Monday, February 21, 2011

How I'm going to vote in General Election 2011

I've been struggling with how to vote as I don't feel any of the main parties are looking much beyond the end of their noses in their plans to fix things - or return to a sustainable economy as Fianne Fail puts it!

I want to see fundamental change in how we view the economy, in our use of non-renewable resources and a more imaginative and long term approach to planning for the future. I want to see more power at the local level along with people getting more involved in our own government. I want to a split in the political system between politicians how look after local and individual issues and those that are minding the country. I could go on....

No fundamental change is going to come with the current, well established people and systems of government so I will vote for whichever party will make the most fundamental changes in the way we govern ourselves that give a chance for change to happen AND for the party which makes the most effort to involve women.

I don't believe women make better decisions than men, or that men make better decisions than women, but I do believe that men and women together make better decisions. But for this to happen women must be allowed to be women and not feel we have to play the men's games better than them. Apparently men tend to make decisions that take advantage of the current situation whereas women are more likely to look at the long terms consequences of a decision and judge according. This make perfect sense to me and shows how men and women working together make better balanced decisions. This TED talk makes a similar point:


Now to the research. Any comments on who you think is doing best in this area very welcome!