Douglas Adams Continuum (DAC)

Yup. Parliament election. Ooh, I'm fascinated, oooooh, it will be interesting.
This is the procedure where we swedes get to chose socialism with communism and vegetarianism or capitalism and religious fundamentalism.

But actually these days it's really not a choice. There's really no difference, except the pocket where the money ends up is another one. There are no real lefties, they don't even dare call themselves communists anymore, and no real hardcore right wing dudes either. Heck, even the conservatives call themselves a 'worker's' party.
It's just shit, actually. I'll select the absolutely most extreme possibility, and they will get my vote. Furthermore, I know we are quite a few promoting that opinion. So they just might make it, if they do we actually end up having put a bit of taxes in a pocket that might irritate those two big ones who think they've got it made for all eternity.

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Ophelia was a preference, not humanly accessible, not as such.

How about them Pirates?

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Human beings, who are almost unique in having the ability to learn from the experience of others, are also remarkable for their apparent disinclination to do so.
(Douglas Adams, "Last Chance to See")

Yeah, I count them among the extremist parties, them and the nationalist groups, they are essentially the same in that they have no politics, except for either no immigration or free downloads. Either way it'll be a real pain for the ones that usually rip us off. It doesn't make a whole lot of diff for me, I'll just take the option that hurts established parties the most. Which means I'll check the predictions closely, the one extreme with the most chance to get in and disturb, they'll get my vote. Should be an interesting night waiting for the result. Lots of coffee. No snuff or beer anymore though, those bastards ain't gonna rob me anymore, which feels good. The extreme would be to quit coffee too, but that might be overdoing it a bit...
Well, maybe next year, who knows...
Peace
Skei (the either pirate or nationalist one)

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Ophelia was a preference, not humanly accessible, not as such.

And it's getting closer and closer to that night. The latest predictions point at a situation where we keep the sitting government, and get the nationalists in as a huge disturbance meaning they can actually decide which way every issue goes, they sit on the few percentages that can move majority any way they chose. If that ends up being a situation it might be very interesting, but I somehow doubt it, predictions mostly only agitate people and make the two alternatives even more cemented. I'm not sure I actually care very much, I mostly like the policy of the one we have now, they did a good job rescuing what could be saved from the financial debacle we had and to some extent still have (a rather noticeable extent actually). But either way it's gonna be an interesting election night, that's for sure. Also, even if I want to disturb the process, I really don't want to waste my vote on the nationalists, it really would be wasting it. No sense in voting for the pirates either, they'll never get enough votes to get in, but that should have been very amusing...
So I guess I'll go with the predicted majority and support the present dudes, even though I'm unemployed liberalism is my cup of tea.
Peace
Skei (the should make dinner one)

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Ophelia was a preference, not humanly accessible, not as such.

I will stick to my guns and vote social democratic party again, as I have in all the elections I've been allowed to vote in. This is because they fit my humanistic approach to life, and because I in my gut hate the fuckers on the right wing government calling themselves a working party with their mouths and kicking the elderly and the sick and the unemployed in the nadgers with their feet.

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Before long now, I'll reach the age where farting will be an essential part of propulsion.
(...don't piss us off)

That's fine with me,Duke, I'm all for the right to have an opinion, and I certainly know to appreciate a great guy whether or not I share his opinions.
I have a relative in SV in Norway, and he's a splendid and cool fisherman anyway. The hate doesn't go into it for me, I can't hate a person because he or she's a socialist, even if I disagree on basic principles. You know there is a party called 'Humanisterna', I used to go to their meetings when I lived in stockholm. They are probably the party closest to my inmost self, pity they are local and rather marginal, meaning a vote would be wasting it. Even if I happen to live in one of the few remaining soviet enclaves, I guard my right to use my free will and exercise my right not to be silenced by the national minority. Of which many are my friends.

Peace
Skei (the can't hate socialists even if they hate me one)

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Ophelia was a preference, not humanly accessible, not as such.

Oh, and just before I go to the farm, I personally have yet to hear or see any person I distrust as much as I distrust a politician, whatever colour.
And before anybody judges the right wing, consider the fact that the lefties have through history murdered, dismembered, tortured and generally been bad to even more people than the guy in brown with a disturbed vision of who were the aryans (he didn't understand they were a group of people from the north of india, and I do believe blondes are rare in india).
Also worth remembering is probably that what saved us from the hun was more or less the fact that the right wing bastards from the USA decided to join. Sadly, somebody decided Patton should leave eastern europe to the russians, Something I do believe many regret, looking back, and countless millions died because of.
Peace
Skei (the keeping perspective one)

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Ophelia was a preference, not humanly accessible, not as such.

