We Can't Solve Problems at the End of a Gun

http://www.bristol247.com/2010/04/23/we-cant-solve-wars-at-end-of-gunpoint-says-labour-candidate/

Facebook Election

It comes round as often as a leap year birthday and is anticipated like your mother-in-law's annual visit. It's the free-for-all for the next General Election. In one month the British public will be drawing curtains and crosses to decide the fate of the small island for the next 4 years. It's the same old story, Labour and Conservative stand at each end of the playground slinging mud and insults blaming the other for who started it, while Lib Dem stands in the corner sucking its thumb scrabbling at the tit-bits the bigger boys just couldn't hold on to.

It's a grim prospect for anyone to pick up the gauntlet and I don't envy anyone that takes the challenge of leading Britain out of recession. The stakes are high and I think both parties realise that no matter how well things go there will always be some resentment for the things they didn't achieve. You only have to look at the state of Blair when he stepped down to know that this is a stressful occupation for one man. Heavy is the head that wears the crown. So why not lighten the load a little?

Like a blue moon, the British public are coerced out of the darkness and into the political limelight once every 4 years to have a voice, or a pencil mark. Then they retreat gracefully to their houses for the next 4 years to bitch about how they voted for the 'other' party. It seems the public are only given lip service for the way our country is run, relinquishing responsibility to near strangers. Sure Cameron's got a pretty face and he seems like he could be good laugh down the pub, but is that really enough of an excuse to feel comfortable with him running our country? I mean, would you trust him with your house keys, you're girlfriend?

The internet has brought us more than just one-click satisfaction and ether pirates; it's brought us closer together giving people the strength in numbers to build entire armies from their living rooms. Now paradoxically, being alone can be as lonely as being in a room full of people, provided you have your laptop by your side. Want to start a revolution? There's a website for that too. thepetitionsite.com is for all budding activists looking for any kind of support for change. Simply state your cause and the amount of signatures you require and wait for the revolution to begin. Simple.

It's not just pseudo-anarchists that are getting on the social-networking bandwagon, there are infinite amounts of forums and network sites geared towards any kind of information sharing and advice giving. From childcare, to restaurants in Hackney, it seems that we're giving and taking advice wherever we can. No longer are we looking to the paid 'professionals' for the gospel on what's right, we're listening to each other. Microsoft spend billions on research and development for their new editions to windows, yet Linux, which is completely open source has heralded more success and is used by companies and industries all over the world.

So what about implementing this ethos to running the country? Why is it that just one paid professional is employed to make the decisions that rightly affect a whole nation of people? Is Gordon Brown so righteous that he can't take a suggestion from Phill in Stoke about how to handle the budget crisis? Forums and social networking sites have proven themselves to be a wealth of information that are self monitored and collated by anyone that feels they have had direct experience with the subject at hand. Who better to discuss the decisions on how to best adopt policy than the people the policies are affecting directly?

Fortunately this public cry to be heard has reached the ears of more than just ether-extremists. Mysociety.org, an open-sourced democracy and transparency website advertising over 200,000 British member have amended over 19,000 laws and policies by signing their names to the website. Conservative MP George Osborne has also jumped on board offering transparency and open lines of communication to the public.

This cultural shift in placing more power and responsibility to the public will hopefully have the same effect as it has in other areas where people are to make their own decisions. It's an empowering feeling to know that you as an individual has a voice and it will be heard. Are we looking at a whole new way to manage governmental policy where everyone has an input and they don't ask you to stand down because you've said something that doesn't fall in line with the zeitgeist? Watch this space.