If you feel you can’t be trusted with any more input than one mark once every 5 years, Nova Scotia is the place for you!
Voting in this province is the illusion of freedom and democracy. If anything is disrespectful to the men and women who fought and died for us its how the status quo holds on for another election cycle.
We can’t vote for Leader separately from our local representative, we can’t launch citizen led ballot initiatives. We have no recall legislation, and virtually every provincial department or position is filled via appointment. We don’t even have a fixed election date. No proportional representation. We cant verify if MLAs are even in their seats day by day let alone have any record of their votes.
We can’t vote for police chiefs or the judiciary, we can’t vote for comptrollers or those involved in the fiduciary duties of government (the AG), Is that democracy? For simpletons, perhaps, but no matter what anyone says Nova Scotians are not simpletons who need the taskmasters at Province house “wisely” holding our hand throughout every single decision except for who our local representative is.
We deserve better than that!
No wonder there is voter apathy. You take real feedback and power away from the people and treat them in the most paternalistic way possible and what do you get? Our sham democracy.
We have one check mark every five years. If you took that one check mark away, or if the system you vote within (as ours is) is designed from the ground up not to be truly representative, you have a defacto dictatorship.
If you are voting for the status quo you are saying that you don’t want the responsibility of having a more direct voice, and more choice, in how your province is run. I feel sorry for us all, because political laziness and insular group think, is the real danger of our limited Democratic options. The effects of this are clear in this province, just look at the banana republic – minus any real natural resources other than people, we have become. —Mike
This article appears in Oct 10-16, 2013.
Can’t vote for bureaucrats. Can’t hold them accountable unless the fuck up big time and in a vbery public manner. Can’t vote for union bosses unless you are a member. Hell we can’t even vote on whether or not WE want a union that WE pay for exercising control over things that WE depend on.
Ever wonder why the late, unlamented Soviet Union stumbled to it’s demise? It wasn’t brutality, it wasn’t tyranny,it wasn’t even crap economics. It created an ossified, self-perpetuating bureaucracy that could not, would not evolve even to save it’s life.
And we Canadians have created the same…..
Don’t look at banana republic…
Their prices are way too inflated to be practical.
I’m looking for a benevolent dictatorship.
There is no such thing at any level higher than the household, Reg.
I’m happy that I can sing one of my favorite songs from Motley Crue to outgoing pols…” Don’t go away mad, just go away”
I am looking for my lost youth reg, maybe we will both find them in same place.
Well the OB could move to the US where hey vote for everything from the President to the dog catcher but my guess he or she would complain that the process would take too long and wouldn’t recognize half the people on the ballot.
Hello Mike,
You want big changes that your local politicians aren’t likely to support. That means that you have to do it yourself, not whine about the unfairness of life. So get off your ass, talk to people, try to convince them of the merits of your outlook .. then run for election as an independent candidate.
You say “we deserve better than that!”, but life doesn’t work that way.
Mike, I guess comprehension isn’t your strong point. The point being, people are too lazy to go vote for one office let alone maybe 15-20 of them. How they do the ballots doesn’t bother me because I vote each and every time, municipally, provincially, and federally. Hell people won’t even take the time to vote via computer (the last municipal election proved that). The bottom line is that most people are too lazy to bother to vote. This time it’s not the politician’s fault, it is us, the electorate. You want reform, well you’re probably not going to get it because you (plural) won’t get off your (plural) and do anything to change it.
“I’m looking for a benevolent dictatorship.”
Did someone say, “Vote Captain”?
Bro Tim’s comprehension does not extend beyond the rules and limitations of the status quo. I wouldn’t bother, Mike.
“people are too lazy to go vote for one office let alone maybe 15-20 of them” – Fallacy alert!
Is that why they all don’t vote, Tim? 45% of Nova Scotian voters are just too lazy?
So it’s got nothing to do with individuals disenchantment with current political systems? Or because young people don’t understand the complexities, redundancies, or built in inefficiencies of Canadian Government? And you’re sure it’s not because the majority of broadcast politics is an series of unsubstantiated, juvenile mudslinging contests?
I challenge your comment! I’d say, people will vote more often and for more important issues if they were given that power – The power to vote for municipal and federal issues on a daily, real-time, basis.
It was said above, our current post industrial political system doesn’t jive with our modern communication and technology society. We definitely have the power to begin converting government offices into daily voting programs. Have ‘The Vote’ run the office, not some incompetent, greedy, politician.
Ezra Levant……
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bUohy9KHeSk
Irrespective of the fact we can’t vote as OB has described, why would we? We don’t vote anyway…
Stats says you are 41% right Meaty.