Preference VS Protest: Democracy isn't a Competition.

Shock and awe were evoked in Britons, among people across the European Union and in the greater world community today. The Brexit result left everyone in surprise. It was all very unclear as the polling stations closed last night. With a lack of exit polls, people were left to focus on odds set by bookmakers who ironically predicated the remain side winning.

“I voted ‘no’ but I didn't foresee this outcome”

- the words of a bemused voter on the BBC this morning.

Almost with a tinge of regret, the man appeared to be piecing together the consequences of this landmark vote in his own mind as he answered the question. To him and many Britons, leaving the EU seemed so radical that it could never happen. Well I wonder if the thought crossed his mind that the government could take the Irish approach. That's the tactic which involves re-running a referendum and giving voters a little light encouragement to change their preference. It worked for us. But it seems there's no way back for the UK, not after David Cameron announced his resignation.

It seems to me that there has been a common thread throughout many of the Brexit voters’ rationale. The vote to many was seen as a protest against the government, perhaps a way to stick the two fingers up to the establishment. But it's this anti-establishment movement that is becoming apparent. So to say, people are dissatisfied with the current government and will vote for the alternative offering, whatever it may be, in protest against the current system.

Donald Trump, who can attribute his mainstream popularity to this anti-establishment sentiment.

It seems fair to cast a vote as a means of expressing one's dissatisfaction with the government. But one must live with the consequences of this vote, which may end up leading them to a life under a system worse than the one that they are protesting against. This, in my eyes, will be a reality for many Brexit voters. These dissatisfied voters should have used the referendum as an opportunity to seek reform and change in the current political landscape instead of trying to beat the system that they feel let down by. Democracy isn't a competition - it is not about trying to get 'one over' on somebody, it's about expressing your true preferences to achieve a country that represents you.

As Tony Blair remarked today on British television : “This was not a protest vote. This was a decision vote.”

Comments

We've been spending most our lives livin' in an Anglicised paradise...

DISCLAIMER: This article has absolutely nothing to do with the 90s rap one hit wonder Coolio. He probably Googles himself from time to time and might come across this. There we were, about 10 minutes into a 3 hour journey on the Italian autostrada .. air conditioning was at full blast, we were slowly but surely getting the hang of driving on the right hand side and learning the local drivers idiosyncratic inability to indicate when changing lanes. I was sitting in the back and remembered a question posed to me by someone before I jetted off: “Do you have any Italian?” - a fair question, to which I responded: “Does the word pizza count?” . I asked the same question to my fellow travellers, hoping that when we reached our destination at least one of us would actually be able to converse in the vernacular. They admitted that they only had a few words. "How do you say ‘hello’ in Italian?” I piped up, alarmed by my own ignorance. There was an awkward silence as nobody could g...

The 'A Word'

"YOU support murdering children?" It was a simple exchange. We were talking about faith in the modern world, and I foolishly dropped the 'A Word'. Hinting my feelings in relation to this controversial topic, I was immediately stopped in my tracks. My words had led to a judgement being made about my character and my personality. This headline from Waterford Whispers News summarises what has happened to the debate in Ireland: It's ironic, because since the debate has come into general public consideration in Ireland, it has almost become more of a taboo. A highly emotionally-charged debate, both sides will shoot the other down with provocative statements. People are afraid to open their mouths about it in case they are ridiculed for their views. This is exacerbated by the far-left and far-right musings on social media, suggesting that there is little or no middle-ground in this debate. Whatever side of the tracks you are on, or whether you have made ...

Lyric Hits the Right Note

Why does every radio station play the same music? Given my occupation, I'm regularly asked naive questions about radio from lay people: Has anyone ever overheard you in conversation and interjected 'I recognise your voice'? and Can you get me free tickets to X gig/festival? are classics. The respective answers are 'No... don't be ridiculous'; and 'No... don't be ridiculous'. There is one question however which comes up regularly enough and I think it's important that it is being asked. Why does every station seem to play music from the likes of Ed Sheeran, Coldplay, Adele and Pink? Have they found the golden formula for pop music? Perhaps they have, but here's the thing. Most music radio stations in Ireland have what's known as an Adult Contemporary format . This was imported from America in the 1980s when aggressive heavy metal and crude rap were emerging as genres, but the soccer moms and 9-5 office workers wanted a more pre...

If in Dowd

Search This Blog