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In Australia, it is compulsory for all domiciled citizens to vote. Failing to do so results in a fine. This might seem rather oppressive, and maybe you would be right in saying so.
But the Australians have something that we don't have in our seemingly underdeveloped democracy. They can choose to vote for no party whatsoever. In our democracy, you either vote for one of the parties on the ballot paper, or you walk away - failing to register the fact that you turned up and considered voting for one of the dismal parties that stagnates in this country.
I think this is rather upsetting. Sure, the Government can be fairly certain of how many didn't turn up - they just count the number of ballot papers registered against the number of citizens over the age of 18. But they can never know why they didn't turn up. Neither can the people. Perhaps they were apathetic. Perhaps they had weak inclinations towards a certain party or ideology, but couldn't be bothered turning up. Perhaps they absolutely resent democracy, and couldn't bear the thought of letting the current system of politics perpetuate.
It's a rather interesting paradox, when you think of it. Forcing people to vote, with a clear option of voting for no candidate whatsoever (as per Australia) would almost certainly lead, in this country, to a crisis in politics and public sentiment - you would see a vast swathe of the population sticking the proverbial middle finger up at the government and its parties, which would account for what could well be a lot of wasted time, effort and money in processing vacant votes that don't add anything to the currency of any party's standing in Parliament.
What's more, you might well argue that people would choose to vote for any old party that springs to mind, out of the assumed sense of duty that comes with being forced to vote, perhaps even voting wildly and erratically. In the last election, more people did not vote than voted Labour - that's an astonishingly large unaccounted variable where the UK electorate is concerned. If those votes were placed not towards their traditional apathy, casting a 'No Party' vote in the ballots, then those votes represent a potentially dangerous and destabilising minority, particularly when you consider the situation in Northern Ireland.
However, I believe that this no-party ballot vote is something fairly crucial to our democracy. We should, if we feel it is something we are prepared to take time out of our life to declare, register our vote towards one of absolutely no party whatsoever. We should let Westminster know that if none of their registered parties closely match our politics, then we have the option of telling them so. What's more, we will be able to honour the sacrificies of those men and women who died in the Second World War, who fought and died for our democratic freedoms that we enjoy today, by casting a vote of absolute non-confidence in the current political parties. What could be more wonderful than that?
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Quote: Empty your mind. Become formless and shapeless like water. When water is poured into a cup, it becomes the cup. When water is poured into a teapot, it becomes the teapot. Be water, my friend.
Quote: There are many uses of the term "qi" in acupuncture and traditional Chinese medicine, but it's an imprecise concept of which the best, non-poetic translation is probably "stuff".
''Hatred corrupts, and friendship refines.''
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