Post 51 Thoughtless Thinking

MONOLOGUE      November 1993

Me? What do I think? About what?
Well, now you’re asking. I don’t think a lot
Well, I mean, you can’t change anything can you?
Why waste time thinking?
You’ve got to go for it; that’s what I think

What do I think about crime?
Well, what a question; it’s not for me to say
I suppose an eye for an eye is fair enough
Probably safest to lock ‘em up and throw the key away
But you can’t change anything can you?
That’s what I say

What do I think about morals today?
Well, they’re out of the window now aren’t they?
I mean, who should tell us what we ought to do?
Not the state, or the church, or you
Nobody tells me how to behave
No way

What do I think about God? Do I believe in all that?
Well, course I do; goes without saying!

 

That poem, written in 1993, feels even more relevant today; as world events force us to confront the realities of malign influences that only appeal to unthinking mob culture. I do understand that most of the general populace have more important personal problems to cope with; whether it be money worries, health emergencies, or family crises. But, surely I cannot be alone in worrying about peoples’ attitudes to the social and political trends attempting to bend our will to their train of thought.

I’m pretty sure that my regular readers will be fully aware of my combative attitude and insistent examination of subjects that I deem important. That said, I feel more and more unease when acquaintances quote the old and out of date mantra “They’re all the same”; suggesting that it’s not worth their time to venture out on Election day; and rarely think how they (we) want our leaders and lawmakers to guide our lives. I don’t think I am wrong in assuming that most of us are not aware of the centuries old struggle to gain our Universal Suffrage. Check out the Peterloo massacre in 1819; when people met to protest their lack of representation. Just one example of the fight for the right to vote.

This lazy thinking threatens the very basis of a law abiding society; and the hard won right to freely express our preferences at the ballot box. The danger is that many of us take this state of affairs for granted; and my ultimate fear is that this inertia will be reflected in the lack of turnout in a general election. Indeed, I would go further and suggest that voting should be obligatory for everyone of voting age, but only if we had a system of PR, with a postal voting option; and the right to ‘spoil’ our voting paper, if we had a mind to. No democratic system is perfect; but it’s better than no system at all; or a dictatorial one that ignores and subsumes decisions from the individual to the state. We read of examples of this; as in the USA, where AI and other methods have been used to disenfranchise large sections of the populace.

Before I continue, I would like to credit wikipedia for the supply of facts and statistics that I highlight in this post. The classification of Universal Suffrage is ‘The right to vote, for as many people who are bound by a government’s laws as possible’ which is a very open ended classification. There are many caveats which manage to preclude substantial sections of society. In this country the homeless would seem to have the right to participate in an election; but only if they are able to present some form of ID at their voting station. Examples include passports and driving licences; items of official documents that are rarely applicable among the homeless community. There are other criteria available, which I will not detail here; but, as I have already declared, you can find all that information on wikipedia.

But, one fact to illustrate my statements. According to the Cabinet Office only 2% of the homeless have registered to vote; and 48 local authorities have NOBODY, who is homeless, on their Electoral Role.

And, one final comment, the charity CRISIS states that voting is ‘A Totemic Symbol of Equality’. I rest my case.