Predictably, election fever has gripped the UK in the last few
weeks, which will no doubt continue until we know the outcome of the December
12th election. It is a time where you get political propaganda emerging
everywhere. Through the door in leaflets, on signs outside houses, on social
media platforms, the list is endless.
I was apathetic before
campaigning for this general election began. In fact, I had been for a long
time. Party politics is corrupting our nation, our leaders are lying through
their teeth and, no matter what they will claim on each side, care very little
about the people. To an extent, the chasm between politicians and people
appeared irreversible.
Yet now that an election has
come to town, suddenly party identification is at the centre of discussion.
Suddenly, everyone leans towards a party one way or another. Whether that is
driven by the belief that they genuinely can change things, or attempting to
choose the least worst option, the public have become more aligned to politicians.
Somewhat obviously, the desire
to have your political views represented in parliament is what drives this
frenzy. No-one wants their vote to be rendered meaningless, have their future
decided by people they don't believe are trustworthy or competent enough to
lead the country.
It is commendable to be
passionate, but within these growing emotions lies a deeper, more troubling
development. I have spoken vociferously about how divisive our society is,
especially politically, but when the nation gets mesmerised by the prospect of
an election and potential change, the most effective way of advocating for
your chosen party's policies is to besmirching the opposition.
In some ways, this may be
necessary. After all, we all have to compare different political rhetoric to
make a decision. But when Jeremy Corbyn, Boris Johnson and Jo Swinson are
defaming each other's policies and character more than they are proposing
viable policy options for themselves, we have to ask why political
point-scoring has to be so viciously slanderous?
Within this General Election, what positives have been talked
of extensively? Political rhetoric is simply focused on apparent antisemitism
in the Labour party, the supposed Conservative desire for privatisation of the
NHS and the Liberal Democrats' suicidal policy of an instant revoke of Article
50 should they get into power. Labour's spending is criticised for its
outlandishness, Johnson's behaviour attacked for appearing misogynistic and
racist. No matter what your political persuasion is, what your political
views are - surely this is not how elections should work.
When a leader gets into power
they are judged on what they do, what they change, the legacy they have. I
couldn't give a toss about what Corbyn thinks a Johnson-led government will do,
or vice-versa. I'm not a robot, I can make my own mind up about that, however
favourable or damning that is. I want to know how they are going to change the
country when they get in, so we can hold them to account when they naturally
spout false promises.
It is possible to find that,
and granted, you do see some elements of party progression. But it is vastly
overshadowed by the vitriol that undermines it. The issues that are naturally
going to influence people's votes aren't progressive. Conversely, it is negative
political coverage dominates mass media and social media.
I'm not apathetic anymore. I am
dismayed at how low people will go for power. At how low people will stoop to
support their chosen party and leaders. It is nefarious and inhumane. It has
got to the point where I see ordinary people coming to blows with each other
over social media over the behaviour of a party leader who cares more about
putting the opposition in its place than changing the country.
You can't solve anything
through derogatory labelling. Nor through insults. Nor through plain arrogance.
Yet all three are endemic within the political sphere and, particularly in the run up to an
election, the social strata of the UK, and they render most political debate
utterly meaningless.
Until we can't change the
nature of how we conduct ourselves in politics and when our emotions run high,
we will not progress at all. Politics will remain riddled with lies and
corruption, which will leave most people dissatisfied anyway and create a more toxic, divisive atmosphere in our country and social circles (if that is even possible).
That is not a political or
social problem, it is a very severe human problem.
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