UK Election called

[Celine]

I am surprised at how British people who have moved away from their country are always ready to commiserate with each other over traumas and disasters, but are rarely prepared to rejoice in the exciting events happening back in their country. Why not let The Olympics work for you, why not be impatient and hopeful about voting in an election?

[Swissie]

Bien dit Céline.

It is not just in the UK that people are fed up with 'traditional' politics. Same in France, Switzerland, Germany, and most other Western Countries. Just like in France, if people do not vote in the UK, they will let in the NF by the back door. Is that what you really want?

What is the alternative Dog? Can you give us all the rules and regulations of anarchy please?

[Dog]

[quote user="NickP"]Dog wrote

"When confronted with the suggestion that people died so I could vote my reply is "Tell them they needn't have bothered".

Thanks very much you poor excuse for a foss septic, next time I go to visit the war graves to pay my respects,  I will pass on your sentiments, just remember if they hadn't died you would not be able to spout your rubbish publicly.

[/quote]

The idea that people died so that others can vote is absolute fallacy. It is propaganda from those that profit from wars and the Royals. I am sure that if people were prepared to die for a cause they would have prefered it was for a properly constituted democracy.

When I go to war graves I am sickened by the waste of human life.

[Dog]

[quote user="Swissie"]Bien dit Céline.

It is not just in the UK that people are fed up with 'traditional' politics. Same in France, Switzerland, Germany, and most other Western Countries. Just like in France, if people do not vote in the UK, they will let in the NF by the back door. Is that what you really want?

What is the alternative Dog? Can you give us all the rules and regulations of anarchy please?
[/quote]

Sadly the present bunch of politicians have played right into the hands of the NF - I guess that's what they'd say was democracy.

I do believe in no rulership, no enforced authority and liberty for all. This does not mean that these ideals can be abused. Anarchist principals can accept democracy.

My advice would be to keep your bags packed and plenty of gold at hand.

 

 

[Russethouse]

 Emily Wilding Davis  may not have made an effort for you but she cerainly did for half the population.

 Frankly I believe if you have a vote it's your duty to use it, after all if you don't you have no right to complain [:(]

[Dog]

[quote user="Russethouse"]

 Emily Wilding Davis  may not have made an effort for you but she cerainly did for half the population.

 Frankly I believe if you have a vote it's your duty to use it, after all if you don't you have no right to complain [:(]

[/quote]

My grandmother was a suffragette I have all the books - she would have eaten you alive for suggesting such propaganda.

Complain and survive.

[Russethouse]

 I suspect your grandmother would have suggested that 'one' should follow what 'one' believes in, and as she obviously did.... and this one believes in using her vote - honestly Dog,  sometimes you really don't seem very  clever about women in general. [:)]

[Dog]

I have many responses some trite, some clever, some obtuse, but I feel they maybe wasted.

I have no problem with women maybe you have.

[RicandJo]

[quote user="Quillan"]

I think the problem lays in politicians behaviour and the way they talk down to us with that "you couldn't possibly understand, leave it to us professionals" attitude. Come PM's Questions and the elections you see them behaving like children in a junior school playground (actually perhaps that's a bit unjust to 5 year old's).

They have all been caught to some degree with their fingers in the till stealing the electors tax money and show little remorse afterwards. Labour PM's at PM's questions use it to for self gratification (look at how good we and our party are) and the Tories never ask anything important, they just use it as a 'have a go at Labour' opportunity and the rest are politely told to sit down and shut up.

The only pleasure (if you can call it that) I can see from it all is that the new series of "Have I got News for You" is likely to be an absolute hoot, I have already programed by recorder to record them all. If I were in the UK and had any inclination to vote, which I wouldn't, I think I would vote Liberal this time but to be honest I would be more likely to be one of the 70% that Dog mentioned who simply don't bother as none of them offer anything I am interested in and I don't think any of them have got any idea how to sort the country out.

[/quote] I watched Have I Got News For You last night - very funny!

[Benjamin]

Think: If we

have a hung Parliament, who shall we start

with?  [:D]

[Judith]

[quote user="Russethouse"]

 Emily Wilding Davis  may not have made an effort for you but she cerainly did for half the population.

 Frankly I believe if you have a vote it's your duty to use it, after all if you don't you have no right to complain [:(]

[/quote]

I was out last night, or I too would have said that you were talking about the suffragettes, and not those who died in wars, which one poster thought.  They did indeed die to help more than one half of the population eventually obtain the vote.

