208. Cast a Vote

14th September 2014, Swedish Embassy, Marylebone, London

Most people who knows me would probably say that I'm highly opinionated. Actually, few people would probably be that polite and chose very different words to describe me and my constant debating my views on things.

Politics are no exception from me and my highly vocal (read: loud) take on the world. And you would have expected someone who has such strong opinions on every single political party and their stands to drag her ass and vote when given the chance.

Truth is, I have never voted in a general election. In fact, last time I went to vote for anything other than the X-Factor was in the Swedish elections for the Euro Zone. And age 18, I primarily voted because I had just turned 18 and I could. I also voted no solely because I thought the EUR bills were ugly. I was clearly a very mature voter.

So, having spent the last 10 years complaining about politics globally and Swedish politics more than anything, it was time to drag my ass to the embassy and actually vote.

To sum up Swedish politics in one word so that people outside Sweden can understand at which level it operates; playground. Only a bit less mature.

The ongoing war between the left and the right wing parties have gone something like this along the last few years:

Lefties: You're stupid.
Righties: Well, you're stupid-er.
Lefties: Well... Your mummy's stupid too!
Righties: Well, you... Smell.

I wish I was exaggerating.

So whilst the two biggest parties in Sweden are arguing about who is the most stupid, we've had some lovely development amongst the smaller parties.

There's the Swedish nationalist party, whose opinions I don't necessarily agree with, but they're scoring more and more votes on the fact that every other single party is terrified to even mention immigration and integration in spite of that being the biggest chink out of the Swedish national budget. People are not stupid and they will sadly support a party who stands for a rather concerning view of human beings based on the lack of options - which spreads beyond their views on immigrants (although people tend to get stuck on that bit).

And how do the other parties deal with their success? Do they listen to their voters and try to figure out why people are still sympathising with the Swedish Democrats to maybe see if there is a focus in their own politics that may be lacking. No, they instead refuse to say hi to the party members in the corridors of the parliament and exclude from the office Christmas party. Your basic school ground bullying on other words. And it's OK as per Swedish media because 'they are racist'. Apparently Swedish media missed the memo on two wrongs not making one right.

And God forbid anyone mentions that we still have communist in parliament. It's not like the commies have ever done anything to oppress people...

Whilst the racist debate is taking more and more juvenile turns, we have the Feminist Party creeping out from the ashes of a burnt bra bonfire from the 70's (let's face it, choosing to wear a bra or not is what feminism is really all about)... It doesn't sound too bad does it? Feminism is a lovely thing right?

Sadly, these are not the Emma Watson (whose UN speech I can not praise enough) type of feminist that simply believes in equal rights for all human beings - but the remains of the man haters of the last century that gave feminism a bad name to begin with. A party that informs us that all men are actually animals and needs to be re educated/programmed. Men of Sweden, I am insulted on your behalf.

Aside of these goodies, we have party leaders being attacked for having the audacity to work in politics and also be attractive, the denial that our financial minister is the greatest thing to have happened to the Swedish economy and the even harsher denial that Sweden has the social democrats to thank for the amazing social system that we do have.

Playground. Can not be said enough.

Anyway, it was time for me to go and actually vote for the least bad of the immature children running my home country, so off to Marylebone and the Swedish embassy.

I was met by two of the things I like the least: queues and admin. I'm not quite sure how many ways in which I can confirm my identity and how much arguing it is worth to go behind a curtain to put a cross in a box on a piece of paper.

In the end we got there, although I doubt I made any new friends at the embassy. That's OK, wasn't much love there to begin with.

A blank vote is still a vote right?