I grew up under Thatcher, looked on with disbelief in 1983, 1987 and 1992, and celebrated with almost everybody in 1997. Then they attacked single parents, loaded the NHS and schools up with PFI debt, failed to reregulate the banks and deliberately reinflated the housing bubble. Inequality continued rising and the Tories supported them every step of the way.
Voting for the least worst option means you end up with no good options. Do what you feel you have to at the ballot box but don’t pretend it means anything. If you won’t fight them, you’re helping bury us all.
You won’t get me to defend Labour. But I’m a realist and I still see potential for a good future. Your defeatism will almost certainly not get us anywhere but whatever hellhole we are headed to.
We see voting differently. I see voting as the beginning of a journey. It’s a very good entry point for people to understand the power balance within a society. It’s in a way why we teach mathematics in school. Not because we expect everyone to be a mathematician or to contribute to a change in mathematics. Though collectively it most certainly has had a very positive effective. See just how monstrously fast our technology has advanced since we started mass education.
A lot of people will just vote and be done. But what if 1% become deeply interested? What if they go on to get others interested? What percentage of the population do our ministers represent?
Honestly, since you brought your experience into this I’ll just say that for your age I’d hope for more wisdom. But this is no surprise.
Yeah, you’re right. Do the same thing over and over again and definitely get different results this time.
History is a cycle. I’d rather not be in the shitty part of it, thanks. We are not there yet but we are in a turning point. And people like you are harmful. Maybe not by intention but that’s the result.