After Live 8 this weekend and all the posts about the G8, why is that people can support issues but don't want to get involved in conventional politics and remain apathetic to elections?

Does anyone get invloved unless they encounter a problem:confused:

Conventional politics will never hold the allure of an event like Live 8 for the simple reason that the latter is an exciting package filled with popular music and revered celebrities making empassioned pleas to the masses; the former is far more grounded in the mundane and anything but glamerous due to the fact that it's concerned with real world politics and the nitty gritty of running a whole country.

And while we have Anne Widdecombe wandering about the corridors of Whitehall, politics will never be sexy!:gag: :gag: :gag:

People dont get involved in politics because it is a waste of time; people with clout dont want to know; public and private sector just steamroller around without a care in the world. They know the laws we have pay lip service. It has absolutely nothing to do with Anne Widdecombe wondering around the Palace of Westminster. In fact if you listen to what she's got to say it can occasionally make sense which is more than I'd say for our Sheffield council officials.

Politics can be sexy, like when La Cicciolina (http://www.rotten.com/library/bio/entertainers/actors/cicciolina/) was elected as an Italian MP.

The ironic point is that if more people did get invloved and put pressure on our politicians to work with them in positive as well as negative aspects of society surely we would get more done - our system of government can only work if we all contribute.

Its ok to sit and criticise the council but if we don't vote during local elections then we miss out on being able to shape the direction that Sheffield is going to head in.

Perhaps if we had an electoral system that was not ridiculously bias more people could get involved, e.g are we being hindered by first past the post and would P.R make any difference?

All the posts about beggars and asylum seekers generate massive threads but is that all we want to do - sit back and talk?

I agree with Harris' point, dissatisfaction should not lead to apathy come election time; indeed, the best means for the dissatisfied members of the electorate to try and effect change is by voting.

I think politics can be "sexy", if only there was better education about it. Yes, Live 8 brought some issues to the forefront, but it scares me that the only understanding of politics some people have (bar occassional huge events like Live 8) comes from reading the Daily Mail. There should be much more information given in schools about politics, IMO, that way we can all have an awareness from an early age and would thus feel more passionate and inclined to vote/participate.

Until politicians become sexier (or at least human) politics will remain boring. In this country the aim seems to be as un-controversial as possible, to the point where no-one cares what you say anymore.

We should have fighting and shouting and name-calling in the Commons like they do in other countries, where people seem to have a bit of passion about the subject being debated.

It's not the case that politics is boring or sexy. It's that people with power, ie clout, often seem to believe they can act as if the people without power just dont count. WHen did you last listen to Question Time. It's an absolute shambles all they do is shout, insult each other and generally try to defend their pitch

Originally posted by wendygs
It has absolutely nothing to do with Anne Widdecombe wondering around the Palace of Westminster. In fact if you listen to what she's got to say it can occasionally make sense which is more than I'd say for our Sheffield council officials.
Sheesh...I was just having a laugh at Doris Carloff's expense as an aside after having offered a perfectly lucid answer to the original question, lighten up!

BTW: There are quotes from the lips of Hitler that make sense, but that doesn't mean that I'm about to become an apologist for the Third Reich...Tory I am not!:hihi:

I like Anne Widdecombe - what's wrong with her

Originally posted by wendygs
I like Anne Widdecombe - what's wrong with her
If you're on the right of the political landscape, there's nothing to dislike.

If on the other hand you're more left-of-centre (as I am), then you're not going to accord her much political support.

I think people have become alienated from politics today because the major political parties and the issues they seem to perceive as important have become ever-more removed from the real-life concerns of most people.

The world has moved on from the 1970s and 80s, but the concerns of the British political parties have hardly changed. Their petty bickerings seem largely irrelevant in today's world. The issues that are of growing importance to people are by and large, WORLD issues, which are by their nature beyond the capabilities of national politicians to solve.

The issues that increasingly matter to people are essentially global in nature, and can only be realistically tackled at international level. The power of national governments to control the effects of international forces on individual countries has been seriously reduced with globalisation.

To put it simply, the power of British politicians to control or even have a major effect on issues affecting the future of our country and world are strictly limited - and the people know this.

StarSparkle

Just one name associated with politics should suffice:

Andrew Marr.

A likeable bloke but most certainly not an oil painting.

However, just the mention of the name John Prescott is enough to put me off sex, never mind politics for the rest of my life.

And the Prime Minister's 'other half'? She looks like a fly that's been squatted and splattered against a window. Still, mantel-pieces and poking fires and all that eh?

Hehehe I remember when I was at uni in the South, Ann Widdecombe was up in arms at the plans to open an Ann Summers store in Maidstone (it DID open)... I suppose maybe then the "issues" aren't always palatable to all, but the bare fact of it is things like taxes, interest rates, healthcare- whilst not being "sexy"- affect us all (or will do at some point), so we should take more of an interest

Carmine, please dont make assumptions about my politics or the position I take. I just think Anne Widdecombe has some interesting things to say some of the time which is not my view of Robin Cook's extra-marital activities etc and I totally agree with Kookykoo's concerns

I aggree with Star Sparkle that the big issues are increasingly global in nature and as such national government seems ill equipped to make a difference, especially when progress on climate change is blocked because it doesn't fit the economic interests of the worlds only superpower.

