Writing at length in the Guardian, motley-coated jester Russell Brand has sparked a timely debate
about the purpose of voting in a “mature” democracy such as we are alleged to
have here in the UK.
In most societies the universal right to vote has been only
achieved after a lengthy struggle, and is not to be discarded lightly. On the
other hand, in our consumerist capitalist world, the real power no longer lies with our
elected governments – it’s in the sticky hands of the multi-national corporations
of food, fuel, weapons, banking, news media, et al, so the concept of
meaningful democratic governance is wearing a little thin. On that basis, the relevance
of which lickspittle government we vote for is also fading, although probably still
better done than not.
What seems increasingly important though is how we respond
to the insidious corporate pressures that bombard us on a daily basis to win our
hearts, minds, and purses. And every choice we make, whether we reject or
accept those pressures, is another form of voting – and one which has the
capacity to be infinitely more liberating & affirming than the quinquennial fiasco of
parliamentary elections.
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