Bartlett's Bizarre Bazaar
Comment, Comics and the Contrary. Contact: aj_bartlett1977*at*yahoo*dot*co*dot*ukTuesday, January 10, 2006
More on electoral legitimacy
Red Deathy, at Harry’s Place*, drags up a little piece of evidence.
1983 - longest suicide note in History - 8,456,934
2005 - Blairite third term triumph - 9,562,122
This illustrates that under our present first-post-the-post system a democratic mandate that, assuming party unity, promises a dictatorship incapable of defeat in the Common’s, is only a wafer thin margin from total defeat. Why ought eight and half million voters have next to no legislative power wielded in their name, while just nine and a half million voters can have near total legislative power?
These figures are also testament to public disengagement with Parliamentary politics which represents a serious threat to democracy, but dangerously, not government. With little chance of Galloway actually achieving anything in the Commons, a fact resulting from its structure rather than his talents, seen in this light his foray into Big Brother can be seen as an experiment in engagement. Which is not to say that it is a clever move; whether or not it is a failure is yet to be seen.
*The writers at Harry’s Place proclaim that they are of the left. Much of their output consists of attacking anti-war figures, especially Galloway, and Muslims. They argue that the left must criticise itself in order to improve. Of course. But if that is all you do, while providing a humanitarian cover for the right-wing all that is actually being performed is an assassination of the left.
1983 - longest suicide note in History - 8,456,934
2005 - Blairite third term triumph - 9,562,122
This illustrates that under our present first-post-the-post system a democratic mandate that, assuming party unity, promises a dictatorship incapable of defeat in the Common’s, is only a wafer thin margin from total defeat. Why ought eight and half million voters have next to no legislative power wielded in their name, while just nine and a half million voters can have near total legislative power?
These figures are also testament to public disengagement with Parliamentary politics which represents a serious threat to democracy, but dangerously, not government. With little chance of Galloway actually achieving anything in the Commons, a fact resulting from its structure rather than his talents, seen in this light his foray into Big Brother can be seen as an experiment in engagement. Which is not to say that it is a clever move; whether or not it is a failure is yet to be seen.
*The writers at Harry’s Place proclaim that they are of the left. Much of their output consists of attacking anti-war figures, especially Galloway, and Muslims. They argue that the left must criticise itself in order to improve. Of course. But if that is all you do, while providing a humanitarian cover for the right-wing all that is actually being performed is an assassination of the left.
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