Tuesday 24 June 2008

VOTERS'S STUPIDITY




Nearly half of the blogs I have met so far talk about politics and what's gone wrong. They loath the government and let us know about this and why.

Let's not talk about those happy dictatorships where there is no real voting. People living in those remote-control-countries are free from the burden to take any worthwhile decision about politics and politicians. Generally, they are invited to occupy themselves with other subjects like gardening, making money (get rich and shut up), religion (sure, you are poor and bedridden but in Paradise you'll have fun every day), yelling at football tournaments and other sports events.

No, the voters I have in mind live mainly but not exclusively in the European Union or in USA/Canada where they are invited to exercise their talents and judgement.

Let me give an example: some years ago the European Union organized a referendum in every member state for a Constitution. The main idea was to establish majority votes in the EU Parliament and have a President voted into office for longer than six months.

This constitution was rejected by the voters in France and in the Netherlands. I don't know about the Dutch but here in France the no-votes were motivated frequently by this:

- more job security, no more outsourcing
- life has become more expensive
- more social justice
- They didn't want the Turks into the European Union

All this are worthy subjects but they are not decided by the Union. So this was brainless voting, there is no other word for it. It's like as if I am asking you for directions in a city and you answer me "this morning we'll expect rain".

Or take another example regarding our friends in the USA. The present government has been reelected three years ago. And this in spite of the disastrous war in Iraq, stubborn negation of climate change and probably other topics I don't know about. Now, it seems he and his party are at an all-time low. So the question is why did the majority vote for him a second time?





In Germany, Ms. Angela Merkel, our current Prime Minister, got her job with a very thin majority. During those elections it became more and more clear that all those indispensable reforms would come at a cost. So lots of voters got cold feet and voted for parties that promised to do the washing without getting them wet.

Thus, in a nutshell, we are responsible, too, if things go wrong. It's not those on top who - alone - are stupid, thrifty, tricky, grafty, dishonest. We made them and put them there, they are like us, remember.

As the saying goes "every country has the government it deserves".


13 comments:

  1. Hi Georg,

    Great post... you have managed to prove, with terrific wit, that giving people the power to vote is no guarantee of an enlightened leadership...for that voters have to be enlightened, which they often are not!

    That is why dictatorship based on religions are smarter... the goodies are always in Paradise; you just got to have the patience!

    At the other extreme is the oldest instrument used by man to get another one of his species to do what he wants him to:FEAR. This is what God wants; if you don't do what He wants, you will go to hell! And to make sure that the divine message is not left for God to implement, a few, sometimes many, are delivered here itself!

    Nice use of words too - the promise to do the washing without getting them wet! The title of your blog is well thought out! Yes we all want get others to do the washing for us without getting us wet! Despite knowing that we can't do that ourselves!

    ReplyDelete
  2. bonjour georg! i have no answers for you. i know that our voting system is corrupt- and that played a role in the re-election of the bush mis-administration- but i have no idea why so very many people actually voted for him. here in america, many people vote 'party lines' which means they vote party over person. i know of at least 10 people in my circle of people i know- who did just that. now, people here are voting democrat to 'send a message' to the republican party. the only message this sends is a happy gram to big corporate interests who don't see party and are now negotiating with democrats.

    yes, we truly have the government we deserve- and have allowed to happen. it is why i recently left all party affiliation and became an undeclared voter. and i honestly don't know if i will use my vote or withhold it in protest.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Thank you Betmo and Vinod for your friendly comments.

    What is going on, Betmo, you don't do much writing these days. Still I like those flowers and haikus.

    Voting along party lines is very frequent here, too. You are right to mention this, it could be one cause of the problem.

    Vinod, your comments are often better than my posts. There is nothing much to add.

    Georg

    ReplyDelete
  4. Georg, thank you for your flattering remarks. I truly believe that you have a terrific sense of humour or wit, whatever you want to call it, and the ability to say a lot in a few words. Not many people have these abilities. That is why I really enjoy reading your posts.

    Yes, the problem of voting blindly along party lines is here too, but in big blocks of castes/ sub castes/religion etc...politicians call then "vote banks".

    ReplyDelete
  5. I have often thought that there are three factors which control the placing of not only the vote, but the blame.
    Education
    Television
    Common sense.
    I am sure you could see where i am going with this..which is why I shall stop.
    A wonderful and witty morning to you Georg!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Namaste Sir,
    this is a good example of individual smart but collectively stupid syndrome......

    ReplyDelete
  7. Hallo Sorrow,

    Thanks for commenting. I think I know what you mean.

    Sachin,

    What is the meaning of "Namaste"? Kind of Indian bonjour or Hi??

    Georg

    ReplyDelete
  8. It was with great amazement that gw was elected not once, but twice.

    As Betmo said, something "nasty" went on. Although we all believe some sort of change may occur in this election, we are waiting with bated breath, 'cause the same "nasty" could occur again. If it does, maybe chaos will arrive in a bigger way, nothing seen here in the usa since the Anti War Movement of the 60s-70s.

    Thanks for the clip too. Looks like a place I'd surely enjoy!

    Cheers!

    ReplyDelete
  9. Can't agree more with you about this- As the saying goes "every country has the government it deserves".

    However,I do believe there are some countries outside of the undermentioned domain you cite where there exists an electorate that 'exercises its talents and judgements'.
    "the voters I have in mind live mainly but not exclusively in the European Union or in USA/Canada where they are invited to exercise their talents and judgement."

    ReplyDelete
  10. George Bush won the second term in presidential election. People who voted for him definitely had repositioned their brains with "soot" -

    ReplyDelete
  11. Hallo Anrosh,

    Yes, soot, ok. But could be, too, they hoped for some spoils of war, like free gasoline for their families.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Georg, That is a good guess. No wonder Hillary Clinton said that she would give tax free gas for 3 months if she becomes the president. I wonder if there is any difference at all between the democrats or Republics - .

    ReplyDelete
  13. Hi George. It was a long time since my last visit of your blog, I think I've missed it ;)
    Yesterday I read a book " The Kite Runner". It's a novel about Afghani's people. I just think you'd like reading it. Try it.

    ReplyDelete