I mean, at what point do we say that wilfully refusing to absorb relevant information and then knowingly and willingly making a decision based on that lack of information is, indeed, their will?
I think this ignores the fact that there are very converted efforts to use well-researched methods to manipulate and mislead people at the ballotbox in favor of the vested interests.
The same interests also conspire to keep people preoccupied with basic needs and distractions that leave them with little time to properly research issues.
I can't imagine this is at top of mind for many voters, or even in mind at all. People are more concerned with things like the cost of living, immigration and things like local planning law.
It gets easier with an electoral system other than FPTP (e.g., ranked choice, instant runoff), whereby more than 2 parties appear. You can then mix and match multiple parties that support policies you want in a way that you're aiming for particular policies to become the majority rather than any party.
For example, for issues taxing the rich (TR), taxing the poor (TP), spending on military (SM), spending on infrastructure (SI), privacy protection (PP), and privacy intrusion (PI) and parties A, C, and D, which support TR/SM/PP, TP/SI/PP, and TR/SI/PI, the coalitions the three parties must form to pass individual bills may get you what you really wanted: TR/SI/PP, even though none of the three parties individually support all three.
Truth is these things are being pushed by heads of department behind the politicians, the ones who have lifetime jobs and dont get voted in. These people and lobbying business owners are pushing very hard on all politicians and lawmakers to force this through, which is why there are more and more politicians in favour of it who dont even understand it.
If they were otherwise reasonable that might be a solution but their obsession with immigration is getting worse. In get the feeling they are turning into into Restore. Maybe next time they will accept a donation from Musk.
I mean, i go through the motions of voting. but i'm voting against an overwhelming amount of feelings-voters that are easily manipulated. i don't think it makes much difference anymore.
If i wasn't busy, local politics is where one could make a difference. Nation politics seems completely captured by now.
Local politics is broadly objecting to planning permission and decide what potholes to spend the tiny amount of discretionary budget on, as the vast majority of council tax goes to paying for care for elderly home owners
Exactly! It's not like we have decades of evidence that the demographic which has consistent high turnout is consistently and significantly politically pandered to in many, many regards. No sir
I've seen a lot of changes going through since 2024, and I saw a lot of difference between the 2010-15 coalition and the 2015-24 conservative administration, or the 1997-2010 labour administration.
Yeah I’m inclined to agree. Even with choices of services and their choices on the internet… it’s just not a priority for most users in a way that matters.
As a Brit I've never been asked to vote on that. If you are talking about the general election it's not a main issue compared to other things on the ballot.
For whom have you voted? We have almost no referenda sure, but sometimes there are strong hints in the manifestos, or things to learn from past behaviour of each party
That’s the weakness of most modern “democracies”: people vote once every few years for one or other party who then do largely whatever they want, outside of some immutable manifesto commitments (which are often flexible anyway).
So no, people don’t vote for such things - they vote for parties who turn out to do such things at some point.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rational_irrationality
The same interests also conspire to keep people preoccupied with basic needs and distractions that leave them with little time to properly research issues.
Assuming ‘it’s not their fault’ also removes consequences and/or accountability, which also encourages the behavior.
Democracy usually does not come with À la carte options.
For example, for issues taxing the rich (TR), taxing the poor (TP), spending on military (SM), spending on infrastructure (SI), privacy protection (PP), and privacy intrusion (PI) and parties A, C, and D, which support TR/SM/PP, TP/SI/PP, and TR/SI/PI, the coalitions the three parties must form to pass individual bills may get you what you really wanted: TR/SI/PP, even though none of the three parties individually support all three.
Truth is no one really cares.
/s
If i wasn't busy, local politics is where one could make a difference. Nation politics seems completely captured by now.
So no, people don’t vote for such things - they vote for parties who turn out to do such things at some point.