We don’t usually publish a blog on a Thursday, but this is a special Thursday so I made an exception.  Yes, it’s the day that we in the UK elect our members of Parliament for another term of office.

And just so I couldn’t be accused of trying to influence how anyone votes, I’ve waited until one minute after the final closing time to publish.  Because, otherwise, I would totally bend you to my will, obviously…

I have two fairly random and disconnected thoughts, but since they touch on matters I’ve blogged on before, I deem them worthy of a flag-up.

First off, as an observation, I have to say that I’ve never heard so much talk about change.  Many of the parties are using change in their election strap-line or motto.

I pass by the interesting questions of whether modern party politics can actually deliver substantial chance, or whether we the people really want much change.  Instead, munch on this law of power from Robert Greene:

Law 45: Preach the Need for Change, but Never Reform too much at Once

Everyone understands the need for change in the abstract, but on the day-to-day level people are creatures of habit.  Too much innovation is traumatic, and will lead to revolt.  If you are new to a position of power, or an outsider trying to build a power base, make a show of respecting the old way of doing things.  If change is necessary, make it feel like a gentle improvement on the past.

My second and final point has to do with the pivotal role TV has played in this election, with a televised ‘debate’ between the three main party leaders for the first time.  I’ve mentioned before my approval of Neil Postman’s insights on the deadly affects of TV on every element of our culture.

But what, specifically, about politics?  Here’s a glimpse.

The point is that television does not reveal who the best man is.  In fact, television makes impossible the determination of who is better than whom, if we mean by “better” such things as more capable in negotiation, more imaginative in executive skill, more knowledgeable about international affairs, more understanding of the interrelationships of economic systems, and so on.  The reason has, almost entirely, to do with “image”…  For on television the politician does not so much offer the audience an image of himself, as offer himself as an image of the audience.

If that is true, what does this election say about us?  I’ve never been a fan of blaming politicians for our national woes, as if they were a separate species from us.  This is a democracy, which means that our politicians represent and reflect us.  They didn’t beam down from the evil planet Zog.  How they act says something about who we are.  This is a democratic burden we have to bear.

So if you want political change, IMHO you should start with yourself.  Stop blaming ‘them’.  Take personal responsibility.

Be the change you want to see in the world.

Voting is not sufficient for political change.  Some might say it’s not even necessary…

Image credit: blogger’s own.