Moreover, I went to a blog, 'politikerbloggen' (the politician blog) and read a bit, to get in the mood for election. Interesting, but predictable. Anyway, there are some really good speakers among the party workers, some not so good, and media will be more important than ever this time, we are learning from big brother. This is good, because not all swedes get to be around to hear the leaders from the parties talk and discuss their policies. Of course, not all journalists are as unbiased as they should be, but it's really easy to read them, at least I think so. Or are they playing me like a trombone, just to lure me into thinking 'The biased bastard, I'll vote against such scum' and get me anyway? No problem for me, being a right wing hardcore but some might fall for the old biased my acorn trick, or am I to biased to see things clearly?
This post is quickly becoming awkwardly biased, and should be terminated, or coffee.

"Terminated or Coffee".
I think that is my new mantra.
The jazz Party has a slogan.
"Terminated or Coffee"
The perfect form would be to have the word (Black) in rather small print slightly lower, halfway below the rest of the slogan. Like the hardcore communist party 'KPML(R). but I don't know how to do that, but I seem to remember a function in 'edit' and 'special characters' up there in the menu.
This really is off topic. I believe I've had too little coffee tonight.

Terminated or coffee (Black)

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Ophelia was a preference, not humanly accessible, not as such.

Seems my side is still in a comfortable lead. Despite it being so, I still think jazz is by far the most important thing in the world. Ok, coffee is pretty close, but jazz is number one. My idea about a 'jazz' party would not imply jazz adapting to politics, not in a million years, no, the main structure is based on adapting politics to jazz. Making politics more jazzy. Introducing improvised national economics. Making jazz the most important subject in school. Introduce jazz news, closing all bore-news stations. Forbid war, introduce bebop duels instead. Base the only true religion on the notes of the big Bird. The dividing of everything in fifths. All recipes will be based on fifths. Lots of recalculation to be done. How much flour shalt thy bread contain?
Oh, yeah, there shall be a number of fifths of flour!
How much water?
Fifths!
Yeast?
Fifths!
Salt?
-I don't have to go on anymore, you know the answer: 'Fifths'.
What train will there be?
The Coltrane!
How many miles will it travel?
Davis!
Baptism will be rejected and substituted by Boptism.
What shall be the general temperature?
Cool!
More or less will be translated as 'More or Les (Paul)'.
It will be mandatory to 'Take Five'.
The great Wakenius will be obligatory from kindergarten onwards.
The tool shall be the 'pick'.
The above mentioned pick shall be thick.
Strings thinner than 010's will be prohibited.
Elevators without jazz will be demolished.

For thus it has been written by the great Brubeck, and thusly it shall be!
(at which point in time, at the end of bar 32, it is strongly recommended to Take Five.

Sic.

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Ophelia was a preference, not humanly accessible, not as such.

Yesterday evening there was a tv debate between the reds and the blues. According to an iphone poll, the blues won. The blues will always win, unless put up against the jazz, in which case the jazz will be victorious.
No, seriously, it was vaguely interesting, but as it was more or less a sell party there were no real political philosophy discussed, adapted to the main stream voter's main interest. The only really interesting part was when the two finance spokesmen had a go at it. The current guy with the wallet, and the wannabe one. They had some arguments on the various levels of the welfare system, accusations flew like snails with wings through the air, aah, it will at least be somewhat interesting next weekend when the deal is settled for the next few years. The main focus seems to be what to do if the nationalists get into parliament, which seems rather likely according to recent polls. What the present parliament members seem to forget is that the reason the extreme parties might get in is that voters are dissatisfied with present policies in the areas concerned. They are like geese in water, any criticism just flows off of their greasy complexion and they are just irritated the people will have their say.
Interesting, to say the least. I'm waiting to see just how low a level discussions on election eve might reach.

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Ophelia was a preference, not humanly accessible, not as such.

Ok, tonight it's time for the 'final debate' between the party leaders on the telly. Might be interesting. This circus always make me think of the Roman empire, the Senators struggle to get support and be elected. There has been little or no development at all, really, the only diff is that nowadays everybody gets to vote. Not only the free men. One interesting point is that immigrants are allowed to vote, even if they are not swedish citizens. Not for the parliament, but for local government. That is a bit strange, considering the fact that the power closest to the people, affecting everyday life the most, is local government. I don't know if it's the same in other countries, like if I went to live in the US, or GB, would I be allowed to vote for state, or local, government, but not for president or national parliament, even if I only apply for citizenship, but it isn't resolved? Seems strange. Well, not that it bothers me very much, I just think it's odd. I had the idea it was only swedish citizens who could vote in swedish elections.
Anyway, a good debate evening coming along...

