According to staticians and the
national media the PCC elections made British history. Thursday was
election day for the new Police Commissioners position. Thursday also
saw Polling Stations up and down the country mostly empty with one
Newport polling station boasting no votes what-so-ever. Historically
speaking this was a lowest turn out for an election recorded in
British history, turnouts ranging from 13 - 20% per region [on
average 1 in 6 people]. What happend to result in this catastrophic
failure of the democratic system and what does this mean for the
legitamicy of the Police Commissoner?
Despite being on the Tory manifesto in 2010 very few people knew about the policys existence. Up untill two months ago I had no idea that this was even going to happen. To me it appeared out of the blue abyss of Tory politics during the aftermath of the "Summer of Scandals" about government U-turns on daft tax policies [a tax on hot pasties and caravans . . . how do you even enforce that?] and hung around like faint and unidentifyable yet lingering smell.
The next time the subject came to the forfront of my mind was when a ballot paper came through the letter box and that was only a month ago. That was when I knew that whatever this election was over it was certainly not important enough that my opinion would cause damage to the governments agenda. The only time the government ever wants my vote is to publically legitamise a political decision that they favour in the hopes that it would improve my trust in the policial electorial system and allow them to push through favourable policy, such as the mayoral elections last May or the AV referendum. This appears to be another one of those circumstances.
I had no idea what having a police commission would mean for the nation or for me and despite my efforts to find out over the last week I still don't. And I am not the only one. It transpired that most voters and potential voters had little idea of what difference a police commissioner would be from the now archaic system of the Association of Police Authorities or how this distinction was so important that the transition had to take place. The public had no real means of making an genuine informed decision between candidates and no one knew why this change was happening anyway. As a result some responsible members of the electorate decided not to vote. Others, like myself, spoilt their ballot paper in protest.
Regarding the *shocking* lack of public turn out for the elections Tory Policing Minister [Damian Green] said this is a media interview: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-20355524
So, as we can clearly see, the mandate of the Police Commissioner being elected into that possition is exceptionally thin and the government knows this too and is doing it's best to put the responsibility on the media to inform the masses, and the masses themselves [the hypocrasy that the Tory state promotes and gives additional freedoms to the free market then scolds it for not doing what the state wants]. When asked if they should have done more to provide the public with information about the elections Damian Green retorts that the information was there but the public didn't search for it. After searching for for hours last week it is in my opinon that his statement is a diversion from the truth and responsibility. When asked questions about the low voter turn out Damian Green retorted that the turn out figures at poll station regarding new policies is usually low in an attempt to justify and raise the legitamacy of the appauling figures. Even if there is greater voter turn out next election it doesn't change the fact that currently the policy has little support amongst the public now. How can there be any level of public mandate when the votes were cast by people who didn't know what they were voting for or why?
By trying to justify this he inadvertedly achknowledges and confirms the suspicion that the government actually cares little for the vote of the electorate except that they vote at all, to continue this countries sham of a democracy. The perpetuation of an illusion that the public has any power in how it's country functions by voting. Afterall, should the public stand up and take real action against a policy we don't wish to give legitamacy to the government has the police, and the police has tazers and tear gas and riot sheilds. The Labour governments invasion of Iraq after facing and ignoring one of the biggest acts of public political protest and disonence in modern history far outshines this example of how Britian is democratic dictatorship but is relivent non-the-less. No, best to keep people voting where they can't do any damage.
In short, it didn't matter if we voted or not. The change from APA to PCC itself had already taken place and that was the IMPORTANT part of this political gambit. What we got was an election, made up of mostly politicians, to take on a non-politic role, non of whom we really knew anything about or could assess accurately their appropriateness for the role that we didn't ask for in the first place. So no, I don't think the process was democratic, not by the standards that many common folk understand it to mean but it certainly was by the standards of the State.
Additionally the bus billboard advertising campaign was appauling. Did anyone else see these properganda posters?
Despite being on the Tory manifesto in 2010 very few people knew about the policys existence. Up untill two months ago I had no idea that this was even going to happen. To me it appeared out of the blue abyss of Tory politics during the aftermath of the "Summer of Scandals" about government U-turns on daft tax policies [a tax on hot pasties and caravans . . . how do you even enforce that?] and hung around like faint and unidentifyable yet lingering smell.
The next time the subject came to the forfront of my mind was when a ballot paper came through the letter box and that was only a month ago. That was when I knew that whatever this election was over it was certainly not important enough that my opinion would cause damage to the governments agenda. The only time the government ever wants my vote is to publically legitamise a political decision that they favour in the hopes that it would improve my trust in the policial electorial system and allow them to push through favourable policy, such as the mayoral elections last May or the AV referendum. This appears to be another one of those circumstances.
I had no idea what having a police commission would mean for the nation or for me and despite my efforts to find out over the last week I still don't. And I am not the only one. It transpired that most voters and potential voters had little idea of what difference a police commissioner would be from the now archaic system of the Association of Police Authorities or how this distinction was so important that the transition had to take place. The public had no real means of making an genuine informed decision between candidates and no one knew why this change was happening anyway. As a result some responsible members of the electorate decided not to vote. Others, like myself, spoilt their ballot paper in protest.
