When, as a person of the female persuasion, you have reached the height of five feet seven inches by the age of 12, you tend not to spend your teens tottering around in heels, as it just makes you too tall (unless you are the prescribed person to get served in the off licence, as I generally was, in which case it's quite useful) - and it's a habit that tends to stick: now standing at five feet eight inches tall (I bizarrely grew another inch when I was 23), I rarely wear shoes with a heel...
Well done, Miri (and Jonathan and all the others). One despairs over the non-voters. Here in London, we’ve got Sadiq Khan back again which is utterly depressing. I did my best: voted for independents where possible, the Heritage party in one case (London-wide Assrmbly) and spoiled one ballot paper.
(BTW, Miri, I am 5’11” and have never felt brave enough to wear high heels. 5’7” is nothing - what I wouldn’t have given to be that small when I was in my 20s! Now in my mid-70s I am used to being tall, though amazingly I have seemingly shrunk 2”, which is not all good!)
Thank you, Priscilla! And glad to hear you had some genuine representatives at least.
Yes, I was quite happy with my height by my twenties (and indeed pleased to grow an inch!), it was just in my earlier teens whilst heel-wearing habits were being established that it was a problem.... And I might suggest that, even at 5'11", one might still be tempted to wear heels at an electoral count! (It's hard for the other candidates to look down their noses at you when you are literally taller than them...)
I’m still more often than not taller than the people around me, especially if I pull myself up as much as possible! I’ve always had people asking me to get them stuff off the top shelves in supermarkets etc!! Take care!
Many thanks for the mention Miri and I applaud you for being politically active. I've become more distant from most of my lifelong friends since I 'came out' as being a conspiracy theorist, and posted various alternative views and information on FakeBook. In fact I've definitely become more distant from them since the fake global arm spear event.
But more positively, I've started to connect more with free thinking people on a deeper level. It's amazing how I can be more genuine, honest and have decent meaningful conversations that don't involve celebrities, sports ball or the latest current social media trend.
I definitely feel more inner peace since kind of walking away from all the nonsense of clown world. Instead of pretending to enjoy the company of friends I've outgrown, I now make time to learn, read, question reality and to aim for personal growth to try be the best version of me. I feel like I've now got a pair of the shade's to see through all the BS, just like the main character has in the brilliant 80's film 'They Live'.
Thank you, James, and I'm very glad to hear you've made such positive progress since "coming out". It's a challenging journey as we all know, but well worth it!
Hi Miri, sorry for the translation but I'm using google.
I read you often and I wanted to give you my sincere compliments! I am often in total agreement with your theses, but this time I am the antithesis.
I have always voted since I had the right to do so and it has been 40 years now.
This year I won't vote in the European or regional elections (maybe I'll vote in the municipal elections).
In Italy there are no independents... the trap of alternating left and right without an alternative appears simply as a semblance of democracy in the real absence of democracy. Here, right and left are today like two butlers with different colors of livery but equally intent on meekly serving the capitalist master without borders. Added to this, in the specific case of the upcoming European elections, are the multiple falsely anti-systemic parties, good only for reinforcing the false opinion of the democracy of the neo-liberal oligarchy and carrying out the well-known gatekeeping function.
On this occasion and for the first time in my life, I therefore embrace Adorno's acute observation, according to which sometimes freedom of choice does not lie in choosing between A and B, but in escaping this manipulated choice.
I hope that the voting percentages, especially in the European elections, will highlight to the manipulators that they no longer represent anyone and that the people are hunting them... after this miserable satisfaction, I will work to create real conditions for democratic choice both by promoting true independent parties that to promote referendums to change our ignoble electoral law... the road is long, but we will make it! strength and courage!
Thanks for sharing all of this Miri. I appreciate it and it’s good to know how things went for you (and the others mentioned) as well as hear about your experiences. I’ve always voted and believe it’s important to - it may never have made a difference but if it’s the one thing I can do (it obviously isn’t but you get my meaning), then I’ll do it. I have spoiled my ballot a couple of times and may well do so in the upcoming election. I enjoyed reading this and as the years go by I hope your support continues to grow.
No promises, as I am really torn on this subject, especially as I have previously worked in the Local Government sector, and in my many years working for several different councils, nothing ever seemed to function from within the so-called authorities lest 'The Leader' sanctioned it.
I'm in Birmingham. I fully agree that one should turn out to vote, even if to spoil the ballot. In this year's Police and Crime Commissioner (lol) and Mayoral elections I felt that I had no choice but to spoil both ballots after ruminating on the candidates. None of them addressed the hot-button elephant-in-the-room issues that would concern an Englishman. No quality independents and voting Reform is just not something I could bring myself to do.
