Comments on: What Happens Beyond the Ballot Box?

By: Justin Foxton

Justin Foxton — Thu, 30 May 2019 07:47:38 +0000

In reply to kim. I agree with this Kim. The system is what is failing people. I get a sense that something new is on the verge of being born globally...

By: Justin Foxton

Justin Foxton — Thu, 30 May 2019 07:46:03 +0000

In reply to Tino Stefano.

Tino, I so appreciate your thinking on this matter. I feel very similar to you in that I am questioning deeply the economic and political systems we live within. And as we delve deeper into our spiritual selves and how that manifests in the physical world, it all seems to make less and less sense. There seems to be emerging a great discontent with current realities. This is clearly necessary for change. We must trust that we are in a liminal space in all areas – and that this is painful but necessary. I agree – pick up that litter!

By: Tino Stefano

Tino Stefano — Fri, 17 May 2019 21:22:52 +0000

Many thanks for your thoughts, Justin. Love the fluidity of your thinking. While there are lots of counter arguments, many of which I too once made, I no longer vote. Not that I put myself in the gatvol category of having had enough of the shenanigans of political parties and players etc. It’s the political system of divisiveness that I choose to no longer support. I just cannot see any real solutions coming out of political systems based, as all of them are, in “us” and “them” oppositional thinking. All the talk of divides in the world, between nations and within nations, and in all sorts of ways, is just not true. Vain and evil imagination, as it was put. Humanity is one nation under God and sadly it seems human beings won’t, or can’t, accept that – yet. But that day will come when we set aside the nonsense of imagining we’re separate from others. So I choose to focus on the essential goodness in everyone, whether it be evident or not, and do whatever I can in the moment that moves me, and by extension humanity, forward to living in the beautiful world our hearts know is possible. And if that takes picking up one piece of litter at a time, so be it.

By: kim

kim — Fri, 17 May 2019 14:24:34 +0000

Hi Justin, thanks for another thought provoking article.
I read somewhere that the spoilt votes were the 6th largest block of votes this year – ahead of 42 other so called parties! And yes, the 9 million registered abstainers represents a massive degree of disillusionment with the political system in total and probably the ruling party in particular.
Yes, we can remain contributory citizens as you suggest, but surely the bigger issue is how we address reform of the system such that the electorate feel their vote results in some tangible form of accountability, which is surely the reason underlying the abstentions and the spoilt votes. People are seeing a highly frustrating disconnect between the encouragement to vote/ be democratic and the self centred actions of politicians in the ensuing 5yrs – “why should i vote?” is the right response, until the system changes .