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Ophelia was a preference, not humanly accessible, not as such.

You can vote in the kommunalval and landstingsval if you're an immigrant, but you have to have a citizenship to vote in the riksdagsval. And why not, they live here too. In consequence, I think they should be allowed to vote in all elections, I don't really understand the arguments for todays rules.

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Before long now, I'll reach the age where farting will be an essential part of propulsion.
(...don't piss us off)

Yeah, and all students from abroad registering as residents in a city, certainly they must be allowed to vote, they live here too. But of course, now that we apply standard european and global law, meaning international students from outside eu will have to pay for their own studies, instead of swedish taxpayers paying their tuition fees, we won't have very many international students anymore...
I am so simpleminded I had the idea swedes vote in swedish elections, germans in german elections, britons in british elections. Shows how ill informed I am. I think I'll go and vote in britain when it's time there, I suppose it's just to go live on welfare there for a while and cast my vote. Then I shal perhaps do the same in australia. That must be a great way to lead ones life. And possible too, sounds like every country, along with sweden practices this. Interesting. There we see an example of the old 'learn something new every day' thing.

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Ophelia was a preference, not humanly accessible, not as such.

Are we being a wee bit bitter, then? Why make it harder than it is? if you live in the country, earn your living here and is "skriven" at your place of residence, why should you not be allowed to vote? Students also live here so why not? But to be realistic, maybe you should have a contract saying you are obliged to live in the country for a "mandatperiod" in order to have a vote.

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Before long now, I'll reach the age where farting will be an essential part of propulsion.
(...don't piss us off)

By no means are we being bitter, not in the least, why should we be?
Certainly, a mandatperiod might be good, I don't know what is the general procedure in the rest of the world. Also, as my guys seem to hold their lead, I feel pretty good about the election thus far. But in all honesty, there really wouldn't be much of a diff either way, as both sides are european neo-liberals. Myself being a steady liberal, it feels like a win-win for me. Either way, sweden will still be the same old same old after midnight tomorrow. Those who vote red in the hope to get their old unemployment benefit levels and such are in for a surprise when they realize the only diff is higher taxes and less freedom of choice.
It's just load the old coffee thermos, get some digestives, snuff close by, guitar even closer, enjoy the old tv-armchair and off we go.
Oh, and as I plan to study a term in britain somewhere in the future, it's good to know I can place it around an election so I can be part of their choice too. I really had no idea I could do that!
Peace
Skei (the eagerly awaiting our win without bitterness one)

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Ophelia was a preference, not humanly accessible, not as such.

Just did the voting thing. I just can't accept people who won't use 10 or so minutes to vote, and then spend a mandatperiod complaining about how lousy things are. Luckily we usually have relatively good number of voters actually using the right people once struggled hard to make law.
It's much like jazz, it's freedom and the right to improvise...

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Ophelia was a preference, not humanly accessible, not as such.

Yup.
The preliminary results - which will most likely not change much - introduces the sverigedemokraterna to the swedish parliament. As some of the mp's said yesterday night, we have gone to being like a number of european parliaments who have extremist parties in them. Ok, a tough situation, but we've had governments which have had to work from a minority position a lot of the time ever since ww2, so, unless the opposition joins the SD's to force a new election - highly unlikely - it will be business as usual. In my town the SD got 10 %, which is only to be expected as people are not at all pleased with our high unemployment rate etc.

The conservatives are almost exactly as big as the social democrats, the landscape is changing a bit. My party - the liberals - are not too big, but they remain within government, and most likely will continue working for school and a humanist approach.

Now I must go to work. Which will be a pain, as there are mostly social democrats there, but the boss is in my camp at least...

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Ophelia was a preference, not humanly accessible, not as such.

Actually, the confrontation with the force at work went very well. No hard feelings or anything. We discussed things in a grown up responsible manner, decided on another cup of java black and agreed we'd all survive, then business as usual.

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Ophelia was a preference, not humanly accessible, not as such.

And they're still counting...
At the time of writing this the alliance still needs 2 seats to get a majority in parliament. Not sure if they get it, but tomorrow it'll be all cleared.
Truth is that swedish governments have mostly managed to get by without a clear majority, but I believe the present nervousness is due to the sweden democrats getting in.

Well, until tomorrow, then.

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Ophelia was a preference, not humanly accessible, not as such.

Ok, we now officially have our own Florida situation. Wrinkled paper bits, bent corners, sad.
Why don't they just go on and rule the country. As I said in the above post, we've mostly been governed by minorities in the past, and it works fine, 2 seats.
2 seats.
Gah.

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Ophelia was a preference, not humanly accessible, not as such.