Elections and Such

Let's consider the recent BC election. The long-awaited contest between Liberals and New Democrats. For all intents and purposes, it seemed to me that the NDP would win (despite those all-too-common opinion polls that claimed the reverse). For 4 years, Gordon Campbell increased taxes, cut healthcare and education spending, managed to offend large groups of people with his policies, and even had an arrest for drunk driving just to ice the cake. All of a sudden, he's voted back into office.

WHAT?!

Although I can't say that I am surprised. For several reasons. People are afraid of the NDP. They think that voting for them is a vote towards communism (seriously!). Secondly, all those money watchers... Recently I had a conversation with my manager at work regarding who we were voting for (I currently work in retail). He started to get down right agitated when I told him I vote NDP-not that I totally agree with them either, but I find them the lesser of the two evils. My manager started fuming and spouting the classic "But our economy is number one in Canada, and that is the way it should be....etc. etc." Two things in response to this: of course the budget is balanced in BC- that's what happens when you increase your intake by upping taxes, cutting education and healthcare spending and partially privatizing some crown corporations. Then right before the election, drop the extra tax, proclaim "Our budget is balanced. What a good job the Liberals have done!" and wait for the votes to roll in. Secondly, what short sight we have... Sure, BC's economy is doing well. For now. What happens after a period of economic boom??

BUST!

Maybe it's a blessing that the Liberals were voted in again. Maybe the bust will happen while they're in power, and scare the public into voting NDP next time... Although, what am I saying? It's not like the NDP's last term in office was all that successful either.

Don't get me wrong... I'm not a raging socialist or anything. However I do believe that the economy is not the be all and end all of mankind. In fact, in my opinion, it may be our downfall... but that's another issue altogether ;) I feel that we in the "Western World" are making a grave mistake, and voting parties like the Liberals under Gordon Campbell into power is only locking us into a irreversible (or difficult to reverse) downward spiral towards the ultimate demise of society.

Did I just lose you (if anyone is reading this...hehehe)? Probably... It has taken me 4 years of formal education plus 2 years of travel and self-exploration to reach conclusions about the world, and even those conclusions I have reached are tenuous at best.... I don't feel like I really have any answers...

Anyways, I will be watching the next 4 years of BC politics with a close eye. Maybe the most important 4 years in recent history? Only time will tell....