Election Apathy

"Who are you going to vote for, mummy?" asked my eldest today.
"No one," I had to reply, "I can't vote."

He was quite stunned and well he might be. I might be able to vote in European elections (big deal, I'm sure that's just because the voting numbers are so dismal that they are desperate to involve the bottom of the pilers - foreigners) but I cannot vote in the one that counts. The election to choose the President of the Republic is not for me. I am not French. End of story.

However, the Republic is perfectly happy for me to pay my taxes and social contributions; they insist, in fact, but prevent me from adding my voice to how all my tax euros are to be spent, despite my being part of the happy, inclusive Euro family, as a Brit.

So, I can barely drum up any enthusiasm for the election at all. I have no voice, cannot influence the outcome, so why should I care? I can't do anything about it, there'll probably be no big changes that affect me anyway as there hardly ever are (except the 35hr week - yippee!), so I'm pretty apathetic about Sego and her white jacket, or Sarko and his hyperactive bouncing about.

I'm deeply suspicious of politicians, especially those on election campaigns. We hear words and promises, rallying calls to the population etc. etc. and it's all empty. Empty words, empty promises. The best liar wins. You just have to look at Blair to see how empty his words are, and Gordon Brown is even worse. He's a thieving, lying, manipulative, smug piece of shit, and that's being generous.

Chirac is rotten to the core as was Mitterand. They are all out for themselves; their self-aggrandisement, enrichment and rapacious political ambition come what may. Will Gordon Brown resign over the pensions fiasco? I doubt it. Has his pension or any other minister's been affected by his thieving grab? Yeah, right. He's all right, Jack. Stuff the public, they're all worn down by over-taxation, over-work and excessive surveillance anyway; they won't fuss for long... Slap another tax on them (preferably green to take the moral high ground), that'll shut them up.

A parent would have been proud that their child become Prime Minister, or President in days gone by. Today, politicians have to show such dastardly characteristics that frankly, I hope my two steer well clear of politics.