We don't VOTE - waste of time
Jul 31 '04
The Bottom Line In most countries voting is not compulsory.
Ever heard that? Since you were a teenager what type of example did your parents give you? Do they vote? Do they talk about politics? If they talk about politics how do they talk about it - as good, bad or indifferent?
Let’s have a fairly brief look at the whole question of politics and voting and see just what it all means.
Now in most countries voting is not compulsory. In fact I only know of one country where it is - and that is that quaint ex penal colony Australia. But even there it is not compulsory in reality. Technically a fine of fifty dollars applies to those who don't vote - hardly enough to send someone broke. However in all my fifty years I have never heard of anyone being fined, so the reality is it's not compulsory here either.
Japan used to get reasonable voter turnouts but over recent years the number has declined quite dramatically. Other countries have other experiences but really the issue is whether or not it is important to vote.
Why do we have elections? Ever asked your self that? The answer is very simple. Imagine no election and therefore no politicians. Could be done, couldn't it! How would we know and how would we put in place a new law? Do we call everyone up on the phone and ask his or her opinion? Hardly.
Just about every country divides its population up into a practical, workable number. From that group of people is elected someone to represent the majority views of that group. That way only one out of say a hundred thousand needs to go to the "meeting place", call it Parliament, whatever. Very simple, very sensible and it works - on one condition. If everyone votes there is no doubt just what the majority views and aspirations are. But if say three quarters vote, or half, how can the elected representative know what the people he represents want? Sure he/she knows what say half want, but what of the others - it could be something different and regardless is most likely to tip the majority aspiration in a different direction.
Say a bridge is proposed to be built somewhere within an electorate. If the people don't want it and if everyone votes chances are the local politician already knows it’s not wanted in say that location and makes sure it is put where the people really do want and need it to be. But if say only half vote how can that politician know. From those that did vote it may be wanted where proposed and that is where it is built. If the half that didn't vote complain about it whose fault is that - theirs and only theirs.
Voting is not the end of the story. We must maintain contact with our elected representative. I know I do. Now I don't mean daily or weekly but at least once or twice a year - call him up and tell him he's not performing or he's doing a great job - whatever I believe I tell him and he knows it. Purely by chance our local politician is the fourth highest politician in the country - the Minister for Foreign Affairs - but that makes no difference except that Alex is overseas a lot.
Now I know some people take the attitude that "it's a free country so I don't have to vote". Well no you don't have to and many of us do live in free countries. But if that is the message you give I hope you will reconsider. Voting is a right - nobody can make anybody vote in a free country including Australia. But that is not the issue in my view.
We get the Government we deserve. Governments are just a bunch of humans and if they are not pushed there is no way they will work too hard - that is simple human nature. But if the pressure is on, and continuous, then they have to perform or they are out. So sure we don't have to vote but every person that doesn't vote makes that politician’s job just that bit easier.
But even that isn't the real point. Forget all the democratic mumbo jumbo - the way some people carry on it is as if they are being asked to cross the Sahara without food or water. For heavens sake, we are talking about marking a piece of paper once every few years - how hard can that be?
So we should want to vote. That is the point - wanting to. It is our democratic right. It is a right our forefathers insisted on and wrote in our Constitutions. Some countries have even fought wars over the right to vote, such as East Timor only two years ago. Voting is surely at the core of democracy.
A quick look around the world via the internet revealed a very varied voter turnout rate from Australia's ninety nine per cent, far and away the highest down to many countries around sixty percent and a few way down in the thirties.
Why all aren't at least over eighty per cent mystifies me. Perhaps it's a cultural thing - I really have no idea. I do know that here in Australia every teenager I know and know of has three major events they look forward to above all others. The first is their Probationary Drivers Licence at age sixteen, the second is being a voter at age eighteen and curiously the third is their twenty first birthday party. I only say curiously because I would have expected the twenty first party to be back at eighteen since it's now been over twenty five years since the age of adulthood was lowered. But no, eighteen is for voting and they all can't wait to cast that first and subsequent vote.
Incidentally the teenagers here aren't pushed that way - they know there are a hundred ways to avoid voting and the small fine. The simple fact is to them it is a very exciting time and I know with our twins there was never the slightest question about them voting - but there was and is a great deal of discussion who to vote for.
This generation of teenagers, like we oldies and all those before us, have new challenges to face when they take over in the next ten years. We had technology basically and they will as well. However they are also going to have moral issues especially regarding cloning and heavens knows what else.
They will work it out as we worked out our challenges but perhaps never before in history are nations going to need to know precisely the wishes of the people.
Otherwise if one of the upcoming moral issues in particular doesn't go in accordance with our wishes we must at the very least have voted for someone we feel comfortable with. We have done our democratic duty.
If we don't vote then we surely deserve what we get! Of course we might get lucky anyway!
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