The national political party debates are over, but has anything changed?
One notable result of this same old song and dance show is that more Canadians are suffering from the malady of political indifference. This is symptomatic of a manipulated system that is incapable of satisfying our desire to meaningfully participate in a truly democratic process. However, it is also important to recognize that apathy is not just an unintended result of our inadequate “first-past-the post system,” that does not allow for majority representation.
There is a concern that stimulating voter indifference is a tactic being used by the politicians as part of their win-the-game plan. It has been noted that promoting voter apathy is a covert political strategy of the ruling national party aimed at reducing the number of potential voters that could, theoretically undermine their power to continue doing business as they please.
Many thoughtful Canadians have begun to counter this subversive negative influence by adopting the practice of strategic voting; or picking the lesser of two evils. This action is defined by voters casting their ballots to keep a certain candidate from winning, rather than voting for who they really want to win.
While it is claimed by some that strategic voting is a wasted vote, others argue that it is the only effective way of voicing personal opinion on the outcome of an election where the odds are stacked in favor of the house. In some ridings the non-vote of an indifferent community just falls by the way side, indirectly contributing to the status quo.
The frustration of dealing with government policies that we did not vote for will continue to test our fortitude until we establish a democratic system that better serves our interests.
In the meantime, a viable option to consider is that of voting strategically.
Steve Clement
Castlegar