The Bliar years etc.

[Zuma]

always nice to see some PF in here Zuma
even if it is a naff album

Thanks JB,
One of my faves, each to their own I guess...

and why not......

[Zuma]

@ the mods, can you stop folks voting more than once?

[Zuma]

so far looks like labour are being trounced!

look out MORI

[Zuma]

tell me true tell me why was jesus crucified
is it for this that daddy died?
was it for you? was it me?
did i watch too much t.v.?
is that a hint of accusation in your eyes?
if it wasn't for the nips
being so good at building ships
the yards would still be open on the clyde
and it can't be much fun for them
beneath the rising sun
with all their kids committing suicide
what have we done maggie what have we done
what have we done to england
should we shout should we scream
"what happened to the post war dream?"
oh maggie maggie what have we done?

[James Blast]

I'm more disturbed that Labour (15%) are being beaten by Not Voting (20%)

that's just wrong

[Zuma]

indeed, democracy in action or what....

reap what you sow and all that....

[Almiche V]

Commander Adama

[Quiff Boy]

@ the mods, can you stop folks voting more than once?

as far as i'm aware you cant vote more than once anyway

[James Blast]

very 'Sword of Islam' logo on those Sheffield United chaps shirts, how did that come about?

[Quiff Boy]

very 'Sword of Islam' logo on those Sheffield United chaps shirts, how did that come about?

scimitars, or whatever they are called? dont know actually. back in the very early days it was 3 trees

maybe a sheffield/steel city connection? neverreally thought about it...

[paint it black]

Oh incidentally, IMO if anyone goes for the "Not Voting" option, they should shut the f*ck up about any and every political issue until they do vote. If you don't do something to try and change things, you've no right to complain.

sorry but that's bollox

does it matter who actually gets in. not much, they're all as bad as each other. voter apathy is a very valid option. not turning out had everybody s**t scared last time

[James Blast]

OK pib what about you are not allowed to vote, like some states, would that suit you?

[Almiche V]

[paint it black]

OK pib what about you are not allowed to vote, like some states, would that suit you?

well yeah, but then it wouldn't be a democracy, so we wouldn't have to worry about little things like the integrity of the canidates, why they don't listen to the people, who is actually running the country and why

start far left, right, whatever, they end up homogonised, centralised, they have to run the country. sorry but lib dem just take the best bits of both and that just isn't, in reality, practical

i hate politics it's full of tossers

~ what d'ya mean it's god on the red phone again

[RobF]

Oh incidentally, IMO if anyone goes for the "Not Voting" option, they should shut the f*ck up about any and every political issue until they do vote. If you don't do something to try and change things, you've no right to complain.

Obviously this does not apply to those of our members under voting age (I don't think there's anyone on here that young other than Dark) or non-UK people.

I'm sorry but that's absolute bollocks. None of the parties on offer mean anything to me, and I will not pussy-out and vote for someone just for the sake of it. I would be deeply ashamed to tick any of the boxes offered as they would represent more often than not the antithesis of my beliefs. I live by the same social-contract with government as someone who chooses to vote, and while I am expected to live by the laws of this land, I will complain as loudly and vociferously as I wish. I will "try and change things" as you put it, but not by taking part in a pseudo-democratic process which I believe is deeply flawed and run for the benefit of a ruling elite with little or no interest in my needs or beliefs.

[paint it black]

@ rob

same start, we must be twinned

[RobF]

justifiable anger is not the same as apathy, and IS a valid reason for not voting. Anyone who wishes to tell me that I may only express my views in one context, by one process and if I choose not to I should "shut the f**k up" is not a democrat.

[RobF]

@ rob

same start, we must be twinned

oops, soz boss

[paint it black]

justifiable anger is not the same as apathy, and IS a valid reason for not voting. Anyone who wishes to tell me that I may only express my views in one context, by one process and if I choose not to I should "shut the f**k up" is not a democrat.

i really think in this context they are pretty much the same

people aren't expected to vote because it's a meaningless excercise, old labouur alienated, new labour where conservatives were, conservatives with no real option to go further right, so why bother ~ silent protest

maybe i'm missing the point

...and i'm tired

[RobF]

Exactly, if there was a box marked "Old-labour" or even "Gordon Brown" I might have an option... Until then, 1) Blair: er, don't think so. 2) Tory Vampires: I'd rather eat my own tongue, anyone who remembers the eighties should feel the same, milk-thieving, union-bashing scum, to a man. 3) Lib-dem: with their huge capacity for statecraft and diplomacy, I wouldn't trust 'em to run a car-park. 4) UKIP: Burn baby burn, on a pyre of daily mails. 5) Others, ahem, last time I looked we still have a "first past the post" system, and on the strange occassions that Independents get in, they discover the commons no-longer means anything, apart from the commitee system, to which they rarely gain access.

I choose to engage in politics through direct, issue specific lobbying, as such retaing a voice, but not losing my principles by being forced to vote against my strongest wishes.

PS. Blame the spelling and grammar on Caffeine and Th****er's education cuts.

[deadagain]

isn't our labour party now just like the democrats in the US: pretending to be left-ish, but acting right-wing? so basically we have two tory parties now.

what about the Socialist Workers Party and the Revolutionary Communist Party of Great Britain? oh, and the Silly Party!

[markfiend]

Having read RobF's and Pib's posts above, I think I should change my mind.

Apologies for any offence caused.

I've always been of the (cynical, I'll admit) view that while there may not be anyone I particularly want to vote for, there's sure as hell to be someone I want to vote against...

Then again, if voting could change anything, they'd ban it, right?

[hallucienate]

then there is the option of spoiling your ballot, which is also a valid politcal statement.

[markfiend]

I don't know if spoiled ballots get counted in UK elections, and even if they do, how do the counting people determine between spoiling a ballot as a political statement, and spoiling a ballot because the voter is a dumb f*ck who doesn't know where to put a cross?

There should be a "none-of-the-above" option on the ballots I guess.

[hallucienate]

spoilt ballots are counted here but, yeah, they don't tell you how they were spoilt.