It was typical how, in the mayoral candidates brochure, how the first candidate you see (Akhmed) was more interested in halal funeral procedures (link below) and leveraging gaza/palestine. What's more worrying is that this clown came third.
Shockingly, for Birmingham, the mayoral candidate turnout was a dismal 29%. I also had to update my own knowledge that Birmingham now has an electorate of 2,018,546 (I've been telling folk for ages that Birmingham has about 1.2 million people - so the increase has even shocked me) and only 601,828 ballot papers were issued last Thursday. Folk clearly don't give a rats ass, although the Labour candidate 'won'. What a mess.
Very well argued piece, but quite incomplete and a bit misleading. Not on purpose I am sure, but because of the common misconception of what democracy is and what is democratic and what is not.
This is not to devalue completely the current "democratic" institutions in place in the west, as they do have some democratic value and meaning, but it is important to acknowledge them for what they actually are so that the path to real democracy can be pursued. I am quoting from a similar comment I posted in a substack article by ICENI Spartacus ( https://iceni.substack.com/p/spartacast-04 ):
Another excellent article by Spartacus, thank you from the bottom of my heart! It has been dutifully forwarded!
One point of criticism. You define democracy in a wrongful way, the way the elites you are talking about have been painstakingly trying for centuries to convince us that it is. Elections and representational systems are not democratic, they are quite the opposite and inescapably lead to a technocracy, a government of the supposed "experts".
I forgot to point out in my post what is the point of all this criticism.
The point is, and it is quite important, that the only way for the people to avoid to be manipulated and governed by a secret cabal with its subversive methods, aka all the things that you Miri are talking about in your writings, is with a real democracy were everything is in the light, no secrecy of any kind is allowed in public affairs, and the institutions themselves prevent by design any manipulation and are as fair as it can be humanly conceived.
This is why, to me at least, anyone who aspires to my vote through the current western oligarchical representational system of governance, will have to commit beforehand to serious democratic reformations and controls, and he must be convincing by implementing those inside his own political organization.
In any other case you choose to play their game, in their pitch, with their rules, their referees and with no actual plan and practices to transform it. Good luck with that, but not with me as an accomplice.
Very well argued and persuasive Miri. I wasn't going to bother voting this year - feel like I have to now! 😄
Thank you, John! That's really good to hear :)
Well done, Miri (and Jonathan and all the others). One despairs over the non-voters. Here in London, we’ve got Sadiq Khan back again which is utterly depressing. I did my best: voted for independents where possible, the Heritage party in one case (London-wide Assrmbly) and spoiled one ballot paper.
(BTW, Miri, I am 5’11” and have never felt brave enough to wear high heels. 5’7” is nothing - what I wouldn’t have given to be that small when I was in my 20s! Now in my mid-70s I am used to being tall, though amazingly I have seemingly shrunk 2”, which is not all good!)
Thank you, Priscilla! And glad to hear you had some genuine representatives at least.
Yes, I was quite happy with my height by my twenties (and indeed pleased to grow an inch!), it was just in my earlier teens whilst heel-wearing habits were being established that it was a problem.... And I might suggest that, even at 5'11", one might still be tempted to wear heels at an electoral count! (It's hard for the other candidates to look down their noses at you when you are literally taller than them...)
I’m still more often than not taller than the people around me, especially if I pull myself up as much as possible! I’ve always had people asking me to get them stuff off the top shelves in supermarkets etc!! Take care!
Many thanks for the mention Miri and I applaud you for being politically active. I've become more distant from most of my lifelong friends since I 'came out' as being a conspiracy theorist, and posted various alternative views and information on FakeBook. In fact I've definitely become more distant from them since the fake global arm spear event.
But more positively, I've started to connect more with free thinking people on a deeper level. It's amazing how I can be more genuine, honest and have decent meaningful conversations that don't involve celebrities, sports ball or the latest current social media trend.
I definitely feel more inner peace since kind of walking away from all the nonsense of clown world. Instead of pretending to enjoy the company of friends I've outgrown, I now make time to learn, read, question reality and to aim for personal growth to try be the best version of me. I feel like I've now got a pair of the shade's to see through all the BS, just like the main character has in the brilliant 80's film 'They Live'.
Thank you, James, and I'm very glad to hear you've made such positive progress since "coming out". It's a challenging journey as we all know, but well worth it!
Hi Miri, sorry for the translation but I'm using google.
I read you often and I wanted to give you my sincere compliments! I am often in total agreement with your theses, but this time I am the antithesis.
I have always voted since I had the right to do so and it has been 40 years now.
This year I won't vote in the European or regional elections (maybe I'll vote in the municipal elections).
In Italy there are no independents... the trap of alternating left and right without an alternative appears simply as a semblance of democracy in the real absence of democracy. Here, right and left are today like two butlers with different colors of livery but equally intent on meekly serving the capitalist master without borders. Added to this, in the specific case of the upcoming European elections, are the multiple falsely anti-systemic parties, good only for reinforcing the false opinion of the democracy of the neo-liberal oligarchy and carrying out the well-known gatekeeping function.
