A meme to change the world ...
First off ... Happy birthday Dad! 59 today ... wow.
My parents brought us up to have opinions about Stuff. It was a Very Good Thing.
I was recently chatting to Ms Melancholy about the way our hearts sink around people who just don't take an interest in the world. Working in the meedya, you come across an alarming number of people who don't really have any politics - not to say that they are central, moderate or balanced - but that they haven't ever really engaged with the discussions. Of course, you can find people who think that the way the world operates isn't really their problem in every walk of life (probably even politics!) but the combination of apathy and influence really bothers me.
I understand the value of a rigorous opposition ... I would rather someone held a view in opposition to mine than simply shrugged and turned to the sports / fashion pages. (In my world you need to reverse those gender stereotypes by the way - so that would be a female / male response ... ).
So. What to do?
Well, Ms M and I also had an interesting discussion about the mixed feelings that emerge when your underground passion becomes part of the mainstream world, as happened last summer to blogging.
Combining the two ideas in a reckless fashion I have decided that the electoral vote should be promoted to the status of a privilege rather than a right. In order to protect the system from political corruption, people will be selected and excluded on the basis of behaviours (not simply ideas) entirely without political basis. And I believe that bloggers are just the right people to make up the rules because if there is one thing we have in abundance, it's opinions!
So - here is my 'Rules for a new democratic process' meme. Please copy the existing text between the lines, and simply add your own, non-political criteria for the exclusion of people from the electoral roll. If you could include a link back to here, or post in the comments, then I will be able to track the progress of our strategic development and forward it to Gordon Brown / The United Nations forthwith.
Thank you.
----------------------------------------------------
Dear Gordon Brown,
We propose that the current apathetic attitude towards electoral responsibility could be resolved by the removal of a number of citizens from the electoral roll. We believe that this will create a sense of pride in being eligible to vote, just like back in the days when women had to throw themselves under horses in order to prove that they truly wanted to engage in the process. Whilst this practice was clearly effective, we believe the recent cuts in NHS A&E provision have created a climate in which it would be unviable to encourage people to go to such lengths to win their vote.
Instead, we propose that the following non-political behaviours be used as rules for the exclusion of people from the electoral roll. These rules have been gathered via a democratic consultation process that didn't cost any money, involve the hiring of large numbers of consultants, or require painting a special design on a double decker bus.
Many thanks for your time and attention,
Assorted Bloggers (as below)
For the purposes of the trimming of the electoral roll, the following behaviours should be grounds for exclusion:
1. Purchasing a 'Britney Spears on Pan Pipes' CD (or equivalent). - http://dailystraying.blogspot.com
Add your rule and your blog signature here ...
----------------------------------------------------
My parents brought us up to have opinions about Stuff. It was a Very Good Thing.
I was recently chatting to Ms Melancholy about the way our hearts sink around people who just don't take an interest in the world. Working in the meedya, you come across an alarming number of people who don't really have any politics - not to say that they are central, moderate or balanced - but that they haven't ever really engaged with the discussions. Of course, you can find people who think that the way the world operates isn't really their problem in every walk of life (probably even politics!) but the combination of apathy and influence really bothers me.
I understand the value of a rigorous opposition ... I would rather someone held a view in opposition to mine than simply shrugged and turned to the sports / fashion pages. (In my world you need to reverse those gender stereotypes by the way - so that would be a female / male response ... ).
So. What to do?
Well, Ms M and I also had an interesting discussion about the mixed feelings that emerge when your underground passion becomes part of the mainstream world, as happened last summer to blogging.
Combining the two ideas in a reckless fashion I have decided that the electoral vote should be promoted to the status of a privilege rather than a right. In order to protect the system from political corruption, people will be selected and excluded on the basis of behaviours (not simply ideas) entirely without political basis. And I believe that bloggers are just the right people to make up the rules because if there is one thing we have in abundance, it's opinions!
So - here is my 'Rules for a new democratic process' meme. Please copy the existing text between the lines, and simply add your own, non-political criteria for the exclusion of people from the electoral roll. If you could include a link back to here, or post in the comments, then I will be able to track the progress of our strategic development and forward it to Gordon Brown / The United Nations forthwith.
Thank you.
----------------------------------------------------
Dear Gordon Brown,
We propose that the current apathetic attitude towards electoral responsibility could be resolved by the removal of a number of citizens from the electoral roll. We believe that this will create a sense of pride in being eligible to vote, just like back in the days when women had to throw themselves under horses in order to prove that they truly wanted to engage in the process. Whilst this practice was clearly effective, we believe the recent cuts in NHS A&E provision have created a climate in which it would be unviable to encourage people to go to such lengths to win their vote.
Instead, we propose that the following non-political behaviours be used as rules for the exclusion of people from the electoral roll. These rules have been gathered via a democratic consultation process that didn't cost any money, involve the hiring of large numbers of consultants, or require painting a special design on a double decker bus.
Many thanks for your time and attention,
Assorted Bloggers (as below)
For the purposes of the trimming of the electoral roll, the following behaviours should be grounds for exclusion:
1. Purchasing a 'Britney Spears on Pan Pipes' CD (or equivalent). - http://dailystraying.blogspot.com
Add your rule and your blog signature here ...
----------------------------------------------------
Labels: blogging, democracy, half-baked ideas, meme, politics
posted by Stray at 8:04 AM
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9 Comments:
Hi Stray
Lovely...
Pants
It is 1.30am and I have just probably woken up other residents of the lane with my very loud laughter when I got to Britney rule. Thank you needed that after a long day.
Would picking your nose whilst waiting at traffic lights in obvious company car whilst playing Phil Collins very loudy count?
Lovely Stray, I am now most concerned that our private discussions will become blogging material. When you say 'that's so bloggable', you really mean it, don't you? Can we have a discussion about confidentiality, please? I promise I will trash my 'Britney on Panpipes' CD. (Great meme, by the way, and I have responded....)
I would say that anyone who wears Adidas trousers outside of a gym is a serious contender.
For shooting that is, not stopping a vote.
x
Ms Pants! - why thank you :) You must surely have a few opinions on this matter?
DW - your suggestion is a splendid one and shall be added to the list when I do a round up :)
Ms M - ah, yes, I'm afraid I am pretty much always saying what I mean - and our relationship is nothing but a ruse by which to mine further anecdotal material for my blog.
Your response is wonderful!
Badger - you are surprisingly violent for one so small and cute and furry ... but the adidas trousers are definitely going on the list.
In no particular order:
1. Eating pickled onion flavoured Monster Munch in a packed train carriage during the height of summer
2. Wearing chunky gold chains over England football shirts
3. Taking a pushchair into the busiest shop on the high street three days before Christmas
4. Booing the opponents' national anthem at Wembley
5. Saying "rugby" when you mean "rugby union", thus denying the existence of the infinitely superior thirteen-a-side code
Wearing a bluetooth earpiece.
Waiting for a bus, pushing to the front of the queue and then getting off one stop later when you could have just bloody well walked there if you could actually be bothered.
Being surprised at bumping into somebody when you don't look where you're going on a crowded street.
Spelling "Tapas" on a restaurant sign with an apostrophe before the "s" (if you can't even spell the cuisine, how dare you cook it?)
1. Estate agents - all of them for ever more.
2. Most solicitors - especially the conveyancing lot
3. Dodgy car repair men
4. Balding men with ponytails (except Bill Bailey)
5. men (and women) who wear trilbys (except for Honest John the car dealer)
5. Yummy mummys who sit and bray at each other whilst little Seb and Emma howl and shriek by MY table in MY cafe
I could go on and on ...
NrbroM The best blog you have!
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