However what we have to consider is that for the majority of people politics is local - the important issues are transport and school and whether the bins are being collected.

We might not be able to reduce carbon dioxide emissions without global consensus but we could start pushing the council to work harder on getting a better wheelie bin recycling scheme than the 'blue bin'!


We also talk about politicians as if they are distinct from us but politicians still have to ****, shower and shave! *(Sorry to be crude) They might not always be sexy (well generally not to be fair!) but they are still part of society ....perhaps even on the board now!!:o

It must be or why would so many MP's get caught out.

Originally posted by harris
After Live 8 this weekend and all the posts about the G8, why is that people can support issues but don't want to get involved in conventional politics and remain apathetic to elections?

Does anyone get invloved unless they encounter a problem:confused:

But were the people who went to Live8 really involved or did they, for the most, just go to a pop concert?

Is it really enough to show your support by going to the said concert when real politics ie elected governments are the ones who can make a real difference.

Originally posted by harris
After Live 8 this weekend and all the posts about the G8, why is that people can support issues but don't want to get involved in conventional politics and remain apathetic to elections?

Does anyone get invloved unless they encounter a problem:confused:

people don't get involved in converntial politics as:

a:: its not cool. You wont get a big pop concert or a wristband or 12 pages of tabloid coverage about an issue.

b: It takes effort to understand issues properly. Who has time for effort when you have soaps and Big Brother.



Policiticans are not meant to be sexy. Who cares how cool or sexy they are as long as they make the country a better place.

Lol you ought to come to a BNP meeting,we have some VERY SEXY members,so to answer your question, yes politics can be sexy.:hihi:

Originally posted by royjames
Lol you ought to come to a BNP meeting,we have some VERY SEXY members,so to answer your question, yes politics can be sexy.:hihi:

is that the joint BNP/Ann Summer's parties you've ben having? :D

lol how did you know.:heyhey:

I saw you in a pair of stockings wandering down Fargate ;)

hehe sugar you sussed me out.:hihi:

Was life any better before soaps and big brother, ie did we have a more caring and constructive approach to things and if so how could we have had documentaries such as "Kathy Come Home" about the homeless crisis less than 40 years ago?

Originally posted by wendygs
Was life any better before soaps and big brother, ie did we have a more caring and constructive approach to things and if so how could we have had documentaries such as "Kathy Come Home" about the homeless crisis less than 40 years ago?

at least people used to look out for others and there was a sense of community. Nowardays a lot of people don't know who their neighbours are.

I'm just trying to point out that people find it easier to sit and watch mindless drivel than to actually think.

lazyiness is everywhere.

I agree with you robbie; it's a sad reflection that for all this talk of progress it does seem there is little community spirit around any more. I also agree that it does seem that people prefer to watch mindless drivel than think about things. I wonder what you suggest we could do to change things a little bit for the better?

don't say it. Big Brother with Politicians. The winner gets to stand for a seat.

you wait.

Dont understand what you mean. Please explain - by the way I am one of those very out of touch people without a tele

Big Brother- several highly obnoxious people in a house and one gets voted out every week 9and then they add others:confused: )the winned gets 70k and ends up on daytime tv

Political BB™ (. 8 prespective politicians in one house. One gets voted out every week and the winner gets to stand for a parliamentary seat.

Thanks, we should be so lucky :clap: :D :thumbsup: from which yoy may wish to assume I dont have much time for politicians. But being more serious what could we do to improve things for ourselves?

I have no time for Politicians either, they're all merchant bankers IMO... :rant:

Right now we've sacked the lot what do we do without them?

In response to Robbie's post I agree that politicians shouldn't have to be sexy, and politics doesn't have to be cool but is it because it isn't sexy and cool that people don't want to be involved?

Have we all dumbed down so much that all we can talk about is Big Brother and Celebrity Love Island?

I think that people do still care about local and global issues, maybe the problem is that they don't know how to get involved and do their own part to make a difference?

By the way - Big Brother with politicans... ITV did do a version before the elections where they supported a candidate to run but the candidate was chosen by viewers - don't think they had Davina Mcall though!

You have mentioned BB and Celebrity Love Island, the current Tory in the BB house they are now trying to get as Tory leader as he is in touch with the youth.

He can't be any worse than they already have.

Cheers
beighton

Have to admit that of the lot in the house at the moment, I do quite like Dereck the tory - but could you ever see him as Prime Minister??? Also since he isn't actually an MP no chance that he could even stand.


Definately agree though as he can't be any worse than the lot they have got!

Does anyone think that Blair is charasmatic?

Are you joking or what? Tony Blair charismatic. No chance.

Our health service is up the spout; transparency doesnt exist; everyone's busy covering their back, pointing the finger in all other directions and saying "not me gov"

Customer Services or Complaints Procedures are overburdened and poorly administrated with far too much emphasis on plastering the cracks and glossing over the truth.