Vote
with another election quickly approaching us here in Australia, we thought we'd upload this old blog post about voting.
I just did my early vote for the WA state election yesterday and it got me thinking (as I often do) about politics. If you've ever had a conversation with me about politics then you will know how stubborn and passionate I can get when talking about each issue. I don't really have something in particular about politics that I want to talk about in this post, more so voting and politics as a whole, and individual people's interaction with it.
I really do encourage everyone who cares about their city, their state, their country or society in general; to at the very least look into the different political parties, through unbiased sources, and see what they each stand for. Literally just a Wikipedia search is often enough to get a good basic grip on each party or person. I understand that it is overwhelming to a lot of people, that we are kept busy and distracted from even simple thoughts and decisions as these at times. But at least look into where your vote could go, for your kids, for the marginalised or minority members of your community, the teachers and doctors that aren't getting the wages or benefits that they want. Do not waste your vote for selfish reasons, do not vote for a party that does next to nothing, and then bashes other parties for threatening to do something, do not become subject to the venomous bias of various news media outlets, or your friends who have already fallen to these traps. This all sounds quite dramatic but it is very subtle in day to day life. I do not blame the people close to me who have made (what I perceive to be) irrational points about political topics, I know that they have heard it from somewhere else, as have I. It is with that criticism of self, and of information from unprejudiced sources, that you can derive some original opinions. Now this is not to say that you should be questioning everything from the 5G network, to the flu vaccines, and completely trusting an anonymous Q character on the internet who tells you to support a violent racist.
I recommend establishing a general moral baseline of what is important to you and how you want to interact within the world, and then applying this framework to the deciphering of political agendas, making sure as to not get bogged down in topics that require more reading or research unless you have the time for it. A general kind of moral baseline that I use for myself; I more or less want equal opportunities for all people, no matter where they were born or who they are. This translates into; access to education, water, food, shelter, fair work, and immigration. Another thing that I care a lot for is the preservation of the earth, and the reduction of suffering. This translates to a lot of things politically; climate change policies, renewable energy, recycling, sustainable materials and foods. The prevention of violence, physical or mental abuse against each other and animals, forced labour, and abusive conditions in the workplace. Assistance for those struggling without a job or with any disorders or disabilities, and assistance for those who are socially marginalised for factors such as their race, gender, or status.
All of these thoughts can go further into real life policy examples, but that would be an extremely long blog post to both read, and write. Simply establishing your own baseline of morals greatly helps you to participate more productively within the world of politics, as well as helping you to understand how your community is affected by each party or individual/personal decision. Voting is not the be all and end all though, in my mind it is the easiest way to have a very direct impact on society, but other actions could also include; speaking to local politicians, emailing them, asking them questions, attending protests relevant to your values, spreading awareness through conversations, helping to better your own community through direct action, volunteering, giving to charity, working in public office, or working in other fields for the benefit of your community/society at large. You might even consider the impact of your purchasing power; where and how products are made, the environmental impact of the production of those items or supply chains, the working conditions for employees of those companies, tax evading businesses, animal cruelty practices, etc, etc. This is just one way to empower yourself to redirect your funds to more ethical choices that you might align with.
A bit of a random blog post today, but it was nice to write about something that isn't a horror novel. If you want to talk about any of these subjects further then I am often interested in such conversations, here are my socials and thank you kindly for reading this far.