Tell, me, Dog, if you did not have a vote (ie really were not allowed to vote because of political circumstances) would you feel the same?

I agree with Russethouse, it is your duty to use your vote - even if your action is to deface the voting paper, but abstaining, for me, is not an option.  I am hoping to vote in the UK elections if possible (I am registered) since this option is open to me, whilst voting in France is not.

With regard to the non-discussion (or not) of the recent French regionals, I would have loved to have a vote, and would have voted if I had the opportunity.  Yesterday, when I was with a group of youngish English women (yes they do exist in France) discussing the UK election, we all said that we would prefer to have the opportunity to vote here rather than in the UK.

[Judith]

duplicate post

[Judith]

[quote user="Benjamin"]Think: If we

have a hung Parliament, who shall we start

with?  [:D]

[/quote]

Nice one - but I think hanging is too good for most of them ....

[Russethouse]

Don't tempt me !

[Dog]

[quote user="Judith"][quote user="Russethouse"]

 Emily Wilding Davis  may not have made an effort for you but she cerainly did for half the population.

 Frankly I believe if you have a vote it's your duty to use it, after all if you don't you have no right to complain [:(]

[/quote]
I was out last night, or I too would have said that you were talking about the suffragettes, and not those who died in wars, which one poster thought.  They did indeed die to help more than one half of the population eventually obtain the vote.

Tell, me, Dog, if you did not have a vote (ie really were not allowed to vote because of political circumstances) would you feel the same?

I agree with Russethouse, it is your duty to use your vote - even if your action is to deface the voting paper, but abstaining, for me, is not an option.  I am hoping to vote in the UK elections if possible (I am registered) since this option is open to me, whilst voting in France is not.

With regard to the non-discussion (or not) of the recent French regionals, I would have loved to have a vote, and would have voted if I had the opportunity.  Yesterday, when I was with a group of youngish English women (yes they do exist in France) discussing the UK election, we all said that we would prefer to have the opportunity to vote here rather than in the UK.
[/quote]

One of the joys of being an expat twice removed is that I am quite happy to not have a vote. I have learned that real change and a better way of life are more likely to come from personal endeavour rather than relying on liars in suits.

I am not sure why women need a vote - surely they tell their husbands what to vote?

Russethouse has a short memory/history as at one time only home owners could vote - not a bad idea really. My eldest stepson suggested today that there should be an IQ test before people can vote.

On another point - I was wondering what the gold Gorgon Brown sold would be worth today?.. there was a fact I didn't quite hear on BBC R4 today that the debt of UK is more than the government spending combined since C1100 - I may have that wrong.

[Will]

[quote user="Dog"]My eldest stepson suggested today that there should be an IQ test before people can vote.

[/quote]

Now that really is a daft idea. Some of the least able and stupidest people I have met have been members of Mensa.

In fact Dog's anti-hero Gordon Brown himself was put on a fast-track secondary education on account of his 130-plus IQ. See here.

[Judith]

[quote user="Dog"][quote user="Judith"][quote user="Russethouse"]

 Emily Wilding Davis  may not have made an effort for you but she cerainly did for half the population.

 Frankly I believe if you have a vote it's your duty to use it, after all if you don't you have no right to complain [:(]

[/quote]

I was out last night, or I too would have said that you were talking about the suffragettes, and not those who died in wars, which one poster thought.  They did indeed die to help more than one half of the population eventually obtain the vote.

Tell, me, Dog, if you did not have a vote (ie really were not allowed to vote because of political circumstances) would you feel the same?

I agree with Russethouse, it is your duty to use your vote - even if your action is to deface the voting paper, but abstaining, for me, is not an option.  I am hoping to vote in the UK elections if possible (I am registered) since this option is open to me, whilst voting in France is not.

With regard to the non-discussion (or not) of the recent French regionals, I would have loved to have a vote, and would have voted if I had the opportunity.  Yesterday, when I was with a group of youngish English women (yes they do exist in France) discussing the UK election, we all said that we would prefer to have the opportunity to vote here rather than in the UK.

[/quote]

One of the joys of being an expat twice removed is that I am quite happy to not have a vote. I have learned that real change and a better way of life are more likely to come from personal endeavour rather than relying on liars in suits.

I am not sure why women need a vote - surely they tell their husbands what to vote?

