Sorry Olivia...I'm voting Green.
Well, here in Canada it's election day. Now for those of you who follow my blog, you will know that historically, I vote NDP. For those of you who know me personally, you've probably seen the big orange NDP sign in front of my house. Here's the thing: This year, I think I'm voting Green.
Recently I recieved an email from a friend, also an NDP-er, explaining why this year, we should vote Green. She argued that the great thing about the Green party is that their platform addresses non-environmental things like budgets, health-care, education, etc...through the lens of the environment. She ended her argument with a quote from Kermit the Frog, a timeless hero of the Green persuasion. I've been giving it a lot of thought, and I agree with her.
Look- I'm not really the granola-treehugger-type, but I recognize that the rate at which we are damaging our environment is exponentially faster than the rate that we're fixing it. This scares me. I'm thinking that the only way that we as a species will avert self-destruction through environmental damage is if we undergo an absolute paradigm shift. When you examine the other party platforms, the environement may or may not factor as an issue. What is certain is that no party other than Green will stake their name on their environmental policies.
Here's the thing: my vote is worth $1.75 to the party that I vote for. In 2004, the Greens won 582 247 votes, which meant $1,018,932.25 towards their budget. If this paradigm shift is going to happen, the Green party will need a lot more money and votes than that.
My vote is my way of making that happen.
posted by Emma Jo Aiken-Klar, PhD at 11:46 AM
2 Comments:
Good entry, but i respectively disagree with your analysis. The Green party has no hope of winning in your riding, but Olivia does. The NDP has a strong environmental platform, including mandatory regulations on big emitters. By helping to elect Olivia, you are taking the country one step closer to real environmental progress, as opposed to giving the Greens $1.75 to preach from the alleyways. Voting Green might feel iconoclastic, but it really just delays what you argue is necessary: an environmental paradigm shift. Without a seat in the HoC, they are just another well-intentioned interest group. So think twice, vote once.
personally, i think we should change the way we vote, and model it after the reality tv show "survivor".
everyone should vote for the party they hate the most, ie. vote them OUT of the house of commons. that way, whoever has the least votes wins the riding.
first of all, this method subscribes to the fact that most canadians find it easier to decide who they DON'T want in power, than who they do want. second, it would be a lot harder for people to vote strategically, or to encourage other people to vote strategically. no offence, rebbe.
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