Regarding the *shocking* lack of public turn out for the elections Tory Policing Minister [Damian Green] said this is a media interview: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-20355524
So, as we can clearly see, the mandate of the Police Commissioner being elected into that possition is exceptionally thin and the government knows this too and is doing it's best to put the responsibility on the media to inform the masses, and the masses themselves [the hypocrasy that the Tory state promotes and gives additional freedoms to the free market then scolds it for not doing what the state wants]. When asked if they should have done more to provide the public with information about the elections Damian Green retorts that the information was there but the public didn't search for it. After searching for for hours last week it is in my opinon that his statement is a diversion from the truth and responsibility. When asked questions about the low voter turn out Damian Green retorted that the turn out figures at poll station regarding new policies is usually low in an attempt to justify and raise the legitamacy of the appauling figures. Even if there is greater voter turn out next election it doesn't change the fact that currently the policy has little support amongst the public now. How can there be any level of public mandate when the votes were cast by people who didn't know what they were voting for or why?
By trying to justify this he inadvertedly achknowledges and confirms the suspicion that the government actually cares little for the vote of the electorate except that they vote at all, to continue this countries sham of a democracy. The perpetuation of an illusion that the public has any power in how it's country functions by voting. Afterall, should the public stand up and take real action against a policy we don't wish to give legitamacy to the government has the police, and the police has tazers and tear gas and riot sheilds. The Labour governments invasion of Iraq after facing and ignoring one of the biggest acts of public political protest and disonence in modern history far outshines this example of how Britian is democratic dictatorship but is relivent non-the-less. No, best to keep people voting where they can't do any damage.
In short, it didn't matter if we voted or not. The change from APA to PCC itself had already taken place and that was the IMPORTANT part of this political gambit. What we got was an election, made up of mostly politicians, to take on a non-politic role, non of whom we really knew anything about or could assess accurately their appropriateness for the role that we didn't ask for in the first place. So no, I don't think the process was democratic, not by the standards that many common folk understand it to mean but it certainly was by the standards of the State.
Additionally the bus billboard advertising campaign was appauling. Did anyone else see these properganda posters?
The
message on the posters themselves are a patronising and terrible lie.
Why would criminals not want the public to vote on this? It makes no
sense. If the public have no idea what's going on how can you expect
a mugger, rapist, vandel etc to know any better? They are after all
criminals, ergo people and part of the uninformed masses just like
the rest of us, not James Bond villians. Doctor Evil at best.
As was said in jest amongst friends of mine - why wouldn't criminals want the public to vote, they'll leave an unoccupied house vulnerable for fifteen miniutes. Another friend of mine told me of how her library refused to put up posters for the election because of the threatening nature of the properanda.
The only reason given to vote appeals to the public's sense of vulnerability and paranoia of other people through this viscious use of properganda. This paranoia is something that I strongly feel is a terrible divide in our society and prevents us from connecting with each other and ultimately from improving the lives of each other, perpetuated by the media and encouraged by the State. The State's use of fear as a public motivator, again, can be seen clearly during the process leading up to the Iraq war.
The posters encourages the electorate to get voting by manipulating the individuals sense of vulerability and fear: "The Criminals are out to get you!" "The Criminals are political and legal masterminds who understand how important this election is!" but most importantly it feeds the concept that "This Police Commissoner role is a great way of tackling crime because it makes criminals nervous". In particular the first poster targets women, perpetuating the trend of mysoginy in media that women need protecting, because only men only mug women in the world of properganda. I honestly cannot recall a poster of this type of a man attacking/mugging another man or a women attacking/mugging a women.
Also, I am fairly pleased that most of those who voted did so for their independent candidates [except here in Leeds where we voted for the ex-head chairman of the Police Association for West Yorkshire]. If nothing else then I hope this helps reduce the potential for political party influenced corruption of the position by keeping politicians out of police work.
As was said in jest amongst friends of mine - why wouldn't criminals want the public to vote, they'll leave an unoccupied house vulnerable for fifteen miniutes. Another friend of mine told me of how her library refused to put up posters for the election because of the threatening nature of the properanda.
The only reason given to vote appeals to the public's sense of vulnerability and paranoia of other people through this viscious use of properganda. This paranoia is something that I strongly feel is a terrible divide in our society and prevents us from connecting with each other and ultimately from improving the lives of each other, perpetuated by the media and encouraged by the State. The State's use of fear as a public motivator, again, can be seen clearly during the process leading up to the Iraq war.
The posters encourages the electorate to get voting by manipulating the individuals sense of vulerability and fear: "The Criminals are out to get you!" "The Criminals are political and legal masterminds who understand how important this election is!" but most importantly it feeds the concept that "This Police Commissoner role is a great way of tackling crime because it makes criminals nervous". In particular the first poster targets women, perpetuating the trend of mysoginy in media that women need protecting, because only men only mug women in the world of properganda. I honestly cannot recall a poster of this type of a man attacking/mugging another man or a women attacking/mugging a women.
Also, I am fairly pleased that most of those who voted did so for their independent candidates [except here in Leeds where we voted for the ex-head chairman of the Police Association for West Yorkshire]. If nothing else then I hope this helps reduce the potential for political party influenced corruption of the position by keeping politicians out of police work.
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