yet. The people of this country are a sleeping dragon and I believe the dragon is waking up, finally disturbed by the filth rotting in it's den.
But my dream is a bizarre utopia that cannot be achieved overnight. So how do we get there?
Move to AV? Move to PR? No. "Electoral reform" is just a tool that they will use to tell you that things are changing. A step in the right direction, you might say.
WRONG
You are still voting for the oligarchy (i.e. you have no choice at all!) and at the end of day the MPs still earn stupid salaries, claim expenses and are all but untouchable both in their job and legally.
The system has to change from the ground up.
I propose a party-less republic is the next appropriate government for the UK.
Candidates stand like MPs now, but are not allowed to be affiliated to a party, in fact parties are simply abolished. Thus candidates stand 100% on their own merit. A candidate may wish to focus on local issues, or may expressly be interested in the role of president. It is up to the candidate how they "sell" themselves to the voting public. A candidate has to be over 25, but no particular qualifications are required. The age limit is arbitrary but by 25 it can be assumed the candidate has had enough experience in life to make reasonable decisions.
Any candidate can stand anywhere, but I believe in this system local candidates will be chosen over strangers who simply want a seat, as is happens now. Constituency first. Once all the candidates are chosen and form the senate, the senate chooses a shortlist of candidates from those that qualify (35 years of age and citizens of the UK for at least 14 years) to be become president. Remember, parties are expressly forbidden, so again candidates are standing on their own merit. The country choses the president using an AV system. The runner up becomes the vice-president.
Once elected to office the president forms a government from the senate. At this stage the president has all the usual presidential powers but can be overruled by a majority vote in the senate.
Technology should be used to avoid unnecessary travel, using video-conferencing, etc.
And a term of office is precisely 4 years, with no president serving more than two terms (ever).
Or something like that. I don't have a political qualification (as you can probably tell) but it's clear to me that the current system is severely flawed and that slowly our rights are being eroded.
The sleeping dragon needs to wake up - it's time for the UK to change.
