I have a confession. I’m 25 and Saturday is the first time I will vote in a government election. Ever.
I have never registered… And, before you start, don’t bother.
I’ve heard all the arguments. That democracy is a privilege. That women suffragettes fought for me, Caitlin Bishop, personally, to have the right to vote. That I should care more. That I should stop being such a “millennial”… yes, yes and yes.
I know all this, it didn’t make a difference then. I don’t feel guilty now. Let’s move on.
To be completely honest with you, I did not change my mind. I didn’t have an epiphany, or a rush of blood to get to the polling booths.
No, I renewed my license and the NSW government caught up with me. They registered me automatically.
This was, initially, to my annoyance. (I was enjoying being under the radar). Now, however, I’m grateful. Because I am also terrified.
Why? The world, if you haven’t noticed, is slowly fucking itself up.
I didn’t vote when I turned 18 because politics in Australia were more like my primary school playground. All about the personality, hairstyles and onion-eating skills of the people at the helm… Sorry… Did someone say ‘policy’?
Rudd – Gillard – Rudd – Abbot… Like playing pass-the-parcel with bullies and hypocrites, without even a prize at the end.
It felt as though my vote didn’t really count, because the elected PM didn’t stick around for very long – it was more like they were completing a two-year TAFE course in pretending to be PM, before graduating and moving on.
Top Comments
There is nothing wrong with Britain choosing to leave the EU. And it by no means should be equated with 'poor education' and racism. Islam is not a race for starters. This move serves a huge blow to elite controllers of the world - bankers - from taking over and homogenising a large area through one currency (the euro). There is danger in being too left which is being packaged as fashionable - uncontrolled migration will bring in those who genuinely need help and are nice people, but also those who have ill intention. How a country deals with that is up to them and the whole point of a referendum. I can tell you now human trafficking - sex and labour will decrease rapidly. The left movement is good in some areas and idealistic in others.
Yes people thought brexit was going to happen, and Trump had great support early on, it has nothing to do with under education (its ignorant to think university makes you smarter than those who don't go, you just know more about whatever you studied), it has nothing to do with fear or being anti-establishment, these dismissive and offensive generalisations are exactly why these working class people (the majority) are prepared to back Trump, the message to the political class is clear...don't tell us what we want, you work for us.