On this occasion and for the first time in my life, I therefore embrace Adorno's acute observation, according to which sometimes freedom of choice does not lie in choosing between A and B, but in escaping this manipulated choice.
I hope that the voting percentages, especially in the European elections, will highlight to the manipulators that they no longer represent anyone and that the people are hunting them... after this miserable satisfaction, I will work to create real conditions for democratic choice both by promoting true independent parties that to promote referendums to change our ignoble electoral law... the road is long, but we will make it! strength and courage!
Thanks for your commitment.
Grazie Carlo e in bocca al lupo a te!
Thanks for sharing all of this Miri. I appreciate it and it’s good to know how things went for you (and the others mentioned) as well as hear about your experiences. I’ve always voted and believe it’s important to - it may never have made a difference but if it’s the one thing I can do (it obviously isn’t but you get my meaning), then I’ll do it. I have spoiled my ballot a couple of times and may well do so in the upcoming election. I enjoyed reading this and as the years go by I hope your support continues to grow.
Thanks very much, Gareth!
Thanks Miri, I will now be reconsidering my position after reading this excellent article.
Thank you, Philip, that's really good to hear!
No promises, as I am really torn on this subject, especially as I have previously worked in the Local Government sector, and in my many years working for several different councils, nothing ever seemed to function from within the so-called authorities lest 'The Leader' sanctioned it.
I'm in Birmingham. I fully agree that one should turn out to vote, even if to spoil the ballot. In this year's Police and Crime Commissioner (lol) and Mayoral elections I felt that I had no choice but to spoil both ballots after ruminating on the candidates. None of them addressed the hot-button elephant-in-the-room issues that would concern an Englishman. No quality independents and voting Reform is just not something I could bring myself to do.
It was typical how, in the mayoral candidates brochure, how the first candidate you see (Akhmed) was more interested in halal funeral procedures (link below) and leveraging gaza/palestine. What's more worrying is that this clown came third.
Shockingly, for Birmingham, the mayoral candidate turnout was a dismal 29%. I also had to update my own knowledge that Birmingham now has an electorate of 2,018,546 (I've been telling folk for ages that Birmingham has about 1.2 million people - so the increase has even shocked me) and only 601,828 ballot papers were issued last Thursday. Folk clearly don't give a rats ass, although the Labour candidate 'won'. What a mess.
https://whocanivotefor.co.uk/elections/mayor.west-midlands.2024-05-02/
Thanks Heatland, interesting if dispiriting observations and I entirely share your frustrations!
Hi Miri and thank you for the great work!
Very well argued piece, but quite incomplete and a bit misleading. Not on purpose I am sure, but because of the common misconception of what democracy is and what is democratic and what is not.
This is not to devalue completely the current "democratic" institutions in place in the west, as they do have some democratic value and meaning, but it is important to acknowledge them for what they actually are so that the path to real democracy can be pursued. I am quoting from a similar comment I posted in a substack article by ICENI Spartacus ( https://iceni.substack.com/p/spartacast-04 ):
Another excellent article by Spartacus, thank you from the bottom of my heart! It has been dutifully forwarded!
One point of criticism. You define democracy in a wrongful way, the way the elites you are talking about have been painstakingly trying for centuries to convince us that it is. Elections and representational systems are not democratic, they are quite the opposite and inescapably lead to a technocracy, a government of the supposed "experts".
I expand a bit on this in this article: https://off-guardian.org/2020/09/18/we-do-not-live-in-a-true-democracy/
But I strongly suggest you to read the article I am referencing in there, since you have obviously a more philosophical inclination: https://www.inclusivedemocracy.org/journal/pdf%20files/pdf%20vol2/Plato%20and%20Castoriadis.pdf as well as the works of Cornelius Castoriadis, you can find some of it translated in English here: https://www.agorainternational.org/
Thanks again!
I forgot to point out in my post what is the point of all this criticism.
The point is, and it is quite important, that the only way for the people to avoid to be manipulated and governed by a secret cabal with its subversive methods, aka all the things that you Miri are talking about in your writings, is with a real democracy were everything is in the light, no secrecy of any kind is allowed in public affairs, and the institutions themselves prevent by design any manipulation and are as fair as it can be humanly conceived.
This is why, to me at least, anyone who aspires to my vote through the current western oligarchical representational system of governance, will have to commit beforehand to serious democratic reformations and controls, and he must be convincing by implementing those inside his own political organization.
In any other case you choose to play their game, in their pitch, with their rules, their referees and with no actual plan and practices to transform it. Good luck with that, but not with me as an accomplice.