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Anarchist Group asks ‘Why bother voting?’

category national | politics / elections | press release author Wednesday June 03, 2009 15:11author by Workers Solidarity Movement Report this post to the editors

Anarchist organisation, Workers Solidarity Movement (WSM), has claimed that voting in Friday’s local, European and by-elections is a waste of time.

Anarchist Group asks ‘Why bother voting?’

Anarchist organisation, Workers Solidarity Movement (WSM), has claimed that voting in Friday’s local, European and by-elections is a waste of time.

Claiming that it is impossible to bring about any meaningful change in society through the electoral process, WSM’s national secretary Gavin Gleeson said ‘The top 1% of the Irish population owns 20% of the wealth. This will still be the case no matter who gets elected.”

“All of the main political parties have economic policies that are virtually identical,” Gleeson continued. “None of them has any intention of doing anything about the huge gap in wealth. And even those parties on the left who claim to be in favour of wealth re-distribution know that it is impossible to do so without a fundamental shift in the power relationships that currently exist. Worldwide, the shots are called by big business and the wealthy elite – and they’re not going to give up their privileged position just because the rest of us vote for them to do so.”

“What is important is not who is elected to govern us but how governable we allow ourselves to be. If we are to bring about real change, we need to organise for that change.”

The Workers Solidarity Movement has produced a series of stickers and posters with their anti-election message which are downloadable from their website www.wsm.ie. Among the slogans featured on the stickers and posters are ‘If elections changed anything, they’d be made illegal’ and ‘You don’t need an election to tell who really runs this country’.

“It’s clear we have an extremely unpopular government,” Gleeson concluded. “But rather than electing a different crowd of politicians to rule over us, we’d prefer to see people getting involved in campaigns and protests against government policy, and taking back some of the power over our own lives. Direct Action is what’s needed, not meaningless elections."

ENDS

For further information contact Workers Solidarity Movement National Secretary Gavin Gleeson on 085 1368737.

Note: The Workers Solidarity Movement is an anarchist organisation with branches in Dublin, Belfast and Cork and members in several other areas around Ireland. WSM produces a bi-monthly newspaper ‘Workers Solidarity’, distributing 10,000 of each issue, and a magazine ‘Red & Black Revolution’. WSM members are active in a wide range of trade union and community campaigns. Visit our website www.wsm.ie to find out more about us.

Related Link: http://www.wsm.ie

 #   Title   Author   Date 
   Direct Action vs Elected Representation - have both . . .     Ishmael Lemass    Wed Jun 03, 2009 17:52 
   sad     voter    Wed Jun 03, 2009 18:13 
   if you had voted Green rather than PD the last time you almost did something about Chewing Gum.     Susan Boyle    Wed Jun 03, 2009 22:05 
   .     Conor    Wed Jun 03, 2009 22:42 
   Joint statement by European anarchist communist organisations     Soundmigration    Wed Jun 03, 2009 22:55 
   Susan     w.    Wed Jun 03, 2009 23:21 
   Christ they are at it again...     Jolly Red Giant    Wed Jun 03, 2009 23:25 
   Joe Higgins et al     Soundmigration    Thu Jun 04, 2009 00:36 
   "bad candidates are elected by people who don't vote"     Ishmael Lemass    Thu Jun 04, 2009 01:04 
 10   Ishmael     Soundmigration    Thu Jun 04, 2009 02:26 
 11   What a bitter, small minded, ignorant contribution     WSMer    Thu Jun 04, 2009 05:08 
 12   Response     Cagp    Thu Jun 04, 2009 07:12 
 13   Vote FF and FG out of existence     Paul    Thu Jun 04, 2009 09:25 
 14   that's me put in my place so . . .     Ishmael Lemass    Thu Jun 04, 2009 10:49 
 15   A means of challenging the "Ruling Elites" in a way which might really hurt them?     Don't Vote    Thu Jun 04, 2009 11:20 
 16   Vote an alternative government in     The Fox    Thu Jun 04, 2009 11:37 
 17   Mobilise for a left wing vote......     A.R    Thu Jun 04, 2009 12:10 
 18   Proposal     John, Friend of WSM    Thu Jun 04, 2009 13:39 
 19   that would be great except for...     Jolly Red Giant    Thu Jun 04, 2009 15:22 
 20   First sensible thing I've read here for a while     mick b    Thu Jun 04, 2009 17:27 
 21   Irish Times discussion     pbpa    Thu Jun 04, 2009 18:38 
 22   Non-participation     WSMer    Thu Jun 04, 2009 19:23 
 23   PBPA Anti Capitalist?     come again    Thu Jun 04, 2009 19:31 
 24   electoralism     Jolly Red Giant    Thu Jun 04, 2009 20:06 
 25   PFPA     Godot    Thu Jun 04, 2009 20:36 
 26   A few responses to the weighty political theorists who are attacking the WSM.     WSMer    Thu Jun 04, 2009 22:02 
 27   WSM     Jolly Red Giant    Thu Jun 04, 2009 22:42 
 28   Kick who out?     Janus    Fri Jun 05, 2009 04:48 
 29   More comments and responses     Cagp    Fri Jun 05, 2009 09:18 
 30   Ultra right getting EU seats in Amsterdam     dunk    Fri Jun 05, 2009 12:10 
 31   If you don't vote, spoil it!     Reluctant Cynic    Fri Jun 05, 2009 12:53 
 32   Meaningful Activity?     Solidarity    Fri Jun 05, 2009 14:24 
 33   Anniversary of Martyr for the Vote.     Voter.    Fri Jun 05, 2009 20:01 
 34   Count the martyrs     sigh    Fri Jun 05, 2009 20:45 
 35   when voting might mean a matter of life or death     dunk    Fri Jun 05, 2009 21:56 
 36   A christian anarchist position on refusing to vote - choosing to resist     christianarchy    Fri Jun 05, 2009 23:28 
 37   Dont stress.     realist.    Sat Jun 06, 2009 05:30 
 38   cell structures needed , parliament the model     mick b    Sat Jun 06, 2009 16:36 
 39   How Many Times...     Ken Lee    Sat Jun 06, 2009 22:47 
 40   The political impact of a low voter turnout     Voter    Sun Jun 07, 2009 23:49 
 41   the far right in Europe     Godot    Mon Jun 08, 2009 00:02 
 42   left is right     StiffNeck    Mon Jun 08, 2009 01:50 
 43   virago     smee again    Mon Jun 08, 2009 10:31 
 44   Marcuse the key     Sean    Mon Jun 08, 2009 11:21 
 45   Jung Chang.     China Buff.    Mon Jun 08, 2009 13:30 
 46   The jury is out     Non alligned    Mon Jun 08, 2009 17:35 
 47   fluffy logic in the last comment, exercising votes does not entitle one to criticism.     iosaf    Mon Jun 08, 2009 18:25 
 48   The rise of the far right in Europe     Voter    Mon Jun 08, 2009 18:27 
 49   mao's class conflict     Sean    Tue Jun 09, 2009 00:10 


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