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Sunday, May 22, 2011

Election Day



Election Day -Spanish Style

Today, the twenty-second day of May, 2011, is election day across Spain when voters are going to the polls to vote in Municipal elections. The cynical will say that on this day those who have been busy robbing the public are asking for forgiveness, and to be given the chance to continue their activities that they so much enjoy.

I have never liked political parties. As a young man, when I first became aware of politics, in my country we voted for individuals from our neighbourhood who wanted to be sent to parliament to represent our interests. They discussed matters with their constituents and they voted according to how the majority felt.

If a member from some other district came up with an idea that was clearly in the interests of the island, it was debated and approval would be given, based simply on its merits.

Then came party politics and all that changed. Everything is in the interest of party domination and party re-election. So what if the other side has an award-winning idea, the party in power would argue it into the ground lest the electorate saw value in the opposition.

I also don’t like politics in general because cash tempts the most honest and moral person. Everybody seems to have an agenda, and when you are the person in the middle the pressure must be awesome. Added to that is the general impression of the public who believe that all politicians are corrupt.

I have known persons who entered politics full of courage and moral rage against corruption. They were slowly worn down by the weight of public opinion, and the expectation of the public that ultimately some fell in line and fed happily at the public trough together with their colleagues, or they quit politics altogether.

Here in Spain the attitude to corruption is really quite amazing. If you are a politician and you are not putting money in your own pocket, why not? Some of those at the very top are in the courts charged with doing this or that, but they are also hoping to be re-elected today. I am outraged that these bastards have so little regard for my intelligence that they expect me to vote for them, or at least for sections of their party.

People have taken to the street to protest the behaviour of such scum but they are so arrogant that they take no notice. We people will vote anyway, and we really don’t have much in the way of choice between either major party, so who cares?

Well, I wasn’t going to vote at all, so disgusted am I, but then I thought what if I cast my vote for the lone Independent candidate? What if all the people who feel like me did the same thing, and what if this became a trend in future elections, might we go back to the future?

That is what I shall do. I shall go now and vote “Independentista!” Boy, will he be surprised.

Copyright © 2011 Eugene Carmichael