Russethouse has a short memory/history as at one time only home owners could vote - not a bad idea really. My eldest stepson suggested today that there should be an IQ test before people can vote.

On another point - I was wondering what the gold Gorgon Brown sold would be worth today?.. there was a fact I didn't quite hear on BBC R4 today that the debt of UK is more than the government spending combined since C1100 - I may have that wrong.

[/quote]

!) I would want a vote, no matter how many "times" I was an "expat".  I don't regard myself as that (actually) as I don't intend to go back permanently, so immigrant would be more appropriate.  Expats would not get votes in their "temporary, even if new" country, whilst immigrants should, I believe.

Whilst I agree that personal endeavour is a good way of changing things,  some management of it is required, and this we call "government" (usually), this means people and not necessarily men in suits.  Perhaps rather than voters, MPs should have to pass an IQ test!!

Indeed, at once time only home owners could vote, but that had been changed for men, long before women got a look in.

My husband would not listen to me if I told him how to vote, and I would be severely disappointed if he did.

I come back to this:  it is each individual's right to have a vote - gender is immaterial (and so is unfortunately IQ or any other drawback).  it is only mentally deficient (whatever they are called these days) who are deprived of a vote for what I think is probably a sensible reason.  I am pleased to have the vote, and I use it.  If more people were prepared to do so to we might get a government more representative and answerable to the voters themselves.

[NormanH]

"I was with a group of youngish English women (yes they do exist in

France) discussing the UK election, we all said that we would prefer to

have the opportunity to vote here rather than in the UK."

You can: all you have to do is take French (double) nationality.

Why don't you  and the others?

[Celine]

I agree that measuring one's IQ does not point to future job prospects, salary, personal relationships etc. so would indeed be a very unfair and stupid way of allowing people to vote.

I also think that part of the problem lies in the fact that today's politicians are prepared to dumb themselves down in order to appeal more to the average citizen, whereas what we really need is highly intelligent leaders who make decisions well beyond our comprehension.

[Chancer]

[quote user="NormanH"]"

You can: all you have to do is take French (double) nationality.
Why don't you  and the others?
[/quote]

Maybe they tried and were traumatised like you Norman?

Joking aside I would be interested to read of your experience, it must have been quite something to have put you off, I had always put you down as having gained dual nationality.

I woud like to do it for no better reason than for the challenge and the gut feeling I have that one day it might come in handy.

[Chancer]

[quote user="Celine"], whereas what we really need is highly intelligent leaders who make decisions well beyond our comprehension.[/quote]

Well we already have that if Gordon Brown has an IQ of over 130 cos selling the gold was beyond mine and many others comprehension.

[Swissie]

We can spend a lot of time and effort just poking fun and attacking individuals - why not? But personally I am more interested in the basic principle of whether to vote or not (I am still entitled to do so) - Facebook and other network sites have been encouraging people for quite some time to deface voting slip to register anger, etc - but i really do not think that it is the way to do it. Ok Dog is a fervent anarchist - like quite a few of my friends - but I don't think it is truly an option. So we need to think of likely consequences of not voting. What is likely going to happen if a only a very small proportion votes?

[Judith]

[quote user="NormanH"]"I was with a group of youngish English women (yes they do exist in

France) discussing the UK election, we all said that we would prefer to

have the opportunity to vote here rather than in the UK."

You can: all you have to do is take French (double) nationality.

Why don't you  and the others?

[/quote]

As it happens, one of them is intending to do so very soon.  For the others, it is not something that at this moment is being considered - all are relatively newly arrived - and with other more pressing problems afaik.

[Judith]

[quote user="Swissie"]  So we need to think of likely consequences of not voting. What is likely going to happen if a only a very small proportion votes?

[/quote]

For that I think an IQ of +200 (does it exist?) is needed.  But, yes, Swissie, I do so agree - the low turnout has a much greater impact than most who refuse to vote are likely to consider.   Arguments on how representative etc (views aired on this thread already) have much stronger emphasis.  Negativity is not the way forward.  Best to vote positively, it might be just your vote which makes the difference!!

[Russethouse]

 I'm in a three way marginal seat so I'll be casting my vote, come what may.

There's something in the Idependant today about how much more difficult it is for the Conservaties to win (but don't read anything into that comment)

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/why-capturing-the-magic-number-of-seats-is-harder-for-the-tories-1930594.html