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Canadians feeling more alienated from the political process

Tacoma

Tacoma

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http://ca.news.yahoo.com/s/capress/100127/national/democratic_deficit_report

So as we're hearing from the American media about Obama's State of the Union Address to the Nation tomorrow, what is Mr. Harper doing? This article pretty well reflects my view on Canadian politics that seems to be as remote as ever and it almost seems like Harper is running Canada like a CEO would run a corporation where information is pushed on a need to know basis. This is a stretch analogy, but maybe not as much as you think.

Part of this public malaise may be self inflicted as our apathy towards the polictical process plays into government introverted tendencies. Sure, I could be watch more CPAC to get my political fix and surf the Net to find more information about what our government is doing; but I'm thinking this nation may be better served if some information is pushed instead of having to be pulled. Comments?
 
I never vote.I don't care who's in power, nothing ever really changes.
I may be idealistic, but, I can't see how parties make a political platform, get elected, and rarely accomplish anything they said they would.
 
drone said:
I never vote.I don't care who's in power, nothing ever really changes.
I may be idealistic, but, I can't see how parties make a political platform, get elected, and rarely accomplish anything they said they would.
Click to expand...

No offense, but you get a zero in history.

Apathy such as yours is what enables minority governments like that of the Conservatives to act as if they hold a majority. Shutting down Parliament for extended periods of time is anti-democratic. Period.

I also think that people who refuse to vote are, in their own way, also anti-democratic. In fact, voting is the most nominal form of political participation. If you really are idealistic and see a necessity for change, doing nothing is the most sure way to zero in terms of results.
 
I understand where you are coming from

I'm not apathetic..I ACTIVELY don't vote..lol

I can't bare to sign my name to a party that I don't agree with anything that they are campaigning for or against, just because there is a chance that a minority government may be elected. What kind of choice is that in the political process? They're are no parties I want to elect, and your point is well taken, voting for a party once every 4 years is too nominal for me to think that it is even worth voting. I'm not concerned if it's anti-democratic, if nobody is offering ANYTHING that I want, why should I vote? Especially fully knowing that the party in question can do anything they like once they are elected. Voting in my opinion gives the public the illusion that they have a say in the political process, but, truly, they don't. we have no say what happens after a party is elected...

It's the same as hiring someone you can't fire and has free reign to do anything they want, even if it puts you at a disadvantage, and YOU signed your name to his/her hiring and you have no say in anything they do afterwards.

I'm idealistic because I believe parties should be held accountable to their platforms (promises), but, they cannot be.
 
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Maybe it's a degree of idealism and maybe it's a degree of today's 'me'-culture. Democracy isn't just voting. It's advocating for what's important to you with your government representatives, and getting involved in the process.
 
Drone: what you're saying is a good argument for mandatory voting, as they have in jurisdictions like Australia.

And keep in mind that your manner of "actively not voting" just sounds slothful. From a civic standpoint, there's superior ways of expressing your dissatisfaction with all options even while exercising your franchise.

For instance...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Refused_ballot
 
to refer to my choice not to vote as "sloth like" is uncalled for...but, inturn, I think those whom think that voting is in anyway "getting your say" in the political process are guilty of delusional self deceipt

If I'm anti democratic for not voting, then are those that voted for the present government also guilty of anti-democratic acts because their party shutdown parliament? furthermore, are those that voted for the present government satisfied and content about the HST?

when I say nothing ever changes, It doesn't mean I want social change..it means that day to day life will never change..and any belief that a political party can change that is a pipe dream at best. Your taxes will still continue to rise, you will never have a say on any political matters, oh, sure, you can go into the streets and protest this or that by holding signs, but, it doesn't do squat. You don't even have the choice on how your tax money is spent..but, yet, you sign away your life and money to someone you don't even know and are satisfied that you have somehow done your civic duty? gimme a break..it's every man for himself, the rich get richer, the poor get poorer, big fish eats little fish...and to think that your piddly vote is going to even begin to rectify anything except make you feel like you've done something "for the good of the people" is ridiculous. Prove to me that voting actually changes anything. Show me a direct correlation and I will vote.
 
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^^ I don't fully agree with you, but I understand what you're talking about. Our Canadian system especially is almost hopelessly broken, and I swear, we'd need someone on the level of Einstein to fix it.

I'm curious though as to what changes you think should happen, or what issues you'd focus on if you could change something. Are you in some other political advocacy if you aren't voting?
 
I don't believe in government in general. I don't just think it's the canadian government that doesn't work, no governments work. I look at things in more of a state of nature. Strongest survive and weakest perish. The society we've constructed is conducive to supporting the weak, and harnessing the strong. It promotes herd mentality. The problem with goverments and most organizations is that they don't do things based on consequences, they act on intentions.the two have vastly different outcomes.
 
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To extend my original point, the lack of communication by our government indirectly confers to them more power to do things unilaterally. I'm just now reading a 2002 article discussing a Canadian (majority) government being an "elected dictatorship" with key points being:

* With the lack of checks and balances, the PM is perhaps the most unchecked head of government among the democracies.
* MP's, ostensibly responsible to the people who elect them, are virtually irrelevant - mere trained seals to party discipline when they vote on government legislation.
* There's a troubling and appalling # of instances where the PM's statements in the House on the matter prove not to square with the facts as they come out later. The Constitutional reference to the word convention leads to defining the limits of Federal power. The principle of convention is akin to a gentleman's agreement, a British inspired government framework... no legal or legislative document obliges the PM to comply with these unwritten conventions. The limits of the PM's power aren't formally described.
* Theoretically, a PM could remain indefinitely in power if he calls elections at opportune times for his government.
* Through more than 3,000 appointments, the PM effectively controls the Executive, Legislative and Judicial branch of the state at political and public service or bureaucratic levels. The scope of this loyalty, influence and control engendered by these appointments is beyond calculation.

So with little information being offered/pushed by our government to the public on what they're actually doing, they essentially have de facto power to do most anything they can get away with.
 
drone said:
I don't believe in government in general. I don't just think it's the canadian government that doesn't work, no governments work. I look at things in more of a state of nature. Strongest survive and weakest perish. The society we've constructed is conducive to supporting the weak, and harnessing the strong. It promotes herd mentality. The problem with goverments and most organizations is that they don't do things based on consequences, they act on intentions.the two have vastly different outcomes.
Click to expand...

So you propose anarchy? I hardly consider that a solution. Let's go back to the stone age while we're at it.

Personally I have a big problem with people who don't vote. It's very lazy and selfish because you're turning your back on democracy and the rest of your country. Forfeiting your vote is forfeiting your right to complain about anything the government has ties to, which is virtually everything.

I'd love mandatory voting. If only people were more informed. People should vote or get their passports/driver's licenses revoked. Oh and their health cards. If you want the privileges of citizenship, you should have to bear the responsibilities of citizenship as well.

Oh and we should have a referendum to enact my proposal as well ;)
 
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